Star Life on the Oasis Cafe

Whenever I get the opportunity, I love walking on beaches and finding that perfect-imperfect seashell that makes you stop, reach down – wait for the passing tide to pass before picking it up and brushing it off – and admire it. This small and somewhat hidden café is like that beautiful seashell. If you’re looking for a unique Seattle coffee experience, I got one for you!

Star Life on the Oasis Café is a mouthful and easy to miss, but if you find it, you’re in for a little treat. The place is a calm oasis in the high energy bubble of the University District. The cafe is owned and operated by Wings, the gentle and laid back guy who I imagine, when he’s making his tasty vegan sandwiches for his customers, is probably humming a Grateful Dead song to himself.

Unique Seattle Coffee Shops in the University District

There are a lot of great coffee shops in Seattle and University District. You may want to add this one to your Seattle Coffee list just for it’s quirkiness. Walking into the small café is a lot like walking into your unemployed cousin’s home where none of the décor has any rhyme or reason to its placement.

Everything is proudly mismatched in a manner that makes you wonder if the cafe accepts furniture donations from graduating students moving back home – and yet, the ambiance surprisingly works. No doubt, you instantly feel comfortable here which is what makes any coffee shop special. It’s rare to find a place that oozes with down-home sensibility and charm like the Star Life on the Oasis Café.

Because of its close proximity to the University of Washington, you will often find students studying or texting quietly. I have been by several times and found that I could pretty much claim a large dining room table to spread out my work and camp out – which I have done. If the weather is nice, you can also grab one of the three small tables that are outside to soak in the sun too with one of their beers.

Wings offers a coffee that rates about 3 out of five stars in my book (I have had their Americano and espresso). If you’re feeling hungry Wings offers excellent vegan cookies and tangy sandwiches, Italian soda, and bottled beer. I’m not a vegan, but I can appreciate a good vegan dish like anyone else. The sandwiches come close to knocking it out of the ballpark for me, especially their vegan sandwiches.

Whether you’re hungry or want a cup of joe, Wings will pretty much cater to whatever you want, simply ask. On a few occasions, Wings wasn’t around, but he had some friendly backup baristas running the show. Every time I have been there the baristas were chatty and helpful and in pretty much good moods, which can be infectious.

Star Life on the Oasis is Now Closed

Address: 1405 NE 50th St

Seattle Coffee Neighborhood: U District

Parking: You’re on your own, it’s the U District

WiFi: Yes, but never been able to configure my computer to get access to it.

Take your appetite and your work and hang out Star Life on the Oasis Café.