Black Coffee Co-op

Delicious vanilla latte. This is a place to have anti sexist, comic book loving conversations, feminist, race relations meet ups with a vegan potluck and also a place to know that you are sheltered from danger and every cent you pour into the place is going directly to the worker-​owners.

I stopped in this place on my way home for a coffee. It was good, and I like the vibe in the café. They fill the space well. Some interesting literature for sale also.

The Black Coffee Co-​op was a surprise and unplanned stop for Steve and me when we were frolicking through Capitol Hill about a week ago.
We went in and got some coffee drinks and some sweets.
I got a very tasty mocha here which hit the spot on the chilly day we were running around the neighborhood. I got a unique cookie (at least to me) which was a green tea chocolate chip cookie which was very good. Definitely unique and memorable in my book.
Like so many places in Capitol Hill, people watching is great and this was no exception. A quirky, funky and fun crowd was congregated here which made the experience all the more enjoyable to quietly people watch.
P. S. Steve bought a vegan wrap here and took it home. We split it the next day between the two of us. The wrap was delicious! Definitely some food options vegans should try!

I’m a big fan of Black Coffee Co-​Op. I live down the block, and this establishment is a great asset to the neighborhood. The coffee and treats are great here (particularly the Nainaimo bars) and there is a lot of good left-​wing literature available as well. The co-​op also hosts talks, movie nights, and open mic nights. These are particularly great for creating a sense of community in the neighborhood, since you can have something to do for free.
Some people might complain about the clientele at Black Coffee, but honestly, fuck those critics. Given the choice between having a gritty co-​op in the neighborhood or one more interchangeable playground for Cap Hill’s Richie Riches, I’ll take the co-​op any day. Black Coffee has been critical in staving off the embourgeoisment of the neighborhood, and I hope the rumors of its relocation aren’t true. If so, I’ll miss it, and I know I won’t be the only one.

This is a very unique experience.
The baristas are actually also owners of the place — hence why it’s called a ‘coop’. I like that because you know that the employees aren’t being ripped off by the owners and it all feels more ethical and fair. They also care more and are more consistent. I know all of the owners’ faces by now and they’re all great.
The coffee drinks are all good of course, it’s Seattle, but that’s not why you come here.
The ambiance and patronage is very interesting. They have tons of books, games, and nice seats. They serve beer and are open late (THANK YOU!!!). Seriously, at 10PM on Saturday night is one of the times I NEED caffeine and can rarely get it.
So, the patronage.
I’m still trying to figure out why, but this place is a hang out for people who appear to be homeless or transients (trying to think of a non derogatory term, but not sure sorry coop). As a yuppie, I felt pretty uncomfortable here at first, but the more I hung out the more comfortable I felt. They really cultivate acceptance and tolerance there. I really am happy this is a space where haves and have nots can hang out in harmony. It really humanizes the ‘have nots’ and I think they have a great thing going. I’ve never seen anything but peace and harmony (no yelling, shouting, etc.) They have a good thing going.
They also have legitimate activist movements and pamphlets and bring my attention to issues I wouldn’t normally find out about from conventional media (RIP Oscar).
This place is special, it really is. Most coffee places are just a crowd of isolated humans staring at their computer screens. This place is full of joyful humans talking, gaming, reading, plotting, etc. Especially at night, this place is full of all different people socializing and enjoying a craft brew or espresso.

Come here for the atmosphere. It’s a quirky place with live events and a colorful crowd. It’s awesome because it’s NOT a cookie cutter coffee shop. It’s probably one of the last places in Capitol Hill that hasn’t been ruined by unapologetic, yuppie tech-​bros.
Nevermind, they’re closed for good.

Great concept but there are some things I just can’t get past.
The baristas look like they haven’t showered and the place smells kinda bad, like dirty hair and stinky armpits, sometimes. I don’t have anything against not showering but it’s a bit unpleasant in a food and drink environment.
And, although they have vegan-​friendly food, it’s just from a refrigerator case and it’s warmed in an oven or toaster. I love vegan options but these sandwiches are nearly inedible. Extremely salty, dry, lacking in flavor.
Lots of young, hipster folks milling about, constantly. Like I said, awesome idea — especially the library and community events — but just a little too geared toward anarchist youth for my liking.

Good coffee — lots of dairy alternatives and vegan food options.
Space is very open and seems inviting to stay and sit a while.

Excellent turn around! I read through our association newsletters, community blogs how Black Coffee made huge efforts to reach out to its neighbors and community to try and come to a resolution. Heck, I even received a message personally from management. Since their efforts there has been a very noticeable difference.
I have not recently seen the police in front or on the side of the business, large groups hanging out or camping out in the area. But what I have noticed is large groups of customers. The coffee shop is popular and has regular events for its customers.
I have to respect a business that makes the effort to work with its neighbors. Black Coffee is a business that any community would want in their neighborhood.

Great atmosphere in that co-​op kinda vibe with good mix of barstools at the large windows, tables, couches and wing backed chairs, chessboards, books and a purple haired chic with her cat on a leash.
Sorry, I think the regular coffee is watery. I’ll stick to espresso.

First, yes — the place reeks of hippie B.O. Let’s just get that out of the way right now. Not pungent, but palpable.
That aside, Black Coffee Co-​op should be on your list (if it is not already) of coffee places to sample for a myriad of reasons.
First: The coffee. Duh. The drip, the french press — it’s all good! And they do chemex. And I hear their espresso-​based drinks are the bomb, but those I’ve yet to try.
Second: In the words of my lover, J.T., «Bring it on down to Veganvilllllle». Black Coffee serves sandwiches and wraps from my second love, Wayward Vegan Café, in the U-​District. And they’re only $ 6 – 8.
Third: Friendly folks. I was greeted with a smile, some small talk and some insight into this place upon my first visit.
Fourth: Atmosphere. If you’re a thinker — is the best way I can put it — there is a slew of literature here for you from newsletters to books for sale to posts on the community board. I found myself quite at home. Ditto for many of the conversations that I overheard.
Fifth: Open LATE. What the fuck is it with Seattle having a lack of good coffee shops open after ¹⁰⁄₁₁ p.m.?! I actually discovered Black Coffee after searching for an alternative to the now-​defunct-​soon-​to-​be-​revived-​elsewhere Bauhaus (closing time: 1 a.m.). Black Coffee closes at midnight which is almost as good as 1 a.m. (Us graveyard shifters greatly appreciate it)
Sixth: Bangin’ little bonus area upstairs. Have you ever been to Anchored Ship in Ballard, and they have that cool little loft upstairs? Black Coffee has it, but only it’s bigger and more spacious. Highly recommended as a place to escape and get some work done and get caffeinated.
So, yeah. Go.
Wait, does this place have a restroom? And do they have free WiFi? See other reviews as I can’t answer those questions.

We were in the neighbourhood having a game night next door. Regrettably Raygun was out of dairy-​free items so I nipped over here to check out their food options. They were having a poetry slam so I quietly approached the register to place my order. I didn’t want to be that person, you know?
After I read the menu board, I realised they were vegetarian but mostly vegan. I asked some questions and opted for a TLT with a Nanaimo bar for dessert. He bagged my items for takeaway and I tried to return to Raygun with no luck. No outside food allowed… so back I went to the coffeehouse to hear some anarchist poetry and to nom on my brown bag of vegan tasty.
My TLT was stuffed fat with tofu, lettuce, tomato, and Vegenaise, all wrapped in a flour tortilla. I devoured it quickly so either I was just so hungry I didn’t care or it was really, really good. I am fairly sure it was the latter. After my savoury meal, it was time to tuck into that Nanaimo bar. Wow… just wow. It was dairy-​free and I easily could have had another wedge of that crack. It was tremendously good stuff. I highly recommend.
They also rock a small public library with a selection of independently produced literature. Their drink prices were quite affordable. And did I mention that all their food items are vegan and 100% local? Because they are…
What else is notable about this place? It’s a worker’s cooperative and community space at the corner of Summit and Pine. Since 2012, they have created a physical space for culture and community in a safe space free of oppression and intimidation. The barista was super friendly and so was the other employee who was milling about.
After it was all said and done, I was kinda glad that I had to come here to sate my hunger and I’d return if I was in the neighbourhood.

I’ve got to knock down a star, and it’s awkward and weird to do so. The staff here are genuinly enthusiastic about their space, the coffee has always been excellent, it’s cool to see a shop selling (seemingly) almost entirely vegan food selection, and the variety of dairy milk substitutes is a lactose intolerant/​vegans dream come true. I’ll continue to come by, but my coffee will be grabbed to go.
The clientele, though, makes this place seem sketchy as all hell. I get that homeless kids don’t have a wide variety of places to go and hang out during the day (that isn’t a street). But the congregation of homeless kids here outright makes me uncomfortable when I come in– to the point where i don’t come in and stay anymore, I grab my coffee to go. The amount of kids who hang outside has been the biggest setback– the kids inside tend to behave themselves, but the group which hangs outside has berated me pretty badly a handful of times as I’ve walked by, especially when it’s been later in the day. While I know I shoulnt judge a business based on the people hanging out outside, its the people working inside who dont do anything when customers get harassed who bug me more.

I walked past the storefront of Black Coffee the other day and it sounded like a party going on inside, which is a perfect reason to sneak into (or get forcibly removed from) a new place. ;-) Thankfully these were welcoming folks and a sort of work-​party was being thrown: a few owners busy working on the build-​out of the space, and a group of musicians and listeners were playing songs with intensity. The owner I spoke with was very excited about getting set up on Capitol Hill and after chatting with him and seeing the space, I’m excited too.
The café is going to be a fantastic space to spend time: huge, tall windows wrap around the western and northern sides of the café, a stairway climbs to a small loft, and best of all… the coffee is excellent. They were selling drip coffee and espresso from a temporary bar set up inside the front door and it was a perfect americano… I will be back for more coffee and relaxation under those huge windows.

Super chilled atmosphere with lots of tables to sit and do whatever it is you want to do. Come here for a true feeling of a local coffee place in Capitol Hill.