Espress-O-Yourself

Their sandwiches are great and the Italian Panini is my new favorite. Their chai tea latte & white chocolate mocha are yummy! My daughter is obsessed with their chocolate-​banana milkshakes too!

I’ve been going here for years because of the delicious sandwiches and milkshakes (They use real ice cream!). I only give them 3 stars because over the past year they have hired some new girls that have no manners whatsoever. They act very unprofessional on their phones while customers are there, and they just make you feel unwelcome. It’s a bummer because this place is really good! Just wish they had better service or I’d come here often.

For lunch I specifically wanted a sandwich place that had good coffee, and was located somewhere between downtown Tacoma and University Place. Headed to Unilocal,and this place seemed to fit the bill.
Cute interior with fun semi-​pricey mugs for sale. Lots of sandwich options, with two different soups available on Friday. Service was friendly for you princesses that seem to care about that kind of thing.
I got the Italian pannini, which was OK. I felt like the bread was chewier than it should have been. The rest of the ingredients were so-​so. However, my significantly better half’s BLT was terrific. Lots of delicious meat, nice bread, fresh produce. That sandwich was the clear winner. I also had the chicken tortilla soup, which was OK. Wasn’t terrible, but tasted like it came out of a can. I have come to expect a lot from soups thanks to Infinite Soups.
The coffee was only OK. Not on the level of the top-​tier places like Valhalla, Blue Beard etc.
We had one great sandiwch, and the rest was average to slightly above average. Would come back for the sandwiches, but I’d go to Infinite Soups for soup!

Stopped in here after driving by all the time, I wanted to try a smoothie. They have a big sandwich menu and the cookie I got was absolutely delicious.
The girls who worked there seemed a bit snotty though, and not too concerned with service. I said three times (since they asked three times) no whipped cream. Guess what I got?
There’s a sign at the register that they charge $ 1 for shared sandwiches. Pretty good indicator that they are out to get there’s with no regard for service.
I can’t imagine coming here often but on a one off for a quick bite I’d take it to go.

Great sandwiches. Not a lot of parking or seating. However, the food is worth the hassle.

We tried the cinnamon roll which was very good. Their espresso ice cream shake was amazing. Drip coffee good. Nice atmosphere. Some staff friendly, some are kind of indifferent and not the most welcoming. Will be back!

I first saw this place one I first moved near here.
I always drive passed it but I have never gone in or driven up tip the window.
I finally decided to go and have a try and maybe get a sandwich while i was at it.
I was impressed with the service and the overall experience.

Went there with a best friend yesterday and they didnt have menu except when you are at the drive thru window and it would have helped if we knew what we could order beforehand… but their drinks were top notch

Absolutely delicious lunch! Had their Turkey sandwich with a side salad. Perfect portions and good atmosphere. Customer service could have been friendly but the food made up for that :)

Over five dollars for bagels really that is a bit much. I can buy a whole bag for 1.99. Plus the girl was super rude and had to finish her phone conversation before addressing us. Coffee is hit and miss over the years. They have good soup but I won’t be back.

This place was recommended to me by my boss and is now my go to place for lunch. Fantastic atmosphere. Staff is wonderful and friendly. They remember my usual order. My favorite is the Garden Turkey sandwich followed by the Fircrest Club. If you feel like salad, my favorite is the salad with chicken, apples, cranberries, glazed walnuts, and Bleu cheese with a raspberry vinegarette. Check out their selection of delicious scones and other baked goods. There is limited parking spaces and they get pretty busy around lunchtime so call your order in if you can. They also have a small drive thru window for drinks only. Yum!

We lived in U.P. for a year and drove my this place every day without ever going inside.
We recently moved and are a bit closer so we decided to give it a try. Can’t believe we didn’t do it sooner!
So far we have had their Italian sodas (I prefer them without the cream but that’s a personal choice), cappuccino, ice tea (their passion/​tropical tea is sooooo good), and chai tea.
They also have a good selection of food. Sandwiches and soups are the best. The also have baked goods but in my option they are a little too greasy.
Tip: they have a punch card for free drinks. You have to ask for it… I don’t see them really offering it to anyone proactively.
I would say the reason I didn’t give it a five star is its a little overpriced on the food side. Two drinks and lunch can cost the same as going to a restaurant.
Great little neighborhood place!

This is a cute quaint little place. Great staff. Parking is an issue and getting in and out. Food and coffee is great tho :)

I come here often to pick up a veggie sandwich and a side of soup for lunch. Both are always super fresh and delicious! The coffee is average, nothing to write home about. Service is good, but I don’t really appreciate being called «sweetie» — just a personal preference.

Small hometown coffee shop, it’s a fine place for coffee but the menu is small for much more. Had a cinnamon roll that was way to sweet. I would recommend this is a nice place to walk to, meet friends– parking isn’t great and the drive thru is worst.

We live close by so we took a walk there this morning to get some coffee. They had so many delicious sounding flavors for lattes that we ended up getting those instead and loved them! We also split a gigantic cinnamon roll:) it was delicious! Would definitely recommend stopping by if you want to have a casual morning coffee and treat. The lunch options looked really good, too! We will be back!

This is by far my favorite place in the University Place area for breakfast. last time I came and my drink was so horrible I couldn’t drink it, but when I came in today and told her about it she made me a free drink and was really understanding about it. I didn’t feel unwelcome and will content coming back.
Overall I’ve been satisfied with the place. I wish they had some less sugary options for breakfast, but I think that’s a trend for the tacoma area to have everything extra sweet. The Internet is generally stable and they don’t mind if you sit in over an hour. I’d like to try their lunch food sometime and review that. Thanks guys for being so awesome!

Decided to give it a second shot. I remember wanting so badly to like this place.
Second time around was so much better! Food still delicious and the service improved immensely.
Also, I had an Italian soda with lunch. I forgot how wonderful those are! I haven’t had one since I was maybe 15. Yummy

Locally owned Fircrest coffee shop in the middle of everything:) Sit in, dine in or drive– thru available for all needs.
Coffee is always tasty and the goodies are pretty delicious!

What a great little coffee shop! Fircrest is lucky to have such an all purpose stop. They have a drive through, they have all manner of food, are locally owned and well run.
Baked goods are a combination of in-​house and outsourced. They have scones, bagels, muffins, cookies, and cinnamon rolls — thus covering all the major food groups. The items we’ve sampled thus far are good, but not drop dead. Our Fair Scone had too much jam on it for even our most diehard scone fan.
Espresso offerings run the gamut one would expect in a reliable coffee house, with all the usual drinks, frappes, a couple of shakes. Again, solid.
They have a nice variety of sandwiches: shrimp, turkey, blt, a fircrest club, egg salad, garden, veggie — twelve in all. $ 7 range. They remind me of a good homemade sandwich — again, not drop dead, but reliable. Nice that they make them to order, have half options and veggie choices.
Gilding the lunch lily, they also offer salads, including Caesar and Shrimp Louie! $ 6 to $ 8. I haven’t tried them.
This place is deceptive from the outside. It looks sleepy, but the joint is hoppin’ with regulars — mostly the denizens of Fircrest. That speaks very well for the place, methinks. It is small and homey in feel.
In closing I just want to compliment the owner — he is fantastic. He’s right up there at the counter. He really knows his regulars. He can tell if you’re new and he wants you to be happy. He can have my coffee money any day for such kind service.
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