Strange Grounds Coffee Review-1417 Broadway

Back in June a little shop on Broadway fought through the usual red tape and was finally able to get its doors open. Today’s stop takes us to 1417 S. Broadway Street where an older brick building stands erect with a large window adorning a huge banner reading, COFFEE. Normally this is a “run in the opposite direction” kind of marketing effort, but today I challenged my own reasoning. The aroma that greeted my nose initially was one of a home cooked meal type of setting, which can be welcoming. The place is actually pretty big inside with unusual art hanging on the walls and a vintage hippy vibe to it. Apparently one side of the entire shop has been reserved for bluegrass, drum circles and who knows what other kinds of shows are in the pipeline. I was welcomed in by the friendly owner Frieda and things were off to a good start. Standing behind a large counter she recommends the Chorizo breakfast burrito and explains they use local Luna Roasters who is right down the road as their purveyor. The espresso in the grinder is the Ottimo blend while Ethiopian Sidamo is being offered via pour over. No decaf coffee being served here, this is cool with me.
To be honest I was kind of expecting some mediocre coffee improperly served here and hoping to make it up with something really good to eat. To my surprise the burrito was damn good (highly recommend) and made from scratch (probably why it took so long) while the coffee was not bad at all. More on that in a bit. Also offered were all kinds of interesting desserts like fruit sushi and cheesecakes all made in house from scratch.
This place has a funky ambiance I can’t really wrap my head around just yet. The owner seems to be passionate though about what she is serving up so I hope that goes a long way. If you’re looking for a great burrito and have a few minutes to hang out I would definitely pop in. It’s good to mix it up and see what others are doing and I commend you Frieda for staying local. If drum circles and blue grass is your gig check their website for upcoming shows and get togethers. They also have books you can help yourself to for some in shop reading while lounging on a big worn couch.

Drinks I sampled today;
Espresso: Used Northern Italian medium roasted Ottimo Blend from Luna Roasters
Thoughts: Good shot with a nice looking crema. Definitely some layers here to get through with a long sweet finish.
Latte: Used Northern Italian medium roasted Ottimo Blend from Luna Roasters
Thoughts: Way too much milk. Unfortunately I could not even taste the espresso with this one. Had to step outside the box and add sugar which made it palatable.
Pour Over: Used Organic Fair Trade Ethiopian Sidamo
Thoughts: Africans always seem to do well in a pour over situation and this was no exception. Nice floral aroma to it with slight hints of nuttiness. Another bright medium roasted coffee offering some complex characteristics to decipher. Had a rich body with a smoothed out finish to it, really enjoyed this one.

As you know (or hopefully soon realize) we don’t like to go around town bashing anyone as this is not productive for the cause. We like to give honest reviews so people can make their own choices. With that said we offer up just a few suggestions for this stop. I would revisit the Latte and Chino making decisions with a focus on bringing out the best of the espresso being used. You offer pour over’s with a really good single origin coffee so I would show case that and offer descriptions to the customers. Edumacating the patrons can go a long way. As a coffee shop you have great food hands down, so your coffee preparation should remain equally important. Overall I will definitely go back and continue to support Frieda and her grass roots efforts to invade Broadway with a better coffee experience. I can see this place evolving for awhile so add it to your list next time you’re in the area.

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