Urban Sailor Coffee

Dad’s Review

First, Jaclyn, Anna, and I visited Urban Sailor in the Sugar House neighborhood, looking to write another review for our Salt Lake City Coffee Latte website. Unfortunately, we had to park two blocks away and found the place packed. Despite the inconvenience, we were intrigued by the coffee shop’s vibe. Since no parking was available, we decided to try the Urban Sailor downtown location.

This downtown location was conveniently situated within an apartment complex. We were pleased to discover ample parking in front of the Traeger store. Please refrain from parking there during the week, as you might get towed. The shop’s history was evident as we noticed its motorcycle sidecar, which sits proudly on display in the middle of the floor. It was fascinating to learn about its unique history of serving coffee from the side car.

We all ordered a small latte in a mug. After we received our order, we went upstairs, where there was ample room to park ourselves and open our laptops. This is really nice and includes conference/meeting rooms, which are most likely a benefit to the residents of the Post District building.

I liked Anna’s approach to her review in the previous latte blog about Roots at Sugar House, so I will try and follow the same approach this time around. 

Espresso Flavor

Unfortunately, this espresso had a slightly sour taste, which is often a result of using milk nearing its expiration date. Anna mentioned that some people enjoy this flavor, but it wasn’t my preference.

Milk-to-espresso ratio

The sourness of this cafe latte overpowered the espresso flavor, making it difficult for me to accurately assess the ratio of espresso to milk.

Temperature

Warm, not hot. I noticed this when the espresso was poured before steaming the milk. I didn’t watch how it was done, but I’ve found that you can make a hot latte if you steam the milk first, set it aside, and then extract the espresso into the mug just before pouring the steamed milk. 

Presentation

Here, at least, the presentation was good, at least with good marks. Latte art was evident in a really cool mug that fit the grooves of its saucer. I like the Urban Sailor logo and font style. 

Despite its mediocre cafe latte, Urban Sailor Coffee is a stylish coffee shop with ample space for relaxation, studying, and work. Don’t let this review discourage you. I’m confident that their coffee beans are top-notch. I’ll give them another chance and hope for a better latte to earn a higher rating. My rating this round is 4/10.

Jackie’s Review

Today, we embarked on a voyage across town to visit Urban Sailor Coffee. To be honest, I had never heard of this spot until my dad suggested it earlier this week. We started at their Sugarhouse location, where the lack of parking required us to endure through the snowfall and cold. To be fair, we did go on a Saturday at 11 am, which is a notoriously bad time to visit coffee shops in SLC. When we walked inside from the wild outdoors, my glasses immediately fogged up. My dad and Anna informed me there was no seating. I still could not see. We stood awkwardly in the front area as people repeatedly asked us if we were in line. I felt overwhelmed while trying to wipe the fog from my glasses. I never actually saw the inside because we left soon after.

We ended up trying their other location in more central downtown Salt Lake City. This was great as it was part of an apartment complex with ample seating spread across two floors. The first floor was half coffee shop, half leasing office. It had a motorcycle on display! The second floor overlooked the first and was a co-work-type space with conference rooms, booths, outlets galore, and comfy nooks. There were a few crannies as well.

The latte presentation was great—there was a fancy little tree pattern in the foam. The mug fit perfectly into a groove in the small plate in a way that was so deliciously satisfying. The coffee shop’s bold, dark logo also looked great on the all-white mug. As for the flavor, I thought it was really great. Just enough espresso, to the point where it was almost a little bitter (for me)—but that’s what I expect from a good latte. The flavor of the espresso was nutty and acidic, and this blended nicely with the steamed milk.

I think what makes this coffee shop special is the presentation and the interior design pieces. I really loved the atmosphere of the location we visited with more than enough seating on a Saturday morning. It was a bit of a hidden location, and I will definitely find myself there when I know for certain I do not want to try to find a seat on a busy weekend. I can see myself using a place like this to study hard and get caffeinated.

Overall: 9/10.