The Woodrack Cafe

Finally got to try this place today! It’s so beautiful on the inside, the décor is just amazing. It has mason jar chandeliers and hanging windows. Every table is unique and it has a couch and some really comfortable chairs with tons of pillows. I was really intrigued with this café and am very impressed with the atmosphere.
I tried the carrot cake whoopie pie because I hear you have to try these! It was really good. Cream cheese filling and carrot cake (I think) which tasted really good. I saw that there was a strawberry shortcake whoppie pie! I would try that next time.
The coffee tasted really strange. We usually like really dark/​black coffee and this was the weirdest bittery taste ever. We had some sort of quinoa soup and sandwich which were both decent. I wanted the falafel sandwich but I wasn’t there in time to get it :(. I wish they made a few sandwiches as they are ordered instead of just stopping the service when they were out. I also ended up having a Chai latte which was good but too much foam. So I don’t know like it was good, but there could have been a few things done better. The limited hours and food kind of takes away from the place. But overall I really did like it and will probably be back.

I had wanted to pop in here since before they opened and was so happy to finally make time on a day off.
I had been under the assumption that their hours were minimal, having trying to come several times before (but finding them closed) and now I know that their hours are evolving. And this is totally fair as they’re still pretty new! I’m excited about their longer hours now as more people need to check Woodrack out!
The place is as cute and comfortable as I had hoped it would be and the Hubba Hubby and I totally scored with the super chic and comfortable couch. I seriously love the layout and you can tell that a lot of thought went into every touch point in Woodrack. The rustic chic is definitely on brand with the warmth and coziness of not only the décor but also with the owners, both of whom were working when I was in on a Monday! I love the book exchange area and did you know that there’s a community scarf project? You can pick up the knitting stuff (needles? I don’t know obviously) and pick up where the last person left off.
The food was good — we were just too late for the chicken club (literally it ran out with the couple ordering the last two just ahead of us), but the two other sandwiches, the veggie and the tuna, totally hit the spot. We loved the pretzel buns! The Hubba Hubby had the special soup for Robbie Burns Day and I mowed down on fresh veggies and hummus. He loved the local Ace coffee while my earl grey tea latte was on point!
It looks like they have some sweet events as they’ve hosted comedy nights and a Paint Nite. I can’t wait to cozy up on that couch again and maybe laugh out loud or get creative in this lovely space!

I met a friend at this place based on his suggestion. So why not visit another coffee shop in YEG? I like the variety of coffee shops we have in the YEG and surrounding area.
This establishment is located on 109street about 6 blocks south of Whyte ave. Parking here is a pain, so it’s best you walk to it. Inside the décor is eclectic. It has the warmth of a house and knick knacks everywhere. Seating is good but for the business of this place, there is not enough.
They have a selection of coffee and desserts available. If you are looking for something more to eat, you are in the wrong place. I overheard they might be offering sandwiches — via other reviews — they still don’t have food options available.
I find that this place is alright. Is it in my top 5 coffee shops? No. I judge on coffee first and atmosphere second. Coffee is alright, atmosphere is great. Not enough for me to return though.

Great atmospheric coffee shop with some nice baked goods and soups.
The coffee is pretty average but its still a nice place with very friendly staff. I’d rather go to a place with less than stellar coffee if the staff care about their clientele.

Love it!!! Not only is this not the closest café for me to get to from home, I just L-​O-​V-​E it! It is so cute, warm and inviting inside, with the most adorable décor. So many new coffee shops are stark and cold, this place makes me feel like I am in my living room.
Every time I’ve been in all of the employees have been entirely women, who are all so warm and friendly, and I love that too! I feel like I am at the point where I have had enough espressos’ made by aloof male hipsters with ironic mustaches to last a life time — no more!
Besides a fabulous look and wonderful drinks, there is one other element that sets Woodrack apart; the desserts! For me, specifically the whoopie pies! Mmmm… they are so good. Soft, fluffy, filled with delicious cream. I am in love with the gingerbread flavour — it needs to be Christmas all year round. I want these whoopie pies to be my next birthday cake… heck, I want them to be my death-​row «last supper» meal when the State Of Mississippi sentences me to death (it’s ok, I probably deserved it).
There may be a lack of parking on the street and in the back lot, but there is an entire 4 floor underground Impark under the building. So get down there and check this place out — who know, I might just be there writing my next Unilocal review :)

I am excited to finally get a chance to check out Woodrack Café, after driving by it almost everyday after work.
I stopped in today before a trip to the dentist. The bohemian atmosphere is not really one I usually enjoy, but in this case, I absolutely love it! It is warm and inviting. I am in love with the lighting. Especially the vintage-​looking fixtures.
I was hoping to have one of the brookies I saw on the menu on the website, but there were not any in the display case. Instead, there was a wide variety of whoopie pies and cookies to choose from. It was a difficult decision, but I settled on the Peppermint Chocolate whoopie and it was delicious. I also had green tea in one of their really neat mugs (I want one).
The only drawback is the parking. I drove around a couple of times until I found a place to park. Otherwise, I would definitely come back again.

Oh my gosh! I have been dying to check out this place since it opened near our home a few months ago. Today I got the chance to go in and spend some time here while I finished up some writing.
When you step inside the door, the magic really hits you. The style really strikes me as bohemian, with adorned antlers, comfortable furniture, candles, and curtains made from strips of colourful fabrics. The kitchen is wide open and you can see what they are making from the front counter. I snagged a spot by the window and had a chai latte and a bowl of the baked potato soup. Both were phenomenal! They also have a big selection of other goodies that all looked amazing, as well as some other goods for sale including shirts, coffee and jewelry.
The staff were very friendly, professional and helpful, and I appreciated how meticulous they were with food safety. It was also very clean and had a steady stream of people, but was never packed or too loud. I look forward to my next visit and trying some new goodies and hopefully getting a seat on that comfy looking couch!

Being new to the neighbourhood, I was excited to find this little gem. They aren’t kidding around with their espresso — delicious. And their Bloody Mary scones definitely made it on to my list of worth-​the-​gluten eats and treats. Love the artsy boho touch.

Anchor Coffee (top notch)…enough said. Pretty cool atmosphere too.

The Woodrack Café is a new hipster boho-​chic café on the corner of 109 st and 76 ave on the main floor of a big medical building. There are a few spots in the back for parking, and some free street parking surrounding the area, but parking can be a bit hard to find.
The employees are friendly and knowledgeable. I asked about about soup recommendations (they both sounded amazing that day — zucchini bisque and cabbage roll soup!) and they were able to easily tell me about the texture of the soups and specific spices that each of these homemade creations contained.
The ambience is, like I said, very boho-​chic. Huge dreamcatchers in the windows, antlers adorning the coffee tables as centrepieces, patchwork pillows and crochet blankets strewn on comfy couches, a take-​one-​leave-​one bookshelf. Staying and chilling is encouraged.
Things are definitely on the more expensive side for the gourmet product, though. My soup cost 8.50 for a serving size that was quite small (not even up to the top of a medium-​sized takeout soup container). I’d pay that if I was sitting down at a fancy restaurant, but I think it was at least a couple dollars overpriced for a café. It WAS tasty and unique, though — I was worried that the zucchini bisque was going to be a bit bland, but it actually had a spicy (but not too spicy) kick! Drinks are similarly priced to Starbucks, $ 3 – 6 for most things.
When I have a day off (boo for only being open during regular work hours) I’ll come back for their dreamy sounding snacks/​desserts!

Welcoming warm décor with just as welcoming and warm staff. I meet friends there as often as I can.

As others have said, the décor in this café is ON POINT. It’s so aesthetically pleasing, with a beautiful contrast between grounded pieces and whimsy. Such a good atmosphere to look at.
The food and drinks, however, were not at the same quality as the décor. The latte I got was just OK. It got really gross and gritty towards the bottom, so I couldn’t even drink the last inch of my drink. Also the foam was subpar. The whoopie pies looked delicious so we grabbed two: a sweet and a savoury. The savoury (Chives and Feta cheese, I think it was called) was disgusting. It had a weird chemically taste that vaguely made me think of death? I had a bite and then couldn’t eat anymore because it was so awful. The sweet (chocolate) was also just OK. I didn’t hate it, but I wouldn’t order it again either.
All in all, I felt disappointed. I wanted to love this place because it was so damn pretty, but the food just isn’t walking the walk. (also, parking can be tough to find). Hopefully they can fix their recipes and make their insides match their outsides.

Amazing place for coffee, lunch, or both. So lucky to have this in Edmonton. The haystack cookie was a hit. Looking forward to my next visit.

Great atmosphere in this place. I had the roast beef sandwich — excellent by the way, it had large thick pieces of roast beef — and a cappuccino. Both were awesome. A great place for lunch!

Nice clean, cozy café with friendly staff. Lots of seats and easy to find parking. Cappuccino was good but the milk temp a little hot and milk type was not what I requested. Looking forward to upgrading it to a 5 star on my next visit.

The Woodrack Café officially opened their doors last week, a welcome addition to the McKernan and Queen Alexandra neighbourhoods just south of Garneau. 109^th is a busy street, so there’s no doubt that commuting Edmontonians have driven past the new storefront wondering when they could grab a cup of coffee and enjoy the space. It’s finally here!
I’m not sure why I was expecting a small shop, the corner unit is expansive with numerous seating areas. Catching up with a friend is ideal on the couch and in front of the fireplace; or perhaps a small table to set up a work– or study-​space; or if you’d like to chat to co-​owner Kristy (nicknamed Shammy by friends and family), sit alongside the bar and watch her make up your coffee.
Since I entered through the 76^th Avenue entrance, the first thing that caught my eye was the «Take a Book, Leave a Book» shelf space, already filled to the brim with all kinds of reads. Next, the incredible reclaimed wood pieces from local Alberta farms, up-​cycled as art and décor to display the Woodrack Café’s homemade jewelry, antler art, and boho crafts which are all also for sale. Up-​cycled wine glasses, mugs handmade in Victoria, if you like it, it’s probably for sale!
Rounding up to the main entrance and counter, I got pretty excited to see a display case full of whoopie pies and with fall-​inspired flavours to boot. Who wouldn’t want a pumpkin pie, carrot cake, or chai whoopie to go along with their drink? The crazies that’s who. Their menu online also states that puddings (dark chocolate salted, rice puddings, and bread puddings) will be available, as well as treats like duffins (so help me if spellcheck doesn’t let that one through, it’s a doughnut and a muffin having a delicious baby), brookies (a brownie with a big spoon of cookie dough!), and butter tarts. The amount of cross-​breeding between pastries is enough to get you wide-​eyed and drooling, all thanks to in-​house chef Tracy, or Mama T.
Co-​owner Melissa was up front and center manning the front when I visited last Wednesday. With a background in business, the new development space was a perfect (but challenging) match for them to open up shop. Set out to launch in summer 2015, construction and tailoring the space for the kitchen became the main cause of their delay. I’d like to say though that it was all worth it, the open concept kitchen inviting and the details of the tin-​tiled ceilings and wood-​paneled floors all coming together to create a warm space.
Alongside the whoopie pies and assorted pastries, The Woodrack Café is serving up two kinds of brews, local Edmonton roast ACE Coffee Roasters and one all the way from the east coast, Anchored Coffee from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Having never tried Anchored Coffee before, I’m excited to try the lighter brew next time I’m in Woodrack! For last week’s visit, I opted for one of their espresso-​based drinks instead. The Danesi Caffè (Rome, Italy) latte is always a sure way to go!
Oatmeal and soups are available for now but Woodrack hopes to add sandwiches and heartier meals as they ease their way into things. Currently their hours are Monday to Friday 7:30am to 4:30pm, with goals of extending their hours to 7pm to accommodate the after-​work crowd and weekends. Baby steps for now, but I’m hopeful it will happen soon.
With only a few days tucked underneath their belts, it was a pleasant surprise to see the space full of people and from different walks of life, a concept true to what Kristy and Melissa had wanted. They hope to bring people in, and stay in, never feeling rushed and pressured to leave. Fostering a sense of community is, in all honesty, one of the measures of success for a café! By the looks of how things were going, I could tell this wasn’t a grab-​and-​go kind of space. You can also tell that The Woodrack Café had thought this through, there’s built-​in plug-​ins at the counter!
If you’ve been following me, you’ll know that I am always excited for a new café and quadruply (not a word, I know) as happy when it’s a local business supporting local products and art! I also love spaces where I can relax, order a drink and a bite to eat (every hour, of course!), and type away willy-​nilly on my laptop. Here’s to another fantastic space and to the expansion of Edmonton’s coffee culture! Can’t wait to come back to The Woodrack Café check out their menu expansions and a new brew. I’m also crossing my fingers that there will be a duffin or brookie waiting for me. Or even a tarduffin. That’s a butter tart-​muffin, obviously.

First time here and loving this chilled cozy boho vibe. This little gem opened yesterday and it’s already getting tons of traffic. Loved the cup of YEG brewed Ace coffee and the croissant made in house. A line up working it’s way out the door as we speak. Bathrooms are spacious and they even have change tables, great for mommies with their kidlets.

This is a one of my favourite Edmonton cafes! The décor in here… On point! So gorgeous and well thought out! This a beautiful place. They use Ace roasters, bake all their goods in house, and seem to be a friendly bunch of people. When they first opened, I wasn’t a fan of their lattes. However, upon subsequent visits I can tell there has been improvement and the lattes now meet my standard. Deliciously creamy, with a beautiful foam and even latte art.
When it comes to baked good, Woodrack does not disappoint! Their whoopie pies are a delight, and I noticed they are now serving soup and sandwiches, although I haven’t been able to try these.
The one major downfall… they have limited hours, although they have slightly improved since opening. They are open until 6pm some evenings, but not open on weekends. I hope they do well, and are able to open on weekends, because I’d definitely become a regular.