Rockford Coffee

Coffee: 5 stars. Well done! More cushy chairs would be nice? Pumpkin chocolate bread super tasty and not overly sweet.

We caught them on the day before Independence Day. The food was good, but the service was terrible. We were the only patrons the whole time we were there and they made us feel unwelcome. Too bad.

I was on a quest to find the perfect cinnamon roll this past weekend in Bozeman. I found the perfectly iced cinnamon roll at Rockford. The icing was cream cheese — the best ooey gooey kind. And to top it off, it was garnished with fresh blueberries. I thought it was too beautiful to be real at first. The coffee was excellent too. Not bitter at all. Everything tasted so fresh and they had plenty of organic, gluten free options as well. I will be back!

Good coffee, good vibe. It’s a good place to meet up with groups to chat and mastermind, but I wish it had more comfortable lounge style seating — there is a sofa area but it’s usually occupied. I guess that is the case with most coffee spots in town though. I appreciate that they have serve-​yourself water available!

Where’s the door!!! Haha jk we got in… The setup is slightly strange once we got inside. Ordered a turkey prosciutto panini. Yummy! I do wish it had something green (spinach, pesto, fresh herbs) to add some freshness. Or even a smear of some Dijon mustard for a pop. Turkey was very good, thick, real stuff! Bravo!
Solid Americano as well.

Terrible service, burnt coffee and unappreciative employees. I ordered a 16 oz and the barista gave me a 12 oz. I pointed this out to her by putting the two cups side by side but she denied that was the 12 oz still… Yea still. I then said whatever, screw it I’ll drink 12 oz. Except the coffee tasted like burnt Shit. So I brought that up to her kindly and she explained that’s how a hazelnut latte was supposed to taste… Never again

I am a bit of a coffee snob having been a barista for four years and I have to say the best latte I ever had came from Rockford. They do use whole milk as the default which automatically means the beverage was going to be creamy but I think it was truly phenomenal.

Holy flies everywhere. We sat at the bar by the sink where they were preparing food and flies would repeatedly land on my head. Ugh! The coffee was excellent so I would recommend any drinks to go and skipping on the food because of the FLIES!

My husband and I stopped in for a cup of coffee. They took awhile to do the pour over, but the actual coffee was pretty tasty. Not amazing but not disappointing.

Stopped by for a super quick brunch and had the best espresso in Bozeman. Good food on the menu but a little pricy for sure. Still, very good coffee.

After stopping in for a little bit of work this mid-​morning I was greeted by two cheerful and witty coffee roasters; one highly reminiscent of Portlandian coffee barristas from days of yore.
The place was big and spacious with free wifi and all the other accouterments required of a proper coffee shop. The short brunette made one heck of a coffee after shooting back and forth a few quips in good nature. The other identified as Hana was watching with half smile and quick nods of her head. She seemed to be in approval of the overall exchange.
It was a bit hot in the place being that I had sat and typed away on my computer, complete with 17″ LCD screen better suited to a home monitor than a travel addition to my Surface Pro II. Additionally the open blinds probably added to the warmth, whereupon remarking as such they were shut just as quickly as the words were spoke.
Upon leaving the establishment with more quips and good nature humor it was learned upon of my Unilocaling status, where I had remarked about having posted some remarks, but needed names to go with my stellar service providers.
Having drafted the comments but not sending them I am now finishing the draft to with a heartfelt «sorry» for not having taken the time to post them until now.

I think this is by far the best coffee in Bozeman: Some direct trade relationships with growers, and other than that sourcing from some of the best «middle man» companies. I was directed by a friend who knew I was a coffee nerd to come talk to the roaster, Nathan, and was glad I did: got to drop a batch of beans into the roaster and see the 2010 Ethiopian/​Sumatran blend go from green to a toasty thing of beauty. Bought a bag to take home. :)

Free wi-​fi and amazing hot chocolate. Cool staff. What more can you ask for? I’m low maintenance. What can I say?

While the food and drinks were ok, for the meh quality, they were overpriced.
They also had 4 baristas working, but only one actually did anything. I gave my order, the same girl rang me up, made my drinks, and got my food. The whole time, 3 others stood around and giggled while a line of customers waited.
I sat down with my wife to eat, drink and chat. The rest of the patrons were also trying to chat or read. But the place was very noisy. The 4 girls laughed, giggled, and screamed like they were in junior high and maybe just had their first taste of alcohol.
Cross the street to GHB for better food, better prices, and quieter atmosphere.

Matthew W. is on target when it comes to the interior look and feel of RC, which opts for sleek and spacious instead of warm and cozy. The neon signage announces this nicely (
).
You could almost imagine an alternative Rocky Mountain sitcom to «Friends» being set here, with ice axes and iPhones replacing the big latte mugs and 1990s hairstyles. Maybe we could call it «Climbers,» about a Twittergenic group of up-​and-​coming Bozeman 20-​somethings, all of whom are trying to find love and adventure in close proximity to the wilds and wind-​swept canyons of the Gallatin Range. An urban wilderness kind of storyline, with end-​of-​season cliffhangers (literally); that sort of thing. David Schwimmer could even play an award-​winning and eccentric MSU paleontologist who becomes smitten with one of his female students while out hunting for dinosaur bones. And then his ex-​wife, played by Jennifer Aniston of course, flies in from Southern California for a visit, and fun-​filled tensions and double entendres ensue … Look for cameos from resident billionaires like Ted Turner and ex-​media types like Tom Brokaw to enliven Season One, and maybe a Brad Pitt appearance fly fishing the Madison in A River Runs Through It reprise.
But I digress.
Offhand, I’d put Rockford Coffee alongside Black Coffee Co. and Catalyst in Missoula, Hub in Helena, and Old Town Coffee in Lander, WY in terms of quality, look, and taste (although there are some key differences, since not all of these are in-​house roasters, and OTC in Lander has a Nutella croissant to die for). This has the most university-​crowd feel, given its proximity to the MSU campus, and a higher concentration of laptops. There are two locations in town, with the roasting done at West Main. The backstory is quite good, and the commitment to small-​batch artisinal roasting is always nice to have as part of the community. I imagine RC has its share of devoted followers, for fully justified reasons. Hip new sitcom setting or not, it’s a most approachable and welcoming place for locals and outsiders alike, where the coffee quality is about as high as the surrounding snow-​covered peaks.

I was impressed with the friendly barista and my triple breve latte. They offer four sizes so they really have one size for everyone.
I had a bagel and crème cheese. The barista first offered me a day old, which may seem strange, but as it was less expensive and I was kind of grungy looking (had been fly fishing), I took it as an act of kindness. I purchased a fresh everything bagel and it was great! One odd thing is that you toast your own bagel so I guess it saves time to help more customers, but the toasters were a bit overused and one didn’t work, so customer service has to take a bit of a hit, at least in my book.
After I left, I remembered I had to send some emails, so I returned and there was another barista working but she didn’t even question me walking in and using their wifi. Perhaps she had been around and saw me, but that wasn’t my impression. Regardless, there wasn’t even a raised eyebrow with me coming in only to use the Internet. While I’m sure they wouldn’t be too keen if everyone did this, I think it fits with their caring personality.
One thing though, they give out way too much crème cheese!

Looking out the windows of Rockford, I half expect to see glistening skyscrapers and perhaps the Space Needle. Rockford functions as an enclave of hip, west-​coast coffee in the middle of Bozeman. Its unassuming exterior gives it a humble charm that quickly turns to a cool and eclectic modern inside. A chic coffee bar lit with small halogens is connected to Montana with the huge wood plank tables lit overhead by rustic Edison bulbs, creating a very close, communal atmosphere.
The refreshingly small and succinct menu is simple to navigate and a choice is made easily. Today I chose an iced caffé mocha, which was bold yet remarkably smooth — a testament to the artfully roasted beans that go into all of Rockford’s coffee.
If you get a pastry, however, you may be disappointed. The scones are consistently doughy and lack the characteristic crunch that defines scones. Pastries are an integral product that coffee shops provide, and low-​quality edibles can be deleterious to the experience as a whole.
For its size, Bozeman is blessed with a multitude of wonderful coffee shops that all have a unique atmosphere. However, a majority serve the exact same product. Fortunately, a few of those shops stand out from all the rest. Rockford deviates from Bozeman’s excess of alpine-​themed shops in creating a bright and hip metropolitan atmosphere and producing outstanding coffee to complete the experience.

BEST COFFEE SHOP (s) IN BOZEMAN! Do not go anywhere else. Trust me, I have.
I have to preface by saying I don’t drink coffee, BUT they roast their own in their 7^th avenue location. I’m assuming it’s delicious if it’s like anything else they serve.
Their house chai is absolute heaven. I’ve never had chai like it. I crave it often, and can’t help but indulge.
Rockford also does pastries well. Delicious little morning (or afternoon) treats that satisfy my sweet tooth.
I’ve also tried their paninis, which are good. A little on the pricey side though ($ 9 on average I believe, even plain grilled cheese), so I usually just stick with the pastries.
Both locations have a good atmosphere. The Rouse and Main one is good for on-​the-​go, the tables are a little awkwardly wide to sit at. You feel about 100 feet away from the person across from you. The Main and 7^th location has a wonderfully warm setting and chill vibe with lots of different seating options.

When you’re driving across country, a good cup of coffee and a fantastic homemade scone can go a long way towards restoring your humanity. My sister and I had our humanity restored at Rockford Coffee on Main St. in Bozeman, MT.
First off — perfect lattes. Steamy, unburned milk, lovely crema, and a perfect pull on the espresso (which was top notch, by the way). And if that wasn’t enough, the barista put a lovely feathery leaf design in the foam. Just a nice way to say, «It’s not enough just to be tasty, we’re going to be beautiful too.»
Secondly — phenomenal blueberry scone. It’s been… a decade… since I had a scone baked the way they were mean to be baked. Most places have gone the way of the large chains with big bready over-​sugared scones that are closer to white-​flour powder muffins than the crumbling, sconey, baking powdery goodness of a honest-​to-​god English scone. Rockford doesn’t mess around. There were a few to choose from… we were hoping for cherry almond, but were happy with the blueberry, which had cream cheese folded in. Fresh out of the oven, the little cream cheese pockets steamed in the morning air.
The place was CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN, the staff was friendly and efficient (and clean), and they even had a little filtered ice water spigot by the coffee cup lids so you could help yourself.
We were impressed and very happy with our choice! If you only have time to hit one café in Bozeman (like we did), hit up Rockford Coffee. And do yourself a favor: GET A SCONE!

Great place to hang out and do some work or chat with friends. They have nice big tables, plugs, wifi, and couches as well.
Cappuccino was ⁴⁄₅ stars for sure, and the staff was nice!
A good place to kill a few hours on a road trip passing by, or a weekend.