Fuel up! Seven coffee shops to help you give that job interview your best shot
When your job search brings you to the Seattle area, here’s how to seek out a great café
When it comes to coffee, Seattleites are undeniably picky. And with a rich, vibrant food culture in general, there’s no need to ever settle for ho-hum coffee in this corner of the Pacific Northwest. Whether you’re visiting Seattle for a job interview and need a boost, or your career winds up planting you permanently in the Emerald City, the brew here can keep you happily caffeinated. There are many great café choices in the region. To get you started, we rounded up these hot spots—in most cases, you can even get a pound or two to take home.
Dilettante Mocha Café
Dilettante is all about the chocolate (and their truffles are the bomb). But if your poison is a good mocha, you need to run—not walk—to the nearest Dilettante Mocha Café. The company melts real chocolate into its mochas. But there’s more: you can choose from five grades of chocolate, ranging all the way from 72 percent cacao to white chocolate. You can find Dilettante Mocha Café in Seattle and in Bellevue. Don’t fret if you don’t make it; there’s one inside the airport, too.
Caffe Vita
Caffe Vita is a Seattle-area institution and is typically packed with people working at their office away from the office (or home office). And with good reason—Caffe Vita coffee shops are historically interesting (many feature local art on the walls and reflect the unique feel of the neighborhoods they’re in), comfortable, and cozy, and they were one of the first to offer free Wi-Fi. Like many Seattle coffee companies, Caffe Vita roasts its own beans, and it works directly with coffee farmers. It’s a solid choice where you can count on a consistently good cup of coffee. Bonus: the company offers free home brewing tips at its Public Brewing School in its Capitol Hill facility!
Fonté Coffee Roaster
It’s no surprise that Fonté has fans. This coffee roasting company’s single origin and rich blends are so popular with locals (and available through subscription services) that it opened two cafés: one in downtown Seattle and one in Bellevue. For those who like their coffee straight, black, and strong, there’s no comparison. Fonté also serves up some interesting specialty drinks, like the Turkish Latte and the Desert Rose Latte. Take advantage of the all-day breakfast menu, which offers a nice alternative to the bready sweets often offered at other coffee shops.
Bulletproof
Doing keto? Addicted to that morning jolt of energy with grass-fed butter and MCT oil? It’s not for everyone, but we know that fans are fans. The good news is that you don’t have to bite the bullet and drink the plain stuff while you’re in Seattle because this shop, in the South Lake Union neighborhood, has you covered. Bulletproof also features a keto menu, which is a little limited. Then again, so are the carbs.
Dote Coffee Bar
Conveniently located in Lincoln Square in Bellevue, the sleek and modern Dote Coffee Bar serves up locally roasted coffee and a rich array of chocolate confections. And there’s no reason not to mix bitter and sweet; try an affogato—coffee and ice cream. Dote is at the entrance of the Lincoln South Food Hall, so a more substantial meal is readily accessible.
Third Culture Coffee
At Third Culture Coffee, located in Bellevue, origins matter. The company ethically sources its beans, roasts them, and then carefully prepares hot and cold brews. It may seem like taking a simple cup of joe a little too far, but like we said in the beginning, people in and around Seattle take their coffee very seriously. Plus, the quality of Third Culture Coffee’s single origin coffees really does shine through. Not a huge coffee fan but need a boost—or something to calm the career nerves? Good news: Third Culture Coffee takes tea as seriously as it does coffee, so you can sip on spiced chai or delicate Darjeeling if that’s more your thing.
Starbucks
We know, we know—it’s predictable. But Starbucks is so embedded in the fabric of the Seattle area that it becomes a different experience to visit a café here, where it all started. If you’re rushing to or from an interview, there are of course Starbucks options all around the region to help you fuel up fast. If you want to immerse yourself in the company’s history and lore, consider visiting the first café, opened in 1971 and still operating in Seattle’s Pike Place Market. For the true coffee fanatic, a visit to the Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Room in Seattle might be in order. There, you can watch your coffee beans go all the way through the process from roasting to cup and order special drinks from the Experience Bar.
Welcome to the Seattle area
We hope this guide to caffeine haunts in the vicinity is useful—and that it helps fuel your job interview. And if you’re still thirsty, there’s no shortage of additional cafés and café roundups.
