FIREHOUSE COFFEE AND TEA
317 Johnson St. Sausalito, CA
Contact: 415-729-9159
WWW.FIREHOUSECOFFEETEA.COM
IG @firehousecoffeetea
Facebook
Date Visited: September 17, 2019
This coffee shop is fire!
I headed north over the Golden Gate bridge towards the beautiful town of Sausalito, California. Following the road around the water, I was just in awe of how lovely this day has turned out to be. Tons of tourists, the bay, the birds, and the shops bustling with people. I had a good feeling I would find a coffee shop nearby.
It was then that I saw Firehouse Coffee & Tea. I pulled over and sat there for a second deciding if I should go check it out or keep heading North. It was already 3:00 PM which is a little late for me to have caffeine and still get sleep later that night. I decided I’d give it a chance after reading some great reviews on Google. I got out about to put change in the parking meter and to my surprise it had 00:58 minutes left. I took this as a great sign, grabbed my stuff and headed across the street towards the Cafe and firetrucks.
Such a cool location, the shop was connected to a very active fire station. I snapped a great shop of the firetruck and headed into the coffee shop to see what they were all about. Wow, this shop was deceiving from the outside, it goes way back and then extends onto a patio. My first reactions were: clean, modern, and homey. Looking around there were people on couches, chairs, tables, benches, and out on the patio, it was happenin'. The shop was very well accented with the fire engine red color. They even went the extra mile and placed little model fire trucks all around. This was a different vibe than the places I've been in but I was digging the uniqueness.
Stepped up to the counter and was approached by a friendly man named Carlos. He informed me that he just began brewing a fresh pot of coffee and that it should only be a few minutes. I reassured him that I was in no hurry and told him why I was visiting. This is when I was introduced to Evan, the owner's son. I grabbed my coffee, a very tasty Ethiopian roast that was light and fruity, and had a seat with Evan.
Evan was the perfect resource to get the lowdown on this place. Firehouse Coffee & Tea is 2 years old and family-owned/operated. When they started they had moved into a well-known coffee space that had been in the area for a very long time. They had a lot of hesitation from locals, but once they came in and tried Firehouse, they were hooked! I mean, who wouldn't be, they offer Wifi, couches, good coffee, USB plug outlets, and a fun Sunday Disco once a month. They are in a great location as well, at the end of the tourist trap and more geared towards locals than the other coffee shops in the area. And for people that love to read, they host a public book exchange so people can read and relax. The artwork that covers the wall is all from the same local artist. It changes monthly, but right now the spotlight was on Andrea Flores, and she is freaking good. I have attached some of her portraits below. All these things proved to me why Firehouse was awarded the Best New Business Award.
Funny side story, Evan was so stoked about everything I was doing and connected with my mission so much, that he wanted one of my shirts. I informed him that I've worn them before and I have been on the road for weeks. They've been washed and cleaned, but they weren't brand new. He persisted on rocking one. So I ran out to the van and grabbed him a large tee and he gifted me a Firehouse mug. A great day, one for the books. Next time you're passing through, stop and tell them I said hi!
The bathroom was perfect. Reminded me a lot of really nice Italian restaurant restroom. Super clean tiles, sparkling floor, and full of everything you may need. This is a surprise because it was rather late in the day and I've seen some rough bathrooms at 3:00 PM but they did a wonderful job of keeping it clean. I am happy to give them an 11/10 for their bathroom, which might be one of the cleanest restrooms I've been in yet.
