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Categories: Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: University DistrictMon-Thu. 6:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 6:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Zoka has the best drip coffee in Seattle. Although the drip changes from day to day, it is guaranteed delicious. Zoka also has a very impressive selection of teas. Ask for a recommendation. They will find a tea that suits your mood.
They also have delicious pies (albeit pricey) and cookies (try the chocolate truffle cookie). They used to have a great selection of sandwiches, but these days are unfortunately gone.
This also one of the few places that will allow you to stay for hours, and the wireless is free.
Verdict: a great place to hang out. Beware: rainy week-ends can be crowded.
I came across Zoka by accident. I had a 2 hour wait for the "Genius Bar" at the Apple store, and I wanted to just sit and blog like a blogger geek. I needed coffee and free wifi.
Thanks to my lucky iphone I was able to locate Zoka. I think I was a little too excited about that actually. I had been meaning to try Zoka ever since my beloved Stickman Coffee closed last November. Dismas Smith was the owner of that hallowed place, and he also roasted the best beans I have ever had the blessing to taste (Borogove coffee). Sadly for me Stickman and Borogove are no more...BUT knowing my history (as I do) I know that Dismas started off at Zoka. I figured that since he was such an amazing Barista, and he got his start at Zoka, perhaps it would also have amazing coffee like Stickman.
All in all I was not disappointed. I got an Iced Americano that was quite good. I need to try my usual latte just so I can compare apples to apples, but I am definitely thinking Zoka is worth the trip for me.
In addition to the coffee, they do have free wifi, an extensive selection of baked goods (I picked up a vegan chocolate chocolate chip cookie for my boyfriend), and the place itself is large yet inviting. The Baristas were also very friendly which was a delight. I now have a new place to make the drive to for a good cup of coffee.
Every time I come here, I fall in love with someone new while they study diligently and I crouch behind my computer.
Their coffee also looks really pretty when served.
'Nuff said.
Go there!
While I was unemployed, Zoka was my only reason to get up in the morning. When I'm there I feel beautiful.
So what if they made fun of me the first time I ordered ... "this isn't the Macchiato you normally get at Starbucks". How did you know I normal got my coffee from Starbucks? Probably cuz I asked for a Venti I later thought.
A friend and I had a contest to see who had the best Cappuccino in Seattle. What a fun weekend that was, didn't get much sleep, but it was great. Zoka won.
Too bad the scones are dry, and when I order the quiche it is always cold in the middle, or I'd give you a perfect 5 stars Zoka my love.
Absolutely. AMAZING. COFFEE! Oh my gosh. The most fabulous coffee hands down. Plus, many of their staff are supremely knowledgeable about the bean and its mysteries. It's hard to find a seat here, yes. This is definitely a student coffeeshop, many people are here for hours and never move, this is true. In fact, I've been known to take non-college company to this shop and they have actually been a little uncomfortable, but hey, get over it right? Try the drip of the day, it's always something interesting and delicious. Zoka rocks!
This is a pretty cozy, comfortable place to study. There is a ton of seating, but it gets crowded a lot. People are always here with their laptops though, since they have lots of outlets - but still not enough. Their teas are really good, but I wish they had a bigger selection of pastries/snacks. It's nice you can get your drink in a real mug. I'll have to remember to request that next time. The staff are really nice. I came in a little late and ordered a scone, but they gave me 2 just because. It was a nice gesture!
My fiancé, friend, and I had a nice time at Zoka. I had heard that this caffeine stop in Seattle was a must-visit, so I listened.
I ordered a non-fat cappuccino, and the flavor was good, though I was surprised that it wasn't served hotter. I brought it back to the counter, and they offered to make another one a bit hotter. That one was better.
The dessert bar that we shared, however, was amazing. They call it a "Zoka bar," but it was essentially a 7-layer bar that also had a corner dipped in chocolate. MMMMMMMMMmmmm. Wish I had taken a picture, but it disappeared too quickly! I did manage to snag one of my cappuccino.
Bonus points for having tons of places to sit and that street parking was easy.
I'm not sure that I'll go out of my way for Zoka when I'm in Seattle again, but I'd stop in if I were already in the area.
I come here all the time, not just because it's near my house (bonus!) but also in comparison to the other options it's a great place to get some good work done. The space is huge, the coffee great, and it's importantly not terribly loud like the other new Starbucks in the UVillage, which while nifty, is terribly terribly loud. Something to do with all the concrete?
Last weekend, I conspired with a friend to get her fiancee a haircut. We opted for a place in the U-District (with success!), and afterwards were craving coffee.
I personally thought my mocha was OK. But the Zoka bar!!! Wow, that's a lot of crunchy chewy amazingness in bar form. I could not get enough.
Still, I don't think the Zoka bar is enough to bring me back. I appreciate the environment of this place, and if I were local, I'd probably be by all the time. But since I'm not, I'll probably pass.
Probably one of my favorite coffee shop in Seattle. I love their coffee, tea, Italian sodas and pastries! Got to try their chai if you are a chai-lover. The staff is always super friendly too.
The UW location is great for studying. They have outlets almost everywhere for laptops. I used to study here for hours when I was a college student!
My all-time favorite coffee shop to study, read, or hang out with some friends at.
Located behind University Village near Kidd Valley, it's charming, cozy, and low-key. They have free WIFI, huge mugs, and lots of tables for group work or for someone messy like me to spread out all my materials over.
They have a great selection of tea (26 different types!) and they will gladly refill your pot with more hot water at any time. My favorite is the "white pekoe" tea. It has a sweet, but subtle toasty flavor. They also have a fantastic chai tea and other caffeine-free options.
I'm not a big coffee drinker, but the friends I've come with say that Zoka's offers good selection + taste. They also have assorted pastries and cookies. You can literally stay here for hours and not feel pressured to leave. Coffee shop enjoyment to the max :)
This location is excellent for studying and working. Everyone camps, but still drinks a lot of coffee and eats pastries - both of which are good. I also like their chai. Parking sucks in the area. But I guess one can take that as an indicator of the seating availability.
I love Zoka. In my opinion, it's the one of the best coffee houses in Seattle hands down.
Not only do they have good drinks, but they have free wi-fi and lots of seating. It does get crowded...really crowded, but I think it's part of the charm.
Zoka is a great place to study, surf the web, or read a book. If you are looking for a place to do any of these things around UW, skip the remodeled Starbucks in U-Village and find a seat here.
They also have locations in Greenlake and Kirkland
Great environment. I studied here for 4hrs, had tea with a pastry. Tea is leaves put into a tea bag, very good.
Good environment for me to study in plus free wi-fi. There is a lot of traffic and coffee brewing noise, so if you need total silence this isn't the best place.
I was able to find a table, but I can see the place getting pretty busy on some days.
Here in Seattle we take our coffee quite seriously (or at least we want to think we do). Zoka is one of the best in the business and bar none the best coffee house on the East side of UW. The staff are perfectionists and passionate because their product is excellent. Zoka has a wide variety of coffees and teas available for both the novice and connoisseur.
Unlike Starbucks and other fast food coffee shops, Zoka uses a manual grinder and a La Marzocco espresso machine to produce better shots and a beverage that tastes like espresso. They have a large selection of pastries, sandwiches, and quiches but only two or three choices for our vegan friends.
Though Zoka has a large seating area, it is a very popular destination for students so finding a seat is sometimes out of the question. The wireless Internet is free (and you don't even need a registered starbucks card!).
Make sure you have time to wait for your beverage as it can take anywhere from five to ten minutes. But I assure you that the wait is worth it.
This place is the closest late night coffee place near my house.
The coffee is really good and they have a cool selection of teas that they ice in summer. Staff is nice.
They have a few pretty good vegan desserts, which is great! The rest of their stuff isn't veggie friendly at all.
Two gripes:
1. I cashed in a drink card for a large mocha. It came in the cute big cups they have. My friend got a small to go drink. After eyeing both drinks, I noticed that the big cup didn't look THAT big. To confirm this, when we were both done, I filled the small cup with water and put it in my big cup. It more or less filled the big cup. Moral of the story: get to go if you can.
2. One time I was hassled by a worker from bringing in outside food. I get really bitchy about that in places that aren't that vegan friendly, because I don't have any other options. Thankfully it was one time only and you can usually bring in sandwiches from the Meridian Market without getting busted.
We visited Zoka Coffee while we were visiting family in Washington. I wanted to try something while I was there that wasn't Starbucks LOL ;] If you're not familiar with the area, it's kind of hard to find.
The sweet chai tea was pretty good; sweet but still had that tangy/spicy taste I enjoy. Their chocolate chip cookies were as big as my head; and no, I'm not exaggerating at all. Their latte's looked (as I didn't get one) beautiful.
Decent coffee, reasonably charming, cozy location with lots of room. I haven't had any of their dessert type offerings, but I'll probably update once I do. If you live on this side of campus, probably the best bet you have in terms of not-Starbucks options.
Right next to the Burke Gilman, if you happen to be biking by.
Oh, and free wifi.
I think I prefer Trabant overall, though.
Great space with free wi-fi and excellent espresso. Perfect for getting some work done or studying.
It's not 5 stars because of the price. Zoka is over-priced across the board both espresso drinks and whole beans. But, like, I said it is good stuff.
Great coffee and tea, friendly service, relaxed atmosphere- like many I could spend hours here which is it's only negative- lack of seating.
If you consider yourself a pie-lover than you must eat Zoka pie! I live nearby, and I have a hard time resisting their beautiful, delicious, GIGANTIC, homemade slices of pie. The espresso is great too, and if you like toddies this is the place to get them!
I live one block away and still can't seem to wrap my head around this place. Unless you are lined up and waiting at the door when they open, forget trying to get a seat. Every single person is plugged in and zoned out on their computers...for hours and hours and hours. I guess I'm just not the "coffeehouse culture" kind of girl. I'd rather just brew my own stuff - Herkimer! YAY! - and surf the net in my jammies all day.
Coffee is...meh. I did have an extremely delicious slice of cherry pie here though.
I've come to enjoy Zoka more and more. Their coffee and teas are definitely better than average. They have great options and varieties. They make their own blends of coffee, their lattes are great, and anything with espresso comes with two shots. Chai can be ordered sweet or spicy, which is great, because I like to know which way I am going to have it prepared. They have a large variety of teas as well, and I am in love with their lychee tea. There is also a pretty good variety of treats.
The atmosphere is nice, kind of traditional and studious. The ambiance leaves a little to be desired, it's kind of buzzing with students, but I find it a great place to work. The sitting-in experience can be pretty frustrating though. This place is often busy, with hard-to-find parking and patrons staking claim to tables for several hours with their laptops. The service is friendly but a little scattered as they are so busy.
If you are only a slight coffee snob and like but don't obsess over tea, then you'll enjoy Zoka. It is a great place to grab a drink and treat to go. If you have the resolve and can wait for a seat, there are a lot of outlets and free wifi. It is better yet if you can learn what the slower times are to come in. It is also open until midnight, which is great considering the fact that there are much fewer late night coffee shops than their should be in this city.
I think Zoka is a great coffee shop to stop in, especially if your neighborhood coffee shop closes… Read more »
I spent half of college here and I think I put the owners children through college too. Free WIFI, jumbo cups of coffee, and large tables to study with groups of people. The only thing I didn't like about this place was that after spending some time here, my clothes wreaked of coffee.
The coffee at Zoka is fantastic. Their espresso Paladino is some of the best espresso out there at any price. And 99% of the time when I visit, I get an excellent drink. But I don't ever sit in the cafe and have coffee, as the place can be a bit of a zoo. I also don't feel the place is as clean as it should be.
Still, a top flight cafe. I would take them over a chain any day.
Great place if you are a laptop lover. Almost everyone is on a laptop, so don't expect to get hit on. Be sure to wear your American Apparel attire and bring your Apple laptop computer.
However, every time I have tried to go when it is hot (greater than 80), the AC is not working! The coffee is alright, but a it takes a while for drinks to come. Hopefully with time it will improve, looking forward to visit again.
Best tasting coffee I have ever had. This location is better than the original since there is way more tables to study on. I wish I could give it a 5 stars... but this place is DIRTY. Also, their desserts tend to be overly sweet and not really that good. Some good exceptions are:
Vegan Jam Dot
Lemon Pound Cake
WARNING: there is live music on some Sunday afternoons... be prepared to study elsewhere or bring earplugs
So, my experience @ the greenlake zoka has been MUCH better than the U-Village locations (review for u-vill below). Its smaller over there, too.
Ive had as many shitty cups of coffe here as I have had outstanding cups of coffee. Which, considering the hype about this place, is why I knocked a couple of stars off. if I wanted burned coffee, and my BREVE to turn into NONFAT, i would have gone to the coffee stand three blocks away from my house. Im big, but I dont think I need my fixed gear, skinny as a rail barista who's never tried the atrocity that is dieting trying to subliminally trying to tell me that I'm too fat to merit my yearly breve drink.
The pastries are really good, but you almost never have a chance to enjy them as most of the tables are taken up by single occupancy laptop users who spread all of their belongings to each side. And stay there... and stay there... and dont have a clue that, "OH, by the way it 9:30 in the evening. Go HOME!!"
Person's name I don't' remember - "Wow I haven't seen you since high school!"
Me - "I know, it's been a while"
Person's name I still don't' remember - "What have you been up to all this time?"
Me - "Looking for a place to drink my coffee in peace"
Ok, it didn't go down exactly like that but if it did, it most certainly would have made the conversation more to the point. Zoka is not the best place for a quiet break. There's usually lots of people, many which are studying, but the place is seemingly made out of sound bouncing wood so there's always noise. It's a great place to get together with friends (whom you actually care about) and just let the hours pass as you talk and drink. However Zoka's steady rise in popularity means you'll inevitably run into people you don't know, or don't care to know. If the latter is the case, there unfortunately isn't a good place to hide in the establishment. You could always spill coffee on yourself and say you have to go to the bathroom to clean up. That's a sure fire way to end the conversation quickly
There might not be a shortage of coffee or coffee shops in Seattle, but there does seem to be a shortage of coffee shops where you can get great coffee *and* great food *and* kick back in comfort for a few hours. This is one of those places. It took me a year or so to stumble upon it, but once I did, I was hooked. Great eats, too -- the fruit bar is a personal fave.
OH...MY...GOD....your pies are so good! how do you do it!?!??!?!
I love studying at Zoka's! When it's not busy that is.
This place is a popular place for just about everybody. So popular, that it actually is more of a turn-off than anything. During peak hours, it gets so busy that I don't even bother coming by here because I know I won't be able to find a place to sit at. However, most of the time you'll be able to find a table if it's just you and another person. The baristas are extremely friendly and very knowledgeable with their art. At this location there are a ton of outlets for laptops, so don't worry about not being able to find an outlet... just worry about finding a seat.
I love coming here, but this place is too popular for it's own good! Swing by during the less busy hours to have a nice cup of coffee or tea. Their desserts are tasty also :)
Went there to meet a guy- gotta love the online dating.
We sat outside- but the inside looked very cozy.
Coffee was ok. Cookies looked good.
Kind of strange location but now that I know where it is- I will return...good alternative to Starbucks...seems like a nice place to study.
After my best friend introduced me to this place by pointing out that it's a couple miles from my apartment and it got a mention in GQ magazine last year, I was stoked! PR hits aside, this place is worthy of the hype and makes me wanna say, "nevermore, bitter-old Starbucks!"
Lattes and mochas are designed so eloquently (currently they're fall leaves) and the atmosphere is large to boot. Free wi-fi is something I will have to try, along with the pecan pie that look so deliciously fly.
Okay, I'm a bad rapper, but you get the point. Now go on in! And if you want to get kudos for being a good host, bring your out of towners here and wow them with good Seattle coffee.
Yup, it's a coffee shop with free wi-fi. It's a bit coffee shop with free wi-fi. It's full of college students using the wi-fi. They have a very nice little selection of fancy teas (which I appreciate) but they packed that tea so tightly into the tea-baggie thing that it couldn't steep properly. I bet 99% of the tea drinkers out there would never notice, but I'm a tea snob and when I order expensive tea I reserve the right to be snotty about how the tea steeps.
The atmosphere was very nice to start with. Very laid back coffee-shop feeling (go figure!). A good place to sit and chat or get some work done. Then, at about 10PM this loud hipster-techno-remix-mashup stuff starts booming over speakers. Kinda killed the mood for me and I quickly decamped.
Overall, could be a great place if they learned how to serve their fancy tea and at least turned down the volume when playing crappy music.
Zoka has to be one o the best study/ hang out coffee houses in Seattle and here is why:
1. They have a lot of seating(granted it is usually full)
2. They have free wifi along with power strips mounted beneath the benches.
3. The coffee is strong and delicious.
4. They play amazing music.
5. There is a sign on the front counter that states very clearly that if you are on your phone there is no way in hell you will get service.
If you have ever worked in any type of service industry, you will agree with me that one of the most annoying things a customer can do is talk on the phone while you attempt to help them.
I appreciate Zoka's pride in coffee and the atmosphere they have created.
The oatmeal is disgusting. The granola, quiche, and pumpkin cranberry bread are great. Large tea selection and you can order a pot with free refills = yum. Good coffee and neat in-foam designs on lattes.
I can't say I understand the comment that people on laptops is "degeneration" of a coffeeshop and causes people not to talk to each other. Most people don't go to a coffeeshop alone and sit there silently staring at their cup and hoping somebody talks to them. If they don't have a laptop, they likely have a book, the Sunday paper, a magazine, or a companion. Anyway, I've already met and talked to several new people at Zoka despite having the dreaded macbook with me. The primary thing that determines whether you meet people in public places is yourself, not which accoutrements others happen to be carrying about.
This coffee shop is HUGE so why can't I ever find a seat here? I'm not large, I don't take up much room, all I want is a seat.
Too bad for me apparently because about 92 laptop wielding, grey hoodie wearin', anxiety attackin' UW students have taken over the place, and they ain't budgin' till finals are over!
Don't students study in their dorm rooms anymore? Is the library permanently closed? Are you allowed to sublet your seat in Zoka? Students are not supposed to be able to afford fancy coffee!
Sigh...it's a great place for coffee during winter break, spring break, or summer quarter. Any other time, you might want to get your coffee to-go.
I have wanted to write this review for a long time, but every time I try to start I find I don't know what to say. Maybe it is because a majority of the time I am actually sitting in Zoka and am worried someone will be reading over my shoulder...
The location is nice, right behind the University Village and below some quiet apartment complex... that yes I fantasize about living in... Parking can be kind of a pain, with only a few street spots out front. The atmosphere is more or less enjoyable but it can get really packed, and for someone who drinks coffee primarily to then sit for 2 + hours on my laptop, not being able to find a seat is kiiiind of a big deal.
I usually get their iced sweet chai and it is absolutely delicious. I could no doubt consume an entire vat of it, I can't get enough. So good!
They set a few tables out in the front when the weather is nice, which is great because it can get super hot inside. Overall a nice place to get a drink and enjoy some one on one time with the laptop, that is if you can manage to find a table.
Amy W. said it. It's like an ad for Apple in here.
I came to Zoka while traveling. On an 80 degree day disappointingly they didn't have iced coffee. So my first coffee here was an iced Americano. Kinda yucky. However this is a serious coffee place so I'll try again.
The wood paneled ambiance, wood floors, fireplace and occasional leather armchairs would surely make this a killer zozy spot on rainy days. I'd definitely recommend it as a good local roaster and place to get online. The pastries aren't wowing me as they have others. I'd save myself for Honey Bear anyday!
Grab and go healthy breakfast
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Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: University District
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Neighborhood: University District
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Neighborhood: University District
Category: Coffee & Tea
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