Scout & Co

This is a coffee review only. Their prices are decent but not a great value by any means. The coffee is delicious and well-​prepared. I think I confused the barista when I asked for a double cortado or something in between that and a double cappuccino. He explained to me that a cortado already has 2 shots of espresso and pretty much just seemed to shrug me off. I was severely unimpressed but was also asking for something off-​menu/​slightly unreasonable. They run a good business, just don’t expect to be catered to.

Very lovely space full of light on the water, west of downtown Burlington. Minimalist with few tables, a couple of nice long high tops, and 2 comfortable chairs. The almond croissant was super good, but the yogurt and muesli wasn’t to my taste at all — super sour yogurt, dry dusty muesli with no crunch and no sweetness and the honey at the counter was too dried up to pour at all. My date didn’t really eat his breakfast either. The coffees were ok, better than diner coffee for sure, but not excellent, I sort of hoped for a pour over option at a specialty café of this style but no go. Truly a lovely space to spend some time, have a meeting, get some work done, soak in the sun, but at a 30 min walk from the kind of central area where I usually end up in Burlington I’m not sure I’d head back.

This review is based only on the super innovative and yummy doughnuts. They are THAT good. Unusual. Delicious. Well made. Not necessarily for someone who is craving an old-​fashion apple cider doughnut, but should please even traditionalists. Sometimes the flavors don’t sound very appealing, but even when they are a bit far out they are really good. Flavors change weekly. Generally always something new. Might be nice to have some of the best ones reappear on a weekly basis. :)

Stopped in briefly for a morning pick me on the way to Montréal. The shop is bright and spacious. Wonderful, patient staff encounter as my friend and I took our time making up our minds. We walked out with a delicious almond croissant, iced coffee and latte. The latte was a perfectly balanced medium roast with just a hint of nuttiness. It was a great way to start our drive north.

For years I wondered what it would be like to have a neighborhood coffee shop close to home. Now I know — it’s awesome. I don’t take advantage of Scout very often because I make a damn good cup of coffee at home and the wifi is way more reliable at Casa Babs. Scout does take their coffee seriously and for that I am grateful. I tend to order basic things like brewed coffee or an Americano, both of which are fantastic at Scout. One of these days I’ll get a cappuccino to test the barista’s milk skills. The folks working there appear to have nice counter presence; I’m sure I could chat them up just fine. But we’re usually all business when I order. I like the minimalist décor and high ceilings and abundant natural light.
It was great to see all the tables taken when I got there earlier in the week. Seems like college students use Scout as an alternative study space when they want to get away from campus. As long as they’re ordering stuff, that’s just fine. Like I said, all the tables were taken, so I walked over to the nearly-​empty counter, where there was one available outlet left. Alas, it was that time of day when the sun was blazing full force right on the counter. I plugged in my laptop and put on my sunglasses. I was fork-​tender and frustrated by inconsistent wifi in about 10 minutes. So I closed up shop, got my drink put in a to-​go cup, and headed out. Bummer. One of those shade blinds would make a world of difference. There’s definitely room for a few more tables in there, but maybe it’s a fire code thing.
I like having Scout so close to home. With a few tweaks to add comfort and convenience, it could be excellent.

I had a latte when I came, it did the trick – was good sized and aesthetically Instagram worthy, gave me the coffee jolt I needed to write my paper which is what I came in for.
But this review is for the ICE CREAM. My goodness. Such good, high quality ice cream! And it’s because they make it fresh, seems like from natural ingredients. I ordered the honey lime chocolate chip – which was so sweet and zesty citrusy, it was my second wind kick I needed to finish my paper! I also tried the vanilla oak, which was so rich and delicious because they soak the oak beans in milk overnight!
I didn’t get a chance to try their smoked maple sea salt (because they make their own ingredients and didn’t get a chance to smoke the maple) but you best believe I’ll be coming back to try out all the flavors on their menu!

I’m sitting here writing this review in Scout & Co because I’ve been waiting for my food for 30 mins, have finished my coffee, and have nothing else to do. I ordered two coffees, a waffle and chia seed porridge at the counter and the guy who took my order has been on his phone for the last 20 minutes dealing with some sort of staffing issue. Mind you I’m one of like, 6 customers in the place. I went up to the counter to ask him if my food would be ready soon and he goes «Hi how can I help you today?» (???) I explained that I had been waiting for about a half hour and he says yeah I’m really sorry about that, I got distracted. I’m only in Burlington once a year on average, and the waffle I ended up getting WAS good, but I’ll definitely never come back here. Super disappointing.

This review is based solely on their espresso, which is brilliant. I haven’t had any better anywhere in the state. Totally unpretentious as well, friendly staff, great environment.

$ 3 hipster doughnuts. They’re fine. But no doughnut is worth $ 3. I’ve had so much better for so much cheaper.

LOVE. Sampled their excellent ice creams in a variety of interesting flavors. My favorites: (all of them! But specifically) beet marmalade and candied black walnut sorbet (everywhere I want in ice cream. Sweet, tart, milky, and a tad crunchy); strawberry hops (strong strawberry flavor with a hoppy beer after ore); Apple miso and seed (Miso over Apple flavor but you get a sense of both); rhubarb and black licorice (very licorice-​y)
Parisian «gold bar» pastry that looked like a muffin and tasted like I would expect a gold bar to taste like. Brown sugar sweet and decadent. Almond yum. Melt in your mouth soft.
Cute espresso but tiny cup. Very European like in design. Lots of details on the espresso options and their «flavor notes».

The staff, coffee, hot chocolate, pastries and environment are exceptional. My wife, son (10 weeks old), & I go here often to get work done. I have also met up with many new moms and friends and they have been very sweet and a breastfeeding friendly space. The feel of the physical space is great with local art on the walls and there is indoor or outdoor tables to work or meet at. They even host cool events like an open mic for Loving Day. The only thing I have found hit or miss has been the ice cream and soda flavors.

As good as it gets. Tom and Andy have a true passion for what they do and it shows. This is *not* the place to rush in a grab a quick cup of coffee. This is the place where excellent coffee does– and should– take time. A true gem for the NNE neighborhood.

Love that they serve Blue Bottle — awesome coffee. What’s better than a Blue Bottle coffee? How about a coffee shack! I wasn’t sure I would like it, but it was awesome. The shake was so thick you had to eat it with the spown– spoon-​straw. :-)

I can’t afford to go all the time, but it is always a wonderful treat to stop by Scout. I was worried about the sparse décor when they first opened, but it’s since either grown on me or become a bit more homey (or both?)
The staff are not pretentious like one might imagine at a fancy coffee joint & are always warm and welcoming.
The drinks are beautiful and delicious, the ice creams are hit and miss, but always interesting & the baked goods are pricey but really tasty.

Short version: Fantastic.
Long version: I used it several times as a place to get away and get some work done. They were completely great as far as service goes.
Coffee is great too. They mentioned the coffee brand I believe they said Blue Bottle, really quality stuff.
Whoever mentioned the music in their post — now it is turned down.
Food-​wise it’s also good, I actually buy the pastries! Most coffee shops’ — and I’ve been to literally dozens Washington DC Boston NYC etc — are just side things they offer to try and increase revenue — turns a 2 dollar coffee into a 6 dollar meal type thing. This place’s are awesome — I went several times just for the pastries.

Originally written and posted on a duplicate profile on 4÷28÷2014:
Within walking distance to Lake views and amidst the Old North End community, Scout & Co. is a new fixture in the area. The coffee is excellent, especially the espresso drinks. Looking forward to when they produce ice cream, which will be a nice summer time treat while walking toward the lake during the day. The pastries are made by Misery Loves Co. and delicious with coffee. This is a great space for meeting, reading, and leisurely people watching activities in the ONE.

My peeps.
I’m a coffee geek, and I’m pretty outgoing. So Tom and Andy and I geek out about the whole obsession. I’ve never got a «you’re not cool» vibe at all – despite the fact that I am. Not cool.
At any rate, every coffee I’ve ever had there has been awesome and I’ve got very high standards. I’ve got my own commercial rig, grinder, and I roast in my garage: geek.
The ice creams that I’ve had have been terrific. I get it that some people don’t like unconventional flavors and combinations, but nothing I’ve had has been unappealing – quite the opposite. The early-​summer rhubarb, lime, and lovage was sublime, tasting *of* early summer. «Bad» chardonnay was at least as great as «bad» espresso. It’s all quite playful, but to my palate, tasty. Unconventional in the best sense. The baked stuff from Misery is high, high quality.
Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s good value, IMHO, as they use very high-​quality ingredients and, in my experience, have always done an outstanding job. These are hard-​working people who care deeply about what they do and I assure you, they’re nowhere close to making money yet (that’s a 15K espresso machine there). But I hope they succeed and continue to develop a following.

Five words: Smoked maple and sea salt creemee! This is my hands down all time favorite creemee. Plenty of flavor, not too soft or too icy. I’ve yet to see a band or music being played while visiting. Also they recently extended their hours for summer!

This is such a wonderful addition to the neighborhood. Friendly staff, bright and clean space. If I still lived in VT, I’d go to Scout frequently.
I didn’t try the coffee, but hats off for using Blue Bottle, a great brand from San Fran. I had an ice cream come, with a smoked almond maple flavor. It was great. Can’t wait to visit again and try new flavors!

Hi Scout,
We used to be on really good terms. You were my darling favorite, but I have a little bone to pick with you since you’ve started to grow up. You’ve lost your humility and it ain’t good.
Can you guys please turn down the music so that people can have conversations and people by themselves can hear themselves think? I plug in my headphones and turn the volume on my laptop all the way up and it still doesn’t drown out the (sometimes awful) music. Alls I’m asking is that you turn it down just a little. I don’t want to stop the party, but for real, it’s at club-​level volume sometimes and it’s just comical to see customers trying to yell in their orders and you not get a clue that sort of thing is not OK.
Can you guys please be a little more discrete when you hand-​out freebies to your family and friends? I bet they are really happy for your new venture and it’s cool to be able to hook people up, but don’t make it so obvious. On a hot day, seeing free creamees handed out to your buddies just kind of rubs salt in the wound after I’ve paid like $ 12 for an iced latte and stale overpriced croissant that tastes like it hit the floor after someone mopped.
I was really excited when you opened. At first, it was like everything Maglianero used to be until they hired a stuffy manager and got rid of all the seating since they’d rather just sell coffee to people who already pay for overpriced office space upstairs.
Yet, only a month or two after opening, your little joint is already beginning to feel like the Maglianero of today, but with really loud music and terribly overpriced baked goods. If you’re going to be an expensive place, then at least do something to make the experience feel expensive and worth the premium.
I hope these are just growing pains for you and that you’re able to work some of these kinks out and make this place a little more friendly for the average customer. I will continue to go here because I like to support the local little guy, but it’s become seriously too noisy, a little too pricey, and too socially isolating unless you’re a Burlington hipster who knows those on the other side of the counter.
Thanks,
A loyal customer that you used to be friendly to and started to build a relationship with as a ‘regular’, but now treat as if I’ve never been there before.
I liked you better before you started to think of yourself as a popular kid.