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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: University DistrictMon-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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First things first, bring cash because they do that lame minimum $5 charge on debit/credit cards. My barista told me they were trying to convince the owner to change the policy but as of yet, that's the deal.
SO! My visit started off great. I walked in to a relatively empty Sureshot yesterday ready to get my study on and ordered a vanilla soy latte for here. The barista was polite and cheerful and was playing Explosions in the Sky *earning an instant star for good musical taste*. I was stoked because my iPod just died and I lack focus without [good] music in the background. Awesome. Grabbed my latte, snagged a seat in the somewhat dimly lit cafe and got to work.
Fast forward to what became the end of my visit. I'd been cramming about 50 pages of dense law journal articles in my brain for three hours, sipping my now lukewarm but still tasty latte when all of a sudden some angry death metal band is blaring "OBEY YOUR MASTER" so loud I could hardly process what I was reading. Turns out, the baristas had changed shifts and I was now stuck with a DJ who made me loathe my (and his) existence. It's not so much the music that drove me insane, but the level to which it was played. Dude it's a coffee shop, near campus, with people obviously reading and studying. Turn it down a few.
I also noticed him then slightly badgering a customer who had been playing video games on the computer for a few hours, asking him if he had any "real friends" among other snarky comments. Needless to say, the vibe changed drastically and for the first time I felt uncomfortable in a coffee shop. I could only put up with all this for 15 minutes before I gathered my things and left.
Sureshot, I'm sure I'll be back but it's unfortunate that a barista who did not make my beverage nor interact with me directly could have such an impact on my experience. Please, turn down the music and respect your customers.
HIYOOOO SURESHOT!
I learned about Sureshot's white coffee soon after I moved to Seattle, and I have been dying to try it ever since then. So a few weekends ago I bussed from downtown to the U-District to do some clothes shopping and to finally try the elusive white coffee. Boy, was it ever worth the trip. Seriously. I don't have a car, and I've found myself every day since my first trip debating on whether or not I have the time to bus over and visit Sureshot. Sheesh.
So far I've only ordered their white coffee drinks, the White Lightning and the White Something else. I don't remember. Whichever drink it was that coconut in it, I liked just okay. I felt the coconut kind of muted the flavor of the drink a bit too much. Also, it was iced, so that didn't necessarily help out the drink's flavor.
BUT! Okay. I ordered whichever drink has the white coffee with peppermint in it. And woweewoowowowowowow it was so good. Do you see how good it was? It made me write words that are not even words. That is how good it was. This is one of those drinks that you write home to momma about. Maybe even dedicate a page in your scrapbook to it. IT IS THAT GOOD. Oh, and what's that? It's Fall now? And it's cool and rainy? Okay. This is the perfect drink for this time of year. I could absolutely see myself enjoying this drink everyday for the rest of my life, but this drink is THE PERFECT drink for this specific time of year. Every time I get it, I'm immediately propelled forward into a Christmas mentality where I get all the warm, fuzzy feelings about snowflakes and presents and seeing your breath in the air. So much love for this drink.
My favorite thing to do at Sureshot is order that white coffee & peppermint drink, sit down at one of the video game tables and just waste away an hour and a few quarters while taking in the hustle and bustle of the U-District. Seriously, I would be here every single day if I lived closer and didn't have to hop buses to get there. Or if I had a car. Or a jetpack. I love you that much, Sureshot.
The only thing i will say is that the price of the white coffee drinks seems a little high, but I'm not sure if that's to cover the cost of the specialty espresso. Either way, the largest size white coffee drinks end up in the mid-$4 range after tax and before tip, but I'm telling you something right now. It is soooooo worth it.
Do want. Right now. Be closer, Sureshot. Or at least open a place near downtown for me to frequent. Please? Pretty please? I'll put your employees through college with all the business I'd give you if you just put a place downtown!
Seriously.
I have yet to like a single--just ONE--song they play here.
And I have literally spent over 1000+ hours here at the shop.
It's getting pretty ridiculous. Where do they find all this music?
Maybe I just always come at the worst wrongest possible hours when the baristas decide they wants to destroy your ears and pound your brain with the noisiest most obnoxious tracks to ever be recorded.
Always making me regret not having a good set of headphones.
AGHGHHGG
I would probably be OK with this noise rock and hardcore stuff if I was in the right mood for it. But I usually come to a coffeshop to relax or work on actual real work that requires concentration. YELP-ing included.
Still 4 stars for your drinks, tho. And the oldschool arcade machines. TETRIS!!
!!! Wednesday is double stamp day. Take advantage of it. Fill up your stamps. Get your free drink faster.!!!
I was always getting mixed reviews from my friends about this place, but more on the negative side,… Read more »
I am upping it to a 2.
I spoke with a staff.. I know who he is.. on phone.. re a review i just read on here by an employee.. the one who pitched me attitude.
I would almost go 2 1/2.. the other's incredible rudeness about a .70 overcharge and his stupidity to write a review without disclosure that he is an employee.. I can't.
***SAD UPDATE I tried to leave a message for the owner Keith the overcharger, would not leave a message. During the phone call he continued to talk with customers. I repeated that I needed to leave a message with the owner.
********** WARNING Harrassing phone call *********
He has just called me back to state that he does not appreciate 'personal attacks!" Istated that he was rud ewhen he was. I di dnot call him any names or go off on him. He called me crazy in a review! What is a personal attack????
One staff is very polite..
I still don't go for the loud music. The book exchange was good.
staff dreadfully rude
loud mind jangling music
overcharge for computer use and time
and then…
Read more »
I now make a conscious effort to NEVER go in here. I have gone maybe a few times, once to renew an old stamp card, and maybe a couple times when said barista was not around, but I can't.
Want to hear why? I actually got up the guts to contact the manager over how upset I was (see my previous review), and she said she was very sorry and I could pick up a free stamp card at the end of the day. Guess who was working there at the end of the day? In any case, I asked if a stamp card was there from the manager. He started getting very rude and asking me WHY I talked to the manager and WHY she would possibly give me such a thing. I got really nervous and ordered anyway and then had to leave because I was feeling so upset.
Also, I don't personally know the other barista who posted here - but notice that his attitude is "It must be YOUR fault if we're mean to you". I may be becoming senile in my old age of 24, but I do not remember urinating on the floor or doing crack in the establishment. Notice he called another poster who gave this place one star a "crazy person". And notice that on his MySpace he says "I hate people".
This is not a good attitude for a barista!
This used to be my favorite coffee shop. I'd seen one barista being mean to a customer before, which… Read more »
I'm new to the area and commute daily from the intersection where Sureshot is located. It's convenient for me to stop in, grab a quick espresso and jump on the bus. This has typically been a great experience for me. However there is one barista who has ruined my Sureshot experience. He has once before gotten an attitude with me for no apparent reason, and then again today!
If I can't hear you over your music, and if I'm on the computer making an important business call and don't notice you yelling at me from behind the bar, it's not me being rude!!!! Take control of your emotions.
To all the other baristas at Sureshot... you're great.
Their coffee is nothing really to rave about. I really want to love it as a coffee shop, and it is better than the Starbucks and Tullys that litter the area but their coffee often has the sour taste of shots being pulled to fast and it is on the expensive side for coffee.
The environment is what I like though. I like the music. I like the variety of people, and their late night hours. It is a great place to relax with a friend as you are strolling the ave.
Oh well...
Man, I love me some Sureshot. If you're looking for a great cup of coffee, this isn't it. Fortunately, I come for everything else. (I like lists)
Pinball. (old school machines, not the new electro crap)
The soundtrack. ( There are like 6 barista's here, all with different tastes. It's usually classic rock, some hip-hop, indie folk, or metal.) Many times I've had to take my headphones off and rock out for a minute or two.
Giant soft chairs. nuff said here.
Honor library. Take a book, leave a book. Not always something good, but am currently on 'Confederacy of Dunces', which I got here and is great.
Big tables and board games. There are 4 chess sets, risk, go, MUNCHKIN, and others available behind the counter.
All and all, this is my favorite hangout in the U. I can see where some of the gripes are coming from.
The music can be really loud at times. It does, however, fluctuate from soft to loud. It's usually loud when I want it to be loud so this is no prob for me.
I have never witnessed the staff being rude to anyone who didn't have it coming. Seriously, sit in there 4 days a week for 3-5 hours and you will understand the amount of crazy that walks in the door. If you're expecting them to give you the cookie cutter greeting doled out by the corporate chains, you probably won't like anything about Sureshot. If you're looking for an alternative (but not hipster) hangout, this is for you.
Oh yeah, the White Lightning, is GREAT.
The vegan pastries are decent, and the selection is huge.
The sandwiches are good(when not overcooked), but a little pricey.
The chili is fairly good too.
Wednesdays are double stamp day. (10th drink is free) Also the original Black Sabbath album is playing in its entirety. Awesome
The coffee is doable, but I drove across town on my old scooter many times just to grab a few of their vegan scones. Some of the best scones, vegan or not, I've ever had.
It's also open late, which is stupidly rare for a coffee shop in Seattle. Apparently, you can't have a paper heart if you come here like everyone else who has reviewed this place, or your sensitivity may prevent you from enjoying any of the experience.
There's a minimum $5 for cards, and they don't do the .50 surcharge - you have to meet $5. Strange, for the year 2009, that people are still allowed to do this. But I've never gone without getting a scone, so I've never had a problem.
All in all, the coffee's a pretty meh experience, especially in a district where all you can do is eat and drink. Their third star is deserved for their scones and their hours, which do make it stand out from a sea of mediocre coffee shops that inhabit The U.
This 3 stars is the result of consistent 5 star experiences in the not too distant past, but a very recent 2 star experience.
My favorite barista ever works here. Not sure he still does though, I have not seen him during my last few visits. I won't go on and on, but trust me, he was great!
The place is unique and grungy, but not unpleasant. Comfy overstuffed chairs, as well as study tables, board games, pinball, computer stations, and local art make this place fun and interesting.
The coffee was never amazing, but they serve white coffee (maybe its a gimmick, but I'm buying it!) in candy bar style drinks and a variety of vegan desserts.
However, with the missing wonder-barista, a run-in with a young man clearly off his meds, and recent undrinkable coffee, I'm pretty sure I'm not driving back up to the u-district for this place.
Its too bad, I'd love to run into barista-guru again.
Cool atmosphere but the five stars are solely for the white coffee. Did it seem to pain the barista to talk to us? Yes, and that sucks, but until another white coffee joint moves close by, sureshot gets five stars.
I am ranking this as 5 stars, and it's my favorite coffee shop in Seattle.
Why? The metal.
The rest of you who want Enya and pleasant mood music can get that at any other coffee shop in the city. And really - there's no lack of them. Please give me one, ONE shop that cranks up the Venom and Vintersorg instead of Vivaldi, and I'll be happy. Luckily, this is that shop.
Nearly all coffee shops on the Ave have that flacid, almost irritable fleeting energy attributed to the various clientele: groups of giggly little Asian people (I'm Asian, okay?), a few spotty seeds, and a general undesirable youthfulness. Sureshot is particularly susceptible to bad juju because of its small size, late hours, and close proximity of all chairs and tables. Not really good for studying, but not really good private conversation either.
However, with all of its unintended flaws, Sureshot manages to brew a damn good cup of coffee and provide delicious pastries and sandwiches. I am really fond of their interesting vegan pastry selection that is by far the most vast of any coffee shop I've seen. Their vegan coconut raspberry muffin is, quite frankly, to die for. And if you're looking for a vegan cinnamon roll, Sureshot is the place to go.
While the ambiance isn't my fave, there is a lot to be said for a cafe that caters to vegans and non-vegans alike and makes delicious drinks the old-fashioned way. Pleasant staff and good soy chai, too.
I am a very picky coffee drinker. I Found my favorite coffee and now compare every cup to the dark goddess of my dreams.
Sureshot stacks up nicely. My Latte was strong and full bodied. I can only think of 2 other places in the city besides my favorite place that is worth the trip, and Sureshot if one of them.
Let me be clear, I come here for Ms. Pacman. The coffee and tea and hot chocolate are average, the service can be below average at times, but it's not a major corporation, so I can feel totally alt going there and ordering a yerba mate, knowing that I'm not feeding some corporate life sucking demon (or something). But if it weren't for Ms. Pacman, I'd take my business elsewhere.
The good music, and low prices don't hurt either.
I dig the white coffees, their blended drinks all are
quite tasty. It's in the U, so you can get some "characters"
once in awhile, however this place is usually fairly free of
any scary folks. The baristas have always been nice to me
in the 2 years i've been frequenting the sureshot I sometimes
go out of my way to chat with some of the more knowledgeable
ones actually.
As stated before, wednesday is double stamp day. This is
great advice.
I went here more than weekly for months several years ago but, have slowed down quite a bit lately, and I regret that. The coffee is great (I am a huge fan of the white coffee and I don't know anywhere else to get it.), the tea is great as well. They have blooming tea which is really neat!
There are fun things to do too, like play chess, pacman, pinball etc. The environment is really nice but, mood depending.
The music is usually eclectic and sometimes too loud. It's great for zoning everything out and getting work done but, sometimes annoying when you're trying to communicate. If I could give half stars I'd take half off for that.
Overall, its a great coffee shop with very nice employees. Hit it up on Wednesday's for double stamp!
The pastry's are amazing especially the banana bread
Reasonably good coffee, but unremarkable by Seattle standards. If you woke me up in the middle of the night and gave me a shot of their espresso, I'd probably think it was from Tully's. (And then I'd ask you how you got into my apartment, and cower under my desk until the police arrived.)
Nice place, though. If you don't mind a little background noise, you can pick up something to read at the second-hand bookshop next door and sit down with a cup of coffee.
Not bad at all.
This one is probably more like a 3.5. The coffee was solid and I actually liked the vibe of the place. Definitely a change of pace from the typical shop. The white coffee is cool and the service has been nice each time I have visited.
Definitely not a bad place to stop through if you're near campus.
This place has white coffee....mmm... white coffee. I like their breakfast english muffins (with cheese, bacon, and eggs) and their hot baristas. Cool atmosphere, always local artists on display, sometimes they have live bands, and they have white coffee!!! I highly recommend the White Lightning. A little pricey ($4.20-ha!- for a 16-oz) but totally worth it. One of the best coffee places in Seattle, and in the whole world for that matter.
A few months back, a robber hit up a bunch of businesses on the Ave in the U-District, including Sureshot. But they have cameras there, and they caught the motherfucker!! How could you steal from such a sacred place?? One last thing: it took me months before I started calling Sureshot by its correct name, I kept calling it HotShots.
On scales of both effectiveness and deliciousness, a Ruby Tuesday from Sureshot is the best way humanity has discovered to ruin a diet.
The baristas are also quite friendly and don't seem to have stripped out their own brain cells with Frost & Glow, which, when it comes to U District service, can be a gift in and of itself.
This is my favorite coffee place in Seattle. It is a little grungy, but better grungy than yuppie, right? I like all the baristas, too. They are nice.
Mostly I go here because I hate regular coffee and they are the only place in town with White Coffee. Yay!
Ah yes...
My coffee home away from home.
Every time I head through Seattle I try to stop by Sureshot. Come on, it is rad. The coffee is good (great depending on how long I've been drinking shitty coffee on the road). Grab a latte after driving all night. Take advantage of some free internet. I love this place... The vibe suits me just right. Shoot, I love Seattle.
By far my favorite coffee in Seattle.
Music played during my visit: Sufjan Stevens & Modest Mouse.
Outlets available for the laptop: Several.
Free wireless: Reliable.
White coffee: Delicious.
Overall: Comfortable, recommended, and will be returning.
Good coffee, free wifi, in a typical college atmosphere. Kinda dark, funky decor, decorated on the cheap. And it's comfortable, friendly, on the Ave.
The coffee was very good, nothing to wax eloquent over, but very good. Service was friendly, competent, quick - just one college-aged guy on a weekday nite.
The bookstore next door is worth a quick prowl.
And, as an added bonus, there's often a medical response van parked out front. (Makes sense - they need to stay in the truck, and this way, they have wifi, nearby coffee, bathroom.)
Sureshot has everything I could possibly want in a coffee shop - decent coffee, good music, comfy chairs... pinball machines and table tetris?
Sureshot is notable for its white coffee, which is a different way of roasting coffee beans. I think that the flavor is too malty, but I've generally been happy with their other coffee drinks. The baristas are good at helping customers decide, there are big tables for you to spread out if you're studying or meeting and there are a few computers available if you need to check out your email, because it's been 10 minutes, omg. In addition, there's a honor bookshelf that has a collection of awful romance novels that is starkly out of place in the dark coffee shop.
Most importantly, though, there's a table Tetris machine, where you can play head on head with your closest enemy/friend/significant other. I think they play the music in the shop loud enough to try and overtake the Tetris music.
My only problem with Sureshot is I've found a lot of their pastries to be god-awful. They do have vegan pastries and donuts, though, if you're into that sort of thing.
Bathroom: 3.5 stars. You have to get a key for this joint near the condiment bar and there's only one for both men and women. It's (usually) stocked, and the owners are trying to combat the emo graffiti by painting the walls black and adding some chalkboards for all things written.
I found this place as huge let down. The store is...well...just kind of dirty, frankly - and seems to attract the U-District crazies both outside and in.
I tried the Almond Joy, and loved it for about the first few sips, then it just got kind of gross. Likewise, the "White Lightening" (White Mocha with Mint) had the exact same taste as the stuff they use at the dentist's office. Bleeech.
The selection of pastries is probably the weakest I've seen of any coffee shop in the area. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but think my friday morning cup will now be bought from Tully's a block away where I get a better cup, better food options, and much better service.
Sureshot gets five stars for serving the only white coffee in Seattle. White coffee, you ask? Yes, white coffee--very very lightly roasted beans, so lightly roasted that they still look a little whitish-greenish and brew up to a pale caramel brown. They also contain three to four times the caffeine as a regularly-roasted bean. Straight white espresso tastes a little like green tea; for the less adventurous and/or less addicted, it also tastes superb in one of Sureshot's several flavored mochas and lattes designed especially for your white coffee experience. Of course, they've also got "normal" beans on hand if you should so desire.
Sureshot's a little dark inside and the music is always pretty loud, so it's not the greatest place to go to study or work, but given the pinball machines, music (sometimes live), and cool people, it's a terrific hang-out spot. They also serve smoothies, pastries (some vegan), and snacks. With a drink purchase, you get 15 minutes of free online time on one of their two computers; Wi-Fi is free.
I had just moved to the U-district to go to grad school, and was sorely disappointed by the mediocre and boring coffee shops I was trying around my apt. Then I stumbled into this gem and was bathed in chest pounding Iron Maiden late on a weeknight. With vintage pinball in the back room to boot, are you frakkin kiddin me??? I had found my coffee shop. Open till midnight, everynight. Free Wi-Fi, of course. Comfy chairs and rickety tables placed too close to each other. Music goes loud and soft in turns, luckily, but always chosen thoughtfully, it seems. Baristas warm and friendly, if you treat 'em so, and a truly eclectic crowd of Ave fixtures and underclassmen alike.
Sureshot's not for everyone, that's for sure, but that's probably a big reason why it's right for me, and I had to give it its due props.
(And if you read this far, you'll be happy to hear about that this place has the best slice of homemade apple pie in town. Enjoy!)
It's good, but nothing I go out of my way for. If I am in the area and need to kill time or am lacking in the caffeine department, then I stop in and grab an "amigo". The white coffee is the only thing that really makes this place special (besides, arguably, the tabletop games like pacman and others I can't remember). It is a milder taste, but I didn't notice a huge difference in all the things it claimed to be different in. Worth a try though if you have never experienced it. I still say El Diablo is better, but maybe that is because of my proximity to it.
Better than average coffee, even for this town. The white coffee was good, but not a religious experience for me.
It is a little gritty in here, but comfortable and not gross. Bonus: classic pinball and video games in back.
I like the comfy couches and the nice barista man, but their shots are always bitter. I like the place and still go there, but the coffee kinda sucks.
A collection of jumbled furnishings and bad art (for sale for hundreds of dollars, of course) that seems taken right out of the hipster coffee house playbook, gets you started.
Okay coffee and a friendly laid back staff sets you straight.
All the vegan baked goods and fair trade brew you can swill will be yours at this location full of homeless junkies, soon-to-be-droupouts playing world of warcraft on laptops, and the occasional student with a book.
The first time we came here they accidentally used milk in our soy orders, but otherwise it's been a good experience. Vegan pastries vary from day to day (the muffins are great), and the arcade systems are in good order (tetris and pacman cocktails, Raiden and Lethal Enforcers, and three 1975 vintage pinballs including a Sure Shot). Several Internet kiosks are free with a minimum purchase.
Based on a quick stop through for an Iced Mocha, I felt like this is a place I'd frequent if I went to UW: The mocha was tasty, there were pinball machines and computers and what looked like plenty of laptop power, and the place had some character.
This was also my first encounter with a missed connections bulletin board: pretty entertaining.
Very nice place. The pinball is fun and there is a free book exchange. My drink seemed very good a hot chocolate. My friends drink, iced coffee, she said was good, but not enough caffeine she also dumped 1/2 on the floor so maybe thats why,but anyways I am only giving this place 4 stars. Took a 4 yr old there and he enjoyed the pinball machines and PacMan. Seemed Kid Friendly, although not sure about multiple kids he was the only kid in there, and the barista seemed genuinely nice to him. Overall lots of fun and a great place. I will definitely be returning. At the very least to bring back the book I borrowed.
Overall, pretty badly prepared coffee. Too sweet, not foamed well, acidic tasting. The food is greasy. The service is bad.
The best white coffee in town, hands down. Cute guys playing pinball is a plus.
I like this coffee shop. Hipsters tend to be the most dominate but because it is in the Udistrict There is a large mix of people that frequent this place. They have ok coffee. The real attraction is the collection of board games and pinball machine(in the back). This is a fun place to spend an afternoon
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