Bad Ass Coffee
3530 State St. Salt Lake, UT Get Directions Drive-thru Available
Contact: 801-265-1182 WWW.BADASSCOFFEESLC.COM
IG @badasscoffeeslc
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Date Visited: October 31, 2019
I found my first palm tree in a coffee shop! Believe it or not, it was in the middle of Salt Lake City, Utah! I was stoked to check this coffee shop out, I mean it's called Bad Ass Coffee, it had to be good. I pulled up to this giant barn-style building and I spotted a statue of a donkey on the roof. I parked my car and headed inside with no expectations and no prior review.
Hawaii
This coffee shop is huge! Massive ceiling, tons of murals, lots of places to sit, and a PALM TREE! The barista was helping a customer so I went to look around. I loved it - beach vibes in the middle of Utah. It was so my style. It was October 31st, and I had just teleported to Hawaii! There were Leis, donkey mugs with Santa hats, a surfboard, and sand! Then I found a plaque that said:
"The Native people of Kona, Hawaii remember the days of the "Bad Ass Ones." The bellows of the donkeys could be heard echoing through the mountains as they hauled the heavy loads of coffee up and down the mountainside. In honor of these hard-working donkeys, we named our coffee company. The legend of the Kona Nightingale lives on right here at The Bad Ass Coffee Company."
Coffee
I got in line and wished the barista a happy Halloween. Her name was Shelby and she has been slinging coffee here for over two years. I told her where I've been and what I was up to. She told me I was allowed to take pictures and to let her know if I had any questions. I decided to order a small drip-coffee and she informed me that this coffee is from Kona. I have actually been to the Big Island of Hawaii before in 2017 and this is where I first tried coffee believe it or not. Kona coffee is grown on the volcanic mountainside, which makes for its own unique characteristics. Kona coffee is known as being one of the most flavorful and sought after coffees in the world. The coffee was delicious and just as I remembered. I smiled in between every sip!
Need a place to hang?
This is the spot! Bad Ass Coffee offers free WIFI and a variety of places to sit, study, and relax. When I was there, I witnessed friends catching up, a date, and people studying for what appeared to be an exam. Shelby told me this coffee shop is almost 27 years old and the most popular drink right now is the Bad Ass Mocha. And if you're in a hurry, need not worry, there is a drive-thru as well. All of a sudden a friendly bald-headed guy walked out of the back and Shelby said, "Hey! Meet the owner, Mike." He was a super-friendly guy and he truly cares about serving good coffee and making sure everyone is happy.
Murals
There are some hilarious murals on the walls. For instance, there is one of Marilyn Monroe saying, "Oh baby you're so bad..." with a Bad Ass Logo tattooed on her shoulder. There are dolphins jumping out of coffee cups and even a John Wayne look-alike saying, "Hey pilgrim drink American coffee or get out of dodge." Whoever the artist was did a phenomenal job!
Food
There are a variety of food options and they are fairly inexpensive! They serve breakfast sandwiches, muffins, croissants, yogurt, bagels, and even vegan/gluten-free cookies. Don't forget to order a delicious almond biscotti with your coffee as well! This place was great, a wonderful find in the middle of Salt Lake City.
Bathroom
The bathrooms were both clean and neatly decorated. A few subtle posters and fully stocked of supplies. I really expected a giant donkey mural on the walls. I would rank these bathrooms an 8.5/10, great job!