A couple of weeks ago I was in West Palm Beach determined to find something that would inspire me for an article I was working on. As soon as I parked at the end of Clematis Street I knew I had found the perfect spot to start exploring. Clematis Street is one of those all-American coastal streets that incites your curiosity because you never know what you might find. What was evident was its charming architecture, small boutique stores, and an enchanting trolley that looked like a 1940s streetcar.
As I kept strolling up the street I was so surprised and delighted to find Subculture Coffee Roasters. If you know me a little you might know of my obsession of finding and drinking good coffee, so for me this was bliss. I had heard of them before because they are one of the few specialty coffee roasters in Florida but never expected to find them here! So I went in and hoped they would live up to my expectations.
Like every good coffee shop their magnificent roaster greeted me. It is a very refined and elegant Diedrich that I am assuming holds up to 10 pounds (~4.5kg) of green coffee. The weight of the coffee of course diminishes a 16%~18% after roasting. Unfortunately they were not roasting at that time but that must be a great spectacle.
Their menu is the next thing that captured my attention. The chalk menu walls are interesting to look at, and are adorned with fun drawings. They give the coffee shop a rustic and bohemian feel that matches its eclectic audience. The place was really busy when I came in,- people in meetings, some on their computers, and others chatting with friends,-which shows that Subculture has built a strong community.
I absolutely loved their mugs so I couldn’t help myself and take a picture! :)
But now it was time for the coffee tasting! I ordered an espresso, a cappuccino and a piece of banana bread. The espresso, was superb. It had a perfect golden creamy top layer that protected and guarded all the flavours that I was going to try in the espresso-a floral, medium-bodied espresso with low acidity, that left a pleasing after-taste. Fantastic! Unfortunately I lost that picture so I cannot share, but here is one of the cappuccino.
The cappuccino’s foam was great, it was not excessive and badly steamed like many other places, instead it had about half and inch of foam with good consistency. I find the steaming makes the milk a bit sweeter so no need for sugar. The banana bread went very well with it. It was definitely baked that day as it was moist, soft, and sweet. But they have many other sweet and savory offerings like you may see below:
I tried asking the barista about the blend I was drinking and he pointed to the wall and mentioned that each day they write the coffee blend or coffee origin that was being used. I was going to continue asking about the different blends and origins they have, but there was a line of customers waiting to be helped!
Overall I can now say Subculture is the real deal. They know coffee, they know roasting, and their baristas are talented. It has also successfully built a community and has become the meeting place of the young and working professionals of West Palm Beach; so next time you are in the area make it a point to stop by Subculture Coffee Roasters.
