Crema Coffee House & Pastries — Restaurant in Wasilla

What an absolute gem! I recently discovered Crema Coffee House & Pastries on South Rogers Circle in Wasilla, AK, and it's quickly become my new favorite spot. (Note to fellow coffee lovers: there are two Crema locations, but this review is for the one on South Rogers Circle!)

From the moment you arrive, you're charmed. They offer the convenience of a drive-thru, but I highly recommend stepping inside to experience their beautifully decorated indoor seating area or enjoying the fresh air on their lovely outdoor patio. The ambiance is simply perfect for relaxing or getting some work done.

And the coffee! Oh, the coffee is delicious. Every sip was a delight. The pastries are truly to die for – fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with passion. I spent a leisurely Saturday morning there, sipping on wonderful coffee, enjoying a delicious quiche, and indulging in their amazing pastries.

While there, I even learned something new: the word "Crema" refers to the beautiful layer of tan foam that forms on top of a freshly made espresso. As a coffee lover over sixty, I was genuinely surprised I hadn't known that! It just adds to the authentic coffee experience they offer.

To top it all off, they have wonderful, free, and reliable WiFi access, which made it an ideal spot for me to get some work done on my laptop. It was truly a great place to spend the morning.

Crema Coffee House & Pastries delivers on all fronts: fantastic coffee, incredible pastries, a welcoming atmosphere, and excellent amenities. Five stars...

There’s an irony to me sitting down with a ceramic mug of one of their hot lattes, looking up at their sign above the fireplace explaining to the customer what “Crema” means.

GREAT pastries! Unfortunately that’s the only reason I go: for a shop named Crema, I’ve actually never received a latte from them with anything resembling their namesake. The first couple times I went, I thought maybe they just had someone in training and didn’t want to hurt a trainee’s feelings by sending my drink back. But no, every time I’ve come and ordered in the last two years my mug is full of poorly-steamed milk. I also specifically ask for no whipped cream and the last time I came in, I could absolutely tell by taste that they put some on top and then realized their mistake and scraped it off, instead of making a new drink.

Mistakes happen. I used to be a barista and I know not everything can be perfect, and I’m sure I’ve also had bad luck and many of Crema’s baristas make amazing lattes. But I’ve never experienced it: there really needs to be tighter shift lead/manager quality control on drinks before the go out. My plain latte shouldn’t have mountains of big white bubbles on top.

An okay place to hang out (if it’s not too loud) and get a delicious pastry. But really, if you don’t enjoy sweetened drinks, I’d recommend caffeinating before your scheduled...

I came in here on a Tuesday morning looking for good espresso. The place was jam-packed with mainly women, and everyone seemed super busy, but there was no line. I asked for a cortado, which the girl at the counter had never heard of (I understand this for Alaska) but another girl came over to the counter and said they could make it. I sat in just about the only chair available, and after a little while the girl came over and said “We’ve been looking for you, here.” in a ruder way than I would have expected. I thought maybe the coffee would be good, but the espresso was extra bitter. When tasting espresso, I’m looking for a balance between bitter and acidic that’s not too far on either side. This espresso was awfully bitter and unfortunately I couldn’t drink it. I left this place to find another coffee shop in the area.

I’m glad to see that this small business is keeping busy, but I do wish the service was a little better and that the machine and grinders were dialed in more precisely. Today could have been a bad day, and perhaps I came in at a bad time, so I would be willing to come back and try again another day and maybe update...