St. Mark's Coffeehouse

i love the patio seating. i love that they offer beer in addition to tea & coffee. i don't love the cold feel of this place. it's deadly silent and usually very quiet. it's a great place for working (i don't know the wifi situation) or reading, but not great for meeting friends.

I've had better, but it'll do.  This coffee house is the closest to my home, so I end up there often.  The freshly baked cookies, muffins, etc make it smell scumptious inside. They've got other food options like wheat-free muesli, soup, paninis, etc.  However, the place overall lacks a community feel, despite the ever-changing local art and eclectic furnishings. The customer base seems to be comprised of a lot of folks working, hiding behind their laptops, occasionally conducting a business call via some sort of cyborg bluetooth device.  As for the baristas, they always seem y. One girl had a meltdown over a customer's reusable mug (brought from home) and lashed out at the poor guy over pricing/volume/something. There's a sense of robotic service industry dichotomy: server vs customer. No warm feelings, folks. Be warned.

I'll be back... but it's probably b/c I can spend tons of time there on the internet w/o them noticing me or how long I've been sipping on a single latte.

Pros: Speedy internet, typically lots of space including outdoor space, convenient 17th St. location, fresh baked goodies, vegetarian soup, other eats available, lots of sunlight, doggie water out front, 20 cents off for cup reuse, metal (reusable) utensils, local honey

Cons: Styrofoam to-go cups, unlisted price variations for cup sizes, fair amount of business-y clientel on laptops, rude/unfriendly/occasionally downright cranky baristas, $1.00 charge for soymilk

Although I'm not a big fan of the snarkiness of the St. Mark's baristas (they have quite a reputation for being rude), I am a HUGE fan of the cookies they sell. I don't know who makes them or how to get more of them, but every cookie variety I have tried there has been delicious and perfect in every way. If you haven't had the pleasure of a St. Mark's latte and peanut butter cookie on a lazy afternoon,  you must visit there soon.