Emily’s Coffee

Denver is known for its lack of good espresso and latte. In my search for a good morning latte I’ve been to many Denver coffee shops, and this morning I tried Emily’s.
It’s the best I’ve found Denver. My 5 star rating is relative. In Chicago (where you can go to Intelligentia) or San Francisco (where you can go to Blue Bottle), Emily’s would be a 4 star. But in Denver, it’s a clear cut above other places like Dazbog.
The setting is not at *all* upscale, but its complete lack of pretension is nice. It’s just a unaffected nice place to get an excellent latte.

Small coffee shop with great coffee. I’ve been here a few times and have always enjoyed chitchatting with the Baristas. The prices are a bit less than most coffee shops and the coffee is from Kaladi’s so I think you can’t go wrong. The coffee is always a dark roast but for me that’s ok, its way less burnt that the popular chain. This place is not exactly spiffy or upscale but that’s fine by me, I’m usualy working at the convention and just need some Joe. This is on the corner of 13^th and Glenarm and is associated with the Kathy Griffith school.

Need to warm your body or your soul? Emily’s Coffee is the place to do both. Emily’s is part of the Emily Griffith Technical College and the baristas are students, mostly newly arrived immigrants or refugees, gaining technical skills and training to enter the workforce. I read about their opening in the Denver Post, and I was intrigued to come out here to check things out.
The location is a little hard to find. It’s at the corner of Glenarm Place and 13^th Street, directly behind the Denver Athletic Club. The shop is housed in the same building as the school and as of yet does not have a sign outside, so you just have to push your way through the unmarked doors, and you’ll find the welcome sight of the shop inside. There’s a real «storefront» with a counter, menu board, and seating. The spot is perfect for the businessman finishing a workout at the DAC, the jury member looking for a caffeine hit during a break in the trial at the new Denver courthouse, or the ‘hostess’ just about to go on her shift at the Diamond Cabaret.
They had me at «Hello” – even if spoken in a somewhat shy, halting english. Behind the counter is the instructor and several students learning how to pull a shot of espresso or ring up a sale on the cash register. Alisa, the instructor, patiently explained to the group of trainees what the grind is, how to tamp, and how to achieve sublime latte art. But more than the feel-​good aspects of this endeavor, they do a really nice latte and cappuccino made from genuine Kaladi Brothers locally-​roasted coffee. It was without qualification a great latte that I had. (Truth be told, the instructor was the one who pulled my shot, so I might have gotten a better cup than usual but she was hovering to ensure quality control and a good coffee experience for all.) I was happy to get one of the best cups of coffee that one can find downtown with a price that is at least a dollar less than Starbucks. On top of that, the baked goods are made on premises by a bakery team in the school, so from cradle-​to-​grave it’s an all Emily Griffith production. The seating space is pleasant and quiet, and would be a nice spot for a meeting. One warning, check the hours online because with the place still in start-​up mode, there are some days that they are not open. I can’t say enough about Emily’s Coffee: Great coffee to go along with a great cause.