Cafe Au Lait

Cafe Au Lait is a drive up coffee stand in the Westside Target Plaza on Harrison Avenue, and it has been there long enough to be part of a lot of people's morning route. The stand has passed fifteen years in business, and KING 5 named it a Best of Olympia pick back in 2012.

The draw is a blended, layered kind of drink that regulars describe as better than the chains, alongside espresso done the usual ways, seasonal specials like a peppermint mocha in winter, and breakfast sandwiches to go with them. It is a stand rather than a sit down cafe, so the whole experience is the window, the crew, and the cup.

That crew is what people mention first. Reviews on the cafe's own site talk about the same thing again and again: friendly, quick, and glad to see you. For a west side errand run it is the easy stop before Target or the freeway.