Mickey’s Café

Best coffee around. And the place is awesome. Bright. Well designed. Doggy parking, wifi and a great vibe. I’ll be coming back!!!

Location: In the sleepy town of Morin Heights. Population: About 4K. Street parking available + private lot.
The place: This café opened just a few weeks ago and replaced the local laundromat, which was, I’m sure, about 1000 years old. The building itself has been completely renovated and is a mixture of modern meets cottage. Love the décor, with its hardwood floors and huge windows that make up three of the four walls. Rustic wood tables and chairs complete the look. The space is airy and spacious enough so that you’re not stuck to your neighbors, and I can totally see myself cozying up with a good book here, in the middle of winter. But… my favorite thing has to be the terrace out back.
The goods: They offer up a pretty long list of coffee, some tea and a few baked goods. I’m going to try not to be too hard on these guys since they just opened… but when I have to tell a barrista how to make a basic Macchiato, I think we have a problem. When I placed my order, I did find it odd that the clerk asked me what size I wanted but didn’t really think anything of it. But when he served me up a standard mug of coffee (as opposed to an espresso cup) topped with caramel, I was like, what is this? Apparently Mickey’s version of a macchiato falls into the Starbucks variety. Meh, not cool. The clerk was very nice and made me a proper macchiato but I did have to tell him how to do it. Anyway, the end result was pretty good. My mum had a Mocha that she thought was OK but overpriced. We both had mini chocolatines that weren’t overwhelming. A bit dry with very little chocolate.
Service: There were a few people behind the counter but we had to wait for the main guy to go see if everyone had what they needed before our order was taken. I think they have a bit of organizational restructuring to do… That said, everyone was friendly.
Price point: Given their geographic location, their prices are high and I can’t see locals in this area wanting to pay $ 5 for a Mocha. As such, I think that once these guys find their beat, some adjustments will be made to their prices. I think these guys have a lot of potential, especially since they’re the only café in the area, and wish them much success in their endeavors.