SteamDot

This is for the location at 6^th and F:
It is not often that outside of major, snooty metropolitan areas of this country do you find such phony BS attempts to self aggrandize simple things. Coffee is, I understand, an area of passion for many. Many people like its different flavors and all the many shapes it can take. I can appreciate that. What I can’t appreciate is the attitude that people attach to it. Asking for a dark roast and getting
«We don’t do dark roasts, that ruins coffee, we brew it so you can actually taste it» through your emo bangs and snarky self-​cultivated fake appearance. This does not resonate well with customers. Perhaps «we want you to appreciate the coffee so we have steered away from that, let me tell you way». You are a business dummy, you want to be inclusive because you want to make money. Making your little place an exclusive place where you shun outsiders not in the «know» is damaging to a business plan.
Topping it off with doing nothing for 3 minutes while I watch and you gossip followed by calling my name as if my drink was ready so I can watch you make it next to your tip jar, again is a stupid and easily transparent scheme.
Tips are for good service, this includes attitudes. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Steam Dot is the best roaster/​coffee shop in the state. They are a true purist coffee shop with a full slow bar and a wide variety of coffee options. They have a very knowledgeable staff that will do an amazing job explaining all the different coffee options and can take you on a trip around the world with the various coffees they feature.

After my disappointing experience at the O’Malley location, I was kind of leery about visiting the Sears Mall location. To my great relief, the employees were very nice and quick to take my order. This café has a more modern art style compared to the O’Malley location. Spacious seating as well as the living room area full of fine black leather chairs and footrests. A fireplace is built into the wall which is really cool to look at when you’re sitting next to it with your laptop or a book. I wish I could’ve gone in here sooner. The Sears Mall is always a «drive-​by destination» meaning if I’m going east or west bound on Northern Lights or Benson, I am always passing by this place without even thinking to stop.
I decided to order from their Chemex slow bar and opted for a Kenya blend. The wait was only a few minutes and this was one of the smoothest coffees I have had recently. The taste is right up there with the Starbucks Reserves at the C St. and 100^th Ave. location. (I highly recommend this type of drip coffee to everyone rather than their regular drip. The Starbucks locations in Seattle serve this in a lot of their stores and this Starbucks is the only location in Anchorage that has the Reserves.) Their blueberry and harvest muffins are delicious and a fine addition with the Kenya blend. Atmosphere is laid back and pleasant and there are no shortage of seats in the bar area especially when it gets busy. I am happy to find a new coffee shop destination in the Midtown area for studying and widening my options if I don’t feel like going to the same place twice in one week.

These guys are on top of their game. You’ll see them measuring out your grounds on a gram scale and talking insider café gibberish. After their lab experiment is complete, you’ll enjoy your expertly crafted artisan creation. Drop some dough on the platinum membership and reap the rewards.

My husband and I dropped by here because Black Cup was closed for the holiday. We really enjoyed our experience. He was happy with the wide selection of hoity-​toity high maintenance hipster coffees and the variety of brewing methods. I found my latte to be quite delightful. I loved the simple, industrial-​inspired ambience (and the fire place!). And the baked good were the bomb! Definitely will be back here– even if it’s just to grab a brookie.

The place was a typical hipster spot & clean. Good coffee for Alaska since I’m use to California coffee shops.

I had a very strange experience here. While cleaning out my wallet I found a gift card for steam dot I received last Christmas. The next time I was in the area I went in to use it. I ordered and handed the cashier my gift card and looked at me like I was from another planet. «Haven’t seen one of these in awhile» he said an put it in a drawer and stared at me. WTF? I calmly think and ask him why he didn’t run it. Apparently they went to a new system (Square which I thought they had last time) and could not read my gift card and therefore would not honor it. Sooo, this brings up many questions about this business, do they really have no way of dealing with gift cards sold under an old system and this is how they treat customers that bought them? It’s not like a dusted off a coupon from the 70’s and demanded they take it, this gift card was less than a year old!
Long story short, I told him the card hadn’t been used and there was $ 25 on it. After some skeptical questions and a long call to his manager he agreed to issue a NEW gift card. Wow! What service!
I’d say I’d go back a year later and see what new system they have and if it takes this new gift card, but I wont be back. This place once seemed modern and cool now has a distinctively less sophisticated, less friendly vibe, the people working there clearly didn’t give a shit, and that seems consistent with other recent reviews I’ve seen. SteamNot.

Liking the vanilla latte and the place has a cool layout. Good spot to get some work done in between meetings!

My Chemex was good and my friend’s Americano was fine. But it’s hard to enjoy either when they take 20+ minutes to produce.

Terrible Service. Order took 15 minutes. For an iced Coffee. Barista dumped half my drink out to add whipped cream as an afterthought
Will not return here.

In a world of ever expanding choices, I have to say that it’s nice to find a place that specializes in streamlining.
At this steam dot location, they offer only a limited number of coffee types and a small, but varied, list of teas. As a non-​coffee drinker, I can’t really address the former, except to say that they look lovely with the foam designs that are all the rage with the kids today. The latter tea choices are more my bag, so to speak. They offer a green, a black, a roiboos, and an herbal mint-​mélange relaxation tea, in addition to a regular special tea, which is currently sunny mountain (an herbal with green roiboos hibiscus flowers, and some other flavors I can’t recall).
They also have a small selection of pastry/​baked goods in case you get the munchies. They look fresh and tasty, so I’ll be sure to try them another time.
Regarding the service, the staff are friendly and helpful but not very fast. People ahead of me seemed to be getting anxious about the wait, but as I wasn’t in a rush, I didn’t mind. I was here to stay for a while and work, and it’s good for that – the music is not loud or distracting, and the acoustics are decent, so the voices around me never got too obnoxious. Nothing a pair of earplugs can’t handle, unlike some other places around.
The décor reflects the minimalism of the menu – not sparse, but not cluttered. Soothing colors with a chic feel. Comfortable furniture that makes one feel welcome to hang for a while. I particularly liked the chairs that are plush but not overly soft, so they have a good structure and support long-​term sitting.
Nothing in this steam dot is overwhelming or requires too much thought. Simple and well-​designed is how I would describe this business overall, and it’s a place I will keep in mind whenever I leave the house to work.

If you are into the «specialty coffee» experience and want a cup of high Himalayan beans roasted over yak dung for 23 minutes, ground to exactly .64mm and hot water dripped through at 9 drops per second, no more, no less… here is your coffee shop.
If you want a cup of coffee, try elsewhere.

Disappointed.
Barista appeared to be inconvenienced with taking my order. Triple latte with almond. Forgot the almond. Latte had a burned/​sour taste. Tried to finish it but was unable to choke it all down. Not sure if it was the beans they use or operator error.

It’s a hip coffee spot, I do prefer their location on the south side of town (a little more privacy with the seat setting). I really like this place, their homemade white chocolate ganache syrup melts in their drinks and you never have to fear of choking on a powder clump!
They have some cool gadgets.
Oh– their roast? It’s a light roast with various notes of fig etc (tbh I never taste coffee notes)! It is not an overwhelming cup of espresso, I do wish I lived closer to them, I would come here over Kaladis or Statbucks.
It’s across from Burger Fi inside the Sears Mall.

Third wave coffee is beginning to make its presence felt in Alaska! As someone who has been spoiled by great coffee in NY for the past several years, this is a welcome addition to my hometown.
Like other craft coffee shops, there is a focus on the quality of the product. The beans are carefully sourced and roasted locally. If you request a slow brew, the coffee is freshly grinded and brewed using either a V60, Chemex, or siphon. I noticed that some others were confused by the prep time, but that’s simply part of the process. Can’t rush good coffee.
The store is very well spaced with a large bar style seating area cutting through the middle and open tables surrounding. The store caters to the whole spectrum of visitors, except those in a rush or those who want a sugar-​blasted caramel frappuccino. Go to Starbucks for that.

Best coffee I’ve found in anchorage.
Much better than Kaladi brothers coffee.
This is great craft coffee. They make it to order. Beans are good.
Large building and easy parking.
Plugs all over.
But really the coffee is very good and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good cup of well roasted and brewed black coffee.
Come and get it whole it’s hot.
The biscotti was very nice as well
Fast internet.
It’s in a mall but don’t let that sway you away.

Steamdot was a breathe of fresh air when they opened in Anchorage. The managers and the owners really know what they are doing. (Most of the baristas are young and can professional it up a little bit.)
The coffee is always fresh. The V60 pour-​overs and Chemex are amazing. So much flavor with each sip, they rival any Stumptown cup in Portland, OR.

I like this place. It has a lot going for it– really good coffee, friendly staff/​barista, relaxed vibe.
I noticed two small things that need improvement: my lemon blueberry muffin was a little dry, and the atmosphere seems bare (some art on the walls and/​or a big piece suspended from the center of the ceiling would go a long way). But those are relatively minor complaints.
Oh, and they have a «regular customer» deal: you pay $ 250 to join the club, and receive a $ 300 gift card plus other assorted discounts. Weird (to me) that the bar is so high to join, but I guess it works for them. :-)

While I absolutely love the ambience (they have a fireplace, great music, comfy chairs, bar areas and plenty of outlets for your gadgets), they just can’t get it for the coffee. I have been here twice now, and thought, «meh, i’ll try a white mocha instead of mocha next time» Well that is just what I did, and while they have artistic skills with making leafs and what not (which is awesome) on my foam, the taste just is not there. I would like to say I have much diversity in Anchorage at coffee shops (especially since i’m the one who just keeps adding away at the little coffee shacks to make lovely additions to Unilocal), this place just doesn’t do it for me. It is very much lacking the sweet flavor and has a huge espresso and foam after taste.
While I won’t throw my coffee away, I will sip on it and enjoy the atmosphere. You can also people watch here for those in the sears mall :)
I will still come here and try maybe teas or snacks, but just not the coffee!

I don’t always drink coffee, but when I do I prefer SteamDot…
Actually, I do always drink coffee during the mornings. I don’t consider myself a coffee coniseur, but there’s something alluring about pressed coffee that catches my attention. I guess I appreciate it more leaving out the basic drip coffee maker I have everyday at the office! I could definitely taste the difference. I just wish I had more time to appreciate it. I tried their special press coffee and you will know the difference from Starbucks. A tad hint of fruitiness and bold coffee beans. I forgot what it was called since it’s been 2 weeks and I still remember it, but not the name haha!
Overall, SteamDot has a modern vibe with a cozy hip setting. I totally dig the bar seating since it’s so different from your average café shops with patio seats! — Enjoy!