Caffe Cocina Coffee Roasting Co. — Restaurant in Poulsbo

1/7/23 Today, Spur of the moment, we decided to have lunch at Caffe Cocina in Poulsbo, Washington. Foolish me, on our way there, I had my hubby stop at The 303 Coffee House (which used to be M&T) next to Lowes to grab me an Americano. Had I been thinking straight, I would have waited to grab coffee at Caffe Cocina! Moving on. Hubby was in the mood for a sandwich, and we had passed Caffe Cocina's many times on our way to downtown Poulsbo; glancing at a menu online, I discovered they did offer a few sandwiches -YAY-

My first complaint (darn it, there's that word "complaint") was their tight parking area, lack of parking spaces, and lots of maneuvering involved with little room to do so.

Another quibble (instead of the word complaint), Inside, although cute, was small, with four, maybe five tables and a small bar area that seated four people. Menus are not readily available when there are people in line to order, meaning menus are on the main counter; the area is so small three people in line is a crowd. Hubby and I grabbed the last two seats at the bar, and I stepped in line to grab our menus. Options for food items are decent, only a few items but enough for a good selection. Hubby hopped back in line with two people in front of him and five behind him and stood there for almost ten minutes waiting to order; once he placed our orders, we waited nearly twenty minutes to receive two sandwiches. Although three people were working, they appeared to be a little more concerned about their drive-up customers versus their in-house customers.

Incoming a third grumble. Food-wise I had a Cubano, which consisted of a toasted ciabatta roll, ham, pulled pork, butter pickle, swiss cheese, and mustard. Small in size, but the overall taste was good, but not exceptional. And it was just a sandwich with no chips, fruits, or sides. Was it worth over $12? Without some side offered, I can't say it was.

Hubby had a Chicken artichoke melt, toasted ciabatta roll, roasted chicken, artichoke spread, and provolone cheese. The taste of the sandwich was decent, it really was, but we both expected the sandwich to have at least lettuce on it. It, too, came with no sides and overall was too small and plain for the price of over $12.

Unfortunately, I cannot give an opinion about their coffee aside from them offering a very sizeable selection of beverages, ranging from 8 oz to 24 oz. From basic drip coffee to lattes, cappuccinos, and everything in the middle. Caffe Cocina also offers a variety of specialty coffees like Con Panna, an espresso with whipped cream; another is called Undertow, which is milk or cream at the bottom; vanilla and then espresso that tops it. Many other coffee drinks, tea drinks, juices, smoothies, beer, and wine are available. Caffe Cocina also offers a small breakfast menu!

This coffee house always seems busy, outside and In, which leads me to believe they have to be doing something right with their coffees, so if I can remember when I'm in Poulsbo again, I will do my due diligence to grab a coffee and re-review.

Friendliness of the server/staff. My hubby stated the staff member that took his order was polite enough but scattered and trying to do multiple things. Could understaffing be an issue? Most likely.

I do like that Caffe Cocina partners with a local farm, a small business that supports other small businesses is a win. They also roast locally with fair trade organic coffee!

My advice is if you are in the neighborhood, try them out for yourself; my opinion is mine alone!

Thank you for continuing to support small local businesses when they thrive; we thrive as a community!

And please be kind to ALL...

If you are visiting Poulsbo, Washington and are in need of a caffeine fix, be sure to check out Caffe Cocina. The original location is on Finn Hill and has a drive-through. The downtown location opened in April 2023. When I’m traveling, I like to try new coffee shops. I liked Caffe Cocina so much that I visited it three times in a row. That’s a first! 

Caffe Cocina has a beautiful patio, but I loved the combination of the dark paint and warm wood that make the interior so cozy and relaxing. I was traveling and really missing my two cats, so I was excited to see that they were playing footage from Friends of Felines Cat Rescue, located in Defiance, Ohio. I was told that several of the store employees are big cat lovers too. I love that they roast their own coffee beans. In addition to having a great coffee menu with creative seasonal drinks, they also have a wonderful café menu. Caffe Cocina partners with local farmers for their produce and food options to provide a farm to table experience. They have a kitchen that they prepare all of our goods and pastries in, and they use their own recipes. I didn’t get anything from the café this trip, but I’ll be sure to do so the next time I’m in town.

The first time I visited, I ordered a 16 ounce Pumpkin Spice Latte. Caffe Cocina makes their own pumpkin spice latte sauce from scratch. It was excellent!

The second time I visited, I ordered a 16 ounce Harvest Moon Latte, which is Honey Caramel Pecan, topped with Cinnamon and Honey. It was an excellent latte, though a bit too honey forward for my taste.

The third time I visited, I drove through the Finn Hill location. I was excited to learn they had Eggnog Lattes. However, I usually order my coffee drinks, extra hot, no foam, and the barista told me the extra hot might be an issue unless I cut the eggnog with milk. It was a little too much for me to wrap my head around at that moment, so I pivoted and ordered a Mocha instead. I believe they use Ghirardelli chocolate, which is my favorite for mochas. It was excellent!

I’ve been visiting Kitsap County at least twice a year since 1990. I’ve tried a lot of coffee shops over the years. Caffe Cocina is one of my favorites! I’ll be back. 😊

Highly...

My old coffee hangout in Poulsbo has a fly infestation that has driven me to try and find a new place. First up - Cafe Cocina on Front Street. Note that there are 2 places right next to each other with the same name on Google Maps. I'll post a picture so you know which one I'm talking about. I had to drive around to find street parking. There were time limits, but I was able to find one with a 3 hour limit - plenty of time for coffee and to get some writing done. There is a nice patio area out front that would be great on a warmer day. I went inside and ordered my usual 20 oz latte. They took my name and passed my order to the barista. Getting my latte made took long enough for me to do some exploring. The main dining area has a large table and bar style seating along the windows. There are stairs that pass by a clean bathroom and continue up to another patio area. Since I needed power outlets, I chose a spot by the window. I got my computer set up and logged into the wifi before I heard the barista call my name. I grabbed my drink and sat down before taking a sip of the bitterest coffee I have ever tasted. I have a personality flaw that makes it impossible for me to complain in such situations, so I don't know if they would fix it or not. I will try the place again some time to see if that is how they always make the coffee or if it was a one time flub. The place filled up while I worked, so between sitting on a hard stool and the noise, it was not the best work place. There is an unfinished area up stairs that I was curious about. If they finish it with a few comfortable tables and the coffee is better, this could be a...