Gypsy Java

Edie and company at Gypsy Java brew excellent shade-​grown, organic coffee (from Oregon’s Café Mam) and serve tasty food at this cozy corner café in downtown Enterprise. Note that the café is open on Saturdays only during the summer months.

Tried to get coffee here. Overwhelming stench of Patchouli and incense awaken ones nostrils and not in a good way. The one barista never noticed we were at his counter because he was engaged making a single cup of coffee for a very long time. The front counter has all sorts of political issue-​of-​the-​day warnings and not too welcoming for anyone who is not a descendant of Rajneeshpuram. We were greeted or served. Skip this one.

Unquestionably the worst experience I’ve had with a business in 30 years. I wasn’t greeted; there was one customer seated in the place and the barista was the slowest I’ve ever seen. He didn’t even look up to acknowledge us. The place reeked of stale patchouli and stoner incense. We stood directly in front of the barista for 5 minutes without so much as a nod. We decided our money wasn’t good enough and left. Stay way away from Gypsy Java.

Get your coffee somewhere else. The barista (who I think is the owner) was one of the rudest people I have ever encountered. She was not only unwelcoming but beligerant. I don’t know if this place has changed ownership since the last tips were posted but no coffee has ever been good enough to be trated so horribly.

Ask a Unilocal Whisperer
QOTD (Question of the Day)
May 24, 2014
Dear YW: So … let’s talk java. There are all these «espresso bar» signs around the state of Oregon, even as far out into the Eastern frontier as Enterprise, but are they legit? Just because it says «espresso» on the outside, is there the real deal inside? I’m asking you, YW, for some coffee love. Do me a biggie and recommend a spot near the epic Wallowa Mountains where the coffee is as great as the views. Please?
Starbuck S.
Seattle, WA
Hi, Starbuck! Cool name, btw. If you’re in the mood for good ‘joe in a historic, quirky setting where the people are as real as the scenery outside, try Gypsy Java (
). Great espresso drinks using fairly traded organic Mexican beans, a lovely old building with an actual working water fountain outside (
), and funky interior where you will want to order your drinks «for here» rather than «to go» (
).
It’s a nice place — friendly people and excellent baked goods. Take the ginger turmeric bran muffin w/​cranberries, for example. Freshly ground ginger tastes so much better than the powdered variety. And there are even free Internet PC terminals for customer use. How retro-​cool is that?
Be sure to drink from the Benson Bubbler when you leave. And you’ll like the coffee. Not overroasted at all. This is definitely NOT Pikes Place roast, if you catch my drift, Starbuck. You’ll want to order a coffee and baked good, grab a seat by the window or perhaps outside, and dig into a good book. Like Melville’s «Moby Dick» or Muir’s «My First Summer in the Sierra.» Or David Quammen’s «Spillover,» for that matter. They are all excellent reads.
Have a great time in Enterprise. It’s a special place that some people get to call home. Good thing they have a great coffee shop to go along with all those snow-​capped mountains. Or else it would just be … Idaho.
(Just kidding).
Note: No beavers were harmed in the writing of this review.

Beautiful shop on the corner with lots of windows, but cozy corners too. There is a big variety of coffee & tea drinks. Artisan pizza by the slice for lunch & D-​lish deserts too! Many great gift items as well!

A hippie oasis in the middle of the small, Frank Capra-​esque town that is Enterprise, OR. It’s amazing that a coffee shop like this, which might comfortably thrive in SE Portland, can survive way out here in the country. Gypsy Java is owned by two belly dancers and is housed inside a former hobby shop.
There’s couches and incense for sale. RJD2 was on the hi-​fi when I stopped in. An electric guitar was leaning against a wall and a green piano was plopped next to the counter, which bears an intricate carving with gypsy women playing guitars.
They offer free wifi, there’s two gaming stations that run $ 3 an hour and the mochas are tasty. Obviously, this ain’t a drinking hole for cowboys but Enterprise’s retirees and stay-​at-​home moms seemed to love it. Needless to say, I was the only male in the joint.
I spoke with one of the co-​owners and she said that everyone has been pretty open minded about the coffee bar. «Everybody knows we’re belly dancers so they roll with the whole gypsy thing.» Even the cowboys come in, on occasion.