Why Easy Street Cafe is So Easy To Love

East Street Cafe is one of Seattle's great neighborhood cafes - with an authentic vibe, excellent coffee, and friendly service. The only cafe where Mudhoney and Pearl Jam have played...

Settling into my chair at Easy Street Cafe, it’s hard to ignore the feeling that I am happy – really, really happy to be here. Easy Street Cafe is one of my favorite neighborhood places to grab a cup of coffee, get a hearty NW breakfast, and listen to great music.

This iconic Seattle cafe reminds me of a particular time of my life that remains close to my heart – when Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Alice and Chains were all fresh on the scene. It’s fitting that it dominates a busy intersection in West Seattle – a last hold out to what Seattle was like a half-generation ago.

There is no question, this café is special. After all, how many spaces have hosted live concerts by Pearl Jam and Mudhoney? This space rocks of pure authentic Seattle.

easy street cafe in west seattleThe coffee is poured by friendly, experienced and unpretentious baristas against a backdrop of thousands of CDs and records, music promos, and nostalgic posters of music greats.

I talked to the staff and baristas, who already know me quite well, and everyone is always friendly and willing to help. Sometimes I get a CD or two to add to my collection. In any case, I believe that connecting a cafe to a record store is a great idea and a win-win situation for everybody including the customers. I like the ambiance here – this is what I often come back for.

The coffee shop menu itself is terrific – an homage to past American greats like Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash that makes picking your breakfast fun. My favorite pick-off their cafe menu is the Easy Rider – a thick bacon breakfast sandwich with a side of golden crispy hash browns. Though I’m always up for their amazing breakfast burritos. It’s my favorite go-to breakfast place in West Seattle.

The Easy Street Cafe grew out of Easy Street Records on the corner of California Avenue and Alaska Street, which has been around for about twenty years.

The café, itself, was opened in 1999 when the neighboring business went out of business making it possible for Easy Street to expand.  Owner Matt Vaughan has managed this cafe successfully, continuously adapting over the years.

For more on the history of the cafe, you can read it cafe menu. Since then, the cafe has been serving Seattle locals tasty coffee and hosting amazing music sessions and signings. (They serve Caffe Vita Beans).

Only when coming here, will you see why this place is a local town favorite for Seattleites.

With friendly baristas, great music, awesome food, and colorful history, this place is among my favorites in all of Seattle. If you haven’t been and you have been wandering around town looking for the iconic Seattle spot to get coffee – Easy Street Cafe should be on your list.

For more information, visit cafe menu


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