Crows Nest Coffee Shoppe

Really good coffee and great employees. Early morning coffee runs just to come here, sit and have a good conversation.

Coffee is ok and great pricing.
Seems like everyone likes it because it was very busy. The line was literally out the door. It was sunday and none of the other surrounding coffee shops were open though.
Only had 1 guy working which was unfortunate. He didn’t talk much to his customers much because he was so slammed. I felt bad for the guy.

If you want condescending, insulting, & sarcastic baristas serving mediocre coffee, then stop in here. After patiently waiting 30 minutes for 2 lattes, my husband asked why the 2 women who just ordered drinks got theirs right away. We were told by the bearded dude behind the counter that since we were on vacation we should act like it and mellow out. Wow.
Then the charming lady behind the bar told us in her most condescending tone to have a nice day. We actually were having a nice day til we stopped here. We were embarrassed for bringing guests of ours here. If you want decent coffee with a better attitude keep going.

Terrific local coffee shop. Delicious coffee. Nice people behind the counter. A steady stream of locals come through in the morning trading news and jokes.
Be forewarned: They are not on your schedule. They may finish their conversations before taking your order. They are certainly not fast. They are on Island time. None of that is a negative to me; if any of them are to you, you should go to one of the other businesses on the island.
As for me, I go every morning I’m in Friday Harbor.

Obviously a locals place. I’ll start with saying the coffee is good… Not great, but enjoyable.
My wife and I went here with the sole purpose of supporting a small local business. We were instantly treated like the «terrible tourists» we were. No eye contact and continued conversation from a guy sitting at the bar top and the barista.
We finally ordered our drinks and were the only people in line for drinks. The barista made my wife’s drink, which was made well, and then a local came in and stood to the left of us, not behind… in line and placed his orders. The barista literally stopped making my drink, made the two drinks for this guy, took payment and then continued to make my drink.
Your business is in a tourist town, I get it… Tourist are annoying. We don’t know anything… But c’mon, tourist are the majority of your business’ success.
Won’t be going back here.

Delicious! Guy behind the counter took his time in giving us recommendations… very helpful!

You will not find a better iced Americano on San Juan Island! Jon and the rest of his crew make exceptional coffee– every time.

Amazing coffee
Just what a needed after arriving off the ferry on our scooters in this cold day. Had an americano with an extra shot delish !!
I would recommend them for sure

Best vanilla latte I’ve ever had! You can tell just how high quality the coffee is by the smell walking into the tiny shop. We were visiting and wanted to try a new coffee shop each morning we stayed. When we come back next year, I’m only going here! My husband had an Americano and said it was very good as well. Cute theme, fun stamp on the cups. Love goes into the coffee at this place

Best coffee on Friday Harbor the only challenge is they aren’t open every day. Hard to figure out if they just decide to be open whenever. If you catch them, get some coffee!

I love Supporting small businesses. Especially when the owner is working so hard helping customers! This is a charming little coffee shop! It’s busy and you will wait a few minutes for the best latte you’ve ever had. I can’t wait to visit again!

Great delicious coffee, nice environment, and the guy behind the counter knows what he is doing! I highly recommend this place! We had coffee and pastries multiple times during our visit and it was always high quality. Be prepared to wait a bit, cause good coffee isn’t instantaneous!

We walked in the wide open door assuming they were open for business, the gal on the phone hollared I’m way beyond closed! Looked up online yes they were closed 10 minutes earlier. A sorry folks we’re closed, haven’t got a chance to lock up yet, would have been better. Was hoping to go in as heard good things, but hubby says no. If we go back will review again.

We stopped here for breakfast before our ferry ride. I had the breakfast sandwich and my husband had a breakfast burrito– both delicious! We also had fresh KAWfee (coffee) which was truly fresh and very yummy. This place has a great local vibe and it seemed a lot of people were on a first name basis with the staff… always a good sign. He was super busy so we waited a few minutes but considering he made coffee and food it was fine. I’m pretty sure it’s always busy in the morning with the locals so make sure you plan enough time.

A cold Monday morning in mid-​December and I’m looking for a place to get some hot chocolate (I really don’t like coffee…) and take a 7AM call for work while I’m on vacation. So, there aren’t many options in Friday Harbor where I can sit down at 6:45 AM in the «off-​season». A quick search on Unilocal and I find Crows Nest Coffee and a variety of reviews both praising and vilifying based on the different expectations for service. So, to set my expectations, let me just say I was hoping I could get a good cocoa and find a place to sit for :30 minutes or so.
The place is small with seating for 2 at a small round table and maybe another 3 at another small table in the window with a bench seat. This shop is clearly not intended for lots of people milling around all morning. The décor is feels dated and inexpensive but I get the feeling that it is very carefully done to create a «local» atmosphere that visitors will find quaint and locals will find comfortable and not too fancy.
Jon made me a good cocoa and was happy to engage me in light conversation about the off-​season, my visit, and the type of customers they see this time of year. He also didn’t glare at me for getting a cup and sitting at one of the two tables for half-​an-​hour while I worked.

In a word, Crows Nest is honest.
When you walk in, nothing could be more obvious than the fact that you have indeed stepped into an SJ Island establishment, owned and manned by, not surprisingly, well seasoned Islanders. But what the appearances belie is that these guys are master baristas. I suppose, if you want to have a flawless espresso, make sure Jon is at the helm. No offense to the others. But Jon — who is unquestionably colorful — has the creds. Take the trouble to ask him for the longer story, but the short version is that he served at the left hand of the Roasting God himself, Vivace coffee’s David Schomer. This is meaningful information.
Crows Nest uses Vivace beans — which is a rare thing. You should try a straight shot of espresso from Jon, just so you can know what the big deal is. If the place is quiet at the moment, let him tell you what to look for. He may not always be patient but he respects people who care about his product.
The process required to deliver a perfect pull of espresso is fraught with peril. The blending and roasting of the beans, the grind, the packing of the puck, the water temperature, the pressure — tiny variations can lead to disaster.
I hope Jon is not offended by this, but I think what affects some visitors is that he is more of a mechanic than a service provider. He keeps everything working perfectly and I can tell he takes great pride in delivering the best possible espresso to each and every customer. But does he care if you like him? Is he watching the tip jar? I’m thinking that’s not so high on his list.
So, that’s why I say Crows Nest is honest. They look like an Island establishment. They promise the best espresso on the Island. And they deliver on both.

Adore this place. Great coffee, and 3 kinds of chai to choose from (I recommend the spicy), plus teas, shakes, and kids’ options. The staff is great and friendly; it’s fun to chat it up while you wait for your drinks. There isn’t much sitting room, so I recommend getting your coffee then moving onto the next adventure, or taking it down to the park or an ocean lookout if you’d like to sit and savor it. Not a place to sit and work in.
Unlike others, we didn’t have problems with slow service. But, maybe we were having so much fun with our conversations with the staff we just didn’t notice.
I need to go back to the coffee, and specifically the espresso: so good. It’s smooth and flavorful, bold without a hint of over-​roasting. Can’t wait for my next trip back!

This place has very good coffee and is a local coffee shop and not a chain. The service is pretty quick. I felt the coffee was much better than a usual Starbucks coffee.

Contrary to what another Unilocaler said, my barista was not stoned, though I think that would have improved the experience since everyone is happier that way.

I am being generous with two stars for this place.
Came in on a Saturday morning, my husband and I ordered our usual coffee order: Me, a nonfat vanilla latte, my husband a mocha. The barista making the drinks was busy and got distracted, so in the middle of making our drinks she had a different person take over. I watched him use whole milk for my latte instead of skim so I asked him, «mine is nonfat, right?», hoping for a non-​confrontational way of pointing out the mistake. Perhaps I should have been blunt because he looks me in the eye and lies, «Yep!». Okay, whatever… my latter is spiked with a bunch of fat, I can deal with that. My husband and I pay just shy of $ 9 for our two drinks and leave and as we walk out we both take our first sips.
Holy crap… I cannot put in to words how bad this coffee is. Worst coffee ever is an understatement. Even though we had different drinks, we were both disgusted and shocked at how badly they tasted. We immediately tossed them out and wished Friday Harbor had a Starbucks like the rest of the known world.
Someone else claimed they use good chocolate in their mochas, not true FYI. They were using hershey syrup for the chocolate flavoring. Not that it mattered, because the coffee itself was disgusting.