Equal Exchange Espresso

Great coffee, but all the baristas besides Domie (sp?) always seem stoned beyond belief. Every interaction from buying a simple drip coffee to letting them know you’ve used the last of the half and half is met with either utter confusion and blank staring or an inappropriately slow and long story from the barista. You can cut the awkwardness with a knife in this tiny fair trade café and it’s extension to Ballard Market. It’s much too small for the business it does, but that’s not the problem, the unprofessional baristas and irritating grocery store regulars who spend all day in the café make this place not even worth visiting for the good coffee. First world problem definitely, but honestly, they need to get their shit together.

I ordered the chai tea latte here and it was far too spicy in taste. Quite frankly, it was terrible.
They have a great pumpkin spice latte, so that evens the score.

Attached to The Ballard Market, I found parking here very easy this morning. Equal Exchange Espresso is one of the few coffee shops (besides Starbucks) open at 6:30am in this area. They have a small but good selection of baked goods (this morning I saw goodies from Macrina bakery and Mighty-​O doughtnuts). There was not a huge line like there usually is at Starbucks. Their chai was great, sweet and spicy. It’s a very small coffee shop, not very good for hanging out in but excellent for grab-​and-​go. I would absolutely come back… just wish they’d get a larger selection of (preferably French) pastries.

Outstanding coffee, super-​friendly and fun baristas, and always an enjoyable experience. I’ve been a regular for years, and it’s my #1 spot for a great soy latte. Absolutely love this place.

Edit: It pains me to take stars away, but I have now had four bad coffees (and not so great experiences) in a row. I live right down the road now, which I was super excited about, but every time I go in, I wish I would’ve went somewhere else. The lattes have been pretty subpar… most times it tastes like the espresso is bad. The staff are less than friendly now. I had a bunch of points and when I asked about how to use them I got an eye roll, heavy sigh, and a «Well, depending on what you want I’ll see if I can apply them to it.» Well, I usually tip better on drinks I get for free, but I didn’t bother this time since it was such an inconvenience. The new staff seems to care more about chatting and gossiping with each other when there’s a bunch of people waiting for their drinks than actually making drinks now. So sad, because this place used to the best at espresso drinks.
Hands down, the BEST place to get a latte in Seattle. Or really, almost anywhere. While I don’t get to go as often as I’d like (one of the drawbacks of living in West Seattle), I have made it a point to drive to Ballard to 1. Shop at Ballard Market (for obvious reasons), and 2. Get the best latte around. The prices are consistent with everyone else, but the taste is so much better. The baristas have always been super friendly and always make a point to engage with you, which is pretty rare around here.
There are other coffee spots in the city that I also really enjoy, but this place takes the cake.

Roberto is the friendliest DSD ever! Great representative of the company. I’ve been a fan of this place for years. Everyone should support it… and Roberto!

Seattle’s Coffee Unilocal Recognition Award:
Best Quick Coffee Fix Café
I’m so happy to have Equal Exchange Espresso (or as I call it, E-​cubed) within walking distance from my apartment. It’s hidden in the front entrance of Ballard’s Town & Country Market. The café is really just a coffee bar or stand with a couple chairs inside and chairs outside when the weather is pleasant. What makes it amazing is their delicious fair-​trade/​carefully sourced/​organic coffee and friendly baristas. They make a killer cappuccino and mocha. For AM workers, they have «Grab N Go» coffee involving a pot with freshly brewed coffee where you can fill up your own mug and toss money in a jar. They offer lots of free fixings of soy, half&half, and skim milk, agave syrup, organic sugar packets, honey, and even sugar cubes for us fancy folks.
Each day of the week has a different special:
Mocha MONDAY: 50 cents off a Mocha or Caramel Latte
Tea TUESDAY: 50 cents off any tea (hot or iced)
Wacky WEDNESDAY: Free extra espresso shot (from their Slayer espresso machine) with any espresso drink
Thirsty THURSDAY: Free upsize on a café latte
Flava FRIDAY: Free flavored syrup in any drink
Sassy SATURDAY: Barista’s choice
Sleepy SUNDAY: Free small drip coffee with a pastry purchase
During the autumn, they have a tasty pumpkin whipped cream to plop on top of your beverage. Don’t miss our on this or other fancy homemade whipped creams.
Love E3!

GREAT SOY MOCHA’S!!!
I had to give up liquid dairy (milk from a cow) so I went all over Seattle looking for a good soy mocha. You’d think in a coffee town where there are more coffee shops than gas stations, it’d be easy to find good non-​dairy mochas. But nooo! Lots of time and money wasted, visiting coffee shops that never delivered.
I’ve sampled many soy mochas around town and none were very good. Some were barely tolerable! They all had this weird aftertaste which I could barely choke down.
Then one day after shopping at the Ballard Market I decided to give Equal Exchange a try. Just maybe… maybe…I thought.
Their shop is small, barely two tables. But I don’t think it’s a space where you’d hang out. It’s mainly a grab and go coffee shop. The staff and the atmosphere were very friendly though.
But most importantly… the Soy Mocha …MMMMM…it was absolutely crazy yummy! I swear the clouds parted and the cherubs sang when I had my first sip. Holy crap they made a good soy mocha! I’m raving like an obsessed fool b/​c due to coffee’s acidity and bitter taste, it’s hard to blend a smooth flavor w/​out cow’s milk… I should know, I’ve tried this at home many times!
So, when you’re in the mood for a great soy mocha, I highly recommend Equal Exchange Espresso. I think the magic is how they roast their beans or maybe they have fairy dust in the espresso maker? Or maybe FAIR TRADE, ORGANIC coffee makes better soy mochas? Whatever their secret I’m happy to drop $ 5+ for a good soy mocha and support their mission.

OMG!!! This was by far the BEST latte I’ve had in a long time.
I’m reviewing this place in the hopes that more people will discover it, since it’s somewhat hidden in the front of the Ballard Market. It’s WAY BETTER than normal grocery store coffee, though. It’s independently owned (not associated with the market), and lest you miss it in every single other review, everything is fair-​trade/​organic, etc.
It’s more of a coffee stand; grab your coffee to go — there’s limited seating.
Coffee was strong and delicious, shots were brewed and milk was steamed JUST right. Also, they have almond flavoring — score! Service was awesome — the barista was very cheerful for 6 am.
And while they do have an awesome selection of treats (including MIGHTY-​O Donuts, granola, and ham & cheese croissants), there’s also a convenient doorway into the into the Ballard Market for a wider variety of baked goods.
I’ll definitely be back!

If you really want to do something good for the earth, your body, and your fickle taste buds, I suggest you grab your next cup of coffee at the Ballard Market’s Equal Exchange. Everything’s fair trade, carefully sourced and organic. They’ve got a quality selection of organic coffees, chocolates, and candies, including organic, gf/​vegan chocolate chip cookie pies. And for those without an aversion to wheat there are sweet and savory croissants from a local organic boulangerie.
The coffee is on the bitter side, but the source-​conscious sipping is rather sweet on the conscience.

Small shop, friendly people, good coffee.
Don’t expect a coffee shop where you can hang out all day. It’s a small place and the baristas are friendly, but there’s probably a max of 10 people that can be in there at once and that’s stretching it.
Their coffee is good, reasonably priced, and there’s free parking for the Ballard Market. So grab your cup and go.

Espresso was the best I had during my hunt for Seattle’s best coffee. Equal Exchange was bold, rich, buttery, and NOT citrusy. Every sip was heaven.
This is located in the Ballard Market, so not that much seating /​isn’t conducive to studying. Get your groceries, coffee, then bounce.
Plenty of parking in the lot out front, and haay, it’s free!

I am a barista and I tend to be a tough critic on coffee, but I love Equal Exchange. The coffee is damn good, and the craftsmanship is spot on.
I don’t love the long lines, and I also don’t like one of the baristas because he ALWAYS lets the shots go bad.
As an overall, their coffee is wonderful and I love going there.

I love their soy lattes here at EEE! Their coffee is smooth and not bitter at all. The staff are very laid back, yet real nice too. One morning I needed a pick me up… and hell yeah it really picked me up! I was a ball of energy at work, I had been up since 3:00am that day, and their latte really woke me up. EEE is a helluva drug! Today, I played hooky from work, so the Mr and I went here after picking up some pastries at the Ballard Market. It was just nice to have a Vanilla Soy latte, and really enjoy my apple croissant. Yum! Prices are not bad at all, coffee is good, and even with soy lattes, I still get lovely works of art in my foam. I wish I lived closer to really make regular stops, but tis okay… that’s what the weekends, errand and hooky days are for right?

Thus far, the best coffee I’ve found in Seattle, true story. I swear it’s that machine! The fact that it allows the grinds to soak a little before pulling the shot… the flavor is unparalleled. THAT is what coffee tastes like, FYI. All that other stuff you have been drinking was cheap imitations.
If only I could afford some smaller version of that machine for home use!
PS-​gooood chocolate, can’t go wrong there.

This coffee geek had a great trip planned for business to head to the lovely city of Auburn. Yup not the city you expected however it’s just a short drive into Seattle.
While in Auburn, I hit all of the coffee shops that I could even though I never went to a Starbucks or some of the other little shops. From the norm to the binkini shops I hit them once in the morning and once at night.
Well after some reasearch I found a video of the infamous Slayer machine. It looked gorgeous so I figured I should go take a gander. After getting off of work I hit a local Espresso machine dealer and then went to Equal Exchange Espresso with a coworker.
When we got there we had a hard time finding the place since the GPS was a bit off. I never realized that it’s actually in the storefront of Ballard Market. Once we go there, I went in and ordered an Americano and a Mocha for myself. I drooled at the Slayer and couldn’t believe how big the grouphead was and the gorgeous wood accents. I spoke to the barista about the machine and explained to my novice espresso friend about the preinfusion, bottomless portafilter, tiger striping etc. The barista chimed in and explained in detail about the preinfusion and the particulars about this machine to my coworker.
Now let me back up a bit. I am originally from KC, KS and I absolutely adored Broadway Café in the Westport area. Since moving to Austin, TX, I could never find that quality and artistry of latte art. I found it at EEE and the mocha was absolutely tasty. As I sipped my coffee it was damn good and I was curious if it was the espresso or the chocolate. So I went in and ordered a doppio and it was gorgeous. I took a sip and loved it.
I fully recommend this location however I will give a 4 instead of a 5 mainly because it’s very small and doesn’t have much as far as atmosphere. I had hoped to be able to sit and enjoy the coffee in a nice environment instead we sat outside in the hot sun.

Admittedly i am biased. I used to work here!
That having been said, i can’t vouch enough for the quality of materials and the standards of preparation at this coffee shop. Many impromptu training sessions and behind-​the-​bar throwdowns happen throughout the day, and we were always pushing each other to improve on our barista skills. Furthermore, a brand new espresso machine with a pre-​infuse system and variable pressure/​temperature adds to the finesse. Check out the Slayer.
The prices may have gone up in the past 6 months, but i think that’s something that’s happening at almost every other coffee shop as well. The prices were low to begin with; organic milks, syrups, chocolate, and tea shouldn’t lead anyone to think the overhead is LOW… The daily specials are still a killer deal! Bring your own cup, and you’re on to something seriously sweet.
The ethos behind Equal Exchange is also worth noting. If you are interested at all in the process of how the bean gets to you (or the nut, or the berry), read up on the co-op’s policies and practices, or check out their quarterly report, usually found near the bar. Transparency makes me feel better about what i’m consuming.
All around a great little café. Stop in for a while!

I never go out of my way to get a coffee at this little café tucked into the west wall of the Ballard Market, but I frequently grab a cup of joe to either fortify myself prior to, or revive myself after, a grocery run.
There’s not much going for it as far as a café. It’s small and cramped; Not really conducive to socializing or extended relaxing over a book or the paper. They do have a few tables outside, but you’re basically sitting on the sidewalk next to the parking lot watching folks come and go from the Ballard Market.
But what they do well really makes for a pleasant experience every time. The baristas are always friendly and cheerful, and seem to truly enjoy working there. If they’re not playing KEXP, there’s usually something on in the same general vein, which works for me more often than not. While not the best in town, the coffee is consistent and on the excellent side of the spectrum, and their frequent buyer program is managed electronically — just tell them your name when you buy and you’re credited accordingly.
Plus, because the business supports small, independent producers through their equal exchange co-​op system lets you feel like you’re doing the right thing for your java.
I think you if you were to put this café in the right standalone location and beef up the food options, it has all the ingredients to be a five-​star business — definitely worth a visit as it is today!

Whoops! My first review went on about how amazing things were until one day I began to consistently get bad coffee from here.
The problems are as follows:
1) They let the shots die… you know the taste, and it is just like a crappy latte from starbucks
2) They steamed the milk to the point where a film developed and that is bad news
3)They filled half the cup with syrup (so I tried it without… see points 1 and 2)
What happen??? I must be hitting the wrong days with unskilled baristas? Fortunately, I found Victrola and it is tops!

3.5 stars.
Yes, this is a fair trade coffee + expresso stop. Yes, they are super super friendly. And yes, your drink comes to you at a tepid temperature so you can enjoy right away.
I got a mocha expresso — I’m guessing they are all single shot because the coffee flavor wasn’t so strong. 3.5 stars because the drink wasn’t very memorable but the ambiance + service is hard to beat.
The drink was about $ 3.00 for a mid size drink. Not bad, also got a doloup of whip cream.