Thanks yelp for having the nearby button on the Yelp App, it brought me to this fine coffee establishment. The parking lot was full, and I was worried that there wouldn't be a lot of room in the coffee shop, but it seems that A LOT of people are parking in Sparks designated parking spots and not actually going into the establishment.
I had a drip coffee and I got it in an actually ceramic mug...Score! Â Plus, I was told it comes with a free refill! It makes me feel better about squatting for a couple of hours and studying. I didn't feel judged or stared at by the baristas, so I was able to relax and get some quality studying time in. I even had a random conversation about nursing with a regular customer.
This establishment would have gotten 5 stars if the bathroom wasn't so gross, but next time I will just remember to use the restroom before heading in.
Also, grab a punch card...after 9 drinks you get 1 free!
This is becoming a regular stop for me on my way back to the office when I'm out and about. I found it on Yelp and glad I did. I have enjoyed chai tea here and just plain old cups of joe. The staff is always friendly and they fill my water bottle for me no charge (hospice nurse working out of her car here) which is a huge help for me during the work day. One thing that I really love  are the assortment of chocolate truffles. I enjoy treating myself to 1 of these from time to time. They have a variety of flavors including golden fig and salted caramel. Yum!
Review Source:I've been here about 3 times now  over the past year and can honestly say it's a very comfy place to sit and do homework or get a cup of coffee. I wouldn't say their coffee is amazing but it's not Starbucks and they have plenty of syrups to make up for their average coffee- for me it's like a stronger folgers- not bad but not great either. I also like that they carry celestial seasonings- that makes me happy to know they support local.  I believe they have more reasonable prices for their coffee/tea. The customer service has always been awesome and it just feels really cozy in there.
Another odd thing is in their bathroom there's a random shelving unit that isn't aesthetically pleasing and seems to not have much of a purpose. I would switch that out pronto. However the cute jellyfish made out of cupcake holders and coffee filters feels very whimsical.
All in all I will go to this place when I'm nearby or want to do homework somewhere that is less crowded. If they could improve the coffee a wee bit and get rid of that horrid shelving disaster then with a few tweaks this place really would get five stars. Don't pass it up if your in the area- support local!
I really, really want to like this place, but I just can't.
I live near by and have been in a handfull of times. It is clear whomever owns this place has invested a lot of money. The interior looks like something out of the mid to late 90s...which in a humorous kind of way, I like.
I'm not sure where they buy their beans from, but it needs to change or perhaps they need to tune up their espresso machine and consider getting some training for their baristas. Â They have a tendency to over steam the milk and the espresso taste over extracted, bitter and overall flavorless. Much like drinking a really strong cup of folgers with some styrofoam piping hot milk.
I hate to be so scathing...but its a coffee shop, and I've never walked out with any coffee drink that tasted good :( I've gotten lattes, americanos, cafe au lates and caps but they have tasted pretty bad.
Despite this pretty big fundamental flaw, their food and pastries are effing delicious. I believe the owner is from Rusia and on one occasion me and my boyfriend got dumplings that were delicious. I've never gotten a pastry there that wasn't awesome. I believe they are made on site and obviously from scratch, something of a rarity these days. Â
Go for the pastries, grub and the happy baristas...skip on the coffee.
I've been to this coffee house a couple times since moving to Denver. The first time wasn't pleasant, and when I checked reviews I was shocked to see they had a high rating. I really wanted this to be my new coffee shop because it is close to my apartment and it's not Starbucks. However, I'd choose Starbucks over them. The coffee and the atmosphere are terrible. It reminds me of a coffee shop from the late 90's with the chalkboard interior and the baristas' favorite radio station in the background.
After my first unpleasant visit, I thought I would give this place a second chance. This visit was worse than the first, same terrible coffee, same terrible music, and additionally, no working wireless, and a staff who couldn't care less. The only reason I go to coffee shops is to do work, so if there is no Internet there is no reason for me to be there. I informed the barista the Internet was not working, and she told me to restart my computer, and to make sure I had the correct password. These solutions did not work, and the two other customers in the building, expressed they were experiencing the same problem. She never once apologized for the inconvenience, nor did she offer to check to see if the problem was with the actual connection. A simple "I'm so sorry; we'll try rebooting the system from the back," would have been sufficient. Instead, I had to sit, wasting time, and trying to finish my gross latte.
You can tell the owner has invested a good deal of money into the coffee shop. They have a really nice outdoor display and a newish sign. The interior furniture looks expensive, but it is not cohesive (and I really wish it were. Pretty things do not make up for customer service that is lacking, and bad tasting product.
Cute place, patio seating, lovely chalk board menu, apparent food and baked goods but Im watching what I eat so :( Â Â
My drink was how I like it... Good place, support local business over starbucks I say.....
IT was a little hot in there on a hot day, probably wouldn't of chose to sit around in there but cute place overall...
Needs some attention from the road, I drove past a million times and never even knew it was there...new green umbrellas helped but ,...
This is my new favorite place!
After running my morning errands, I wanted to take a little time for myself to enjoy a cup of chai tea and read a book outside of my own home. I do not patronize Starbucks but it was the only coffee shop at almost every corner in my errand area this morning. I would normally stop into Milano Coffee off of Arapahoe Rd & I-25 since that is my usually errand area but I was no where near there and thought it a waste of time to drive all the way up the freeway just to sit for 30 minutes at that particular coffee shop.
As I drove up Hampden Road, deciding to go home and delay my 'me' time until tomorrow, I saw the sign for Sparks Coffee & Bistro and remembered it was on my list of  places to try. After a lot of unnecessary maneuvering to get back to the place (since I had passed it and then took the long way around to get back to it), I finally landed my vehicle in the Sparks parking lot.
When I walked in, I was greeted by a guy standing behind the counter who was very welcoming. The menus are done on chalkboard with various colored chalk. I browsed the menu, to see if I wanted to be a little bit more adventurous, but spotted the Chai I so desired and ordered it. From the pricing for that particular item, they have two sizes- one at $3 and one at $4. I also tried a cranberry scone which was tasty (not sweet but moist and savory).
As I delighted over an available two-seater bistro table (chairs were of the arm chair variety) in front of a window, I took in the sights and sounds of the place. It's a very warm atmosphere with an earth-toned  decor. There is a couch (a little longer than a loveseat) that sits along one wall under the flat screen television mounted on the wall flanked by a couple of arm chairs with a long coffee table in between them. There is a window counter with high bar chairs. There are maybe two high bistro tables with high chairs. Then there are about four standard level bistro tables with three chairs and, maybe one slightly bigger bistro table with four chairs. There are also a couple of two-seater bistro tables outside with umbrellas.
I thought some of the items were kind of pricey but I'm sure they are delicious since the items are cooked to order and, it seems, the staff takes great care to accommodate and satisfy everyone who walks through the door.
It is locally-owned and the owner and baker (maybe the cook too) are members of the same Russian family.
They offer a wide variety of coffees and teas and they serve their entire menu all day. I know they are changing their hours but they are open everyday at least from 8a-6p for sure. They also have free wifi. This will definitely be a place I am going to try to fit in my weekend schedule at least once a month.
I stumbled (and I really mean stumbled, since it was pre-coffee) into this place this morning and sat and wrote, read and studied for a couple of hours. Wifi worked great. The coffee was great,  (they make several different kinds; I had the medium, sparks brew. They also make turkish and russian coffee) the decor, (green and brown) is great, the people working there were extremely friendly and also seem to enjoy each other. There are at least three different options for types of seating. The only problem was this dork who came in and wanted to watch football on the big screen tv's. They, being so nice, accommodated him until another customer  asked that the sound not be on. So he had to watch the sports highlights in silence. haha.
Review Source:Coffee was good, place was cute, pastries looked yummy. Â Service was good, the kid that made my coffee couldn't yet make a swirl in the latte, but it seems he'll get it eventually. Â Mocha is not as rich as it could be, but the Cafe Breve was fab.
I would like to come back just to try the Russian dumplings.  Looks interesting.  Would also like to come back for a yummy pastry at some point.  Anyway, a clear Russian influence, Russian pastries and other delicacies.  Worth a stop/try.  Unexpected cuteness/ unusual find in the Tiffany/Hampden  area.
Recently popped in to study and have some coffee. The coffee here is fantastic and I had an almond roll pastry that was tasty as well. It isn't the best place to sit and enjoy a "coffee shop" setting, though. The chairs are hard and I didn't have a convenient place nearby to plug my laptop in (closest one was behind a table that already had women at it). Also they had 2 tv's (excessive in such a small place) on FoodNetwork the whole time. If I want their coffee again I might just grab it to go.
Review Source:What a fantastic addition to the Southmoor neighborhood. Â After several visits to Sparks, I am a fan of their tasty coffee, hip vibe, and friendly staff. Â There are a few glitches for this new business, but for the quality of coffee they serve and environment they have created in this otherwise coffee barren section of Denver, I'm very willing to be patient. Â Nice, well thought out decor, good pastries and excellent coffee. Â The staff is friendly, and Carly in particular stands out. Â She knows her coffee and is the type of person who one looks forward to seeing. Â
Sparks has a small handful of menu items, but with a large kitchen, I anticipate that the offerings may increase. Â The breakfast of 3 eggs, bacon, cucumbers and toast is reasonably priced at $6, but the dish could use some options to make it more interesting. Â Offering easy additions such as cheese, tomato and/or avocado would be a good move. Â
One yelper has criticized the pastries for being pricey, but they look to be in line with similar shops. Â Plus, I believe most or all are made in house, which is a real find. Â I enjoyed a generously sized fruit bar that was the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Â
My only complaint is the styrofoam containers and plastic straws. Â These are counter-intuitive for this otherwise hip place. Â Just the standard paper pastry bag is all that is needed for most of the pastries. Â But a huge thumbs up for using real, yes real, coffee cups. Â Better enjoyment of the coffee and less environmental waste. Â
Sparks is about 100,000x more appealing than going to Starbucks (which truly does have overpriced pastries, and are not made in house).  It's  wonderful to have them in my home zone.
Going for coffee is rarely about the coffee itself; it's more about the experience, place, service, company, ambiance and presentation. This place has it all, "anti-Starbucks" appeal, great classic and Arabic style coffee, superb Latte, awesome French and Russian pastries, original furniture and decor. Should you ever drive I-25 corridor, this is the place to stop by for coffee and pastries off the Hamden exit. And yes, tell them "Daniel send us here", I think they like me there too! :)
Review Source:
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