Coffee isn’t just a job for our staff, it’s their passion. Our team members are constantly trying to top each other when it comes to things like pour overs and latte art. Our baristas are over caffeinated.  No, really… they are.

Many cafes can master the art of steaming milk.  Once you drop a ristretto (1.5oz of espresso) in a latte, many of the nuances of the espresso blend are masked behind all that creamy goodness, and it’s probably going to taste good.  But how many times can you walk into a cafe and with confidence order an espresso and expect a perfectly balanced extraction?  In our opinion, not very often. Pulling the perfect shot of espresso is a surprisingly difficult task.  There are so many factors that affect the way the espresso tastes.  From the roasting, to the grind setting, boiler temperate, tamp style, even the humidity and temperature of the air inside the cafe affects the way espresso falls into your cup.  Here at Hungry Ghost, our baristas are trained to know all these elements and how to channel them into the perfect shot. We work exclusively with Stumptown’s Hairbender espresso blend, and have become so familiar with it’s nuances and are constantly seeking to bring out the best in it. We call it “dialing in.”  

On a typical morning, a barista may sample 5 to 10 double ristrettos while constantly making adjustments to the grind and dose in order to achieve this. The only way to really achieve this however, is to love what you do. We seek out barista’s who share our passion for coffee and are not afraid to chase the perfect shot and coincidentally become very over caffeinated. Next time you stop in, be sure to strike up a conversation about espresso with any of our baristas and watch their eyes glow.

While coffee remains the focus for the cafe, our beverage menu has expanded to include a wide variety of specialty teas, handmade Italian sodas and even Kombucha on tap. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, we want to make sure that the Hungry Ghost got you covered.