Slate Coffee Bar – Ballard

This is a fancy coffee place! It’s a tiny little shop but was pretty crowded and most of the seats were occupied by people enjoying the full service experience. The coffees are meant to be enjoyed in house. I got an 8 oz. espresso with milk and it was delicious. Also sampled the drip coffee and it was good. Wish I had more time to enjoy some of the options that aren’t offered to-​go, like the deconstructed latte that comes out in wine glasses. So cool!

Lovely coffee bar to stop for a cup of coffee or to chill with your friends on the weekend.

Coffee snobs and connoisseurs will love this spot, only bc my friend is one and loves this spot. Fresh coffee beans and great selection.

This shop is very modern and quiet, we came here on a relatively slow morning it seems since i assume by about 12:30 in the afternoon on a sunday everyone is running errands around town. The barista was super helpful with everything and answered all and any questions we might have had. My friend and I both got the deconstructed coffee, which was unique and amazing. It’s such a minimalist concept but i’ve never seen it done so it was kind of a cool concept to take each piece apart and taste it as it is fused together. Each part of the coffee is to be tasted individually and then all together in the final concoction. Cute place to study or read a book!

I don’t live in Seattle but I knew I had to come here when I saw that they served coffee in wine glasses. My friend and I came here for our caffeine fix after an amazing bite at Morsel & Bean. The menu is pretty sparse so I ordered a mocha and my friend ordered the deconstructed latte. The woman who took our order was incredibly kind.
My mocha was good because of the espresso but the milk was extremely thick. I usually have non-​fat milk in my lattes so the heavy, creamy milk was a little unexpected. I also tried my friend’s deconstructed espresso which was served very elegantly. The espresso was very good and very strong.
Although I didn’t entirely enjoy my drink, I would probably return to try something a little different. I liked the modern, minimalist atmosphere of this coffee bar. The barista that was there was painstakingly careful about crafting the drinks which I thought was a nice contrast to the usual hustle and bustle of coffee shops.

Heightened coffee experience in the best ways. Amen. Being from Portland I get to experience all of the best coffee shops the PNW offers. That said, I ended up coming here both days I was in town. The 4oz latte is the perfect start to the day. Service is genuine and lovely. We need this in Portland! :)

Incredibly sweet and laid back service. I love a genuinely friendly barista — someone who understands that part of coffee is about having an experience rather than trying to showcase overwhelming knowledge that no one really cares about.
The Colombian espresso was perfect. And the Ethiopian pour over I had was also good til the last drop. It was really refreshing to walk into slate and not have to experience the stuffy air of super snobby baristas that you can often encounter in Seattle. I work in the coffee industry and I honestly cannot stand smugness, so I had an extremely pleasant time talking to the baristas there.

I walked into Slate Coffee because I had to meet someone there close by. I didn’t even read the reviews when I ordered because I was in a hurry. I got a latte with an extra shot which is my usual. Wow. It was really good! You can taste the quality. Definitely blows Starbucks out of the water. Then I read the reviews. Darn it! I should’ve gotten the deconstructed latte! Next time! Barista was really nice, I don’t know if she was the owner, but she knew a lot about coffee and its processes. One of the best coffee joints in Seattle! My new fav!

This shop is cool! Stopped in for some coffee to go. Was greeted by the friendly staff. The place is pretty nondescript. We almost passed it by because the signage isn’t too obvious (looking back at photos of the place, it’s in the bottom right corner of one of the windows).
The barista offered us a menu as there isn’t one posted anywhere obvious. I ordered a mezzo americano, and my boyfriend ordered a latte. The drinks were great! Service very friendly. Order, they make the drink, then you pay. I don’t know how their format is when there is more than one person ordering or a line, but I could see how it could be confusing to the average person. Almost everyone in the café had the trio of the «deconstructed espresso drink» or something of the sort. Seemed interesting and maybe I’ll try it one day!
The inside is pretty simple– some bags of beans on the side, simple shelving in the back with glassware and boxes. I guess they’re going for a really simple vibe and look based on everything I wrote out in this review. There’s seating at the window and some bar seating too. Pretty small place.
Overall, coffee was great and service was great! I’d stop by if I was in the area. Street parking was easy to find.

Had the guji from Ethiopia, drip
Best coffee I’ve had in a while.
Barista was super friendly, we were planning on taking the coffee out but we ended up staying. Gave us glasses of water when we didn’t even ask for it, saying that we should always stay hydrated.
Would totally come back here if I’m back in Seattle.

I got the deconstructed coffee! Interesting presentation, you get three glasses, one with espresso, another with milk and the third with both. The first glass with only espresso had an acidic-​sour taste but it balanced well with their fancy creamy milk.
Located away from the tourisy area in Seattle. Parking wasn’t hard to find.

The size is small but the coffee flavor and greatness of this place is LARGE!!!
There are experiences in your life with food, drinks, coffee, people that you just remember forever. And my time here at Slate was one of those times. I found out at the end they are a semi «sister company» or friends with the owners of my favorite spot from college in San Antonio «Local Coffee».
I did the three part coffee, The Espresso by itself, The Steamed Milk by itself, and then the combined. The reason behind this was to get the full flavor, to understand what you were drinking. It was the neatest experience with coffee I’ve ever had. Everything was so bold, and flavorful and I just really enjoy every part of it.
The service is great, the people are super welcoming, the vibe is chill, and the coffee is wonderful. Don’t go to Seattle without coming here.

Who knew coffee could be sooooo good?!
Thank you for the most fun, fancy and delicious coffee o had in while. cookies were excellent too :)

One of the fanciest coffee places I’ve ever been to! You get a three course coffee set! The café is very simple and minimalistic. There are very few tables and there’s a great laidback atmosphere.
Be prepared, you have to take about half an hour per course of coffee. And, really, for a small coffee stomach like mine, I was glad my man was around to share coffee with me!
We started with Ethiopian beans served cold in two ways:
1) Chemex and shaken — more acidic, and not a cold brew
2) Nitro cold brew — delicious! love it!
The second course was: Deconstructed coffee
There were three tiny cups of Espresso from Columbia, Milk, both Combined.
Because I wasn’t a milk fan, this course was not really my style.
By the third course, we ran out of time on our schedule, so we had to leave without trying it.
I really enjoyed the experience and it is a wonderful place to spend a relaxing afternoon!

This very small coffee bar is absolutely adorable. It is a step above your standard neighborhood shop, for sure. There are about ~10 seats inside the place, with a few chairs/​benches outside as well.
Service is fantastic, with very knowledgeable baristas (?) who are clearly very passionate about what they do. I recommend getting their deconstructed espresso, which is a little frou-​frou, a little awesome.
This place fills up quickly, though, so go early or get your drink to go!

I do not consider myself a serious coffee person. With that said, I think someone that is would enjoy this place more. It’s a pretty small spot. Maybe just a couple tables and bar seating inside.
The menu is very simple. No fancy syrups (just a simple syrup if preferred). My boyfriend got the nitro coldbrew…(something like that) when he asked for an iced coffee option. He really liked it. I… just don’t enjoy straight up coffee :) I got the deconstructed latte, mostly because it looks all fancy in three cups. It was good to be able to taste the espresso and milk separately, but I definitely ended up mixing it after the tasting. The milk is SO good though. Best milk ever. It’s like organic/​grassfed cows or something of that sort. Overall, there were about 2 shots in the three cups, which if you put it all together its an 8 oz latte. I can’t handle my espresso very well, so this was very strong for me. I would say though that there isn’t a nasty coffee after taste that lingers in your mouth — which I say is a good thing.
Good to try once for me, but not really a normal place I can see myself frequenting.

Who: bf & I
When: weekday afternoon
Where: Ballard
What: deconstructed later & cold brew on nitro
Why: This place is SO unique. Definitely recommended if you’re on vacation and want to try something special in Seattle or if you’re with someone who just loves coffee. I complained mid-​way through our trek from downtown Ballard to this quaint coffee shop, but once we sat down, I totally got why my bf was so excited. Hands down, the best cold brew on nitro ever. Is that cream on top?! Nope. Also the deconstructed latte was so pleasing (both visually and in taste), dare I’d say that a steamer there would be awesome. Very special, indeed.

This place is real easy to miss and blends in with the neighboring houses well, so no wonder it took me years before finally finding it! Passed it twice (!!) even though I had GPS on and was actively looking for a «Slate» sign. This may speak about how keen my observation skills are though.
It has a small, modern, minimalist interior, and I loved sitting on the counter facing the windows. It’s an ideal place to meet for a cup of coffee.
What’s special about Slate is the deconstructed espresso with milk. It’s served in 3 separate wine glasses:
1) Espresso
2) 1950s style minimally processed milk
3) Combination of Espresso + Milk
The point of deconstruction is not just for a pleasing presentation, or a cool Instagram photo, or a unique spin on coffee, or an unusual staff love for doing dishes. Rather, it’s so you try the different components that comprise a latte separately, then together, so you understand and appreciate all the subtle nuances that present in your cup (s).
You taste the tomato undertones in the espresso, followed by a contrast of savory, buttery cream from the milk. And the combo glass #3 is a perfected balance of acidity and sweetness; no bitterness here! I also love that the milk they serve is from grass fed Pure Éire cows.
Slate proves that Seattle is rightly the coffee capital of the US, and I’d go back again and again.

Super hole in the way. If it wasn’t for the sign, I’d think it was another house in the neighborhood.
The interior is picturesque, service is super friendly. Literately a bar for all your coffee needs. It’s Kinda neat. Seems like a place where they take their coffee seriously, so definitely don’t be sign with the questions. They know what’s up.
Got the regular caffe latte, single shot of espresso, beautifully pulled, and ended up being one of the better cups of lattes I’ve had during my visit.
I am a fan.

There’s no doubt that Slate Coffee Bar is a legit place, serving nothing but the best of the best quality of espresso, milk and etc. In fact, it’s a different experience when you come here. You’re immediately greeted by a friendly barista, and given a glass of water to drink while you decide on the menu.
I’m not a connoisseur of coffee, but I have worked as a barista here and there and have tasted good coffee. But I do believe this place was over-​hyped for my taste. I had the handpour and the deconstructed latte, and both did not meet my expectations.
Taste is subjective, thus I guess it makes sense when I say that I am personally not a fan of acidic coffee, or espresso that tastes sour. The handpour was strong in acidity and the espresso from the deconstructed latte wasn’t all that either. The milk however, was phenomenal. The barista cared to explain the quality of the milk, the support of local farmers, which I appreciated. It was awesome.
It’s not all that cheap. I believe it was $ 4 – 5 for a brewed coffee and $ 7 for the deconstructed latte. A unique experience, can’t say I hated it or would never come, but still overhyped in my opinion.