The awning over the Uptown Espresso and Bakery immediately caught my eye. It proudly declared the store, “Home of the Velvet Foam”. This sparked my interest. It had been a long, long time since I’d had an espresso drink with properly textured foam. Most of the Coffee Beans and Starbucks I’ve been to whip up cappuccinos and lattes with a bunch of hot milk and some airy bubbles laced on top. I just had to find out if this place could deliver.

Just shy of 9am, we found metered parking on the street. Even at this early hour, every inside table of the roomy coffeehouse was packed as well as a few outside tables. We interpreted the half dozen people in line as a good sign and patiently waited our turn to order. We could see through the glass windows of the bakery behind the counter and started eying the fruits of their labor in the glass case up front. Uptown cooks up some mouth-watering goodies:large muffins, equally monstrous scones, chocolate stuffed croissants, and humongoid cinnamon rolls.

Their drinks menu is neatly handwritten on a blackboard above the heads of the staff as they scurry about taking orders. Offering 3 standard sizes and a wide variety of popular favorites, it was easy for us noobs to order. As our turn came quickly near, we couldn’t resist the temptation of a fresh batch of cinnamon rolls and ordered one up. That alongside our tall Chai latte and tall cappuccino was sure to be a satisfying breakfast stop.

As we waited for our drinks, we read with intrigue about Uptown’s owner and his break from his salesman routine to starting his own coffeehouse/bakery. Entrepreneur:1; Corporate Sales Job:0.

After a quick stop at the condiment island, and realizing we STILL weren’t going to get a seat inside the busy store, we ventured out into the crisp cool air. After settling down at a large table outside, I wasted not a moment in cracking open my drink and discovering a mountain of velvety foam rising off the top of my espresso. Though not as smooth and creamy as I would have liked, it was definitely better than anything the corporate man could offer to me. The poor cinnamon roll didn’t fare long for this world with the two of us hacking away at it to expose more sweet gooey roll inside.

After finishing our morning grub, we were refreshed and ready to hit the road for the remainder of our trip. I’d highly recommend Uptown Espresso & Bakery to anyone looking for a relaxing atmosphere, good food + drinks, and an escape from the standard corporate fare.

Uptown Espresso & Bakery

1065 Higuera St
Ste 101
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

(805) 783-1300

http://www.uptownespressoandbakery.com/