Old Crown Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Fort Wayne

Reading the other reviews on Googles, I just found out that this place doubles as a bar at night! Interesting!

Dunno about their beer and wine, but here goes about their coffee!

Two years ago, my sister and I were on a cross country trip throughout the Midwest. Our travels took us through many states and wherever we stopped, I’d google, “coffee shops near me” as I have a strong aversion to chain coffee shops.

We’ve never wanted to live in Indiana before that first sip of our Old Crown espresso drinks! What amazing taste! The miles between our homes and this coffee shop almost seemed worth the prize at the end of the road to come back!

Throughout the intervening two years, the name and location of this coffee shop were lost in the fog of memory. Having been to several coffee shops during the 10-day jaunt, we couldn’t remember details but we’d reminisce every once in a while about the amazing coffee shop somewhere out east.

We could picture the surrounding, confusing parking lots where none connected to the other, the wrought-iron around the front of the place and the small barrels of coffee beans immediately inside…could see the cool, artsy interior in our mind’s eye.

Fast forward two years and I’m once again on a cross country trip – with my children this time. We’ve been staying in Central Indiana for the last week and are heading to Michigan. Briefly the mental fog cleared and it seemed to me that the fabled coffee shop might reside in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Leaving Anderson, I put “coffee shop Ft Wayne IN” in my GPS and got about 9 hits. The minute I saw the name Old Crown, I knew I’d found it. I hoped I’d found it! I remember making an association with “old crown” and “old dominion,” the nickname of Virginia!

Now, why in the world I could remember those word associations vs. the name and location itself? Who knows. I’m old. My brain short circuits frequently!

And so I found myself once again getting lost in the parking lots, turning into the wrong one (the same wrong one as two years ago), snaking my way back out and into the right lot (two years ago, we pulled into a second wrong parking lot). I spied the wrought iron enclosure and knew that I’d come home.

As I walked into the interior and saw the small barrels still on display, I took a picture and texted it to my sister with a message that was a thinly veiled, “Nah, nah, nee boo boo!”

Time and memory have not overstated the amazing espresso drinks they serve. If my experience with Old Crown were a fishing story, my fish wouldn’t have grown by leaps and bounds…in reality, I caught a whale!

All I can tell you is…you’ll never forget it. And it’s worth the 15 minutes off the highway...

Our rating has taken consideration to the fact the man who showed us coffee and fixed our coffee was very pleasant and helpful and kind I can rate him much higher than this rating however the rating drastically goes down when I was going to a coffee roaster and although yes they do roast coffee in House this truly to us smelled and felt more like a pub like environment but that’s not what truly takes this rating way down and really a one star ⭐️ would be generous as with me returning the creamer back to the counter was more generous than I should have been but I am more considerate than my husband was treated. We were newbees and had we been locals we wouldn’t have returned. So we place our coffee order this is around 3:00 PM Sunday August 19, 2018 with the mid aged man with a beard 🧔🏻 then walked over and seen a woman standing there looking at us like she was wanting us to pay so we told her what we had and she told us we had to pay up there which is just a couple steps from where we were. So a person ahead of us and I said I’ll go to the restroom. Restroom was clean and when I come out my husband is still waiting to pay. The woman working or lack there of waits on the people behind my husband who has been standing under the pay here sign in front of the iPad register for a long time at this point. She takes care of those people and walks away at this point I am mad. Had we hadn’t already one cup of coffee in hand we would of walked out. I say to her does the person making the coffee the one who has to ring us up? She said no I’m going to see what you have. We already told her an 8 and a 12 Oz pourover earlier when we tried to pay she blaintently ignored helping us and for what reason we don’t know. We asked for creamer to make our coffee and we should have left the creamer sit by the sugar and let them walk to get it but I can’t be rude I was raised better and raised better than she treated us. When my husband said for all I care I would throw this coffee in the garbage and go next door to the shop I knew he was upset because he doesn’t waste coffee. First impressions are important and I was ready to rate this place before I got in...

Old Crown is one of Fort Wayne's almost hidden gems!

Seriously. I can't stop singing the praises of this place, starting with its quirky, creative one-off vibe.

The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming, and it's CLEAN. Did I mention they have a pinball arcade in the backroom? Yep.

They roast their own coffees, and I've become a forever fan of their 9th° of Darkness blend. Hint: It's their standard Friday brew, if you want to check it out.

The daily menu includes wraps, sandwiches and homemade soups, with occasional baked goods. Some of the ingredients are fresh from the garden out back.

But on weekends (read: TH,F,S) the chef puts out some truly unique dishes, with special apps, desserts and craft cocktails. When is the last time you had Burnt Garlic Basil Chicken or Rosemary & Garlic Braised Lamb Shank?

Speaking of cocktails, this place puts it's own spin on old standards and invents fresh offerings that use top quality ingredients like house-made ginger syrup and freshly squeezed lemon juice. My recommendations: Penicillin or the Wildest Redhead, but I'm partial to Scotch ...

And, it has a robust menu of craft brews, and even wine on tap.

Seriously, this is one of the best places I've visited - not just in Fort Wayne, but anywhere. I don't give many 5-star reviews, but Old Crown has earned it...