Java Bean

My boyfriend raved about this place after his first trip to Seattle. He talked about how he went here every day to get a coffee and work. Cool! Let’s go check it out then.
The inside is wonderful. I love all their decorating and the outdoors theme. They have posters from all kinds of National Parks and they even sell the vintage post cards here. I love the wooden tables and that whole cabin in the woods aesthetic. For that, I’d give five stars, but I can’t judge based on just the decorating.
When I came, I ordered a hot chocolate because I’m not much of a coffee fan. The presentation of my hot chocolate was beautiful. I loved the chocolate drizzle and it was so pretty that I almost didn’t want to drink it. I took the first sip and my drink was cold. Not even lukewarm, just cold. What? I was disappointed. I don’t need my hot chocolate to be burn-​my-​mouth-​off hot, but I do expect it to not be cold. You know, because it’s called HOT chocolate. I finished it anyway because I like hot chocolate, but it definitely wasn’t as good as it could have been.
My boyfriend really enjoyed their eggels, which is like an egg bagel sandwich. I’m sad I didn’t ever have the opportunity to try one because he said they were awesome.
The only other confusing thing to me is their lack of Wi-​Fi. The fact that they don’t have Wi-​Fi didn’t upset me — clearly, they are taking the stance that they don’t want people hogging tables for hours on end, keeping them away from other paying customers, and I don’t fault a coffee shop for doing that. Do what ya gotta do to stay afloat, man. What’s confusing, though, is that they have a ton of board games you can play. So you don’t want Wi-​Fi so that people won’t linger… but you’ll put out board games? I don’t remember each and every game they had out to play, but it wasn’t all fast-​paced games. There were games like Scrabble and Monopoly, too, which typically take longer to finish. Don’t get me wrong, I love board games and I think it is great that they have such a selection to choose from, but it seems a little hypocritical to have those out and not have Wi-​Fi. So I can waste time and linger, but only in a manner of which you approve? I’m an adult, I don’t need anybody making my choices for me.
I love the atmosphere and love the presentation of drinks, but I did not love my cold hot chocolate or the «You can only waste time in an approved manner» attitude. Then again, maybe that’s their thing? Or maybe it’s supposed to imitate what it’s like to be in a National Park? There sure as hell isn’t any internet out in the wilderness, but board games are okay. Hmm. Maybe I just had the wrong thought process. Okay, I’ll give you that, Java Bean. I don’t know if that was your intention, but let’s just go with it.
Still can’t serve me cold hot chocolate, though. I can make warm hot chocolate, even in the wilderness.

Friendly staff, and warm environment, and that is it. The $ 5 12oz chai w/​soy was so sweet I couldn’t finish it because my teeth were getting sore. Plus, no wifi. I’m interested in having face time with people, but I also need to get things done on the Internet. I missed the one sign on the cluttered counter about no wifi until after I ordered my beverage. Fail. Also, being allergic to dairy, good luck eating anything. This might be someone’s special place, but it doesn’t remotely meet the standard of a Seattle café for me, and It might not for you either.

I adore Java Bean, despite being served over-​heated soy/​hemp milk several times. They really need to learn how to froth non-​dairy milk properly! Their hemp milk iced white mochas are TO DIE FOR. Their espresso is so tasty. And most of their barristas are the most chipper folks you’ll ever encounter. Their seasonal drinks are also quite great. Support local biz!

I came by on a Tuesday and noticed the other coffee shop nearby was closed. After visiting Java Bean, I can see why that other spot can afford to be closed — Java Bean sucks!
First of all, have you ever heard of this thing called Wi-​Fi? It’s this super convenient thing that we have in 2015. It helps people connect their electronic devices to this thing called the world wide web. It’s really common in coffee shops. Check it out.
Second, why the hell are you charging $ 3 for a tea bag and a cup of hot water? I understand that the tea is organic and there’s good tea, but I’m sorry your stuff wasn’t good enough to charge people $ 3 and change.
They also serve food here, maybe that’s what keeps them afloat. But if you’re looking for a place to get some studying or work done, this might not be the place for you.

Super dank breakfast sandwiches and tasty espresso. Very pleasant staff as well. Always been pleased! I’m sure you will be too!

I’m not a coffee connoisseur, so when I say the drinks are usually pretty good, I just know they are about what you get anywhere. I like the idea of a great independent Ballard coffee house. However I am a customer service snob, and my customer experience has been ‘meh.’ About a year ago, I went for a drink, and the music was so loud that people had to repeatedly yell their order over the counter («What?» «A 2 shot latte!» «How many shots?» — etc). At my turn I remarked on the sound level. The man behind the counter said «You can always yell louder.» «Or,» I said. «I could go elsewhere.» He said, «Yep, you could.» So I left.
A week ago I went in, and the music level was reasonable. I was about to get my turn to order, when the same man who I’d walked out on a year ago entered, saw me, and immediately turned the music up. I don’t know if it was cause and effect, but I left anyway.
Whoever owns the Java Bean needs to read and take Amy T’s review to heart. Without your satisfied customers, yours will be a lonely business indeed. I hope that you have many satisfied customers in the future.

Love this coffee shop. As far as atmosphere/​good music it’s one of my favorites. I work from home and it’s a good place to go to unplug (as they don’t have wifi) and read a book or meet with a friend. When we first moved to the neighborhood my fiancé and I went to the closest shop to our new place. I’ve never had a problem with the owner and any interaction with him has been a positive one, he really knows his coffee and it shows in the quality of the product. I absolutely love their lattes and eggles (Hot Mama, yes please!) sometimes i’ll even pick up one of their lunch sandwiches for later (the caprese is excellent!)

Come for the latte and stay for the gas fire place and eclectic ambience. I was slightly disappointed that they don’t have wifi until I learned that the next door bar, Wingmasters, has it (password is hotwings). They also have comfortable seating, which many other coffee shops dont have. And they play good music. I recommend the mocha, the regular latte and the one that is cinnamon infused.

So… the eggles are tasty, but the coffee is kinda meh. The wi-​fi was removed too, so thats kinda lame. The workers are nice, so there’s that. With all the other coffee joints in the area, there are just better options.

This WAS our favorite place in Ballard to get coffee, religiously for the last 7 years. I would go every day if I could, until the owner TONY started working there. I noticed him at first when I would be in line and he would be working there and talk down to every one of his staff. I noticed how some employees would cower others would defiantly push back. I reasoned my first impressions of him aside because I understand how owners can be and I truly love my Java Bean coffee. As a manager I am keen to reading my employees and customers. There is a right way and a wrong way to treat people. You either do is respectfully or you don’t.
The difference with TONY is that he doesn’t care about his customers and has no respect. He loves his coffee over people. That is a lonely world.
Here is how my long love of Java Bean Coffee went through the most tragic and heart wrenching breakup. In fact, I am still bothered by it and waited 4 days to say something… afraid of what TONY might state and that my point of view is worthless.
So, I order a strange drink that every Java Bean employee has been happy to make for the last 7 years. A luke warm «iced» caramel vanilla latte (w/​6 ice cubes because if I say «light ice» they still fill the cup almost all the way full w/​ice). I always tip great because it is such an odd drink. The last 2 times my husband has had to go in and purchase the drink while I sat in the car with our sleeping son. First time Tony made my drink he scoffed at my husband. We brushed it off because our housemate was making our drink (he/​she had just been hired there). He/​she made my drink perfect! So delicious. Well, he/​she promptly quit that day and said it isn’t worth working for someone like that especially when there are other jobs out there. I felt bad for Tony at that point hearing the inside scoop — that it’s hard for him to keep his employees. I remember 5 years ago he had the best manager and he never had to work there (at least when we were there). The ladies were awesome! They knew every customer and you felt «home» when you were there. After that manager quite, little by little I’ve noticed a very high turnover at the Ballard location. Sad. We would have employees bounce with glee when we came in… for some reason they loved us! Its nice to be loved and appreciated. Anyways, this last Sunday, my husband went to get his «normal» coffee and my not so normal coffee. My light ice cube request was originally ignored when my drink was made and my husband reminded Tony of the 6 ice cubes request. My husband was then told Java Bean can’t lower their standards to our order and we should take our business to Starbucks. My husband said we’d been coming here for 7 years as loyal customers. Tony proceeded to belittle my husband and state that coffee is a fine art and its like asking a plumber to plumb the wrong way. When my husband recanted the encounter to me and tell me that was the last time we would go to Java Bean, I was in denial as I couldn’t imagine my weekends without Java Bean… surely my husband misinterpreted something… but there was no denying the fact that my husband was mistreated by TONY all because of «my coffee drink» not my husbands. It was my fault. I wanted to be mad at TONY but I started thinking of how miserable of a life he must live if that is his «normal» way of treating people. And after reading other Unilocal reviews… it is. So sad. A guy with such a passion for coffee but hates people. He must have really been hurt in his life and probably lives a lonely life. I feel bad for him but even more so for his employees and customers that get to see him self destruct. Good customer service is plain and simple — treat them with respect. It’s not rocket science. Java Bean and all the past employees who’ve loved us — Thank you for the years of memories, tears, laughter, coffee and Eggels. You will be missed. TONY I hope someday you too can have the pleasure of being missed. Everyone deserves to be loved and to love.
Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. ~ Bill Gates
Spend a lot of time talking to customers face to face. You’d be amazed how many companies don’t listen to their customers. ~Ross Perot
The customer experience is the next competitive battleground. ~ Jerry Gregoire
Loyal customers, they don’t just come back, they don’t simply recommend you, they insist that their friends do business with you. ~ Chip Bell
Your customer doesn’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. ~ Damon Richards
Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echos are truly endless. ~ Mother Teresa
Customers don’t expect you to be perfect. They do expect you to fix things when they go wrong. ~ Donald Porter

I’ve been going to Ballard Java Bean on a weekly basis for the last 6 years and the old west Seattle location before that. The Ballard location is close to my house and open when I leave for work at 6:30am so convenient. I like the lodge atmosphere being an outdoors person so appreciate that detail. While the staff is rotated out on a regular basis they’ve always been friendly and polite. The coffee is fine but not excellent and I like the breakfast sandwiches even though they seem to take forever to prepare.
There’s only one reason I can’t recommend them and that’s the owner Tony. He’s been rude to the point of arguing with my wife because she questioned a charge. Her girlfriend stopped going a year ago after a similar confrontation with him. I just stopped in for an iced coffee and requested the sturdier black straws they have. He frowned handed it to me and said «these are for the brain freeze!» (Another type of iced drink they make) I responded saying I’m a regular and prefer them he replied «I don’t know you!». Awkward.. .
Considering how often I go and the few times that I have had the misfortune of running into Tony it’s telling that they’ve almost all been unpleasant. I should have stopped going when Karen stopped managing. She was amazing and there was a completely different vibe. The great thing about living in Ballard is there are so many awesome options and owners that truly appreciate customer service. No more Java Bean for me!

Pretty good coffee. They roast their own beans. Pastry selection as well as sandwiches, bagels and such. I haven’t tried anything other than the coffee. My barista did let my shots go bad before she poured them into my drink– waited too long after she pulled them so drink didn’t taste the greatest this time around.
I find it odd that they have 8oz, 12 oz and 16 oz hot drinks, but they claim they only have 12oz as the smallest sized cold/​iced drink and will charge you for a 12oz as well even if you ask for extra ice to make it an 8oz drink. I don’t see how they can’t just add more ice and charge you for an 8oz. I end up paying $ 4.11 plus $ 1 tip for a 12 oz iced latte with extra ice that’s basically an 8oz drink at that point… It’s not like Starbucks where they physically cannot charge for an 8oz drink– it’s a small, local café with a manual register. That’s been my only complaint. Otherwise, they’re a standard café with comfy atmosphere– lots of tables as well as some arm chairs and a couch inside. Nice baristas too.

I’ve been going here for my afternoon cup of coffee nearly every day since moving into the neighborhood in January. The coffee isn’t bad, the coconut shortbread is outstanding, the employees are super-​friendly and get to know you, the wifi is next to non-​existent (whatever, I’m a to-​go guy), and lastly … I can now safely confirm that the owner is indeed a raging asshole, as others have reported.
Don’t patronize assholes. There are literally dozens of other places to get a cup of coffee within spitting distance. I’ll be hitting up Firehouse or Besalu or BCW — hell, Starbucks — next time I need my afternoon jolt.

No Wifi. Very tiny sign says this on far right of the counter; you will probably notice after you’ve finished ordering your food. It says ‘Wifi Temporarily unavailable”. They had it for years. This is disingenuous. The sign should be placed at the register where people can clearly see it, and it should read «We have discontinued having wifi. There are no plans to have it back currently».
When you offer a service and then discontinue it, past customers will be disappointed. If a person walked into a bar with their dog and ordered food because you had allowed dogs in the past, and then you rang them up and said ‘oh dogs aren’t allowed’ and pointed to a tiny sign about 5 feet from the register, you bet customers would be annoyed.
The owner told me they have no plans of having Wifi back. That is his decision as an owner, and I in turn will make the decision to take my business elsewhere so that I can grade my students papers online while having lunch.
From the looks of the 2 solitary people in the coffeehouse and the 20 open seats today at lunch, anyone can see not having WiFi is a poor business decision. Probably costing the place $ 125-​$ 250 a day in lost sales. Multiply that by 30, and you see where this is going…
If the problem was having people sitting there for 4 hours after only having purchased a scone for $ 1.75, you can get a system that issues Wifi tickets good for only an hour. Many places do this… Business 101
When customers ask for something, an intelligent business person makes it happen. People want soy milk, make the shift. People want organic, make the shift. People tell you the radio is too loud, make the shift. People ask if you could turn the heat up, make the shift…
I just spent $ 15 at Firehouse… I raise my cup of coffee and egg sandwich to you, Java Bean as I grade student papers!
Firehouse, Bauhaus, Toast, Ballard Coffee Works… take your pick
Poor business practices here…

I want to love this neighborhood place. It’s got great ambience, delicious coffee, and friendly kind staff. So why one star? The man I think is the owner/​manager is aggressively rude and has chastised me about tying my dog outside his café (wrong place apparently?). My friend said she’s had a couple run ins with him too and her friend as well. Customer service starts with kindness and a smile. Hopefully he can learn this from his very lovely baristas.
Reply to the owners reply:
«I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.»
― Maya Angelou
If you were as polite in person as you are on Unilocal I would have happily tied my dog up per your request. It’s not WHAT you requested, it’s HOW you spoke to me. You drove me away with your aggressive rudeness and disrespectful attitude, and you come across as an angry, scary man. Plus you’re big, and I’m small and that kind of aggression comes across as frankly, being a bully. That’s not the way to invite customers into your café. Even though I’m your neighbor, I’ll gladly walk out of my way, down to Market Street to get coffee where I am welcomed with a smile and kind words, or at least, neutral. I don’t need anger and aggression when I’m trying to enjoy the weekend. I hope you will learn to be kind to people and treat them with respect. In turn, I’d gladly patronize your business.
A better way to respond to upset customers in social media is to say, «I“m sorry you had a bad experience. I care about you and your opinion. We will try harder to be welcoming and I hope you’ll give us a second chance.»

Update #2:
Here’s the thing, Tony… I’ve heard about the times you’ve rubbed folks the wrong way and frankly didn’t really care and in fact in my first review of your fine coffee-​house I said
«Essentially, most of the folks that complain about Java Bean on this page *should* go somewhere else — their business may be missed by the shop but it isn’t missed by me. Such a pretentious bunch of whiners in Ballard these days. Have some coffee and chill out or walk over to SBs.»
Well now I’m the one complaining, as are a bunch of folks, about the wi-​fi. People can say what they want but I’ve got two of my own to say.
1. The idea that you’re a coffee-​only coffee house and that you’re gonna take some kind of stand and omit wifi access to save money, prevent «camping» and remedy your POS system problems is fine except that
A) that’s just silly business (and your wifi has been historically abysmally slow as I’ve mentioned in the past)
B) I’ve mentioned a number of time that I was willing to help solve you wifi issue (as are other judging by recent reviews) and
C) folks have come to expect it and honestly I have camped out in Java Bean as a sort of neighborhood chillout spot, as did my lady while studying for law school and we each spent a TON of money in your café (though I’m sure there are plenty that do not — and AGAIN I can solve even that for ya).
But the bottom line for me right now is this, the other points aside — I’ve come to expect wifi at your café and LONG ago accepted that it’s ridiculously slow (yet kept coming back) and it’s fine if this is the route you’d like to take to solve your perceived problem, but know that my lady and I will visit you far, FAR less often and in fact… You owe me $ 23 for today’s visit because I came to Java Bean SPECIFICALLY to enjoy a green-​chile Eggel breakfast sammy and a cup-​o-​joe or two in my JAVA BEAN BRANDED travel cup, while I use my computer to work on rental issues, craigslist postings and searching for auto-​parts (essentially a bunch of «saturday chores») and I was unable to do this and found out after we were drinking our coffee, waiting for our Eggels and noticed «gosh — where’s the wifi».
I won’t making be making any sort of similar trip or any like the many MANY of the past again soon. Sorry man. If you are ok with that and other similar stories, then it’s cool — our relationship has run it’s course and i’ll see you around town and for occasional to-​go orders. I only want to remove 1 star in lieu of our stellar past — but this actually deserves two stars knocked off due to the attitude behind all of this… I reserve the right to add that last one back based on whether or not I see that $ 23 back. :)
And, yes you are of course correct: your coffee and food are really good.
Cheers.

I’m surprised at the complaints about the wifi. While it’s always nice to have — if you like the coffee and food stay and drink/​eat, but wifi is the reason to give less stars; perhaps the destination should be Starbucks instead.
I liked the atmosphere here. It feels like a little cross between a coffee shop and tiny restaurant. The baristas were very friendly and the espresso was good. They gave a good rec for the dark chocolate graham cookie as well.

I moved to Ballard a year ago and loved Java Bean after trying it out a few times. Cozy vibe, good coffee, friendly staff. I was excited for it to become one of my main coffee shops here, but recently the owners changed my mind.
Their wifi has been off lately, so I called last week to see if it was on yet so that I could sit for an hour with some coffee and my ipad. A man answered (one of the owners?) and told me that they have decided to keep their wifi turned off completely for several months to deter customers from sitting and using it for hours at a time. I was a bit shocked, to be honest. Basically, they want customers to buy coffee to go, and not spend any time there, and yet they present themselves as a neighborhood coffee shop, with many «thanks for your business» signs hung up inside and out.
My first impression of Java Bean was that it is a neighborhood, friendly spot where people would be welcomed and appreciated. Maybe some of that is true, but I just felt so unwelcome when talking with them on the phone. He sounded antagonistic and disrespectful toward customers who use wifi, and it just really rubbed me the wrong way. I’m not trying to work there full time every day (maybe some people do?); I am just looking for my own neighborhood coffee shop.
I hope they work with their customers to find a better solution instead of boxing us out and only looking for profits. I hope they value customer loyalty as much as we value business loyalty and respect. Until then, I’m going to walk an extra 10 minutes to another place for my coffee.

Noted this place during a bar hop and decided to return for their Caffe Molé.
PHENOMENAL.
I was craving something chocolate all day, and I’m on a quest to go to every non-​Starbucks coffee shop in Seattle, so this seemed to be the logical thing to get. I love spicy and sweet, so adding the extra cayenne was a treat. I couldn’t stop thinking about it all day.
Not to be deterred by chocolate, I also got their toddy (cold brew) which was good. Definitely returning for that caffe molé though!

This was our second choice when Café Besalu wasn’t open on Tuesday. I just needed a little bite before I left for the airport, so this was actually just right, and the staff was as nice as could be.
I had a ham and cheese panini, which was perfectly prepared and warm and toasty. The food came out really quickly, which was good because I didn’t have that long. There was not a wide range of selection, but that was okay since I think it was prepared offsite and they just had a few options. Again, I was just happy to have some food, and a ham and cheese panini is what I would have picked if they had twenty options.
The coffee looked and smelled wonderful, and my wonderful dining companion enjoyed his.