Best Coffee Shop in Washington State
When you think of Washington, you think of Seattle, Mt. Rainier, lots of rain, and COFFEE. I chose Washington’s BEST section to be about the best coffee and coffee shops in the parts of the state that I visited.
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When searching for THE best, it was extremely hard to decide due to the sheer amount of coffee shops in the state of Washington; in Olympia, there was practically one on every corner, and in Seattle, there were sometimes three or four on each block. Due to this, I picked my favorites based on certain categories: Best Scenery, Best Cup of Coffee, Most Clever Name, Best Coffee Shop & Bakery Combo, Wow-Factor, and Miss Congeniality. If you don’t have a go-to drink (like me), you should choose the “local favorite” as this will give you some insight into the town itself, and the locals here truly know a good cup of coffee.
Best Scenery
Woods Coffee in Boulevard Park
This chain coffee shop by far had the best view, atmosphere, and service, and they had really delicious coffee and chai tea! It is in the quaint town of Bellingham which is busy during school months as it is home to the University of Washington. There are many hikes in this area that you can do as well. We did the Teddy Bear Cove hike which was short and steep but with sweet views at the end.
Best Cup of Coffee
Rise & Grind in Ashford on the way to Mt. Rainier’s Paradise
I can still taste the HoneyComb Latte made at the drive-through coffee hut, Rise & Grind. It was just sweet enough, had a lot of flavor, and kept me going on the difficult Skyline Trail at Paradise. I had this cup of coffee iced and hot, and both were fantastic. I had multiple people try this drink and they completely agree that it is the best! The coffee grinds come from a small town coffee roasting company in Graham, Washington called Ranch Roast Coffee.
Best Coffee Shop & Bakery Combo
Saint Lucia’s Coffee Co. in Centralia
Saint Lucia’s Coffee Co. was such a cute and quaint surprise in the middle of Centralia. I got there fairly early in the morning in between going from Olympia, Washington to Portland, Oregon, and I could see them baking the fresh-baked goods in the back.
Most Clever Name
Dancing Goats Coffee in Olympia
According to legend, a monk saw some goats eating something from a tree that would make them “dance.” Upon seeing this, the monk made it into a drink that is now known as coffee. Hence the name “Dancing Goats Coffee.” You can sample their different coffees at the Dancing Goats Tasting Room in downtown Olympia. At this location I had their coffee beans ground to be fit for my espresso machine in my apartment. It is delicious!
Wow-Factor
Starbucks Reserve in midtown Seattle
I consider this a “fancier” Starbucks - it is much larger than a normal-sized Starbucks store with a full bar, a cafeteria with delicious food made right in front of you, and a coffee bar. There are six of these in the WORLD. I was lucky enough to visit the one in Milan a few years ago. The specialty drinks here are delicious! The Seattle Roastery is about 5-10 minutes from Pike Place Market. The lines are long here since it is in the Capital Hill section of Seattle, so plan some extra time for that. There is free parking on the streets surrounding this block.
Miss Congeniality
BigFoot Java
Not just for the really funky name, but I loved their Mythical Mocha, which is a “Sasquatch Specialty.” The other drinks we got were fantastic too at this drive-through coffee hut chain.
