Glen’s Espresso

Glen’s Espresso is one of those secret coffee places that you want to share with people but keep secret all at the same time. Quirky, unique with amazingly good coffee. I’m always intrigued to see what will be on the chalk board and no matter how busy it gets, the service is always personal and friendly. One of my favourites. A Brisbane secret that’s worth the hunt.

Organic coffee, honesty box, a funny chalkboard every day, great barista’s who are fun… dress ups if there is something to dress up for… I love Glens Espresso.
And the best Christmas calender ever.

I love the no frills no nonsense method for ordering:
1. Pick up cup
2. Write your name and coffee order onto the cup.
3. Make change from the money bucket and drop payment into the said bucket.
4. Enjoy.
There’s a great variety of people who come here. Since it’s right across from my office, you’ll find guys in suits, shirts and ties. But since it’s also next to an English learning school, you’ll also see a lot of students.
Above the coffee stand, there is a significant variety of currency taped to the top. I like playing a little game where I try to guess where a new currency is from. Trust me, it’s a pretty good game while you’re waiting.
If you’ve got a couple minutes to hang out, they have some ironic books on the small tables in front of the stand. Personally, I could just sit right there and pore over «All My Friends are Dead» for hours and lavish in the open air of the cbd.

I always hoped that places like this one exist, only I was the unlucky one and I couldn’t find them.
Until now.
This is the most awesome coffee stand ever!
If this is your first time, I’d say best to come over with a friend who’s already been there, they will explain what the heck is going on.
So what’s going on, you ask?
Well, you arrive to this beautiful stand, grab a white cup of desired size (from small up to ‘Stupid big’ size) and start doodling. Um, I mean, writing what would you like to have…
I always end up creating some doodles, it’s so much fun I can actually (I CAN. ME. Not THEM. ME. Mememememe. I’m a big girl and I like doing things on my own.) draw/​write/​doodle/​sketch on my own coffee cup.
So once you’ve decided what you want, decorated your coffee cup, you put the cup on the coffee machine, smile to the barista and process to the very efficient Paying-​Tool.
Which is a box with spare change — yeah, you just deal with paying on your own. First time I went there, I had no idea what’s going on, I also had $ 20 with me.
Well, good luck me, paying with a $ 20 for a coffee that costed $ 3.80 (and yes, I am an engineer… Everybody can have a bad day, right?). It took some time, but I’ve got there.
So what’s the layout? There are few tables around, three or four of them. And they have the most awesome books you can imagine. They have a ‘cyanide and hapiness’ one, the oatmeal, the one about Chuck Norris, one called ‘All my friends are dead’… So I have to admit, I struggle when I go with some friends. Books get me slightly distracted from discussion…
You can sit there on your own, you can bring your friends, chat with the baristas, chat with strangers, pretend you’re invisible… Whatever you like!
Oh, and coffee? Yeah, they have it. I mean coffee, they have coffee. Well, you know. They are a coffee stand. That makes sense, right?
It’s a good coffee too. Very good indeed. And they know how much sugar one sugar is supposed to have. You might laugh, but I find it difficult to have a ONE sugar in the coffee. I might say one sugar, but they will put half spoon. Or a super big one. Or forget about sugar (you know, it’s a white death anyways, you shouldn’t use sugar.)
In summary, it is a super cool place, in the centre of the CBD, with friendly staff and tasty coffee.