37 - Illegal Grounds, Denver

Coffee Shop:
Illegal Grounds Coffee House
http://illegalgroundscoffeehouse.com
925 E 17th ave
Denver CO 80218

Date Visited:
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
About 12:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.

Purchased:
12 oz Almond Milk Latte: $3.35
(.50 charge for almond milk)

The space here was the best thing.  It's an awesome, quaint coffee shop with comfortable, nice seating arrangements and a relaxed atmosphere.  There were a few couch options and a number of tables.  Nice layout.  The furniture was nice, but it was still a low-key place.  The art was cool.  Although it wasn't being used, there was a piano in one room.  Nice touch.

It was comfortable and homey.  And I really liked the music.  It was chill, classic stuff, and wasn't just generic.  I had the feeling the barista was just playing whatever she wanted.  It went through a Paul Simon album I think, then was a compilation of stuff from the 30s and Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong.  It was a relaxing place.

The outdoor seating looked pretty great, even though I sat inside.  It is maybe the best I have seen (though I haven't been keeping track).  There were multiple tables, it was nice and shady with some greenery, and it was set back from the road.  The road is busy, but tolerable.  There was also a bench up on the porch.  It would be a really nice place to hang out outside.

My latte was nothing special.  It didn't really taste like anything.  It wasn't great and it had a bit of the bad almond milk taste that I don't like it in, but the taste wasn't overwhelming, so it wasn't gross.  There wasn't any distinct good taste from the espresso or the milk.  It wasn't very creamy, but it wasn't overly watery.  It was just pretty bland and not great.  I did leave a bit that I didn't finish, which is pretty rare for me (unless I am saving it for later).

So this is not a "coffee" place, but it is a really nice place to hang out for the space.

I asked if they cold-brew their iced coffee, and they don't.  This helped with the decision to get a latte.  But then the latte wasn't very good either... I was kind of disappointed because their web site mentions that they want to push the limits of good coffee.  But...oh, well.  It's a nice place.

There is not lot, just free 2hr street parking in the vicinity.  I was there for less than two hours, but it would have been easy to move my car if necessary.

No wi-fi issues.