Firecreek Coffee Company

Ever gone out for a latte and walked into a dance party? That was my Saturday at Firecreek. There was an event, the music was loud and people were dancing everywhere. I did not see it coming and I kind of loved it.

Every city has a building that used to be something else. This one is a 1940s department store at 16th and McDowell. It took about four years to turn it into a 7,500 square foot roastery, cafe and venue. The result is nice. Two stories with exposed beams and 20 foot high ceilings. Large tall windows up front let in tons of light. A mezzanine wraps around the open middle and local art is everywhere. There is a stage in the center of it all (so the dance party kinda of made sense).

But the star here is the roaster. A restored massive 60 kilo Samiac is visible from every angle of the room. Everything is roasted in house. The founder is a Seattle native who spent years in espresso equipment sales and service and cafe build outs before starting Firecreek in 2008. He clearly knows how a coffee room works from the inside.

Upstairs, behind a slide up wall of windows, is an SCA accredited training room. So somebody is learning to pull shots right above your head. I love that.

Now the honest part. The house espresso blend is Boxcar and it leans medium roast. There are no single origins and no pour overs. If you are a light roast person like me, think of this as an espresso and milk drink kind of place. Get a latte with one of the house syrups and let the building do the rest.

The parking lot fills up fast, so go early. And Nocturne is right across the street, so you can make a whole morning of it.

Firecreek is a coffee shop that also thinks it is a concert hall, a school and a factory. Somehow it works.

Related:

Firecreek Coffee Company in Flagstaff, AZ.

Big Park Bakery in Village of Oak Creek, Sedona

Firecreek in the Village of Oak Creek, Sedona