Spruce Street Espresso

The first stop on our 2011 Philly Coffee Tour was Spruce Street Espresso, a shop on the corner of 11th and Spruce in Philadelphia's Gayborhood. Spruce Street is a cozy little spot with a bit of indoor seating, plenty of outdoor seating and a cheerful crew of baristas serving up top notch coffee.

When Sarah, Ryan and I walked in, we were quickly greeted with a smile - a huge plus in my book. I explained to the barista my whole touring-the-Philly-coffee-shops expedition, and then asked what she would recommend from Spruce Street's menu. She said simple is better to really showcase the shop's coffee, and cappuccino was one of the few drinks she recommended. I've had some pretty rotten cappuccinos in my day, so I thought it would be an adventurous way to go - in my opinion, it's very easy to screw up a cappuccino.

Luckily, Spruce Street Espresso takes its coffee very seriously.


My cappuccino was perfect - smooth and delicious with just the right amount of foam. They made a cute little design on top, too, which was a nice bonus. Sarah went for an iced coffee (strong without being overpowering, she said) and a squash blossom muffin. I don't really know where the squash blossom came into play here (they're rather tasteless, although pretty), but the muffin was pretty delicious. I described it as "autumn in your mouth." Sarah called it warm. In any case - tasty! I got a peach bar to go with my coffee, and it was great, although I could have gone for a little more crunch in the topping.

Ryan's not a coffee drinker, but also not one to skip a fun outing. She came along for the first stop on our tour and went for a Coke (in a glass bottle!) and an organic brownie. She said the brownie was good and "tasted organic" - hopefully that's a good sign.


I'd say pricing here was pretty typical for an independent coffee shop. I shelled out $3.50 for my cappuccino. The iced coffee was $3. The desserts ranged from $2.50 to $3.50 - those I would say were the steepest considering the sizes of the desserts.

Overall, I loved Spruce Street Espresso. It's got a great feel, awesome outdoor seating and a super friendly staff to boot. We would all definitely go back. I mean, if three out of three guests were happy with their order, then Spruce Street must be doing something right.