Black Dog Coffee and Wine Bar

After stopping in here a few more times post market, I need to update my review. Still down 1 star for slow service, but everything else is really awesome! I had a vegetarian sandwich which was to die for!!! Yum! Be prepared to have time to wait in line and wait for your food, but it will be worth it!

Driven by local artists, downtown residents, patrons of the Farmer's Market, and local workers, Black Dog has an earthy comfort among the warehouses of lower-town.

Black Dog was the very first coffee house I planted roots...only...it was the early nineties and it was called Copernicus.  It was considerably larger at the time too.  I'll try to keep nostalgia out of this review...but feel free to knock off a star if you feel the need to do so.  I feel I've already knocked off that star...as my memories were fond...but again...feel free.

The atmosphere and ambiance reflects the bustling energy of engaging conversations and has a warm openness.  The high ceilings do wonders for the acoustics in Black Dog, as conversations have a tendency to mingle into a singular, resonating hum.

Black Dog really has the feeling of a social hub, where locals come to post and discuss upcoming events and get-togethers.

So you can probably tell by now, that a coffee shop is more about the comfort and ambiance to me.  So what about the coffee you may ask?

So-so...

I get iced Thais...so how hard is that?  They're great every time.  The coffee as many have already said...can be a bit inconsistent.  Coffee and coffee drinkers can however, be fickle more often than not.  I know the best coffee I'm going to get, is the one I make at home.  

I'll likely continue getting iced Thai after perusing the Farmer's Market while in town.

The Black Dog is a great community gathering place. Every time I settle into a table at Black Dog, there are local artists gathered discussing their work, or actually creating art.  And almost every night of the week there is live music or other creative activities for customers to enjoy. Last time I was in, there were about a dozen people playing cribbage together and a Bluegrass band was jamming away.

The Black Dog is a great place to find out what's happing in the Lowertown neighborhood because it's always full of locals. I really enjoy the sense of community you feel when you're at the Black Dog. This is the only reason I'm giving them three starts. If it wasn't for the community feel the Black Dog would get two at best.

I have one complaint about the Black Dog, and it's a big one. The coffee is inconsistent and overall not very good. An Americano or a Cold Press are the only two drinks I get at coffee shops, and at The Black Dog the same drink is never prepared the same way, twice.

One day I will have a great Americano, and the next day the espresso will be so sour or burnt that I can't drink it. I don't know if they change beans or if their machine is quirky, but I should be able to expect a drink consisting of espresso and water to taste the same each day.

Same issues with the Cold Press. One week it's dark, rich and delicious; and the next it's so weak I think they just put a pot of light roast in the fridge.

The inconsistency in the coffee makes me a bit leery every time I order one, but that doesn't stop me from going to the Black Dog Cafe. The community atmosphere will continue to draw me in, and if  they can get to a point of consistently preparing a good Americano, you'll find me their more often.

Please stop trying to make pizzas and quesadillas and focus on making good coffee.