Looking for a real Seattle coffee experience you can't get at a Starbuckles? Go Uptown! Their concept: Velvet Foam. This style eschews the strict Italian and (admittedly entertaining) Latte Art styles in favor of a sort-of Oprah-esque "cappuccinos for EVERYONE! And YOU get a cappuccino! And YOU get a cappuccino!.." style, taken to a luxurious extreme; as the name implies, milk-based drinks here are topped with a thick layer of smooth velvety foam. It's a wonderful, soft, warm textural indulgence, not to be missed. So, how do you assure your drink gets the Velvet? Order a hot milk-based drink (I recommend the Generra) with regular cow milk (soy, almond, hemp etc. does NOT foam properly) and say, "No!" To whipped cream if asked...I know, but trust me here...This should get you the goods. Paired with the brilliant, rich custom coffee Fonte does for them, full of dark chocolate flavors with hints of nuts and anise, Uptown's Velvet Foam style delivers a sensual and truly Seattle coffee experience. But all that's nothing if you don't have service, and these cats got that going on too. I've been an occasional customer at their various locations for the better part of two decades, and with only rare exception they've been cheerful, welcoming, and prompt even when busy. Jessica here at the West Seattle store is a customer service gem and an excellent barista, keeping a clean store and answering customer questions with cheerful energy. If Seattle was to be known for its own original espresso style, this is probably what it SHOULD have been. Come and get yourself some, before Starbuckles takes them over too, in their unending quest for absolute mediocrity. Missing star for poor exterior cleanliness (cig butts) and need for power outlets. But still a quality joint, highly recommended! read more

I'm just leaving this review because I hope management sees. I love this coffee shop! The space is fantastic and welcoming, the staff are friendly and the coffee and food are great. It's definitely my favorite coffee shop in West Seattle, BUT I've recently had to stop coming because your internet is too slow. I am taking online classes with a video component, and the internet here is too slow to use for video, so I have to go to other coffee shops instead to study. Please upgrade your internet so that I can come back! Thanks and much love. read more

Overall good coffee and great service but I cannot believe that management would bail on an employee on a Saturday afternoon. there were regularly anywhere from 10-20 people in the shop at all times for 2+ hours and no hope of coverage coming to help the barista from one manager to another do better management do better. but I would like to come again and even bought some house roast to take home read more

Good place to go when you can find a table and stay working there. It's a bit hold fashion but it's practical and the coffee is good. The bakeries not so much... I like the place to just work and drink coffee read more

I was intrigued by their sign "Home of the Velvet Foam". Plus I needed to work for a couple hours during the weekend, so decided to come here to check it out. Mocha Generra: I liked the subtle orange flavor. I'm not a big coffee drinker, so I didn't really have any strong feelings about the velvet foam. It was a nice place to get some work done. The tables are spacious. I had read ahead of time about the lack of many outlets, so I made sure my laptop was fully charged prior to stopping by. read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Mocha Generra - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Foam, foam, foam, it's all about foam. Uptown Espresso is well known for its foam, and it lives up to the reputation. Like the big parking lot. It's always hard to find a parking space on California Ave, and this parking lot sure saves people some time. The indoor decoration is very old style with hardwood tables and lovely color glass windows. There were lots of foam on the coffee, and it was quite good. The foam is creamy, dense and subtle, which totally lives up to my expectations. The coffee itself is in great flavor as well, with the distinctive bitter sweet aroma. More to the bitter side but not too strong. There is a little bit sour after taste but got balanced out by the cream, so it's really nice. For those of you prefer sweeter taste, there is a help-yourself dark chocolate bit jar at the napkin and sugar counter. My kid loves them on his coco. All in all, a pretty good coffee place. read more

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$6 muffin is too expensive for me. But is a great place to relax while social distancing. Good coffee, good service

Uptown Espresso- "Home of the Velvet Foam". How can you pass up a place with this as their slogan? After seeing a very well done "Sweeny Todd" at the ArtsWest Theater, Hubby and I were walking around when we saw this coffee shop. Of course we had to make sure it lived up to it's claim! I ordered a vanilla latte (my regular) and Hubby had a regular latte. The prices were decent, a little less than other coffee shops I have been to. The foam truly was velvety! We both agreed, this was the best latte/vanilla latte we have ever had. The barista was very nice, she actually had a little small talk with us. She made the drinks quickly and they were delicious! We liked them so much we came back the next morning! They have free wi-fi, like most places these days. There is also ample seating in here. They have about 7 tables which seat 2-4 and one large table which seats 6-8. There were a few people in here studying, which I would definitely do if I lived closer. The side of their cups say "Caution: Hot Beverage. Not for external use." Haha :) read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Now I see what they mean by velvet foam! Mmm milk chocolate cappuccino. Good sized coffee shop. Emerald green carpet. One guy manning the register and making coffee he was really efficient and friendly. I would come back for more velvet foam! I wish they had more of a pastry selection read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Headed this a.m. to West Seattle from Bellevue. Why? To TRY and get some malasadas, the popular Portuguese pastry at a new food truck called Lucky Devil Doughnut Co. that was parked in the Junction. The truck was parked right in front of the Uptown Espresso so I stopped in for a drink while I waited for the truck to open. The main thing going for this location is that it has its own parking lot. However if it is full, there is also street parking and a free parking lot close by. Ambiance inside seems a bit old fashioned. It could use some updating as it seems dated and in need of some modernization. The vibe here feels a little dark and rustic. At the home of the velvet foam, there is a selection of the usual coffee drinks along with a few items that are variations on the main ones. Got a double tall (12 oz.) caffe mezzo ($3.15). This is a half latte, half Americano. It was a decent drink. Though the Americano side seems to win out as the steamed water was more evident than the steamed milk. My malasada pursuit ended up being a FAIL due to a lack of time. Will try to catch it at a more convenient time for me. I did however find out on my adventure that the Uptown in the Junction is good for coffee, but it is maybe better to take it to go. I am not feeling the vibe here. read more

Stopped in again with the family after an early dinner up the street at Harry's Chicken Joint. Nice to hang out for two hours - has much longer hours than the Wallingford site. Great mocha and laughed at the cup's warning - not for external use! Definitely that signature velvet foam and espresso is not for slathering. LOL read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - 16 oz cup states - Not For External Use. No slathering on that signature velvet foam while in the café. LOL - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A little sad this place now closes early but I love the vibe of this place; very mellow and amazing foamy beverages. It's a good place to park for an hour or two and work or catch up with a friend. read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Soy milk latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Just payed $6.06 for a scone, $6.06!! It was not very good either. They've stopped making their own pastries bc of the economic downturn thx to the C. virus. The barista was very nice, and the place was clean. read more

Went in before work in the afternoon to get a coffee. Waited a few minute at the counter and no one was there to help. Called out to the back to see if the barista was doing prep work or something, no response. Waited another minute and then left. read more

Nice little spot. Are used to enjoy coming here in the mornings not so much anymore. They recently hired a new person who is very nice. I understand How it is to be a new employee. That person had no business being left alone on a Saturday. I was there to buy coffee one morning and he was so incredibly slow I watched five people walk out. That place gets enough business that no person should be working alone on a Saturday there. read more

I love the Uptown Espresso coffee shop atmosphere. The barista's are really cool people and the coffee is good. The problem that I have is that I like honey in my coffee and whoever is responsibility for buying the honey for the Uptown Espresso does not give a shit about me. The Uptown Espresso has honey available about 50% of the time. Let me give you some advice honey buying person. Buy two big jugs of honey. When you get down to one jug, buy another one so that there is always honey. There is no excuse to chronically allow days and weeks go by without honey at the Uptown Espresso unless you want to continue to have unsatisfied customers and bad reviews on Yelp! read more

These folks can make some velvety as hell almond milk foam, ya'll! For those who can only drink almond milk, like myself, this is an impressive feat. Just take all my money. read more

The dark chocolate mocha is great! The baristas during the week are friendly and work quickly. This is a great place to study or hang out with friends. The raspberry oat bars are delicious too! read more

Home of the velvet foam. Maybe I'm ordering the wrong drink but I haven't had anything here that appealed to me. The late hours of operation is the reason why I'm a regular here. I come here to study in peace. The limited outlets can be a problem so I have to be fast to snag a table with one. The baristas here are friendly for the most part. Some look like they dread their job. I'm lucky if I get a smile or hello. All in all. This place is a decent coffee shop to study. read more

We came here to kill some time and the barista was beyond rude and acted like we were an inconvenience and bothering him. Won't be coming here ever again. Two thumbs down read more

First let me say that the baristo and barista were very friendly and helpful to a guy like me-someone who doesn't drink a lot of coffee. So my 1st complaint-I chose an iced coffee mocha with milk chocolate. I asked for caramel to be added. Well when I received the drink, I didn't notice any caramel. And caramel syrup is usually heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the cup. More importantly I couldn't really taste any caramel. I asked the barista who made it if she had by chance forgotten the caramel. I mentioned that usually it sinks to the bottom. She said she mixed it in so it dissolves. I've never really seen caramel dissolve in a cold mixture. And again the telling point is I couldn't taste any caramel. If they charged me extra for it (which I don't know if they did), it was useless. My next complaint is the seating. All this place has is straight back chairs with small barely cushioned seats. They aren't very comfortable. When I come to a coffee shop, I expect comfortable seating. For all I know they have deliberately eschewed a few comfortable couches and armchairs to keep traffic moving and discourage people from staying. read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Best breakfast sandwhich I think I've ever had. Cool interior and place to hang. I love all their locations that I've been to.

Uptown Espresso is a place where legends are made. In fact, it's here that I had my Very First Ever Cafe Latte way back when. I was hooked. So when I'm in the area I always make it a point to stop here and get another one. I don't know what they do to their milk when they steam it, but it is so velvety and smooth. NOBODY does steamed milk like this. And their latte's are still just as good as they've ever been. Don't miss one of their yummy pastries, too! read more

I feel pretty lucky to have found this place. I spend about 30 hours a week here doing homework and doing projects since they're open from like 5am 'til 11pm. The coffee is good, the pastries are from local bakery. Friendly service and the patrons are pretty chill, so you can really get some quiet time here. The only down on this place is that there's only 3 outlets to the whole place and the parking is pretty limited, but I've still managed to find a good table and a parking spot. read more

I would absolutely give 5 stars, if it weren't for the fact that they have the slowest, most unreliable WIFI anywhere, albeit free. It's probably so bad because the router is inside a metal box - seriously, if what the baristas say is true, it's under a steel countertop which is painted with metalic paint - copper colored metallic paint contains actual copper, and makes for a very effective ANTENNA SHIELD. Please, seriously guys, I've been coming here to study (and spend $) for years, I've been telling you guys the whole time, PLEASE JUST MOVE THE ROUTER! Apparently nobody has passed the info on to the owner. Maybe this way they'll see it? read more

Best coffee in West Seattle, hands down. When I need an afternoon mocha, I always head for Hair Nation.

Best foam and coffee. Seattle has great coffee and this is def one place we take guests when they come from out of town

This location pales in comparison to the Queen Anne version. It's too wide-open and matchy-tables for my taste, definitely not cozy. I ordered a latte instead of my usual drip or americano, because they do make yummy foam. And it was lovely. Just remember that if you have time you should drink it there instead of while running around like a crazy person (i.e., Alli). Also, steer clear of the day-old pastries. Normally I love their muffins, but this was dry and blaahhhh. Maybe it was week-old? read more

Parking is most of the time challenging. Try the street parking. It seems their pastry section is limited than the other stores, or I always go there when they are out. Their coffee, specifically latte,tastes consistent and always good. I found the themperature of the drink is a little lower than industry standards but maybe it's me. read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Fresh şokolate:) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here for a meeting with someone. There were a good selection of big enough tables to work, but I still found my self very disappointing with the ambiance of the place. 1. Everything looked really outdated, which isn't always a bad thing. But there is so much empty space it really screams old at you. 2. They seemed to have a decent selection of cafe pastries according to their board, but there was no display of anything. There was a jar of biscotti & shortbread cookies. 3. The coffee was just eh. All that being said, the barista was very friendly and this wasn't a horrible experience. But there are just sooo many coffee shops here in Seattle that it's hard not to be critical over the appearnce of their interiors. read more

I had to see what the velvet foam was all about, and I wasn't disappointed. After driving past this place numerous times, I had to see what the velvet foam was. We stopped in on a Saturday, parking is a bit of a nightmare and only for 15 minutes? What is that all about? My husband ordered a cappuccino and I ordered an orange mocha. My mocha was delicious and my husbands cappuccino with the foam was very velvety! If the parking was better and the staff slightly friendlier it would be 5 stars in my book. read more

You guys....come on. ONE smile is all I ask. Maybe even a friendly hello? Must everyone look so sullen and miserable? I come here almost every Sunday because I love the coffee and the fun little walk down California. But you are threatening to ruin my ritual! Be friendly for the sake of my Sunday, please! On an actual review note, the prices are awesome, the tables are huge, the internet is free (with some restrictions) and I'm addicted to the americanos. But I mostly come here because I despise Starbucks and it's convenient. If another joint opened around the corner that had friendly baristas I would probably go there instead. Meh. read more

"Home of the velvet foam", interesting of course as a New Yorker I need to know what this is all about!! Had a cup of coffee.. which was good coffee, yet I feel like the pricing is overall too much.. even if it's just for half a cup full of foam-especially on the size of the cup. read more

Okay, everyone's either all trained up now, or I'm going when the better baristas are working. And it is still about COFFEE, not WiFi, since it's, you know, a COFFEE SHOP. =) read more

Wifi is now available all day on the weekends. Mind = blown. My business partner and I come here to work every Saturday night. This location is full of tables, tables, tables, and where there isn't a place to plug in there's a surge protector with a long cord nearby. The coffee is delicious, but most of the pastries are ho-hum. (I do love the hazelnut scones, though.) Parking's easy in their mid-size lot, and I don't feel too bad about being chatty most evenings, as the music's not too quiet and there's usually a couple or two talking as well. (There are also students studying, business people businessing, and solo coffee drinkers reading the paper.) It's a good atmosphere if you're not there for the ~~ambiance. If you ARE there for the ambiance, head to Ladro down the street. read more

I used to hang out in Belltown because I lived literally across the street. I have rarely been to the West Seattle one but I will. Their Chai lattes are awesome. Staff is super friendly. read more

I feel like I am doing a public service here. I just paid $9.52 for a small drip coffee and a chocolate chip cookie. Both mediocre. A CHOCOALTE CHIP COOKIE IS $6.00 here. If there are prices posted they are not near the pastry. I looked before and after I ordered, Actually tried this place because I want to spread money around during quarantine. Used to make my own coffee but we have to support small businesses. They have some obligation to support us too right? This is usury. Please post your prices or make them more in line with common practice Uptown. read more

Good coffee?...yes! Outstanding service?...YES This place treats my teenager like a million bucks. He gets treated well regardless of if he spends $2 or $20. He appreciates that- and I appreciate you. Thanks so much!! read more

The selection of drinks is not that great. But when we meet people in West Seattle this is where we meet them. They should get some cider or some red bull to spice it up a little bit. This time the internet wasn't working and I actually needed to get some work done. The gentleman behind the counter seemed not to care about it. Pluses there rewards plan wasn't explained I wanted to pay for everyone's in our parties drinks and I thought the punch card was a rewards card to find out it was a prepaid card there was no way to reverse the transaction so I had to buy my friend a new punch card so instead of paying for 3 drinks I had to pay for 10 drinks read more

Uptown Espresso - Junction - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love going here on a late night and just relaxing and getting a coffee. Good place to go with friends if you want to have a nice chat and a good cup of what ever you like cause they make Great drinks. It's nice cause it's close to lots of shops so you can get a coffee and have a nice walk in the junction. read more