Trident Booksellers and Cafe

Great coffee and great atmosphere. I’ve been drinking coffee here since 1988,

One of my favorite local spots in Boulder. Great spot to stop in for some inspiration whether that be a conversation with a person in line, a book or people watching on Pearl St. Also! HOST AN EVENT ON THE BACK DECK. It’s one of a kind.

A Boulder must for any local or visitor!
Great architecture, atmosphere, service and coffee.
*TIP: When front tables are filled grab a spot out back for a little Zen and caffeine.

I have been a long time Boulder resident and there is nothing more classically Boulder than The Trident ! Over the last few months there was a change in ownership and that is what has inspired my review. It’s kind of like its the same but even better. Maybe there’s a new operating system. The coffee is great! The vibe is still super laid back and there’s this fantastic nostalgic feel that could never be replicated. I love seeing all the books, the people watching is great, and it will always be a Boulder goto! Thanks Trident and thanks to who ever is making things somehow just a little better.

I love this spot, feels cozy and familiar. Easy to grab a book and lose yourself in an afternoon. Tasty espresso and fun people watching. Never know who you will run into here! Great coffee spot and a Boulder institution preserving a bit of the past for us all to savor!

Amazing vibe, amazing people, and great coffee.
Trident is one of my favorite places to hang out in Boulder. It’s great for a game of chess or a coffee meeting.
Secret tip: the back porch is amazing. Hidden gem.

This place is the coffee shop I dream about; the coffee shop that was ripped from my So Cal hands through the Starbucking of the system. The coffee shop where you can truly feel that a philosophical conversation can change something, just as the warm wood décor, hip yet friendly baristas, strong brews, and motley crew of patrons change the vibe of this world with their mere existence.
There should be at least one in every settlement, everywhere. I’d go back to Boulder just for this place :)

I enjoyed coming here on my vacation and relaxing with a nice hot cup of coffee. The only complaint I have is there was no outlet nearby to plug my laptop in. (probably shouldn’t be on my laptop anyway on vacation) But it was a very cozy atmosphere, was very busy– we were lucky to get a table. All I had was a black coffee therefore I cant really comment on the food or other drinks.

It’s 1999 and a few VC’s are hunched over lattes talking hockey sticks in loud, raspy whispers. Blackberry keys clicking, not a lot of eye contact, but plenty of energy. A few students are slouched in the metal sidewalk chars and life in Boulder is good. Coffee’s not great, but nobody cares.
Fast forward to this Spring, a bracing March afternoon, the place is jammed with well-​worn characters, 15 of them maybe, and they all know each other. More come in, taking every spare chair and table and pushing them all together for some community time. There’s one student in the very front nook focused on a laptop. I’m sitting in the back, the extra chair for my coat and bag having already been taken by the regulars, listening to the din, thinking seriously about coming back at night and joining the hipsters.
But, I’m happy. Life in Boulder is still good. The Coffee’s a little better, but nobody really cares.

This review is for the bookstore side of the place, not the coffee shop side.
I like this used bookstore very much. If it weren’t for one glaring negative (more on that later), I would love it. Trident has the best curated selection of used books I’ve ever seen, in any city. The quantity of volumes isn’t large. In fact, it’s quite small. But the quality of the titles on offer is excellent. Pick any subject, philosophy or anthropology, for instance, and you will be faced with a case of fascinating tomes. You don’t have to figure out which books are good. Trident has already done that for you. Excellent browsing. Always something interesting and unexpected to buy. I recommend Trident highly.
As for the negative. It’s sad how one single person can continually sour an experience. Nearly all of the employees are very nice and helpful. But there is one guy, a tallish white guy with shortish straight blond hair, who is a complete jerk whenever I purchase one of the $ 1 books. When I purchase a more expensive book, in the $ 12 to $ 20 range, he’s not so bad, but if I put a $ 1 book down by the register, he nearly sneers. It’s gotten to the point that, before going inside Trident, I look through the front window to see who’s at the register. If it’s him, I keep on walking. Anyone else, I walk right in. Not a good ambassador for Trident.
An oddity. Trident offers free paper bookmarks for patrons. Very nice of the place to provide them. The oddity? Each and every bookmark bears the same quotation, by Marguerite Duras. «Life is only lived full-​time by women with children.» ??? Of the millions of quotations Trident could have chosen, this is the one it picked to best represent it. I don’t know that I find it offensive, so much as bizarre and inexplicable.

I’ve spent way too much time here over the last two decades. It’s very friendly. The coffee isn’t amazing (though it seems to be improving). The tea list is quite good. It’s not really about the tea or coffee though, but the ambiance.
Iced Florentine and Berry Palmers in the summer.
Latte or Peppermint Tea in the winter.
The pan au chocolat are pretty good too. Apparently they come from the Med’s bakery.
Trident clientele do seem to be getting older and crazier (myself included). It used to be a bunch of CU and Naropa students. At least that’s the way I remember it. The morning is a completely different crowd. Go early morning or night. Mid-​day can be a bit demoralizing.
And, for the love of god, talk to someone!

Oh, Trident! It’s crazy but this place hasn’t changed in at least 15 years. And that’s actually ok by me. Somehow it always seems contemporary (at least to Boulder).
They have a fantastic selection of teas — during the summer they usually have at least 5 iced teas ‘on tap’ — I like to get half peppermint and half maté.
Old wood, lush red booths, and accessible art create a welcoming space where you can either catch up with an old friend or hunker down and do some studying or writing.
The clientelle is generally a mix of artistic, intellectual, granola people but somehow they are all vaguely sexy in their café prowess. Honestly, if the bar scene isn’t your type of place to meet people, Trident may be your Shangri-​la. Perfect for the exploring introvert.
Go make some memories here. They’ll follow you for a lifetime.

I love Trident and it is becoming my second home! Most of the staff are very friendly and cool. In the summer, every night, there is a fun event going on in the back yard (aka the sandbox): they have silent movie nights, they have chess tournaments, they have live music performances, comedy shows, etc. In addition, the book store itself is very nice and they books are not over-​priced. The coffee quality is good. The selection of teas is just great and they have a large variety of loose leaf teas, so if you are a tea-​snob, you should definitely visit there.
Overall, if you are visiting Boulder, this is the one coffee shop (among the many other great ones) that I would recommend you to visit.

Trident has a great atmosphere, it’s right off the Hop so it’s easy to get to, and the employees are friendly. The drinks are a little expensive, but it’s pretty much like that every where. Their coffees are delicious and I highly recommend these. The tea comes in a mini-​tea pot, but they let the leaves stew too long and get bitter.
The seating is limited so if you want a spot, get there fast or prepare to wait. They have outdoor seating, but I never used it because I preferred inside. Still, this restaurant attracts the pseudo-​philosophers (ho ho, what else do you expect in Boulder??) at night. These «intellectuals» are the best entertainment I’ve received in a LONG time.
I tried browsing the bookstore, but selection is limited and I didn’t find anything I was really interested in, so I can’t comment on this area of the store.

Located just down Pearl Street, a block west of the mall, Trident serves as one of Boulder’s boutique book stores and coffee shops. Their espressos are great, but can’t say I have had much else in terms of food or beverage — they have a vey limited food selection, but then again, that’s not what you’re there for.
Stopped by recently to get some late night work done, and was pleased to stumble across a late-​night silent movie showing. Hoping to catch the cinema while I worked, I set up shop outside in their back patio. Unfortunately, they were charging a $ 5 – 10 donation for a viewing, and I just couldn’t muster the will to throw down for that mystery (This may be a weekly occurrence, every monday night starting at 8:30).
Ventured inside for some work-​time. The music was a little loud and the constant movements around the workspace did make it a little difficult to concentrate.
What I really like about Trident is their Newspaper bin. There is a bin of various newspapers and magazines placed near the ordering counter. I’ve stumbled across Issues of The New Yorker to Wired. For someone who really enjoys reading, but not so much paying for subscriptions, this place is pretty sweet.
There’s also a sandbox for you enjoyment in the rear outdoor/​patio area of the shop. I believe it’s for children.

A quiet place to land and share tea with family or friends. The staff is very friendly and efficient. The atmosphere is calm and the décor is homey with beautiful woodwork. Would hang out here if I lived in Boulder.

I love the environment of this café! However, I notice that about half of the time I come in, the batista is rude and seems to hate his job. Maybe they need to get paid more? But I come in sweating because it’s a hot summer day and the barista notices me but doesn’t acknowledge me so I have to say what I want. He gives me a streaming hot tea while I’m sweating… maybe he needs a different job or a raise but I’m happy to go to ozo.
Born and raised– boulder

A small bookshop but it has a nicely curated selection. For example, I found a copy of Margaret Atwood’s Handmaid’s Tale, but in a hardcover UK import edition from 2009. (I also searched for Don Winslow’s Savages, a slightly less literary but no less incredible book, and they didn’t have it.)
The café forms the other half of Trident, with plenty of indoor seating and a big patio. The patio is sparsely tabled, so no risk of crowding, and it’s covered, so you could sit here in the rain. It also had a little sandbox for kids, and a small fountain.
The café offers a pretty wide selection of teas, from black to herbal. I didn’t try the food. (As for coffee, I didn’t try it, but a friend of mine who’s come here many times says it’s good, if maybe not as good as what you’d find in the super-​coffee-​snob shops in town. But those shops don’t have books, nor patios with fountains and sandboxes.)

Me: «You have a list of your teas?»
Barista: «Nah, we change ‘em all the time»
Me: «Um, okay… got anything like an Assam?»
Barista: «We got 5 Assams»
Me: «What’s the strongest?»
Barista: «The CTC»
Me: «Let’s do it.»
Boom. Done. I love interactions like that. Quality teas and a laid back atmosphere. Great low key place to go have a drink and catch up with old friends.

Coffee, books, and baked goods: star, star, and star.
Fudgy chocolatey cookie goodness: extra star.
Very slow service: no star