Aster Coffee Lounge

Great coffee, friendly staff, great beer & wine, happy hour, AND a Wii to play with??

Yeah.... I can't find anything NOT to love about Aster.

I wish I lived around the corner! ;)

This is a good little place that makes a great cup of coffee. I'm always getting the same drink, so I can't comment on their entire menu. But I like what I get and it's always good. My drink is about 25 cents cheaper than Java Bean up the street.

The inside isn't your typical coffee house feel. It definitely has a "commerical ground floor of a condo building" feel to it, which they can't help whatsoever... but they somehow are able to make it work. It doesn't have that "I'm sitting at grandma's house" coziness like some coffee houses -- it's a big space with really high ceilings, and some exposed concrete. Definitely a more modern coffee shop. A good place to take your computer (free wifi) or books and do some work, as you can always find a table or lounge chair to occupy. And you won't be interrupted by too much noise... I've never seen loud obnoxious people or groups bombarding this place. I'd definitely take my work there and down some coffee until happy hour, and then sip on some beers.

Any place that serves coffee and beer is rad in my book.

Matt B. and I stopped in Aster Coffee Lounge to supply him with his daily fix. I'm not a regular coffee drinker but the place looked so pleasant and well put together that I decided to get a cup. If it were a little later in the day, I might've helped myself to a beer or a glass of wine. I love that you can just do that in Seattle.

There were quite a few options and a decision to make when I asked for a "coffee." After reading a description of the Indonesian gajah aceh that boasted "aromas of blackberry...flavors of plum, toffee and earth with a buttery caramel finish," I had to see what that cup of joe was all about. I didn't quite swirl my cup and sniff out each thread of flavor, but it was damn good coffee. Matt got the cheapest variety, a Costa Rican coffee with "spicey [sic] molasses aromas transforming into flavors of honeycomb, date & mandarin orange" and I think I liked it even better.

The atmosphere was really chill and the pretentiousness was more limited than you might think. I enjoyed my coffee and would consider fostering an addiction at a place like Aster.

I've heard so much about Aster that it probably became a little overhyped for me, by the time I finally went, during my last days in Seattle. I showed up on a quiet, chilly day, with nothing much to do, and sat myself down in this quaint little cafe with perhaps one or two other customers.

And while I can't speak much love for their coffee, as I only found it decent, the staff was incredibly friendly - I can certainly see the draw that people have to this place.

Aster's Iced Coffee is delicious, cold brewed; better than anywhere else I've had it. Don't be fooled by imposters (iced Americanos). They are not the same.

Perfect for a hot summer day... or an overcast, chilly one.

I am beginning to really fall in love with Ballard (genuinely hopes this is actually considered Ballard - terrible with neighborhood identification). After moving up from Tacoma, the one thing that seemed to be missing was a comfortable coffee shop where I can drink delicious beer because I don't like coffee at all but tend to enjoy the company of coffee drinkers. Plus, people who work at coffee shops are funny and attractive... It's pretty much required.

**Beer on tap at a coffee shop - good. Great beer on tap at a coffee shop - fantastic.

Barista's response to "Can I also have a water?"
"You mean MAY I have a water?"
SERIOUSLY? Did you just correct my grammer?

My latte was luke warm. My friend's tea was cold. When she asked him to re-steam it he said that they are not allowed to do that.

Bad experience. Will not be returning.

Pros: Serves wine. Good location.

In the battle for the coffee soul of lower 24th Avenue NW, there are three main choices: Café Besalu, Javabean and the Aster Coffee Lounge. Aster is in the ground floor of a condo complex, although there are some positives of this. They have a number of wide windows in the front and a surprising amount of open space.

The baristas were friendly and the gentleman with the handlebar moustache gets extra points. The coffee here was only ok, I actually prefer Javabean up the street. They also serve some pastries and breakfast sandwiches. I tried the ham sandwich which was pretty good, but a little small. Unless you've had your stomach stapled, you may need to order two to feel full.

The ambiance is a bit off here. Floors are concrete and they have painted ducts and pipes at the ceiling level. The insides are painted green with some dark brown wood and the tables pretty much look like they come from Crate and Barrel. They were actually sort of comfortable but it really doesn't have a coffeehouse feel. Interestingly, they do serve wine here (and have a happy hour) and I suspect this setting would work far better as a wine bar. Going along with this, with the dark green/brown interior, it's a little dark, even on a sunny spring morning.

Also, the acoustics are a bit of a problem. Even with a small number of people, sound seems to travel well inside making the place a bit loud. The music selection while I was there was all Sinatra tunes. Or if Sinatra himself didn't sing them, they were songs he should have sung. I was beginning to think that this was all part of a mind control experiment: after being here an hour, I felt like getting up and swing dancing.

Overall, it's hard to recommend going here for pastries: try Besalu instead. Or for coffee, try Javabean down the street. They are open late, and I think this place might be interesting to try for a late evening wine/snacks experience.

Aster has really good coffee. They serve Stumptown as well as other beans. I think they rotate several varieties of beans.

I've always liked their lattes. The cafe atmosphere is trendy and their coffee is truly very good. I think the quality would please a discerning coffee lover.

They serve beer and wine and have pretty good pastries, too. Prices are on the more expensive side for coffee shops but the product is great!

It's fall... and they have... apple cider with:
real caramel.
Run, walk, go.
It's good.