Firehouse Coffee (Ballard)

Last weekend, we loaded up the family and headed to Walla Walla to sample some Washington State wines, so there wasn't a chance to head out to a decent coffee house. I had to make do by choking down some of the hotel coffee, which I had to load up with fake cream to dilute the nasty burnt taste.

Instead, I'll review a coffee house in Ballard that we went to a few weeks ago. Firehouse Coffee is located a few blocks away from the main drag in Ballard. It's located at 2622 NW Market Street, Seattle.

The exterior of the building has that Pacific Northwest kind of vibe going on. Think of bright colors (to help draw your focus away from the grayness of the sky), exposed wood beams, and metal roof. It has a very inviting curb appeal. Inside, it has a nice warm coziness to it that Seattle people have come to expect in a coffee house. So far so good.



I ordered my standard large latte and told them we'd be having our coffee there. The barista served my coffee in the standard paper cup and plastic lid. Bummer! There's nothing worse than sitting at a coffee house and having to drink your coffee in a disposable cup. I guess I'm the exception to the rule, since it seems to be a fashion statement when you carry your paper cup of coffee down the street and show off where you bought your coffee.



The coffee was just mediocre. It wasn't horrible, but it just wasn't anything that you would remember. I think one of the problems is that when you get served in a paper cup, the barista just fills the excess space with extra milk. This was just a boring, diluted latte.

There was a silver lining to the place though. They have a side room that is a dedicated space for children. This almost made up for the fact that the coffee was lacking. If you have young kids, you don't have to try to keep the little rugrats quiet. It is kind of nice to be able to just sit there and drink coffee without having to worry if you kids are pissing off the hippie sitting next to you.

So, if you feel the need to get coffee and don't want to worry if your kids are acting like monsters, go to Firehouse Coffee. Just don't expect to be wowed by the coffee.