Josh Hebert - From My Brain to Yours: Caffe Ladro

Caffe Ladro is a local company and a good one. And no, I did not misspell their name. Caffe Ladro has multiple locations around Seattle. Their mission: "to provide coffee and stuff that goes with coffee to the Seattle public."

I go to so many coffee houses that fail this very simple mission. They loose sight of the goal and get caught up in trying to add a

couple bucks to the bottom line. What we end up with is hybrid convienence store coffee shops selling nick nacks, bad pre-packaged food and anything else you can hang from a hook or keep on a shelf for a few months.

Caffe Ladro does good at keeping their eyes on the goal. First, the coffee. It is a rich coffee drinkers coffee which is great in your standard latte or mocha but also smooth enough for a good americano. Second, the stuff to go with it (pastries mainly) is great. You wont be tearing a pre-packaged scone out of a plastic bag, just good, fresh pastries to compliment you coffee.

The atmosphere is comfortable and relaxing. I would have chosen a different color for the walls, but it works. They have filled the room with a good mixture of tables/chairs and comfy sitting areas. The walls are also lined with power so you can stay connected long enough to get some stuff done.

I had a meeting there on Tuesday and we both noticed that Caffe Ladro is not noisy, but you can have a conversation without feeling like you are talking to everyone in the place.

Over all one of the better places on the east side. For those of you in the Issaquah area, they have recently opened a new location on the plateau. Good luck fighting the locals for a seat.

The wi-fi was very reliable with a strong excellent signal. They offer 65 minutes free with a purchase,
although, Matt asked nicely and got a second hour for free as well. This is the only big downside I have with Ladro, JUST OPEN IT UP FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! The days of stingy and costly wi-fi are over! OK, I feel a little better.

Here are the cups for you visual types:

Coffee -