There have been some changes in the Spokane coffee scene in the past year, and now that things are slowly re-opening, I decided to revisit my list of the best coffee spots in town. Ethical purchasing, quality beans, care while roasting and community spirit all factored into this list. Bonus points were added for a truly remarkable space in terms of design, comfort and inclusion. It can be quite challenging to narrow down to just nine coffee shops — Spokane has an incredible coffee scene after all. But there are nine that really stand out and that are worth a visit.
#9. Kitty Cantina: Spokane’s Cat Cafe
Who wouldn’t enjoy a cup of coffee with a side of kitties? Ok, maybe somebody with allergies, but the good news is you can view adorable cats playing in their separate room through plexiglass. Kitty Cantina opened after a very successful crowdfunding endeavor, and right at the start of the pandemic shutdown. The community has rallied behind them and to date, they have facilitated a whopping 590 cat adoptions. So buying your coffee, shirts and stickers here really supports a company that has done so much for houseless cats. They partner with local non-profit SpokAnimal, an animal rescue organization.
Kitty Cantina serves Doma Coffee Roasters, a local favorite based out of Post Falls, Idaho. With tasty cold brew, a full espresso bar menu and creative blended drinks, there is something for every coffee lover on the menu. They offer paninis for lunch and live up to their cantina namesake with beer, wine and seltzer options. Oh, and bubbly of course. The cafe space is modern and comfortable, offering plenty of seats now that indoor restrictions have been lifted.
If you’d like to enter the kitty lair, you’re going to need an appointment. No surprises but they generally are booked out in advance so be sure to secure your appointment ahead of time. It’s a wonderful way to spend time with the cats and who knows, maybe you’ll be the chosen one for a special cat or two.
Learn More About Kitty Cantina listen to our podcast episode with the owners.
Kitty Cantina: Spokane’s Cat Cafe
(509) 558-7093
6704 N Nevada St #1, Spokane, WA 99208
#8. Arctos Coffee Roasters
Arctos Coffee Roasters opened its location on Hamilton Street in 2018. The scientific name for the Grizzly Bear is Ursus Arctos, the namesake of the cafe. Owner Jason Everman was inspired by his own personal encounter with a Grizzly Bear in the wild. He hopes that his coffee will be as memorable and impactful as his encounter. Everman also happens to be the chief roaster for Arctos, and his own coffee journey arises from humble beginnings. In 2015 Everman created a roasting set up dubbed the ‘Roasting Shed’, which was sweltering in summer and freezing in the winter. Nonetheless, he perfected his craft over the years in order to deliver top-notch, small-batch coffee.
A unique aspect of Arctos is that they offer just three coffee blends for purchase. These include the Arctos Blend made of Central America and Brazilian beans, their Grizzly Dark made with Columbia and Central America beans, and their Swiss Water Decaf Blend. The reason for specialized roast blends is so that every bag offered is as close to perfect as Arctos can provide. It’s a standout concept that has proven to be quite popular.
Their 1,400 sq ft space has plenty of seating, often occupied by Gonzaga students in need of a study spot. The interior style is open-air industrial with warm wood accents. Arctos roasts on-site with a Diedrich IR-5 roaster capable of batches of up to 11 lbs.
(509) 413-2362
1923 N Hamilton St, Spokane, WA 99207
#7. Hatch Beaker & Burr
Hatch Beaker & Burr opened their doors during the height of the pandemic shutdown and have managed to not only survive but thrive. They are located in the Saranac Commons, a collection of different food vendors and shops that makes for a fun afternoon activity. Hatch exclusively features Cat & Cloud Coffee Roasters, based out of Santa Cruz, CA. Hatch chose C&C because of their great business ethics and high-quality roasts. Fascinating single-origin coffees like their Kenya, Ethiopia and Honduras are available on rotation and they boast a wide range of tasting notes. Their staple blend is The Answer — made from Columbia, Brazil and Ethiopia beans with crowd-pleasing notes of caramel, berries and chocolate.
In order to let the coffee speak for itself, the espresso bar menu is fairly straightforward. Freshly chilled cans of cold brew are available for the caffeine addict on the go.
(509) 919-3696
19 W Main Ave Suite 3, Spokane, WA 99201
#6. Revel 77
Revel 77 sits high atop Spokane’s South Hill and features some of the best local coffee roasters in both the Inland Northwest and the Pacific Northwest alike. They are an ideal cafe for discovering new coffee roasters, as they feature a rotating selection. Doma Coffee Roasters, Olympia Coffee Roasters, Evans Brothers Coffee Roaster and 49th Parallel Roasters have been on regular rotation. You never know what you might discover when you visit Revel 77, but it’s guaranteed to be high quality and semi-local.
The shop design is modern, industrial and bold, with a giant Revel sign hanging from the ceiling as you walk in. Polished natural wood is woven throughout the shop from the tabletops to the rear walls, lending a warmer quality to the space. With a strong local following, Revel is always buzzing with friendly folks drinking coffee and socializing. Despite their popularity, it’s usually easy enough to snag a seat and get comfortable.
With an abundance of pour-over and espresso options, there’s something that will appeal to every coffee consumer. For something less traditional, they feature signature drinks like a ginger and lime latte, a Steamed Cold Brew Chai and a London Fog Tea latte. During warmer weather, they offer a refreshing cold brew lemonade option. Pastries are available from the local Boots Bakery as well. So swing by the top of South Hill for some top-of-the-line coffee, teas and baked goods.
(509) 280-0518
3223 E 57th Ave K, Spokane, WA 99223
#5. Thomas Hammer Ltd Reserve
Thomas Hammer is a well-known local coffee chain, who tended to focus on distribution and smaller cafes. That is no longer the case with their new Ltd Reserve location on the South Hill of Spokane. With a beautiful open floor plan, substantial patio, ample food menu and last but certainly not least, some incredible coffee offerings. It’s quickly become the hub of the South Hill and an important spot for our community to gather. They’re open until 8pm most nights and also serve beer and wine, making it difficult to find an excuse not to go there.
Thomas Hammer partnered with Marilee Lindaman, of the former Lindaman’s Gourmet Deli, to create recipes for the cafe. You’ll find a wide range of delicious deli options, quiche and pastries to choose from. Some of their more inventive coffees include their popular lemon cardamom latte and their El Diablo spicy chile mocha.
(509) 290-5947
3173 S Grand Blvd, Spokane, WA 99203
#4. Meeting House
The South Perry Meeting House opened its doors not long before the pandemic shutdown in early 2020. Nonetheless, they have become exactly what their name implies, a meeting place for the South Perry community. They feature Roast House Coffee Roasters and even have their F-Bomb Cold Brew on nitro. The interior is modern and industrial yet welcoming, with huge windows lining the south and west walls. Artwork is on display by rotating local artists, lending a creative flare and bringing some life to the Meeting House walls. With a wrap-around patio, it’s a popular place for coffee drinkers to bring along their pooch and enjoy the outdoors.
They feature local newcomers Rind & Wheat pastries and scones, and they are truly some of the best available in Spokane. Their blueberry crumble danish is perfectly flakey with a delicious crunch from the crumble. They offer a rotating selection of baked goods so their menu will shift from day to day. Their coffee menu is straightforward with one size available for most of their drinks. It’s not a bad call though, because they do a remarkable job with their espresso drinks and one size is all you’ll need. If not, you can always go back for seconds.
(509)443-3971
1801 E 11th Ave, Spokane, WA 99202
#3. Ladder Coffee Roasters
What began as a drive-thru coffee stand on Spokane’s northside has rapidly become one of the most popular coffee shops in Spokane. Ladder Coffee Roasters now has 4 locations throughout Spokane. Their original location is in the Dormitory building in Browne’s addition. Owner Aaron Rivkin wanted to create a space that felt like home to everyone who walked through its doors. He succeeded with warm splashes of yellow, white honeycomb tile, heaps of indoor plants and mid-century couches. Ladder’s other locations follow a similar design but with minimal color and more black tile throughout.
Ladder roasts at its Browne’s Addition location and focuses on single-origin coffees from around the world. In addition to focusing on top-quality coffee, Ladder has some rather inventive signature drinks. The Chai-re (pronounced like Shire) is a cold brew concoction mixed with ginger beer and cream. They also offer a honey cake latte, and tea-based lattes as well.
(602) 689-8545
516 W Riverside Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
#2. Indaba Coffee Roasters
Indaba opened their Riverside location in 2018, right in the heart of downtown Spokane. It is their largest location by far, boasting an open floor layout with over 4,000 square feet of space. The building itself was built in the late 1800s, and Indaba brings that space into the 21st century through modern design. The decor is eclectic and bohemian, with indoor plants, coffee tables filled with books about coffee, and tiles that spell out a greeting as you walk in. Multiple stories offer plenty of seating options and a decent view to boot. Within walking distance to Riverfront Park and all that downtown has to offer, Indaba lives up to its name and provides a wonderful meeting place to have good conversation and great coffee.
Known for their signature roast blends like High-Drive and Bowl & Pitcher, they also offer single-origin roasts and a Swiss water decaf. They set themselves apart with unique latte options like house-made butterscotch, orange maple, or ginger cardamom. With drink choices like pour-over coffee, craft sodas, cold brew, tea and even wine and beer, there’s something to suit any palette. Their artisanal toasts push the limits of what toast normally encompasses, like their mushroom pate with feta, roma tomato and radish green pesto or their ricotta, honey and green peach option. So stop in for anything from a pour-over black coffee to a signature latte and toast pairing, there’s plenty of space for everyone at Indaba Coffee Roasters.
(509) 822-7182
518 W Riverside Ave Spokane, WA 99201
#1. 1st Avenue Coffee
Coming in at number one is the appropriately named 1st Avenue Coffee. Elegant, modern and sleek, the 3,000 square foot space occupies a 100-year-old building in west downtown. With 20-foot ceilings and tall front windows, the coffee shop is spacious, light and minimal in design. A 40-foot coffee bar sits in the middle of the floor, providing a gathering space and an ease of interaction with their friendly staff and customers. A high-tech Modbar espresso and pour-over system guarantees quality, while simultaneously freeing up the baristas to interact with customers with ease. To the rear of the space is a classroom set up featuring a Diedrich small-batch roaster for coffee roasting presentations and cuppings. First Ave offers free weekly classes focused on roasting and cupping, generally on weekend mornings. Plenty of seating options are available throughout the shop, from the front seating area filled with natural light to the 400 square food loft seating area, perfect for taking in the hustle and bustle of the coffee shop.
Featuring Roast House Coffee Roasters exclusively, they are able to offer a wide range of coffee blends and single origins. Their summer 2021 menu includes a pineapple espresso soda, a mixed berry mocha and a s’mores-based latte. In addition to coffee drinks, F1rst Ave is famous for their vegan and gluten-free donuts. So stop by, join in on a class, and experience some of the best quality coffee available in the region.
Listen to our podcast episode with Aaron Jordan Head of Operations for Roast House.
(509) 201-7091
1011 W 1st Ave, Spokane, WA 99201
As lovely as this list may be, perhaps it’s due for an update. Nearly half of the cafes on this list have permanently closed, though thankfully not First Ave!
Cheers
Austin, Yes you are correct! We will be rolling out updated content soon. Stay tuned.
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