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Cafe Solstice
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
4116 University Way NE(between 41st St & 42nd St)
Seattle, WA 98105
Neighborhood: University District
(206) 675-0850
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 6:30 am - 11 pm
Fri 6:30 am - 9 pm
Sat 7 am - 9 pm
Sun 7 am - 11 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
161 reviews for Cafe Solstice
Review Highlights
"White chocolate banana bread is amazing."
(in 8 reviews)
"Oh, did I mention they serve beer."
(in 10 reviews)
"Best espresso drinks on the Ave, hands down."
(in 6 reviews)
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161 reviews in English
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Review from Chris J.
Colbert, WA
1/18/2012
Seattle Weekly once called Solstice one of the worst coffee shops in Seattle... which is just total crap.
Coffee drinkers in the U District know that Solstice makes a mean espresso. I get mochas pretty much any where I go and they have one of the best in the area and tasty cookies and pastries as well. They also make sandwiches (rather than buy them pre-made) which is nice if you're in the mood for lunch and not just a pastry.
Solstice is pretty good atmosphere for studying. There are lots of tables, wifi, and a pretty cool atmosphere. For some reason their baristas are not friendly at all and often seem pissed off... but to me whether or not the barista smiles at me is a lot less important in a coffee shop than the cut of coffee and the atmosphere. -
Review from Jeanny M.
1/4/2012 5 Check-ins Here
I always get the BEST cafe au lait here.
It's crowded, loud, hard to find a seat during the quarter, but by the time you get your drink a spot will have cleared up. In the warmer months, you can take advantage of their outdoor seating in the back of the building.
I've enjoyed their pastries (usually a pumpkin bread) and grill sandwiches here too. -
Review from Allie Y.
Philadelphia, PA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I can't comment on their coffee, but the gunpowder tea I had was pretty good... but uber strong after only a short time of steeping. Who knew?
Good things about this place that I appreciate:
- free wifi
- large space with large tables, perfect for groups or working on laptops or both
- chill atmosphere
- music is on the louder side if that bothers you... I didn't find it obtrusive while doing some work on my laptop but I guess if you had more stressful work to do and a lot of background sound doesn't work for you this probably wouldn't be the place to visit. -
Review from Felisa D.
12/1/2011
The only things I don't like: Their chai and the music.
The chai is very watered down and flavorless. And the music -- despite the fact that I appreciate their music choices and the fact that I do like that it's louder than most cafes -- is definitely too loud sometimes.
Other than that, this is hands down my favorite cafe anywhere in the U-district. They serve yummy paninis, well done coffee and beer -- you're almost left with no reason to leave. My coffee has been perfect every single time and I go there more than a few times every week. It's never burnt and it has a perfectly sweet, nutty and rich flavor. Their pastries are great and I haven't had a sandwich I didn't like.
Most of the time the music is just loud enough to drown out the conversations of the people from the tables around you. Some of the baristas are friendly. Others aren't. It makes for a good balance of a nice enough staff who don't feel like they're being intrusive.
In a nutshell, from their minimal push towards chatty CUSTOMER SERVICE! to the mismatched chairs and tables to the artwork from local artists on the walls to the amazing locally roasted coffee -- it's about as "independent coffee place" as you can get. If you're into that kind of stuff, you'll like this place. -
Review from Adrienne V.
West Covina, CA
11/13/2011
I tried to limit my coffee intake but given that I was in Seattle... well coffee is a given. Duh.
I went to Bauhaus Books & Coffee the previous night. It was cool and inviting place too study... but seriously... SO DIM. This area is predominantly students, from the looks of it and everyone is studying. I plan tos tudy here next time I come to Seattle. The employee was nice. I just ordered a vanilla latte. They always say you can tell the quality of expresso is good by latte designs. Anyways, my rosetta was pretty cool. Cheeeck it out, though parking seems to be scarce. -
Review from Leah H.
10/27/2011
A convenient place to get coffee in the U district and a place that understands their costumer.
Pros:
The location is uber convenient.
The big tables are perfect for homework.
The outdoor area is a great addition when it's warm enough to use it.
The huge variety of food options make it both a perfect coffee and lunch stop.
Cons:
I can never get the wireless to consistently work here.
The music is crazy annoying about half the time.
It can get too packed to find a seat. -
Review from Elizabeth W.
Seattle, WA
10/7/2011
Beautiful white chocolate banana bread. You complete my world, how did I live before you came into my life? I ponder, and I can't find any answer to that question.
I bought it to go, one slice costs $3, it was well worth it. It was delicious, what a treat! I know you'll pop into my dreams. You can haunt me till' the end of time, I don't mind, as long as I can savor your taste on my tongue.
When I came in at around 5pm, it was packed with students, complete with their notes or laptop. It's a student hang out/study spot, so beware of after school hours. It'll be difficult to find a seat. To find this place, it was quite confusing because the sign was so unreadable that I don't know what the place is until I was a few steps away.
The interior was really chill, laidback and cool, no wonder students flock to this place. Hustle and bustle, some may call this a hipster hotspot. I don't care, four words for you: white chocolate banana bread. It is so great that I will travel across lands to be granted this dessert.
Let me see, where should I start. The outer crust was hard yet with a slightly palpable crusty texture, the insides are soft and gooey. I usually don't like the crust and peel it away, but this was another exception. It somehow blended well with the soft insides.
Please restrain yourself, because when you get them, they are usually cold because they're stuck in the refrigerator so they last the whole day, but wait until you go back home. Then worship your microwave, pop that baby for about 20 seconds. When the microwave beeps, that's the best smell you ever smelt after fresh roasted coffee and the best sound you ever heard after Miles Davis.
Tasting the whole thing, it has some thin crunchy thing (I'm guessing coconut shreds/carrot), and an addition of pecans/nuts/macadmia that is chewy differing from the banana bread. The white chocolate melts, it's the best volcanic squirming liquid that entered my mouth combined with the soft banana bread. I love you white chocolate banana bread. I'm in deep passionate love for you. You're not overwhelmingly sweet that you can continue accompanying me all day that I will never be fed up of you.
Oh, you! -
Review from Anton Z.
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dark wood? check. Hip and cute baristas? check. amazing coffee and food? check. One of the best coffee shops around? absolutely.
I've been taking students and colleagues to Solstice regularly since I moved to work at the UW, and they always talk about how much they love it. The coffee is always expertly made, and regardless of what I order it's always great.
Staff is often friendly, but it's always funny to see how they interact with people who come in assuming that it's a Starbucks. They're always friendly with a "this is so not Starbucks" kind of vibe. It's brilliant. -
Review from Opal D.
11/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Hippie barista with the arm-pit hair really threw me off.
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Review from Waves G.
Oakland, CA
11/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The latte is good, so is the blueberry sconce. But must they play their music so loud???? It's not fair for those of us who cannot afford noise-cancelling headphones who would rather listen to something mentally stimulating when we're writing or reading a paper.
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Review from Marin J.
My first time in Seattle, and I aim to do as many coffee spots as humanly possible. Why? Well, Seattle is the birthplace of the bean as I have been told.
Having sampled the range from Stumptown to Starbucks, I am the hummingbird to the brown nectar and must feed.
So Solstice was on my list. Late in the evening, my first visit after enduring the ubiquitous awful journey in a beer can with wings. Dragging luggage thru airports and up hills to my lodging. Needed some civility.
Wandered down University Way after consulting the Oracle that is Yelp.
Walked in to wooden warmth, a melange of tables and chairs and funky diverse music spilling from big-assed spakers perched off the wall.
As soon as you enter, your eyes settle on the well placed bakery items.
Two kinds of brownies, plethora of cookies and handsome cakes are waiting for you in the counter. Sitting atop are a variety of scones.
A coffee bar with well buffed from many butts to the rear, drops down in steps to the barista station in the center.
I had a scone, Cardamom cake,Chocolate chip cookie, Berry coffee cake (not all at once ok? An iced coffee, and a breve.
Verdict:
Who would eat the fake-o crap at McStarbucks when you can feast like a queen on great portions and fresh ingredients that taste like these?
I mean really. The scones were done like somebody who knows scones, The cakes, not gooey sweet but each one I tried was a perfect compliment to the coffee beverage. The cardamom cake (a first for me) had a fabulous crust browned to perfection , a nice top with chopped nuts. Divine.
The berry coffee cake had the berry swirls mixed in with a kind of sour creme I thnk. Not gooey, but a really rich, indulgent decadence that just puts places like starbucks to shame.
The music is so diverse, stay long enough and you'll roll from country, to indie, to funk and probably back.
The only drawback is the staff doesn't seem to smile at all. They've got the cool vibe going on and there seem to be no women here behind the counter pulling espresso (maybe they bake).
I'll be back. -
Review from Texie Y.
Seattle, WA
9/16/2011 6 Check-ins Here
Ten. Ten is the number of years I have been coming to Solstice for coffee, espresso cream cheese brownies, baked goods, sandwiches, and soup. I have never consumed anything from Solstice in all those years that was less than perfection. The espresso cream cheese brownie is the stuff dreams are made of.
And maybe I've lived in Seattle too long, but the staff 'tude (that you read about in most of the other Yelp reviews) actually adds to the appeal of Solstice for me. I can't explain it but it's true. Once, not too long ago, one of the morning baristas called me by name for the first time...in ten years. It literally made my week.
One last nugget of unsolicited advice: if you go in, even if just to get something to go, take your earbuds out and drink in the music they are playing. Best coffee shop music around! The baristas clearly have excellent taste in tunes. -
Review from Lucas K.
Seattle, WA
8/9/2011
Everything you've read on Yelp about this place is true: The baked goods are fantastic, the coffee top-notch, and the staff taciturn and pissy.
I'd love to give this place five stars, but I'm just a little too angry about when I asked them about their wi-fi password. The cashier just pointed to the blackboard in front without saying anything (which, yes, had their password on there, but I'm conditioned from years of coffee shop experience to never even look at them), while their barista said "What's wrong man, can't you read?"
Honestly. That's really just unnecessary. Maybe I'll come back to grab some pastry and leave, but I doubt I'll be back for any real amount of time. -
Review from Elaine J.
8/11/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Not a coffee drinker but this place is a nice place to study, grab a bite or whatever. Sanwiches and sweets and I hear the coffee is good but I wouldn't know. I go for the lunch though.
Nothing too, too special but for the ave, its nice to have some fresh grub that isn't filled with grease.
And the grilled cheese! Nice new spin to the traditional gooey orange kraft slices.
Brownies were excellent too. Not too fudgey, not too cakey.Listed in: Lunch date?
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Review from Max Z.
Seattle, WA
6/28/2011
I work in the U district which means I'm pretty familiar with the local coffee shops. Cafe Solstice is a once-a-year kind of place; the kind of place you enter just often enough to remind you of how bad it was the last time.
From the outside it looks like an attractive coffee shop and the seating/atmosphere inside is pretty solid as well. However, they fail at three things that matter more than that when it comes to a coffee shop: (1) their pastry cabinet is often populated by flies, which is unforgivable (2) their servers are even worse than your typical Seattle barista and are certainly not the kind of people that I would be willing to give money to and (3) their coffee is bad! The watered-down cup I have in my hand as I write was barely warm when it was slid across their little drink counter thing to me (even though the dude could have handed it to me directly he chose not to) and is nearly undrinkable now. Even though the cup was 3/4 full, he still managed to spill coffee on the counter and down the side of the cup.
In its defense, it seems like an OK place to get a beer and hang out at after work (if you're into trying to talk over the 21 year old liberal arts geek pseudo-intellectuals that seem to frequent the place). If you happen to be in the south end of the U district and want better coffee and snacks, I would recommend Cafe Allegro, the Bean and Bagel, or even Starbucks. -
Review from Erin W.
Seattle, WA
7/22/2011
I used to come here all the time when I went to UW, so normally I would have given it 5 stars, however...
While their coffee and baked goods are lovely, they do have beer (and happy hour!), and their baked mac n' cheese is amazing...
Last time I was there, I had planned on spending some time doing work. I got there maybe around 7ish and the posted hours (both online and on the door) listed 11 as close. Imagine my surprise when around 9, the barristas started blasting hair metal increasingly loud over time. It took me a while to realize that this was their way of kicking us all out, mostly when all of the other customers started gathering their things.
I'm not one to overstay my welcome, and I was spending money there, so I don't understand why they didn't just announce that they were closing early. It seemed super passive-aggressive to try to discourage us to leave that way.
Maybe I was there on an off day? -
Review from Jon V.
Seattle, WA
4/17/2011
A solid option for coffee when up in the University District. The coffee is good most of the time, I love the power bars in the bakery case, and I adore the mac and cheese I had there once.
It can be overly packed, a little loud, the wi-fi spotty, and not everyone one the staff is aware and friendly. Still, definitely worth the visit.
I stopped in with a friend this morning for coffee before biking around Lake Washington. In addition to a great cup of coffee, the barista offered up some peanut butter cookies that had broken before they could be put into the case. Those cookies were a lifesaver after hills and great little pick-me-ups. Thanks! -
Review from Aaron Y.
Seattle, WA
3/14/2011
The music is great ( somtimes a bit loud ), the coffee is good, and outdoor seating in the back when its nice out.
I always get either a hot/iced mocha here and its always great. I wouldn't recommend this place for studying because personally i think its a bit too loud for that. But for anything else you're good to go. Reading a Newspaper, meeting up some friends, stopping by for a cup of Joe....PERFECT!
an added plus is that their sidewalk seating fence is perfect for locking your fixed speed bike!!! -
Review from Chris S.
Portland, OR
10/3/2011
Nice people, good morning ambiance, and a darn tasty vegan berry muffin.
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Review from Carmel C.
Seattle, WA
1/23/2011
I feel like I'd be doing a disservice to UW students and coffee drinkers by giving this place such a terrible review. I'm not a regular coffee drinker, but from what my friends say, their coffee is pretty amazing. I do, however, love their pastries and the atmosphere.
What I don't like is when I get my bank statement and I find that they've charged me more than what I signed to pay. Twice before, when I looked up my online bank statement, I've been over-charged by Solstice, but by a few cents, so I thought it might've been a mistake or maybe there was a surcharge for credit transactions that I didn't know of. Still, I was definitely suspicious.
And then I went there 4 days ago (1/19/2011) for a bagel that cost me $2.50, and I definitely made sure to keep the receipt. I just checked my online statement, and I was charged $3.50! Now I know there's no way that's a transaction fee, I didn't even get a coffee drink so I didn't think it warranted a tip (I've been a barista, I know the etiquette), and even for a $1 tip at a coffee shop, at least don't treat me and your other customers like we're such an inconvenience! -
Review from Jeff B.
Redmond, WA
6/11/2011
Been here twice on Sat morning in the last month to kill time while waiting for my son to complete testing at the University.
Good coffee (at reasonable price) and fine world music - type relaxing sounds. Pastries are average. Plenty of room to plug in my PC and connect to the free Wi-Fi.
The tables are a bit sticky....
Easy to miss because it is a bit inconspicuous. Which adds to its appeal. -
Review from Katrina D.
Seattle, WA
11/14/2010
What a rad coffee shop! It makes me wish I were still in college to study again!
They serve Lighthouse coffee here and have a few brewski's on tap... You gotta check it out if you are in the U District! The ambiance is really neatly decorated and they have "Solstice-like" music playing. If you can't imagine what that may sound like and are anxious to know, then visit the cafe!
They have a whole wall full of handmade snowflakes (what a cool idea!) and a nice patio for one to indulge in their smoking vice, or to just relax in the warm with their heated deck. They also have different things going on various weekends.
So, if you are by the U or in college, this place is where it is at! Go there... You'll love it!Listed in: Give me my bean juice...
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Review from Cynthia V.
Bellevue, WA
4/12/2011
This place is made for anyone and everyone.
Thier coffee is good. Thier tea is good. Thier cookies are good. Thier atmosphere is nice for hanging out and for studying. They even have shows every once in a while. The art ont he walls are always changing and always interesting to look at. They also serve beer.
The reason why I'm reviewing this place is because it has the BEST tuna sandwiches ever!!!!!!!! Tuna sandwiches are something one can crave every once in a while, but once you taste one from here, you WILL become a tuna lover!
The sandwich is made of: wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, mayo, and tuna salad that they make perfectly. I wish I could understand to make it. I hope they give me their recipe one day!
I dont care if I smell like tuna and onions in class, I will always still choose the tuna!! -
Review from Brad A.
Seattle, WA
3/4/2011
COFFEE: Not bad (Translation: good)
SERVICE: Good if you can get it. (The place is really busy in the morning. Translation: long lines a.m.)
LOCATION: U-District (Translation: no parking)
HOTTIES?: Customer guys (Translation: oh ya...that's what I'm talkin about.) -
Review from Art P.
Snohomish, WA
3/27/2011
Great ambience,
Awesome place to study,
Sturdy solid tables,
and the best espressos in Seattle -
Review from Bill F.
Seattle, WA
9/9/2011
Solstice used to be a hangout of mine back in my (post-)college days. It hasn't changed too much in terms of decor and staff (the same surly barista dudes serve decent drinks).
I'm contradicting myself, slightly, but there is just something off about the place these days. It doesn't feel particularly welcoming. At least, it used to have a vibe of moderate tolerance of lazy degenerates like myself. Prices are relatively high and the occasional cute barista girls are gone.
Alas, maybe Solstice hasn't changed, but I am the one altered. Maybe it's time to release it to college students now a decade younger. So, readers, take my three-star review as it may very well be; a reflection of this reviewer's migration to things non-Solstice. But, maybe I'll be back. -
Review from Honey R.
Seattle, WA
3/4/2011
Survive the winter here!
A nice place to hang out, have sth. to drink, a sweet snack.
Unfortunately, there aren't many food options... often you're only left with sugar-loaded items.
The tea selection is good and tasty. The chai is reliable, not too sweet, spicy. The coffee is alright.
The main reason this place rocks is the atmosphere - it's comfortable, the couch is awesome when available, the decor interesting and there's an overall mellow but inspired vibe.
The music can be great one day and awful the next. The people are always sweet, prompt service, the prices are reasonable.
It's a fun place to watch students chat each other up, read, nap, and survive the winter. -
Review from edie c.
Seattle, WA
11/14/2010
I come to solstice because it's right next to school and their coffee is decent albeit a bit expensive. However some of the servers seriously need an attitude check. Everytime I go in there I always feel like I am inconveniencing the staff. if it weren't so close to class, I would rather just go to another coffee shop.
edit: 11/17/10 - I went in to buy a coffee and a white chocolate banana bread today which btw the bread was absolutely de-li-cious. and the guy barista actually asked me how I am doing today...wow....i am in shock and so i have to up the rating from a 3 star to a 4 star just for that :) -
Review from katya l.
1/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Solstice is one of my favorite coffee shops on the Ave, mostly due to the atmosphere (wooden tables with mismatched chairs, art on the walls, hipsters errywhere) and the fact that they can usually make a decent cup of coffee. Usually. Once I got a cup of drip with grounds in it and swore I'd never go back. Obviously I lied, but luckily there's been no tragic coffee mishaps since then. Their pastries are delicious, as are their teas. In the summer, their little sidewalk patio is good for chilling in the shade with an iced Americano.
My only gripe (aside from the aforementioned grounds-in-my-drip fiasco) is the music. For a hipsterly coffee shop that caters largely to students who *gasp* study there, they sure do play the hip-hop at high decibels. -
Review from Carly E.
Seattle, WA
10/4/2010
Solstice is a great cafe, one of my favorites on the ave. Their coffee (like most other shops) is a bit over-priced for what the quality can be sometimes, but their drip is decent and they serve beer & wine as well.
The music can often be way too loud, and makes it hard (not impossible) to have a conversation inside/do homework.
I love the outdoor patio/smoking section out back. It's a lot quieter and pretty cute, the only problem being that there are usually no tables open. But at least I have somewhere to sit, smoke & drink coffee.
Overall the vibe is unique and interesting, so I believe Solstice is worth at least one visit. -
Review from Samantha G.
Seattle, WA
5/19/2010 1 Check-in Here
White chocolate banana bread, where have you been all my life!? I love the sweetness and comfort that you give me every time we meet up.
However, I might have to cheat on you...your other pastry mates look drool worthy. -
Review from Maria G.
6/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
i come here every once awhile. Ive tried its hot chocolate and cookies, they are not the best but decent enough. What I like about this cafe is that they have beer on tap. I was gonna give this place two stars because I am not at all impressed by the hot chocolate. But I gave it 3 stars because of its beer on tap so I would probably come visit again!
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Review from Joelle A.
5/1/2011
I like to go to Solstice if I'm meeting someone new for coffee in the U-District. The mood is a little eclectic, and it can be a little loud. There is seating on the terrace area out front, which is great if it's a nice day and not already being used, and there is some seating out back, but it is in the alley really, so I prefer not to sit there. The teas are looseleaf, which is nice. Overall, my hot chocolate have been good, my tea always ends up too strong, but that's my fault for leaving the tea bag in for too long, and the baked goods are great.
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Review from terrell m.
Seattle, WA
9/13/2006
Coffee, beer and wine, all in the same place.
Plenty of seating.
Good music.
Outdoor patio.
Tasty cookies.
Dog friendly.
This is my new favorite coffee place. -
Review from Gary L.
Seattle, WA
10/30/2011
Nice space. Good coffee. Support your local independent business owners.Better than Starbucks! wiFi
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Review from Natalie W.
Raleigh, NC
8/15/2009
Starbucks did not have any cookies but chocolate chip and I was having a craving. There are not many choices on The Ave for a quick cookie (before a second shift*) so I tried Cafe Solstice remembering they have baked goods.
The space at Solstice is inviting. Chairs, couches, tables, etc. Medium dark wood that reminds me of peace and sipping coffee. The selection of bread slices, cookies, scones, and others looked delicious. I ordered a ginger molasses cookie to go and a bottled water. The cookie was large, slightly crisp with a doughy center, and flavorful. Cafe Solstice does a good job with cookies :)
FYI's~
* Many tea choices
* Lighthouse coffee
* A few sandwich options
* Outdoor seatingListed in: Food on University Avenue, Bakeries
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Review from Jennilee B.
Seattle, WA
5/9/2008
Beautiful name.
Beautiful place.
Beautiful coffee.
Beautiful chocolate cake.
Just beautiful. -
Review from Michelle B.
Seattle, WA
11/7/2006 1 photo
The atmosphere was lovely, the coffee was tasty and the food looked great. Seems like a great place to get some work done, no? No!
Cafe Solstice does not offer wireless Internet access, ever.
Maybe someone should warn them that they may be driven out of Seattle by a mob of angry netizens crazily waving laptop bags at them and chanting, "ubiquitous wireless now!" It would be ugly, and we don't want that. -
Review from Geoff N.
Seattle, WA
11/6/2006
On dreary autumn days when I find myself wandering the U-District in between classes with a craving for grilled cheese and hot soup, I like to stop in at Cafe Solstice. Their lunch fare is a little pricey. $8 for a whole sandwich and bowl of soup, but the cheese is some of the gooiest I have encountered and tomato basil and split pea soups will both warm you up on a cold day.
If you plan to stop by any time around normal lunching hours, be prepared to fight for a seat. Fortunately, I am usually flying solo and can take advantage of the stools at the counter. Plus, this lets me wistfully lust after the cute red head barista, Charlie Brown style.Listed in: U-district, more like…, Soupah-Doopah!
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Review from Jennifer O.
Mesa, AZ
3/11/2011
Mmmmm Solstice has great blueberry scones. I sometimes dream about their scones. They're so crunchy in the corners and yet slightly moist in the middle.... so good. The lattes are also generally good, but I get sick of them before I have finished the complete latte. They really know how to make some good foam though. The one thing is, the service (in the mornings when I went) is not super friendly. The guy behind the counter (owner?) is really gruff and doesn't talk to you and always seems to be in a bad mood. I still went though, cuz of those scones.... yum.
