I wrote about Slate Coffee Roasters last summer: I’d been so impressed with the amazing coffee tasting flight that I wanted to write about it there and then. So I did. Today it’s finally the turn of Slate itself, which occupies a rather unprepossessing building in Ballard, in suburban Seattle. Although from the outside it might not seem like much, it’s worth the trek, since Slate’s possibly the best coffee shop I’ve ever visited (since my visit, two more branches, Pioneer Square and University District, have opened).

It’s also a remarkably small spot. There’s a pair of tables outside, one for either window, and another table at the pavement’s edge, along with a couple of benches. Inside, there’s a pair of window-bars or you can do what I did and perch at either end of the counter on a bar stool.

The real draw is, of course, the coffee, which is all roasted in-house, and served from a pared back menu which puts the focus firmly on the coffee. There’s also a small selection of cakes and savoury snacks. Slate is all about speciality and, in everything it does, it tries to be special, from the coffee to the service.

June 2019: My visit to Slate was one of my personal Coffee Spot highlights. I’m therefore deeply saddened to learn of reports of mistreatment of the staff.

You can read more of my thoughts after the gallery.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Photo Carousel by WOWSlider.com v4.6

Slate Coffee Roasters was recommended by my friend Kate Beard, so I made it my first stop after arriving in Seattle and settling into my motel. However, as I wandered up and down hilly, suburban Seattle, I wondered if I’d come to the right place: it really didn’t seem the sort of neighbourhood that would host a world-class coffee shop. How wrong I was!

After a little hesitation, I found Slate and again did a double-take. It seemed so small, too small, in fact, to house somewhere with such a glowing reputation. Once again, I had to unthink my thoughts. Really, I should have more faith in my friend’s recommendations.

Slate really is very small though. A stand-alone, single-storey building, with a broad pavement (which is made good use of to increase the seating capacity), Slate can seat maybe 14 inside and a similar number outside in fairly cosy fashion. Essentially a rectangle, long side facing the street, it’s maybe twice as wide as it is deep. The central door is flanked by generous windows, making the interior a wonderfully bright space, particularly with its white-painted walls and ceiling, plus counter made of pale wood. The darkest thing, other than the black, plastic bar stools and black La Marzocco espresso machine, is the gorgeous, slate-tiled floor. I rarely have floor-envy, but if I could have prised up those tiles and somehow got them home with me, I would have done (although I shudder at the thought of the excess baggage charges on the plane!).

A large part of Slate is given over to the counter, which occupies the back two-thirds of the store on the right-hand side. Effectively an L, on the far right (top of the L), there are three bar-stools, while on the back left (bottom of the L) there are two more. The ones on the right give a birds-eye view of the filter coffee being made, while the ones on the left provide behind-the-scenes access to the espresso machine which is directly opposite the door. There’s a low bench against the left-hand wall, but the majority of the seating is provided by the two window-bars, although you’ll have your back to the counter if you sit here.

Walking in, I looked in vain for a menu, but there isn’t one, since Slate offers full table service. As much as I’m a fan, it’s a little incongruous in somewhere so small. However, it was a day of overcoming my preconceptions and I soon recovered from my shock!

Slate really is all about the coffee. There’s a single-origin on espresso, which changes every day or so, depending on the barista’s mood and how it’s tasting. If you ask nicely, Slate can pull a shot of anything (including decaf) that’s in stock using the EK-43. There’s also pour-over (again, using whatever’s in stock) and a nitro-infused, chilled pour-over.

Once you’ve gotten over your shock and taken a seat (I fear I must have looked very bemused), you’re given a glass of water and handed the menu. This offers all sorts of goodies and while I indulged myself in the Tasting Flight (which you can read all about the post I devoted to it), if you just want a coffee, then Slate will happily do that for you too.

If you liked this post, please let me know by clicking the “Like” button. If you have a WordPress account and you don’t mind everyone knowing that you liked this post, you can use the “Like this” button right at the bottom instead. [bawlu_buttons]
Don’t forget that you can share this post with your friends using the buttons below.