Full of friendly and cool people.
Thump Coffee
https://thumpcoffee.com
1201 E 13th ave
Denver, CO 80218
Date Visited:
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
About 12:30 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
Purchased:
Bottomless Drip Coffee: $2.78
Toast with Almond Butter and Blackberry Jam: $6.00
#10! I get a gold star! :)
I was very excited to go to this place because its original location is in Bend, OR, and I am also from Oregon! I was sort of hoping I would be transported to Oregon. The thing is, IT SORT OF WORKED. I got a very home-like vibe from this place. I really liked how it was the sort of place in which you could do something like ask another person what they were drinking, have a very interesting, friendly two minute chat about it, then both go about your business. That is the sort of vibe that I miss from Oregon, and whether or not it was a coincidence, I did indeed find it at Thump. Like, the barista asked me something about my sweatshirt...because she was interested. I had to ask the person next to my table something, and we ended up exchanging some thoughts on things.
It wasn't weirdly unlike any other coffee shop, I just noticed that this shop did seem to attract a friendly crowd. (And to clarify for anyone who doesn't fully understand - this does not mean anyone is trying to bother you while you work, etc. Friendly also means respectful. But I love being able to talk to someone for a second and then go back to business, and it's natural and not awkward. I do not experience this everywhere.)
Anyway, part of these conversations happened because the wi-fi was down! So people were checking with each other what the name was supposed to be...if it was working...etc. But see...people were still friendly despite this very annoying problem. This is a pretty big issue, so I am putting this toward the top. I think a lot of people expect and need internet when they go to a coffee shop, and when a shop says they have wi-fi and DON'T it can be pretty detrimental. I survived. A decent number of people were still there. But it was an inconvenience. I was there for a long time and it ended up getting fixed before I left, though it was still a bit spotty. My impression was that they tried to reset it and things, and called about it after I had been there a couple of hours. No idea whether it was a total fluke, but it was nonexistent for most of the time I was there, so that's all I can say.
I decided to order a regular drip coffee, partly because it was refillable and I could switch between the two drip coffee options they had, so I tried both. The first was a Colombian, the second was a blend. I started with the Colombian because the barista said it was now one of her favorite coffees. I tried both black first before deciding if I wanted cream and sugar. The Colombian I just ended up drinking all of it black and pretty quickly (for me)! I liked it quite a bit. It had a cold-brew type flavor to it, so perhaps they are pretty acidic beans. The sour/acidic end of the spectrum was pretty strong, especially for a hot coffee. Although I wasn't sure about it at first, I definitely decided before long that it was strong in a pleasing way.
Drip Coffee #1
I liked the first cup a lot, but still wanted to try both, so when I got a refill I went with the blend. I didn't like it as much. Nothing was particularly wrong with it, but I didn't think it was very distinct and it seemed more like standard black coffee. I went ahead and also tried it with cream and sugar. They let me put coconut milk in it for creamer. I liked it a bit better, but still liked the first cup a lot more. I'm not sure how I feel about coconut milk as creamer, although I have liked coconut milk lattes.
Drip Coffee #2 with cream and sugar
Since I was there a while, I also got hungry. They have a bit of food there...although it seems unreasonably expensive to me. It all seemed pretty good...but even if it's worth the price I would rather have something cheaper to snack on at a coffee shop (though I appreciate quality ingredients and would choose that any time). But my toast with almond butter and jam was $6. The bread was really thick and the jam was really good, but still. However, let me state...it was really good. They said they make both the almond butter and jam in-house, so I was intrigued enough to try and it was a pleasant eating experience. But I still wouldn't pay $6 for it as a rule. I thought $3 for drip coffee was a little much (with tax), but I did like that I got to try two kinds. The $6 (without tax) was a little less forgivable.
Toast - it was quite pretty, too.
Like I said, I liked the atmosphere. I snagged one of the few small tables to sit at, but most of the seating is at long tables or a counter, which can make things a little less comfortable. But I guess it is also more "community"-feeling. There was also a couch and some soft chairs and one other small table that were designated as "social" areas with no laptops/electronics. I like that aspect - always room for people to chat and relax. Although I think it would be even cooler if they had some cards and a few boardgames there to facilitate spontaneous games.
They have a small parking lot, but I did not know so I parked a little over a block away on the street. Fortunately, there is unlimited street parking that seemed reasonably easily accessible within a two block radius. That helps with the convenience. I don't know how fast the parking lot fills up or if it is adequate. Perhaps it is better that I was not parked there anyway, because I walked to Voodoo Doughnut afterward! Which was super fun, especially because they also started in Oregon. It was a good day.
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