Espresso Roma Cafe

Ehh. I’m not too sad to see Espresso Roma close. Frequented mostly by homeless-​chic hipsters and actual homeless people, Espresso Roma was an okay place to grab a cheap cup of coffee on the Hill but I never found it to be especially inviting. The staff is never particularly friendly (unless, of course, you resemble a transient) and although they do have an ample amount outdoor seating, it’s typically occupied by their «regular» crowd. Their inexpensive drinks and their bagel/​coffee deal for $ 5 were the only things that occasionally prompted me to return– I’m not surprised they closed due to lack of money (there’s a more detailed explanation in the Daily Camera, should anyone care–
).

Good coffee can’t make up for the homeless and hipsters. It’s like a big ashtray. Clearly this is «the scene» some people are seeking, but for those of us who bathe… stay far away.

Walked in, walked out. Flies everywhere. Things looked broken. Not going to return any time soon.

Pretty good coffee spot on the hill! Didn’t get to spend much time in there since we just grabbed our coffees and left but my white chocolate mocha latte was great and I sampled a bite of blueberry muffin that was on the counter and it was deee-​lish! Baristas were quite friendly too :)

This place is filthy! It’s a disgusting haven for chain smoking hipster douches. Their patio could be really nice if it wasn’t covered in garbage.

If you want to see the crazy of Boulder — come on down! I don’t care what time of day it is… there are some characters that haunt this place! The coffee is good and the atmosphere is psychedelic!

i love roma. easily the gem of the hill, great coffee and it’s cheap too!

Summary: OK coffee, but bad service due to stoned staff.
I went in there yesterday, and they had some muffin samples out. I took a bite of a muffin, and said to the person serving me, «That’s good. What is it?» He look at me deadpan and answered, «It’s a sample.» (I am not making this up.) Uh, I think the appropriate retort would be, «No shit, Sherlock.» However, I restrained myself and asked a series of about 3 more questions that eventually caused my server to identify the type of muffin.
Meanwhile, I waited for my espresso. I think the server forgot about me, and was involved in a stoner conversation with the girl at the counter about God knows what. She got her beverage, and tried to give the server a dollar tip with great ceremony, but he handed it back with equally great ceremony. They put the dollar in and out of the friggin’ tip jar about 5 times. In the interim, my stoned server forgot about my espresso. I had to meekly ask, «Is my espresso ready?» He looked at me, got it, and handed it to me without a word. Since I am rather clean cut and am old enough to have seen The Clash live, I guess I did not merit an apology like, «Oh dude, sorry to harsh your mellow.»
This morning I went in there, and the person who served me got into a long discussion with the barista about how if you arrange money in the tip jar a certain way, you’ll get more money. A total stoner conversation. The barista eventually brought my espresso, but it was in a coffee cup because they forgot to wash the espresso cups. («Dude! I thought you were washing the demitasse cups!»)
The place has a lot of entertainment value, simply because the people who work there must be from central casting for a Cheech and Chong movie. As an added bonus, there are a crowd of groovy hipsters (aka bums) who hang around and give the place some local color. Every so often, one will strike up an uncomfortable conversation with you and you will realize why you should be in Starbucks with an ipad updating your Facebook page, and will also realize why Starbucks is running places like this out of business slowly but surely.
If you missed Woodstock, go here and you’ll feel like you are on Yasgur’s farm. If you are over 50, like me, and actually remember Woodstock, go across the street to 7 – 11 for your caffeine fix, because the jackasses that «run» (and I use that word loosely) this place will treat you like crap.

Hipsters galore! Shitty coffee but tastey breakfast sandwhich bagels

Short & sweet:
Service: 3
Coffee: 3.5
Pastries: 4 (Ham + Cheese Croissant!)
Wait time: 4
Price: 4
Cleanliness of bathroom: n/​a
I only recently started to go to Espresso Roma Café. My sister and I went once a couple years ago; an employee there saw us, threw a fit about us being Asians. She told us to go back to where we came from and made other rude, ignorant comments. We were given apologies and extra punches on our little frequent user cards… and yet, for some strange reason, I didn’t really want to go back. (She was a little hazy in the head, we were told.)
Anyway.
I went back, having such a magnanimous soul. The off-​kilter employee was still there, but she didn’t say anything. And to my surprise, I found out that they offer 8oz of wonderful brewed coffee for just a dollar. Perfection. (8oz happens to be the perfect amount of coffee for one sitting, if you didn’t know.)
Espresso Roma is the size of my left pinky. Men, if there is a woman (or another human being) you’re lusting after, bring her here. By sheer necessity, you’ll end up invading each others’ personal space. If breathing on your ladyfriend is your idea of a good time, make sure you shower the day of: she’ll be able to smell you too. Because it happens to be small, the vibe is homey but a little claustrophic; I’d never be able to read/​study/​talk/​hang out here.
The service is all right — the workers have the cool, hippie-​hipster thing going on (how Boulder!). I do feel a little out of it sometimes and am tempted to return sporting a semi-​bedhead look with a wicked tattoo. I’d also get a nose piercing and talk philosophy while smoking pot.
If you do go into Espresso Roma, try their stuffed croissants; I’ve had the ham + cheese (warmed) and it was delicious. I also hear their zucchini bread is good.
Hooray for the $ 1 8oz coffee!

Stumbled into this place after leaving Illegal Pete’s. With a Burrito filled belly I was really craving something caffeinated. Upon entering the building we were quickly greeted by a very laid back barista. Ordered up a Dirty Bhakti Chai ($ 4.50) and within a couple minutes we were served. The Dirty Bhakti Chai was freaking amazing, honestly on of the best Dirty Chai’s I’ve had, my only complaint is they did not have turbinado sugar for sweeting.

I’m an espresso junkie, and this is my favorite place to get a latte in Boulder. Period. Great food too– bagels especially, and the baristas are always friendly and genuine. Great atmosphere, great espresso, great food– on second thought, never go there. It’s mine.

This place is pretty cozy and relaxed. It’s a nice place to go and read the newspaper or hangout with a friend or two. They have books and some random board games that are available. It’s a pretty hipster place, but not snobby or anything. Very chill. There is nice somewhat shaded outdoor seating in the front and back.
The coffee is not bad although their milk (consistency of foamed milk) is pretty terrible, so if you are planning on getting a cappuccino or something of that sort, do not expect good milk or dazzling latte art.
The baked goods are pretty good. The things Ive had there haven’t been overly rich or anything.
Overall this place is okay. I like the environment and it’s a good place to go chill. The coffee is not great but it will do the trick.

This coffee shop is A-​OK. I wouldn’t say I was thrilled with my chai (though it was good, I’ve had way better) and my husband said his smoothie didn’t quite taste enough like acai, and I had to concur (even though supposedly it was an acai smoothie…) But you could do a lot worse, and this place is much better than Starbucks. I bet the coffee is probably better than what we had, too. Anyway, check it out if you’re on the Hill and in need of a caffeine boost.
Oh yeah, and I’m fairly sure this place would have been PACKED, had it not been spring break and a weekend. It wasn’t very busy when we went, but I don’t doubt that it does good business (and therefore may be crammed full, since it’s a small place) when CU is in session.

this place is totally ghetto.
the scene here is unfit hippy freaks who smell like trash. dreadlocks are not cool anymore.
no effort in making the place clean or nice. people who go here look and act like bums. get a life.

Best coffee on The Hill. Hands down.
I didn’t find the baked goods to be all that great, but they weren’t bad either… just so-​so. They are generous in their sizes, though. I had contemplated a agle with lox and cream cheese. My friend recommended I didn’t, and hey, since she frequents the place, she ought to know. I went with a regular old bagle and cream cheese and it was ok, but I like a little more shmear than they provided, even though I did request and offer to pay for more.
The atmosphere is great if you like some edge. I did, since Boulder seems to lack a hell of a lot of edge. It was the only place I saw what I would consider a hipster as well… back in a more urban area, they probably would have passed for joe shmoe, though.
The patio is dog-​friendly as are the patrons. Nice that my little lab could enjoy the morning with us as we sipped our nicely balanced brew.

Pros: Least expensive coffee shop I’ve come across in town, and strong, great tasting coffee. Also, nice outdoor patio, and very non-​corporate. Good croissants.
Cons: Difficult parking (unless you want to pay), lots of smokers and sometimes unpleasant students, not the cleanest place in town.
Overall, I don’t come here to hang out, I come here for coffee in the morning if I’m working on the hill, or passing through the area. If I wanted to hang out at a coffee shop, I’d go for Brewing Market (not so great coffee, easy parking, good environment), or Trident (good coffee, difficult parking, interesting people watching, old-​school coffee shop environment).

An 8 shot drink called The Satan? I think that is what it was.
A couch to sit on at 4am when you were gritting your teeth and lost… they brought me in.
A game of chess and world poliitcal conversation? You betcha?
The freaks? Ray, Jason, Andy, Dean, Rory…
hell… I lived with rory (a nymphomaniac math genius) and Amy (a trouble filled stripper with a huge pet python) above Roma for a time…
… the memories I have here are unparalleled. The epitomy of what a coffee shop should be about… coffee and community.
Espresso Roma. like the «cheers» of the hill.

I like Espresso Roma because it doesn’t reek of anything corporate, which is admirable for any company I think.
The coffee and food here are alright I guess, I just get kinda weirded out sometimes by all the flies buzzing around. It’s definitely not the cleanest café you’ve ever been to, but this is something you have to deal with if you are hungry in the mornings and you didn’t have time to make yourself something at home.

If you’re looking for the Boulder counter-​culture and an eclectic crowd, this is your stop.
The crowd includes crazy locals, bums & beggars, students, and business people on their way to work. Quite a mix of people and the scene kind of reminds me of Venice Beach, but you get used to the transient nature and weird people after a couple dozen visits. It really depends who is working here… sometimes you are treated like gold, sometimes the employees really don’t care. I wouldn’t drive across Boulder to go here, but it’s definitely my favorite stop on the way to work.
Here lies the key of Espresso Roma: The Yerba Mate.
It is steeped throughout the day into a potent blend of murky goodness. If coffee isn’t your bag, get some yerba mate and add some agave nectar and half & half. They brew mate to perfection, and no other coffee shop in Boulder uses the same method. It’s become a morning addiction for me. And the morning staff is super-​friendly. Also, their sun-​dried tomato cream cheese is pretty solid, along with their breakfast sandwiches on croissants.
If you don’t mind the eclectic crowd, stop by for the best yerba mate in town. Oh, and bring some change for the friendly locals.