Backstage Coffee

I used to think that coffee is coffee, and every coffee shop is the same. Nowadays, I have come to the realization that there really is a difference. From the beans, to the roast, to the grind, overall freshness, and finally the skills of the barista. Well, they bring it all together here! They use beans that are fresh from a local roaster, which makes a big difference, and the baristas really want to make your drink just right. One of their baristas, Tyler, made me the best cappuccino that I have ever had. And another barista, whose name I didn’t get made me the second best!
As for the space itself, it is fairly large and open. They serve food, baked goods, and have ample seating to sit down and enjoy your coffee/​food
Overall, great people and great coffee. Highly recommended!

Lovely coffee shop! Came here every morning on my way to the convention center, and the employees were always helpful, quick, and super friendly! I didn’t have anything bad here. Better than Starbucks, and you support local business!
Plus, the baristas were cute!

Very surprised by this coffee shop. Although I’m a frequent attendee to DPAC events, I have never been to this shop before assuming it is trying to rip off unsuspecting visitors to the complex. However, I was very surprised by both the prices and selection. Extensive menu of both coffee and non-​coffee drinks as well as a large array of baked goods. The baked goods are definitely good and fresh unlike many chain coffee shops on the 16^th Mall. Plenty of seating space and outlets to charge your electronics before heading to a performance. Will definitely make this a pit stop whenever I’m early for a show!

The coffee taste great as it should. This place is very spacious and has a relaxing vibe at least on a Sunday eve. Very nice people and a very clean space. Free Wifi also. They have pastry items also. Local art on display which is nice to look at.

I always go here before a show, at the Opera house .I love their scones! I’m not one to really have pastries or other items from coffee shops but here is the exception. I have the pessimistic impression that all coffee shop «goodies» are extremely old and dry, but that is not the case. I’ve had the chance to try several scones and they were all excellent. Fresh, soft and flavorful. They are going to be busy, so prepare to wait in line. However, they do seem to get you through the line fairly quickly. I don’t think you would wait longer than 10 minutes (which might seem an eternity when you’re parched) You might think they have a small lounge area, but the back area that extends is obscured by the front of the shop. I’ll make sure to visit again in a couple weeks when I see my next performing arts show.

Boo boo boo. I cannot say how disappointed I was in this cute little café. Which is disappointing as it is so close to my office.
I went in for lunch with a coworker and asked for the turkey sandwich on a croissant instead of their stiff looking dry bread. She seemed very flustered and confused by my request however up-​charged me an extra $ 1.50 for the croissant. Ok I get it, that’s fine.
Well, the sandwich came out and was one slice of processed lunch meat out of a package, with shredded tiny carrots and lettuce.
The item on the menu was as listed:
Avocado
Red onions
Pepperoncini
Cheese
Lettuce
Tomato
Cucumbers
Apparently they forgot all of the those items? Needless to say the sandwhich was absolutely disgusting and outrageously expensive. I will never go back here again.
Pretty unfortunate.

Loved the backstage latte. Staff is super friendly which is always a huge plus in my book.

The service was friendly and the food was fast and tasty.
We ordered the BLTE, the Simpleton, and coffee. The beauty of eating at the café is that the coffee is self-​serve (a.k.a. drink coffee until you can’t drink anymore). There were three coffee choices: dark, light, and decaf. I’m not a coffee connoisseur, but this coffee was pretty dang good. The food was nothing special, but it was pretty tasty.
The café doubles as an art gallery. It displays artwork by various artists. This made for a pretty neat, calm, relaxing environment.

I don’t want to be a snob, but, when you pull a shot if espresso, you don’t let it sit and oxidize. I was hoping a place that wasn’t Starbucks would know, alas… tasted like burnt metal. The lattes were too sweet, the coffee was bitter and burnt. The staff were friendly enough, an heir of elitism, I’m guessing from being next to the theater. Hell, drown my coffee in sugar and flavors next time, I’ll suffer the diabetes instead of this.

I can’t believe how nonchalantly the guy at the register will tell you they are out of items or something is broken so you can’t have what you want. The condiment bar never has clean spoons and their milk is often empty. I had to turn on the lights in the second part of the coffee shop one morning. The coffee isn’t bad but their customer service makes me a customer of the chain coffee shop across the street.

This is a great place to visit before or after an event at the Denver Center as it’s super close. They have basic coffee options, beer, pastries and smaller plate items. It’s a little pricey but worthwhile for the convenience. Now before/​after shows, there can be line but it moves pretty quickly. There are a ton of places to sit (for a coffee shop) with great art to look at too. During warmer months, there is outdoor seating.
I love that my friends who all want different things (I love a coffee/​hot chocolate before the show) while my friends can enjoy a nice cold Fat Tire beer from the tap or a glass of wine. This is NOT something you can do at the Starbucks across the street and the line is much faster than the bars within walking distance.
Do you need 1 place for beer, coffee, wine and a show downtown? Backstage coffee is the place to go.

Nice little place to come to before the theater. They have a nice selection of sugar free syrups to choose from. I ordered the the white chocolate raspberry latte and my husband ordered an Americano. For some reason, my drink was cold. As in it seemed to have just come out of the refrigerator cold. However, they were happy to remake it. Once my drink was hot, it was delicious.

Excellent place to grab some great local coffee. They have varieties of pastries and food options that they bake In house. Baristas are very nice in the mornings especially when they need to wake up in the morning very early (assuming). I love that they use Monin gourmet syrup, it beats that nasty Torani crap. Right next to the Performing arts Complex. Very spacious inside of the coffee shop. It is also very nice that the owners are in everyday. Very cool family business with excellent food and drinks!

The coffee was mediocre. Resteamed old milk. No real style to the cup. The space is big with lots of seats so it looks a good place to hang out and study for a while. But I’d go somewhere else if I want a really good cup of coffee, which I never found in this part of town.

I popped into this place because I was really tired after a long day of work. I’m not one to drink coffee for anything but the taste but, in this case, it was needed. I was impressed at how good the food looked but it was coffee I was after and if my coffee reflects the service, care and taste of their food then I absolutely want to come back. I found the staff friendly and knowledgable and I was glad to see they made great lattes!

I want to give this 3 stars because of the prices, but I give it four because it is what it is being next to the theatres. Yes, it’s near a touristy area of Denver, but yes, you can find cheaper places over on 16^th or around there.
I bought a cranberry orange scone today and it cost $ 3+ (wow…) and a small latte $ 3.80. Total was $ 7+ That seems a bit pricey to me. However, scone was pretty delicious (I like mine a little drier), and the latte was made for the right temperature and it’s strong.
There’s lovely art all around the building, plenty of places to sit and gaze out the window or work on your laptop.

«I’d like a hot chocolate extra sweet.»
«I’ll give you a regular hot chocolate. You can put some sugar in it.»

Note: This is only a review for the coffee.
We came in here in the morning for a cup of joe. Awful… We tried the dark roast coffee and the backstage latte. Both were equally bland or simply tasteless. The coffee was shown as «Dark» but it was so watered-​down. The backstage latte was milked-​down comparatively. We had gotten Voodoo Doughnuts and wanted some coffee to pair with it. Argh what a terrible decision to come to this coffee shop!

Locally owned with great tea and pastry options. The little one loved her hot chocolate. The owners are super friendly. There is a lot of space, lots of tables and window bar seats as well as a couch and arm chairs. A great place to go before or after a show.

Haven’t been here in a long time, but my daughter and I stopped in for a warm drink before heading to the Buell for «Mamma Mia» (sigh…so so overdue with this update!). We were so happy, I felt maybe it was time to revisit my review for Backstage Coffee.
We had a half hour to waste before heading in for the show, so we ducked into the warm, inviting interior of Backstage. They’ve *really* spruced up the place since my last visit in 2012. The entire back room has been converted into an art gallery, featuring several high-​top tables, standard four-​tops, and beautiful paintings throughout the room.
We were greeted immediately by two friendly baristas as we got in line to order, and those two had things *hopping* — as fast as orders were being placed, food and drinks were popping up on the counter for pickup.
We ordered two simple hot chocolates, but there was nothing simple about the taste. Perfect temperature, absolutely creamy and delicious. Definitely worth the stop!
This was a complete 180 from my last review in 2012. I love Backstage!