Feature: Coffee For Sasquatch in Melrose

On the east-end of Melrose, before the trendy sneaker shops, pop ups and Kobe murals, there lies a sleeping giant: Coffee For Sasquatch. 
This Insta-friendly woman-owned minimalist cafe serves up SF-based (also woman-owned!) Ritual coffees along with seasonal pastries and year-round smiles. While the owner, Claire, lives in New York, the manager, Andrew, is her on-the-ground confidant, acting as her eyes and ears. “It’s been tough during the pandemic,” he said, “but she trusts my judgement.”  Personal note: Near the end of 2020, Andrew married another barista he met at CFS (Kailee) and they are moving! Coffee brings so many people together (happy tears). Ehem...

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This shop is the epitome of quality and authenticity. They have been hit hard by the pandemic, like surrounding shops, because of their location. “We aren’t getting commuters anymore, and parking is tricky,” said Andrew. But they have more parking than other spots on Melrose, and so much to offer, so I knew I had to give them a (long-overdue) blog post.

Let’s start with the obvious: COVID updates.
I’ve never seen so much as a flake of dust, a drip of coffee or a straw wrapper littered about. So cleanliness is not an issue. 
If you’ve taken a road trip during the pandemic you know how hard BATHROOMS are to come by. Well, CFS has one open bathroom -- enjoy? (nerd face)
Finally -- to stay or to go? Take your pick. They have three tables (two chairs at each) out front but it’s on Melrose, so it can get quite busy/loud. Otherwise, like most places, their indoor seating is off-limits for the time being (but that doesn’t have to stop you from snagging a selfie with Sasquatch).

COVID or not, I wouldn’t call this place a good date spot since it’s kind of echo-y, hyper-modern (hard seating) and on Melrose (again, outdoor seating is loud and traffic-y). But this is a great Insta-worthy spot and grab-and-go shop -- I used to stop here all the time on my way to work. I have to emphasize their baked goods -- they change up seasonally but they are ALWAYS delicious, can’t go wrong with an almond croissant. A final note about the cold brew: sometimes, I thought, it could be inconsistent -- however, if you just ask they will give you some water if it tastes a bit dark for your liking! Otherwise, you can always let it water down a bit.  Either way, whatever hot African option they have for pour over is always on point.

My ratings for Coffee For Sasquatch:
Coffee: ☕☕☕☕☕
Cold brew: ☕☕☕☕
Baked goods: ☕☕☕☕
Customer service: ☕☕☕☕☕
First date spot: ☕☕
(COVID) Seating: ☕☕
Normal seating: ☕☕
(COVID) Work spot: ☕
Normal work spot: ☕☕
Espresso: ☕☕☕☕☕
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*Note: Photos were taken before the pandemic