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Spruce Street Espresso
Rating Details »
Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Washington Square West1101 Spruce St
Philadelphia, PA 19176
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
20 reviews for Spruce Street Espresso
So just an update, I ordered an espresso a few times and it's the best espresso I've gotten in Philadelphia so far.
-keep up the high quality-
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/8/2009
I like it a lot here. They serve Counter Culture coffee via french press with temp controlled water,… Read more »
I take my coffee seriously. So seriously that I often prefer to make it at home. When I go out for coffee, Spruce Street Espresso is one of my top picks.
One of the best cups of coffee I've had in my life was at Spruce Street. It was from their 'Brew Bar' which is basically single, serve to order drip coffee that doesn't suck. Their French Press and Americano's are also top-notch. They serve Counter Culture coffee so you can enjoy your drink with a bit less than guilt than the average cup.
Worth noting is that the space is small and CASH ONLY. They have plenty of outdoor table seating for nice days but only a handful of tables for when the weather turns inclement. The tables themselves are also small so if your looking to spread out and get some work done this might not be your shop.
When I'm at work and my co-workers and I start to get apathetic and depressed about being inside for another few hours, we make a coffee run to Spruce St. Generally, we'll get 4-5 coffees at a time; this can be a burden for the barista seeing as they only make one batch of coffee at a time later in the day. However, they're always accommodating and friendly. They even give me a small cup of cream for the people who do not trust my cream pouring skills.
The coffee is thick and somewhat sludgy. But, as Dale Cooper would say, it's a damn fine cup of coffee.
This place is really small, there are only about four tables and they all line the perimeter of the shop with diner style booth seats that sit up against the wall. The ladies behind the counter are so nice and the coffee is spectacular! I had an iced cafe mocha & it absolutely hit the spot. Unfortunately the "free wifi" didn't work & the music that they play is so low. Understandably this coffee shop is for the Society Hill type people. I give this place 5 stars for it's coffee & awesome customer service. Maybe they'll crank up the tunes next time I'm there.
This place was a treat and my first stop on my first morning in Philly. It's a tiny little coffee shop, and by tiny I mean really tiny. This makes a "hole in the wall" seem like a ballroom. But that is what gives it charm.
The cappuccino I ordered was perfectly prepared and just what I needed to start my day.
This place looks cool, all intimate with its small shop inside and its numerous tables out. That is where it ends. I ordered a regular drip coffee. The woman looked at me like I was Bin Laden, huffed and gave me a small 12oz cup for $2.25. It was hands down the worst cup of drip coffee I have EVER had. I dont care if its fair trade, organic, blood diamond free, non animal tested. Give me a good, hot, strong cup of coffee and not this watered down, grind-filled shit you put in my cup. Oh and lose the attitude, Rana Market across the street serves La Colombe, its always hot, always fresh, always tasty and its a $1.50. Also, The owners smile and are pleasant to deal with.
Really freakin excellent coffee. Friendly staff who know their coffee - I mean really know their coffee - roasting, flavors, how to pull a perfect cup of joe. Possibly the only place outside of Santa Cruz that I've seen a brew-bar - a setup for individual drip cups of coffee. No coffee is pre-made here - you want a standard cup of joe - you either get the brew-bar coffee or a French-press pot. Staff are super friendly, coffee-friendly, and down-to-earth.
Don't go for the pastry or food, but when you're looking for one of the best espressos, cappuccinos, or drip coffee in Philadelphia, this is your place.
I've visited Spruce Street Espresso multiple times per week since I wrote my initial review & I maintain the (highly enlightened) opinion that this is the best coffee shop in the area.
Not only is the coffee itself fantastic but now I am going to also vouch for the Americano and Chai Latte. Both are easily equal in quality to the coffee. I cannot be certain whether this is just synchronicity or if the staff has gotten really talented at predicting my order, but they seem to intuit when I want an Americano & when I just want a regular coffee. (They remember the soy milk, too.) Maybe I am just easier read than I thought.
I do not know where they get their baked goods from, but whatever God-like baker bestows these treats upon them, I fear and admire that man. The scones are a nice size, slightly smaller than a hockey puck, and NOT triangular. (Please see my other reviews for my inexplicable aversion to triangular scones.) The cookies are also phenominal; huge with crusty edges and soft, gooey insides, like the Platonic ideal of a cookie. I have tried the chocolate chip (huge chunks of chocolate), peanut butter chocolate chip and cinnamon raison cookies and they are just superb.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/19/2009
My new favorite coffee place in Philly and one of the better cups of coffee I have had. Its a tiny… Read more »
I've been here a handful of times, but I should say that the only thing I've ever ordered is the hot chocolate. It's made to order which means hot, creamy and delicious, and they make an artful design in the foam on top. A very nice touch indeed. It's a wasted effort if you're getting that cup to go and you slap the plastic lid on top, but stop on by if you have some time to sit and savor it and you'll be rewarded.
This corner coffee shop (literally a corner of a building, tiny) is my new favorite. For the past couple of years it's limped through two different incarnations (Stella & Machado) but the third time is the charm.
The coffee shop has a whole new look, new seating, clean windows and amazing baristas. Faith is world class coffee girl, she will make you beautiful lattes and knows her stuff if you have coffee questions. Catch her in the morning on your way to work.
It's cozy, comfortable and above all the coffee is OUTSTANDING. Better than starbucks and Joe's coffee, they use Counter Culture coffee supplies and are constantly tasting and testing for the best beans to use.
Fridays at 1pm is their 'Cupping' event, which is like a wine tasting. Attendance, at the moment, is low but I just had my first cupping experience (get your mind out of the gutter) and I'm going back for more. :)
They have a wordpress site at:
http://sprucestespress...
It's previous incarnation really didn't set that well with me when (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). So despite some interesting reviews I wasn't really in that much of a rush to check here out. But I was in some desperate need of a good cup of coffee to compliment my long Excursion to the Alley and it was the closest spot that I could come across. So I gave it a try and I have to say that it improved by leaps and bounds.
My previous complaints were pretty much along the lines of it being super cramped, and the coffee was awfully brewed and a little on the expensive side. It was still somewhat cramped, but they cleared out some of the things that made it excessively cramped in favor of a slightly better seating arrangement. I was also greeted by an awesome girl who poured a strong brew that wasn't as expensive as the previous spot. it definitely hit the mark and de-zombified me when I needed it. So I think we can be friends. Now all I have to do is try some Espresso!
Hey Mr. Below...
Coffee and cigarettes go hand and hand.
How can you penalize a coffee shop for having smokers outside? That's like saying that Rittenhouse could be better if there weren't families and dogs everywhere.
Anyway, Spruce St. is my favorite espresso joint. I love the staff. They are all a bunch of sweethearts. They have indoor and outdoor seating. According to one of my friends who used to go to Last Drop, it's a much better place to study so he quit going to Last Drop. It's not a 'go there to be seen' place. It's a go there and chill sort of place.
The coffee is super tasty. It's cheap. Cash only, but most coffee shops in this city are unless you want to go to some unholy place like Starbucks...
If you have any questions about the coffee, ask Faith. She's really knowledgeable and excited about it. She'll tell you where they get it from and why it's special.
Updating my previous review: the service here can really be spotty. Most of the people are great, but there's one woman who is... well, brusque is the nice version. And some of the coffee I've had lately hasn't been as good as in previous visits. Combine that with other options in the city, and I have to temper my original enthusiasm.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/22/2009
Great coffee, period. No drip machines, only French press, in addition to the standard but artisanal… Read more »
3.5 stars.
Dear Ms. Above,
1. I can criticize a place for not controlling the atmosphere. I have the right to breathe clean air. If you want to smoke, great. Just don't do it around me.
2. The hyperbole filled comparison of an entire neighborhood(e.g. Rittenhouse) to one coffee store is ludicrous. Kids and parents with strollers aren't ruining my lungs. They may be ruining my feet though.
3. There are some places that do take debit/credit cards in Philly, Brew-ha-ha and Bonte come to mind. In other cities, there are independent coffee stores that also take credit cards/debit cards.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/13/2008 First to Review
3.5 stars. Friggin Yelp.
I decided to try this place since I've been to just about all the other… Read more »
Really cute little place on the corner of Spruce and 11th streets. I like it because its close enough to the Patco to get a quick coffee before hitting the train station on nights when I work late. Most recently I ordered a soy machiatto, that was exceptionally well made. Could be cheaper, but still not a expensive as Starbucks.
Great coffee, very small space but it looks comfortable. The guy behind the counter was friendly. I will definitely be returning.
for some reason the place doesn't come up on the map when you search for Coffee in Philadelphia. Good friends of mine who "know their coffee" are telling me this is by far the BEST COFFEE (espresso) in Philadelphia!!!
If there's any coffee shop in this city that has the right to charge $4 for a latte, this is it. Espresso is in the name, espresso ... deep, rich, frothy espresso ... is in the cup. Ever see magazine photos of cappuccino with the pretty flower design in the foam? Spruce Street does that! And if you're feeling especially wealthy and indulgent, they sell pastries from Miel. And as a refreshing change of pace from some other indie coffee shops, the counter staff are always upbeat and friendly. Damn, I really can't afford this place but I keep going back.
I'm with the masses. This place is great. I wasn't sure about the fine coffee bits in the cup, but realized it was made from a french press. Beautiful location and quite cozy on a warm day. The only con is the lack of seating. For this I blame the studious early risers who find it ridiculous to share a table with friends.
great coffee
