Captain + Stoker — Restaurant in Monterey

First visit there the lattes tasted like jet fuel and could not drink it; tried it again and realized they put double shots of espresso in their size small (the only size they offer); definitely make sure to order with one shot unless you want an extremely strong latte . The decaf was not as good as their full caf. The quality of the milk could improve their lattes a lot if they used organic milk. Quality varies depending on barista, the goddess who makes their lattes with super creamy whipped foam deserves 10 stars. Tried the mocha latte on a follow up visit, made with way too much sugar and the milk was barely warm, the crème patisserie inside the crème patisserie brioche was wonderful and I assume came from the Pavel bakery across the street. Provided a 20% tip, the tip which you have to pay up front which the cashier stared at to see how much you paid (usually equates to motivation to provide whatever level of service they think you deserve); $25 for 2 small cups of espresso and 2 pastries; I’m sorry but that is exorbitant for the quality and service here; this place has enormous potential but the quality is so inconsistent. Could not drink the mocha latte at all - it tasted like someone dumped an enormous amount of sugar without measuring; the barista made a little joke about not understanding what that drink was so she seemed to be hinting to me that she was going to pass this off as not knowing how to make it rather than intentional sabotage. We tried going back many times to see if we could get a great cup of coffee because on some visits it was truly outstanding espresso but it’s been a 50/50 toss up; the owner needs to get more directly involved to manage their employees to make sure their drinks are made consistently well otherwise they will depend exclusively on non repeat customers and you can’t survive this way with so many other great alternatives in the area, especially after the tourist season is over. I get the sense that all the branding on their website is a front for hands off owners just using this as a vehicle for investment/returns to grow their own income; they don’t seem invested, passionate or involved other than to create a “fun place” for employees who want afternoons free to go “shredding” ~their roots are from Santa Cruz, if you’ve ever been there, it is very much run by entrepreneurs that reflect the...

In general, it was like this. Monterey. Morning. Hotel.

The capsule coffee machine in the room did not impress me at all. Therefore, and not only, I applied on the modern know-it-all, namely - on Google Maps. I chose the coffee shop by rating and design, but the choice fell more on the rating.

She was not far away, as, indeed, everything in Monterey.

Now imagine a place. Wasteland. On the one hand there are sports fields, on the other - nondescript buildings. Nothing fancy. And here you have a coffee shop and a crowd of people in the form of a queue near it. The line turns around the building and continues there.

Looking ahead, I will say that the latte was prepared great.

It can be seen that this place is almost cult, although the building itself looks like a former garage with three gates.

Okay, let's not diminish the impression. If we accept that there are atmospheric places, then this coffee house is atmospheric, in its own way)

People came and drove up constantly, updating, but not decreasing the queue. The girls bought hoodies with the logo of the coffee shop.

The inside is clean. The staff are friendly. Smells good coffee. There are bicycles on the ceiling)

You can buy coffee beans that are exclusively roasted in the coffee shop. There are baked goods. But the main feature of the establishment, of course, is coffee. The drink turned out to be rich, tasty and with a thick foam.

There is access to the ocean with a pier and yachts very close. But I hurried to the road along the wild coast, where there are always the most picturesque views.

The fragrant and aromatic drink added vigor to me and I was again ready to perceive the surrounding beauty, which, as you know,...

UPDATE!!! 10 out of 10

After a less-than-ideal initial experience, Tyler from Captain & Stroke reached out and addressed my concerns with genuine care. Not only did he rectify the issue by sending a new bag of coffee, but he also included an extra bag and a thoughtful note (not to mention a cool octopus sticker). This level of customer service is rare and truly appreciated. I’m now not only a subscriber to their coffees but also a dedicated visitor whenever I'm in Monterey. A big thank you for turning my experience around!

I visited Captain & Stroke Coffee yesterday with my wife. I love buying local roasters' coffee wherever I travel, and if I like it, I subscribe to their coffee. We had a pretty good pour-over, a Guatemala and an Ethiopia coffee, both single-origin light roasts. The tastes were good, except I wasn’t sure the Ethiopia was exactly light roasted, due to the texture and balance. I specifically asked at the register for a bag of Brazilian coffee named Cold Soul, inquiring if it was light roast and was told it absolutely was. Today, I opened the bag and was upset by what I found inside. It’s medium-roasted, which is still okay, but there are burnt beans. Even though I tried to remove burnt beans and make pour over. I still can taste burnt taste. What a disappointment! You can check the photos I uploaded, compared to SEY's light roast. Overall, my advice would be it's an amazing coffee shop around Monterey Bay, but I don’t recommend buying their bags of coffee with these...