Avid Coffee

Great people, great coffee! They are all about supporting local coffee roasters and about a quality cup of joe!
I got a Konga pour over — what an interesting coffee! Wow, did I love it! So flavorful!
I loved staying and relaxing on their leather couch, checking emails and reading using their free wifi. A very relaxed atmosphere.
You should definitely support this local business!

I always enjoy my time at Avid coffee.
Incredibly friendly staff, excellent coffee and spectacular atmosphere.
I usually get black coffee or iced coffee. Both are strong enough to fulfill my caffeine needs and both are delicious.
It is a great place to sit down and relax with a good book or to have a great conversation with a friend or two. I encourage you to check Avid coffee out!
«Adventure in life is good; consistency in coffee even better.»
At avid you will get consistency. Love it.
Again I will suggest you check it out and give them your coffee business.
Cheers

This is how you drink coffee.
If you care about the coffee you drink, the care in which its made, and an owner who wants to invest in you or teach you something new — this is your place.
Chad is the owner and usually around an I’ve never had a less than stellar coffee or espresso drink. He is OBSESSED with coffee and his enthusiasm is catching. Don’t be thrown off by the location as it isn’t easy to stumble upon unless you know where it is… I’ll see you there!

If you’d ever been to this location for coffee when it was Almaden Coffee Roasters (before the name and new owner change to Avid), then you are in for a treat. The new owners have transformed what was a dark and cluttered room with mediocre coffee to a bright and welcoming shop that takes the preparation of coffee seriously.
If you’ve seen my reviews — particularly about coffee, a passion of mine, then you know I mean it when I say I’m a fan of this place. They don’t have a particularly large selection of food yet. However, I trust that as this shop matures and establishes itself, that may come. Still, there’s plenty of choices to accompany your coffee, so don’t let that stop you from trying it out.
All-​in-​all, a very enjoyable experience. I’ve been there three times since the new owners took it over, and am, in fact, heading over now for some morning coffee.

As much as I like the simplicity of the menu and the décor, it would be nice to see some other iced coffee options at least for the summer time. I stopped by for a pick-​me-​up before heading to Oakland and the cashier gave me some really great recommendations for some places to try in Oakland as well. Mocha was good, but the nice service was what pushed it to 4 stars. Next time I come in, I’ll try the hand poured coffee. Or maybe the Gibraltar.

I decided to stray from my usual fancy coffee spot (coffee places that make little art designs with foam) for a day and try something new. I think this place is fairly new. It’s clean and VERY modern looking. If you are looking for something that gives off a homey/​cozy feeling, this is not the place to go. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with the décor, I actually liked the paintings on the wall, but it’s just more on the modern side. Anyway, long story short… the place is nice and clean, the people are nice, and so was my mocha. I’d definitely come back again.

So glad to see a nice coffee shop. The new owner is a young, hip guy that grew up in this neighborhood and came back to live here. He could have invested in a different neighborhood but he’s doing his part to make Almaden a little more interesting and lively with this awesome coffee shop.
Now if we can just get some cool restaurants (like Aqui’s — good food, family friendly, nice décor, bar), it would really help to make this community even better than it already is.
I’m looking forward to going back to Avid and making it the place to meet with my local friends. Especially on the evenings when they have live music.

Wow Unilocalers, you guys really love this place!
I think I will give them another try, because apparently I’m either ordering the wrong thing or I just hit them up on two really bad days…
I was never a fan of Almaden Roasting Company’s coffee, but the place was nice enough, and convenient for us locals. I had very high hopes for Avid because, as the reviewers say, the folks running this place are enthusiastic and very nice. (Plus, you’ve always got to root for independent business too, right? I mean, come on, who wakes up one day and says to themselves, «Yeah, I know there’s a packed Starbucks a quarter mile away and a packed Peet’s a half mile away, but I’m gonna open a coffee shop here!»)
So far I’ve had a regular coffee and an iced coffee. The regular coffee was just «blah.» The iced coffee was horrendous! Bitter, oily, it was literally so bad I didn’t even drink half of it. And I really needed some caffeine that day.
Regarding the décor, you are either going to love it or hate it. Most of Almaden’s local haunts are decidedly very «white bread» so it’s refreshing to see something more modern. If it was small, dimly lit, and crowded, it might work. Being as it is a large well-​lit space in a sunny Bay Area suburb, it does come off as a little, well, «stark» to be frank. Very arty and hip, but a little heavy on the black and white minimalism.
Hopefully the third time will charm. I’d love to join the club and give them 4 or 5 stars. Unfortunately, the drinks I’ve had so far are a total pass…

Growing up in the area and having gone to Almaden Roasting Co. a ton, I must say this place is a great replacement for it (not knocking on Almaden Roasting though). Trying to find a coffee shop replacement after living near SF for a while was difficult but this place definitely helps!
Here are some reasons why I’ll be coming back here time and time again:
— They do pour over coffee
— They make great lattes
— Their cold brew is perfect on a hot day after hiking at Guadalupe Oak Grove park
— The workers are very friendly (surprisingly rare for the more «legit» coffee shops)
— Since it’s Almaden, the area around is very quiet and peaceful
I may not live in Almaden anymore but I will gladly come back here to do some reading or studying

The baristas are friendly and great and makes a great cup of latte. This place is a lot better than your typical Starbuck latte.
There’s always seating available. I have never had a problem with finding a spot to sit down and work away on my laptop. Some places has free wifi but it’s so slow that it’s unusable. Avid doesn’t have this problem as I have never had problem with internet speed.
I highly recommend trying their latte.

Finally trekked out to Almaden Valley to try Avid Coffee. Yes, I’m that much of a coffee nut. More so after reading the good reviews about this place. Turns out, they’re right.
Start with the critical stuff, i.e. coffee. As usual, espresso was the order of the day and Avid’s didn’t disappoint. Rich, chocolatey, with hints of berries, slightly acidic finish. They use Verve coffee so that’s an indication they’re serious coffee people. Coffee is 4 stars and probably on par with Bellano and Chromatic.
The interior and coffee ordering set up reminds me of Chromatic. Simple and efficient. Barista was friendly and makes great espresso so that’s what counts.
Downsides? Location way sucks unless you live in this ‘hood. It’s like a zillion miles away from any major freeway, 85 in this case. Plus, it’s in a strip mall along with Lucky supermarket and other boring crap. With coffee as good as this, they need to open up to an audience more receptive to superior coffee, specifically, superior to anything by Starbucks, and Peets.
Still, folks who live around here, you’re a lucky bunch.

Avid has replaced Almaden Roasting company with a simple menu and some super hi-​tech looking machines. These machines succeed and brewing a mean espresso. I love the bold flavor, mild acidity, and caffeine kick for $ 2.50. However, I do notice that a Starbucks double shot is of larger quantity than Avid’s double shot.
The décor is very minimalistic, a good place to study because there is not much to distract you haha. The baristas here are friendly and enthusiastic to remind you to use your Fivestars card, big plus!

Love this new addition close to Almaden Valley. This will definitely be my new go to neighborhood coffee spot. They serve delicious Verve roast from Santa Cruz. The pastries could use some work and I would like to see them use organic milk which has a smoother taste. Croissant was delicious but blueberry scone was a bit hard. The store could also have a better use of the space. Possibly a large reclaimed wood table for sharing? =)

I’ve been living in Almaden for a while, and I constantly hear people complaining that there’s nothing fun to do here. Why not come to Avid Coffee and hang out? It’s conveniently located in a plaza that has everything you need: a Lucky’s (including a BoA ATM inside), a UPS Store, and a US Post Box on the sidewalk walking towards the stoplight.
So far I’ve tried seven things which I’ll describe for you in detail: (Check the pictures for my contribution)
1. Hibiscus Iced Tea — you might want to pass on this one. Hibiscus might be in right now, but Starbucks makes theirs sweeter.
2. Chai Tea Latte — Probably what I’ll be drinking from now on. I’m not much of a coffee person, but I do like Chai Tea. It’s served in a 12 oz. mug with a nice layer of foam decorated into a leaf.
3. Gibraltar — a gutsy drink with two shots of espresso and a smidgen of milk. It’s served in a shot glass, and will give your system a caffeine boost that will keep you vigilant for a few hours.
4. Café Mocha — a typical mocha served in a 12 oz. mug, best on rainy days, or when you’re just craving chocolate.
5. Café Latte — a typical latte served in a 12 oz. mug.
6. Los Toreros — a pour-​over black coffee from El Salvador served with two blackberries and a glass of sparkling water. It has a bitter taste that grown-​ups inexplicably love, but tastes like medicine to me.
7. Hot Chocolate — For people who don’t like coffee or don’t want any caffeine late at night, Avid’s hot chocolate is a safe choice. They even put a leaf on it for visual appeal, and the foam accentuates the texture for one really smooth cup. Highly recommended!
Most of these drinks can also be served chilled. Avid also serves crepes on the weekend, although I have yet to try one. (You can always check Avid Coffee’s Facebook page for details)
For any coffee place, the free wifi is indispensable. You can come here to do a myriad of things like study, read, have a conversation with a stranger, etc. Or if you just want to relax, Avid’s Spotify playlist is nice too.

Avid Coffee brews up one truly delectable cup of awesomeness. Barista Timothy handcrafted my simple pour-​over, then served it up on a 9×6 rectangular dish accompanied by a small glass of seltzer water and two blackberries. The accoutrements lived up to their promise of enhancing the flavor of this remarkable roast. This coffee service alone deserves 6 stars for it far surpassed anything I could have conceived.
That said, however, Avid achieved their ambiance through unfinished, unfocused, thrown-​together décor, which truly distracted from what could absolutely be a tremendous coffee house experience. I could, therefore, only give this aspect 2 stars.
My hope is that the owners can pull together their defined look to accent their lovely cup of brew. In the meantime, I hope that, despite the setting, you’ll stop by and wrap your taste buds around this fabulous coffee.

I never was a big fan of the Almaden Roasting Company. I always found it to be a bit bland and was put off by their early closing time. I was hoping for a better coffee shop within walking distance of my house and was excited when I heard that Avid had moved in.
When I finally tried it, I was disappointed. I spent just under $ 10 here for a soy mocha and soy latte. I do understand that soy does have a stronger flavor than normal milk but there is no reason why it should take center stage in a mocha or a latte. If I wanted warmed soy milk I would have stayed at home.
As another Unilocal reviewer mentioned, the atmosphere is very cold. I think they are trying to be modern or hip or whatever, but I find it to be uncomfortable. I much preferred the cozy atmosphere of the Almaden Roasting Company.
The only good thing I have to say about Avid is that the workers are very friendly and enthusiastic. I really wish that the coffee was better.
If you want good coffee that isn’t Starbucks or Peet’s, I’d recommend driving to Prospect & Lawrence and grabbing a mocha at Dolce Bella. It’s 20 minutes out of the way, but that’s better than drinking this.

Wow, this place has come a long way since my last visit. The espresso machine was working so I tried a cappuccino. It was very smooth, creamy and enjoyable. An extra added bonus was the little heart artfully crafted in the foam. The pastries are still awesome, service is great and they started decorating the interior. It looks like fresh paint, artwork, etc. They still serve and sell Verve coffee. Even though it’s a little out of the way for me, I’ll definitely make this a regular place to visit.
Update: They added a small kids area for those of you exhausted parents out there who need a good, quality coffee break!

Avid Coffee is a new little place in Almaden that opened up in December 2012. That being said, they still have some kinks in the location to work out, but I will get to that later.
Very excited to see this coffee shop with really nice people and awesome latte art. They use Verve Coffee here, and they actually know what they are doing. I mean, just look at the photos.
I don’t drink coffee, but they even latte art-​ed my chai latte, which is always a win in my book.
They also have pastries and crepes (banana & nutella and cottage cheese, peaches, blueberries & maple syrup). Crepes are a little small, and the pastries were a little lacking in number. But if you want a quick bite, you can get one here.
The biggest downside to this place is the interior. It’s lacking in the warmth (literally) and coziness of a coffee shop. There’s plenty of seating and a giant couch, but it’s just so empty and cold. Irregardless, I will be back. I like this place already. The people are great. And I want it to win.

Want to give an update because I’ve been here several times.
My cappuccino has been consistently perfect, every single time!
Avid just rocks! How wonderful it is to be greeted by the owner who not only remembers what you order, but offers to demonstrate a new coffee brewing product? I didn’t have time for this visit but next time!
I really hope locals give this place a chance. This guy is so passionate about serving high quality coffee and is so friendly!
If nothing else, drop by for some coffee served on tap. You will be surprised that it is so good you won’t need to sweeten it.

This is the old Almaden Roasting Company owned by Jessie! I was very sad to see her sell it but she sold it to a previous barista who worked for her, Chad. Chad was raised in Almaden Valley and has a passion for his coffee! After tasting it and meeting him, you will see why.
Don’t let the difference in décor or simplistic open space deter you. Get this coffee. It’s the BEST! I ordered the latte. Served in a large mug with heart latte art on top. It’s smooth with a defined body, no sourness at all. Tastes so good and makes me very happy.
Also, I had a cranberry scone which was delicious! Pastries are available.
This coffee can’t be compared to Starbucks or Peet’s– after enjoying a mug of this, the other stuff tastes like ground tobacco! Yuk!
Avid coffee needs community support! So if you are in the area, love GREAT coffee and want to support a young local entrepreneur, then stop by. You won’t be disappointed.