The Bad Ass Coffee Company of Salt Lake City, UT

Ok, so although I've lived in Salt Lake City for over a year now, I have not ventured to The Bad Ass Coffee Company until now because to me it sounded like a biker's coffee shop. I always pictured going in there and seeing a bunch of biker dudes in their harley gear. Not that there is anything wrong with that, one of my favorite customers at the bank is a harley guy and a member of B.A.C.A. (do a google search if you don't know what B.A.C.A. is, a charitable group that I give to on request, even when I'm strapped for cash).

But I am getting way off subject....

So yesterday after work I needed to kill some time between work and my evening bible study (which I'll be attending on Tuesdays, so expect a fairly regular Wednesday posting) and I decided to go to The Bad Ass Coffee Co., the only other thing I knew about it is that while passing it once on state street, my sister-in-law said that she had always wanted to go there because of the name (despite the fact that she does not drink coffee or tea). So I park my car in the parking lot, noting their hours (M-F 6 AM-7 PM, Sat 6 AM-7PM, and Sun 7 AM-6PM) and happy that I will be able to stay long enough to kill just over an hour of time.

I walk in and immediately note the tropical feeling of the shop. The walls are lined with light, one-inch thick wooden boards, on either wall in the dining area there are grass covered awnings. The tables are immaculately clean with the shop's emblem in white tile on the tables. And my favorite part- at the center of the dining area is a fake palm tree that comes just a few inches short of reaching the ceiling! The trunk appeared to be made of stone (I have no idea what it was, a grey material- I should have went over and touched it). Around the tree was actual sand held in place by an approximately 8-inch high bamboo fence. And now I have to tell you that none of this was in any way cheesy- it was a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere.

So when I walked in I noticed the barista talking to a gentleman holding a coffee, which was awesome to me because this gave me a minute to look over the menu. Although I do want to mention that as soon as I walked in the barista greeted me with an Aloha :-) So I'm still looking at the menu, which has a LARGE list of traditional and signature lattes, and barista walked over to me and asked what I'd like. I replied "this is such a large menu" so she asked me what I like and made a suggestion of a white mocha latte, which I said I would take iced (all of their drinks can be made hot, iced or frozen).

While waiting for my latte the gentleman who had been chatting with the barista began casually talking to me. He told me he worked near by and Bad Ass Coffee has become his new favorite coffee shop. He was very nice and VERY enthusiastic about the place and even suggested I tell my friends (which I am now doing). I also noticed sitting near the register samples of their carrot cake, so I had a bite and it was very good (but thankfully I've never had a bad piece of carrot cake). So she finishes making my latte and I also decide to get a bag of their Gourmet Sweet Cinnamon Almonds, which according to the bag is "Made by Sir Walter Candy" although it does have The Badd Ass Coffee logo on it. The barista rang up my order and said "you have a nice day!" in a way that made me believe she truly wanted me to have a good day, and wasn't just saying that as a fair well salutation.

So I took my items and headed over to a booth in the corner, although I later noticed that there is outside seating along state street (that could be interesting), more booths to the left of the kitchen area, as well as a corner featuring a television, a couch and two comfy chairs (wicker patio furniture that fit perfectly with the rest of the decor).

CAFE REVIEW:

Iced White Chocolate Latte: $3.50, 16 oz, Great. I loved that you could taste the white chocolate flavor, the espresso, and the milk.

Sweet Cinnamon Almonds: $2.00, 3.2 oz, Yummy. Coffee/Espresso and cinnamon are a great combination. At home I love to sprinkle a little cinnamon in my brewed coffee. When you place one of these almonds in your mouth you immediately taste the perfect mixture of cinnamon and sugar coating. I really like these and it took a few minutes to realize what they remind me of- Golden Grahams Cereal, only better of course.

Service: Excellent, there was only one barista on duty, but she was awesome and super friendly.

Cleanliness: Looked clean to me! As I mentioned, every table was clean, the bar where orders was placed was clean, no complaints.

Atmosphere: Bright, cheerful, very open but inviting. I also noticed that instead of the usual folk/coffee shop music the barista was playing radio stations of her choice and I noticed songs by The Killers, Jack White, Rihanna, Gwen Stefani, and Kati Perry (I lover her new California Girls song by the way).

Exterior: A little worn, but clean and more inviting than many of the other businesses along State Street. And you can't miss the Ass above the door along the State street entrance.

Would I recommend? Definitely, I know I will be back again if for nothing more than to try one of their signature lattes or see what creation the barista can come up with for me.

The Bad Ass Coffee Company
3530 S. State Street
Salt Lake City, UT

Coffee. Tea. Espresso. Pastries. Breakfast Sandwiches. Lunch Sandwiches. Bagels. Packaged Biscotti. Nuts. Trail Mix. Fruit Parfaits.

Reference: www.slcbadasscoffee.com

Book Review: First I have to tell you that I completed "The School of Essential Ingredients" by Erica Bauermeister. I read this for my book club (please email me if you are a female and interested in joining a SLC book club by the way) and I am VERY glad I did. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cooking and/ore eating. And by "enjoys eating" I mean someone who savors their food, taking slow bites and noticing the different flavors- rather than just gobbling away).

So right now I am reading a book called "Nicolae" by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, the third book in a series called "Left Behind." I really liked the first two books of the series but so far I just cannot get into this book. There are like 9 more to go, so I hope the series gets better. Basically the series is the authors' fictionalized idea of what might happen when the end of days are upon us- the rapture, the antichrist, the seven scrolls, etc. It's been a great series that has really strengthened my faith. I wont go into any more than that as that is not what this blog is about- but this is the book I am currently reading, so I wanted to share.

Thank-you for reading and please feel free to post a reply!