The Washington Coffee Shop was not my first choice for pre-race coffee while in Washington, MO for the FRAY swim meet. Locust and Oak in nearby Union was my preferred destination, but it was closed for spring break. My next choice was Exit 11 Coffee in Washington. GPS directed me to their coffee truck. But with time to spare, I wanted to experience a local shop. I had trouble locating the permanent building, not realizing how close in proximity it was to the truck. Exploring Washington, I found myself stopped at the corner of Fifth and Jefferson Streets, home of the Washington Coffee Shop.

I found a parking spot, went in, and inquired about brewed coffee. I was directed to two large urns, one flavored and the other not. My expectations were not elevated. Seeing a nice espresso machine, I ordered an Americano. It was quite good, so I was thrilled to have purchased the large size. I drank some in the café and practically filled my small thermos with the balance.

During a lull in the swim meet, I had a couple drinks of the still-hot brew which paired nicely with the almond-butter and jelly muffin I packed. There was a perfect amount of coffee left to fuel my journey home. The Washington Coffee Shop ended up being an excellent experience, even though it wasn’t the caffeinated athlete’s first choice.

The shop was comfortably spacious and felt homey. A variety of seating options accommodated individuals and different group sizes. The staff was super nice. Small talk led to realizing that the barista and I had a mutual acquaintance. The grill area offered an interesting selection that I would have sampled had it not been for the whole ‘no eating before swimming’ thing.

I like it when things turn out better than expected. This was one of those experiences. I look forward to returning to Washington Coffee Shop the next time I’m in the area.