Roast Coffeehouse and Wine Bar

I was surprised to hear that this place had closed. Too cool for Edmonton. It’s also a difficult balance for a café between making a place feel cosy enough to spend hours there, and having people actually buy 1 drink and spending hours there.

Delicious coffee, great service, wonderful atmosphere.
Best soy vanilla latte in town. I don’t care how much it costs, it’s the best. But don’t you worry, the prices are similar to those of other coffee joints in Edmonton.

I love Roast, it’s my place to escape during a crazy day at the office. Yes, it’s quite hipster but I still love it. The brick walls, the pressed tin ceiling, the local artwork and the reclaimed wood tables — and of course the coffee. I was disappointed when they took their maple bacon latte off the menu, I think that drew in a lot of people here. But they said it cost too much to keep on the menu, unfortunately.
I still enjoy the chocolate cherry latte, it’s not as sweet as it sounds. The pumpkin pie latte is also good, and I hear the chai hot chocolate is a treat too. The toasted marshmallow latte is quite sweet though, just to warn you. For a cold option, I like the coconut frap. it’s nice and light, not too sweet. You can switch between cold and hot for most of these options though.
I’ve always found their pastries to be delicious and never stale, unlike other coffee houses. The lemon swirl is to die for, if you like a strong lemon taste — lots of flavour in every bite, with chunks of chewy lemon. Yum! The cinnamon swirl and chocolate croissants are also tasty. I was sad when they discontinued their key lime cookie, those were delicious! Unfortunately it wasn’t popular enough so they took that off the menu too.
Go earlier in the day if you want to score a pastry with your coffee, otherwise it’s usually just sandwiches left by the afternoon and I’m not so sure about those if they’ve been left out since morning.

Roast has been around for a little while now, and do indeed have excellent coffee. The café is moderately sized and fairly open, but it makes up for the open space by creating comfortable nooks and separate seating areas throughout the room. There are couches towards the street-​side, booths and high tables near the middle, and high-​backed chairs and coffee tables located in the direction of the rear.
It isn’t just the coffee or the rustic atmosphere that makes Roast so fantastic, though. They’ve recently undergone a menu overhaul and, rather than just the usual cakes, pastries, and sweets, now offer breakfast and lunch options à la Chef Andrew Parker, which change daily.
And, yeah… they sell wine. It’s always a tough decision for me once I reach the counter at Roast, since I love coffee and I adore wine. Roast’s wine selection is fabulous because it serves up a variety of reds, whites, and rosés from across Canada, keeping it local and supporting wineries from the Okanagan and Niagara regions.
The café is also a great location for holding events (particularly literary/​artsy ones) or hosting a meeting (they have a Community Room to accommodate them).
Did I mention that they serve a Maple Bacon Latte? (I knew that would sell you on it.)

I’m always finding new ways to get in the way of a regular sleeping schedule so it doesn’t surprise me that most of the time I head to Roast, I’m scooted out not long after because they’re closing.
The atmosphere is part local and rustic feeling and the other part is a Jay Z and Kanye West collaborative album cover. Flash, shine, and wood. The tank of water for all customers is a nice touch especially when they chop some cucumber in there.
The coffee and tea menu is pretty plain and basic but the baristas know what they’re doing and made sure I got my custom Gibraltar (3 parts espresso, 2 parts steamed milk) the way I want it. The most pleasant surprise was the wine and beer selection, I usually spy into the beer fridge and am forced make a difficult decision with a kind of beer or even getting one at all.
Roast is a great place whether you’re there to relax or have an awkward first date.

I really enjoy going to Roast to work during the day. They have amazing customer service, their espresso is pretty good, and the ambience is perfect for an afternoon of working. I would recommend their vanilla iced lattes.
The only thing I would say is make sure you get a spot by a charger, as there are only a few of them. Also use their loyalty program!

I’m not a coffee connoisseur so I’m not reviewing it based on that. What I am reviewing it on is the fantastic ambiance it has, the free wifi, and the long meeting table that’s available for everyone.
Whenever I want to hang out and work downtown at a café, Roast is the first place I go to.
My only real complaint is that during some hours, this place is PACKED and so that may put a kink in your plans if you wanted to meet someone there for a meeting. Also wifi is sometimes touch and go. I wish more cafes installed the fastest wifi with signal boosters around the place to make it more useful for those who telework.
I also love that this place is open LATE!

Best ambiance of any coffeehouse in Edmonton! The Mercer warehouse is a perfect vessel for this neat little spot and there are many little touches (like the creepy hand sculpture holding the lightbulb in the ladies’ washroom) that make it interesting to the eye.
Good coffee and jumbo cookies, if you’re looking for something light. The salted caramel latte is as good as the name suggests.
Roast is also something of a wine bar and has a reasonably selection from which to choose. They recently launched a new menu of light dishes meant to share over a goblet of wine. Watermelon, basil, feta and pine nut salad is summer on a plate. This is an astute, refreshing and memorable combination of flavours. Tuna tartare sounds fancy, but I was disappointed that it was served with tortilla chips. Crackers or some sort of flatbread would have worked better. I expect chips at a pub; they don’t really jive with the image Roast is projecting.

We spent 26 hours in Edmonton and visited Roast twice. The first was following supper. Hubs used to live in Edmonton and knows the city fairly well so after reading some great reviews I knew we needed to seek it out. As the name implies Roast is both a coffeehouse and wine bar. They are however separated into two unique spaces.
Immediately we loved the ambiance and décor of the coffeehouse. Spacious & Airy it felt very comfortable. The staff behind the counter were über friendly and helpful. They alone deserve 5 stars each for outstanding customer service. They were chatty and very accommodating with our kids which also impressed us.
We picked up a few items to try, the cookie topped doughnut, maple bacon cinnamon bun, cookies and a pain au chocolat. Also indulged in some hot cocoa (kids), a cappuccino for me and hubs tried the salted caramel latte. Everything was heavenly but the salted caramel latte was the big winner for me and well the maple bacon cinnamon bun for hubs (anything with bacon, right?). They also had a Bacon Latte on the menu but were out of the candied bacon so we didn’t get to try (this time).
The next day we stopped in on our way out of town. The same friendly peeps were working behind the counter and remembered us. We picked up some more goodies and coffee (this time I got the salted caramel latte — heaven) and left a very satisfied family indeed.
Roast we’ll be coming back soon for the bacon latte :)

A great trendy coffee house on my favourite street in the city. Roast is great for a couple reasons 1) they have amazing lattes, the salted caramel is definitely something to be sought after 2) the prices aren’t much higher than that of Starbucks.
The boyfriend and I adore coffee in a can’t-function-without-it-in-the-morning kind of a way. We are always on the lookout for great coffee places and Roast definitely falls into that category!
We were both pleasantly surprised to find a maple bacon latte on the menu and of course the boyfriend had to try it. I was also happy to see wine (and Canadian wine at that) on their menu. Canadian wines are typically some of the best wines around!
Roast also introduced me to a great new rewards program, Perka! I was happy to learn that after 6 coffees you receive a free drink! This rewards program trumps any Starbucks gold star reward program.
I will definitely be back to this great little coffee house!

Roast where have you been all my life! How do I love thee, let me count the ways! 1. Being surrounded by what seems like the most comfortable coffee shop seating in the city. 2. Nice exposed brick of a past era. 3. Reclaimed old wood flooring. 4. Down to earth extremely friendly staff. 5. A good mix of the business, student and everyone else crowd. 6. Cozy gas fireplaces. 7. An all around cool atmosphere. All these factors have a way of making 2 or 3 hours fly by.
I got med coffee ($ 3) and a MAPLE BACON cinnamon bun ($ 3.75). Nothing here is cheap and admittedly the coffee isn’t the best in the city. But I really love the atmophere.
My only complaints would be that the music can be a little too loud and that some of the tables are wobbly. However, this is one of my favourite places to meet someone for coffee.
I absolutely, positively, most definitely, unequivocally, with out a doubt, love Roast!

Hope everybody had a nice Valentine’s Day yesterday! I had a great dinner which lead right into our trip to San Francisco so I’ll have to write about it later! In the mean time, just wanted to post up my visit to ROAST Coffeehouse on 104 St!
It took me a long time to make my way down to ROAST but I finally did it. As much as I love the atmosphere of Transcend (may you return to downtown one day) and Credo, I think I like ROAST the best! Something about the wooden interior, the expansive seating areas and trendy wallpaper makes it a place where I’d want to sit and relax.
Joe and I went on a Sunday afternoon and the place was pretty bustling from what would have expected. Another plus: their menu is extensive, serving up specialty drinks as well (Credo, please expand, I can’t drink straight coffee!). ROAST also serves food and wine after 4pm, which makes me want to return ASAP!
For that day though, we were happy with our drinks. Joe and his regular latte, decorated with their signature ‘R’ (to go, because he just had a cup of coffee with breakfast), and a dark chocolate mocha for me. This is the first time I’ve ever had a mocha where I didn’t find was too bitter (aside from anything served at Starbucks, pure cream and sugar). Absolutely loved my drink!
ROAST Coffeehouse, thus far, is my favorite out of all coffee hangouts. Runner-​up: Wild Earth Bakery. I only wished I discovered these places when I was in school! Perfect place to study. What’s your favorite coffee place?

I’m on the fence about my feelings towards Roast Coffeehouse. While it does have many appealing qualities, there are certainly some things that are lacking.
The Good:
The space is lovely. It has great ambience and is roomy and stylish with plenty of comfortable seating. It’s always cozy and warm, unlike many other cafes. There are nice little touches around, such as a self-​serve dispenser with lemon water. This place doubles as a wine bar in the evenings and there’s a decent selection of wine and beer. The baked goods are also quite good.
The Bad:
The service here is hit or miss. On some days, I have been greeted by a friendly face and on other days, I have had to deal with an unhelpful and lackadaisical hipster, whose description of the maple bacon latte was simply that it is «sweet».
While they do have a small food menu, I have not had the chance to try anything as the one time I wanted to order something, I was informed that they were sold out of everything. This was at 4.p.m., which is the advertised time that they start serving food.
The coffee here is ok. While they do have a selection of interesting and creative drinks (Maple Bacon latte, salted caramel latte etc.), the actual quality and taste of the espresso is on par with, or marginally above, most chain coffee shops. For the prices listed, you would expect better quality. This is not to say that the drinks are bad — only that they could, and should, be better.
I will continue going to Roast, mainly for the ambience. While it does have some flaws, it is, overall, a nice spot.

I really love Roast, though I find it expensive. They serve your standard coffee drinks, with some twists like a bacon & maple latte. I love the option of ordering a beer or wine when I meet my friend for coffee, because sometimes, at the end of a work day, that’s just what you need. They don’t have a bad collection either, and I’m impressed with the unique variety of import bottles. Roast is a nice venue too, with exposed beams and brick, and they frequently have live music. There’s few things more wonderful than curling up in an armchair in front of a fire with a good drink, and listen to someone strum a guitar. Roast is a regular stop on my favorite coffeeshop rotation, and I’ll keep coming back for more.

The Mercer Warehouse downtown and I have had a love affair that has been going on for years. From the art installments, to the Halloween Parties and Ghost Tours to the building being empty for years. When I was at the City Market downtown one weekend, I saw that they were restoring the building and it looked like maybe some new tenants. I hoped that they were businesses and that they were not turning it into condos.
My prayers were answered and Roast Coffeehouse and Mercer Tavern were soon to be opened.
You would think that with my food obsession I would be one of the first people in on opening day… Due to the busy summer I did not get to visit Roast until almost the end of August. I had saw a tweet about a Maple Bacon Latte and knew I would have to drop in to see what they were all about.
The Bacon-​Maple Latte is a maple flavoured latte. It is garnished with whipped cream and then a couple of pieces of caramelized Bacon.
The Bacon is fantastic! Crispy and gooey at the same time — it stuck to my teeth. Bacon lovers would love this taste experience.
If you want the latte to have any Bacon flavour in it you need to dunk one of your pieces of Bacon into the latte and let it float — that is, if you can resist eating it!
The Baristas at Roast took a while to get the latte out but it looked like they were having problems with one of the spouts on the espresso machine pulling shots. It was worth the wait — the shots were perfect.
The atmosphere and décor in Roast make for a very comfortable experience. The hardwood floors and open beamed ceiling are the originals from the warehouse. It has a rustic feel while the fireplaces give the atmosphere warmth and the stainless steel bar type chairs give it a touch of modern class. There are overstuffed leather chairs by the fireplaces so there are «homey» feels to certain areas as well. Sure to please many different types of customer.
If you like to avoid the hustle and bustle that the «Green Giant» offers — then you should give Roast a try. I can see myself curling up in front of a fireplace with a good book and a great cup of coffee for an hour or two.
Kudos Roast!

Roast Coffeehouse has a lot going for it. The ambience is lovely, located in the high-​ceilinged Mercer building in the warehouse district. Charming interiors, quite beautiful furniture, intriguing wall art, Edison-​era light installations and what not. They might have the best ambience any café in Edmonton has. Perfect date place too, I think, with decent music playing and comfortable furniture for quiet conversations.
I’ve been here twice and agree with most reviewers in that they make interesting latte creations and teas. I think they briefly had a caramel-​bacon latte which sounds really interesting and I enjoyed their salted caramel latte. They have a collection of craft beers and wines mainly from AB and the Okanagan region. It’s interesting and I’m glad they support local craft brews and wines, though at least on the beer front, these regions are not known for the best craft brews in Canada.
Why the 3 stars? Many might consider me a coffee snob when I say this, but I actually think that for $ 5, it’s only fair that the quality of the actual espresso be far better than something you would get at a chain coffee shop. This, however, they lack in. The staff seem to know very little about actual coffee and how to make a good espresso and this disappoints me a little. It’s got a bit of a yuppie feel to it without delivering a quality product.
I am not sure if I will go back because I know of places that make better coffee. There are many in Edmonton now (Elm, Transcend, Leva, Credo, Sugar Bowl, da Capo etc.) and to open up a new coffee shop and not strive to at least equal the bar set by these establishments, especially when they charge as much (some cases, more) as these other well established coffee joints, is a little disappointing for me.
Come here for an interesting flavored latte, but don’t come if you demand high quality coffee. The main reason for three stars is that they claim to be a coffeehouse first and don’t do too well, in my books, on that front.

This is a diamond in the rough! While the area of town felt a little sketchy, you walk through the doors of Roast and it’s like entering another world.
The smell of coffee was marvelously inviting and the décor made me want to spend the day there.
Their creativity with drinks is exceptional… the new seasonal drink is the «Cinnamon Bun Latte» and is exquisite.
If the location was a little bit easier to access, I could see making this a regular hangout.

Transcend, Credo, and other such cafes are obsessive about their coffee. Roast is practical about it, but not as practical as Tim Horton’s for example. Roast serves coffee from the artisan Verve Coffee Roasters. I don’t know much about them, but the coffee is surprisingly non-​bitter and smooth. You pay for the quality: $ 5 for a large latte. But included with that is the environment.
Like the Mercer Tavern next door Roast takes advantage of the old warehouse in which it is housed. It’s spacious, trendy, and comfortable; an atmosphere well worth a $ 5 latte.
Roast also has some prepackaged quality food, I think from various downtown restaurants. The salads are small, but not too expensive. You can pay extra for your choice off protein (small containers of various meats or tofu). My friend seems to enjoy the baked goods.
I prefer Transcend coffee and philosophy. But I come back here as often as I do for the non-​pretentious atmosphere. Oh, and they start serving wine at 2pm.

With a Toast to Roast, I say welcome to the E-​town café scene! I spent a few hours in this welcoming and inviting space today working & amerced in the awe inspiring ambiance. Located in the historic & newly renovated Mercer building, this coffee house by day/​wine bar by night has meticulously mastered creating a spacious environment that embodies the original charm and elegance I so hoped it would have.
The pastries are fresh and delicious, the intoxicating aroma of the Roasted beans is delish, and the ode to the London Fog called the Morning Mist put a sublime smile on my face for hours after. Yes, I think I have found another regular haunt!

Admittedly as I am not much of a coffee connoisseur, I judge a café based on how it makes me feel when I step inside. When I pay $ 5 for a fancy coffee, I want to feel like I’m indulging in some sort of fantasy world outside of my day-​to-​day reality.
And the combination of tasty drinks such as the maple bacon latte (well, it’s essentially a latte with whipped cream and a piece of candied bacon on top) and urban warehouse décor takes me to a trendier, more urban place than Edmonton.
I like how they’re making this an all day establishment and look forward to checking out their wine list.