I Traveled for a Cup of Coffee
- Bri Kelly
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Pike Place
(The first Starbucks)
1912 Pike Pl
Seattle, WA 98101
October 2025
Location: Seattle, Washington
The plan: Take a 34 hour train ride from Los Angeles to Seattle, sleep for 4-5 hours, get up an hour before the first Starbucks opens (5 am), get a cup of coffee (or matcha if you're like Star who couldn't have coffee at that time), then get right back on the train and do the 34 hours all over again.
The plan was silly. Take in beautiful views, eat lots of food, work on school work while Star napped because sleeping on a train is really hard. Then we were SUPPOSED to get a few hours in the city at night, a few hours asleep in the hotel, then wake up bright and early to try to beat the line that would probably form. We’d get our cup of coffee then take an Uber back to the train station for our 9am boarding and do the 34 hours all the way back to Los Angeles.
That was the plan anyway. The first day went pretty smoothly (other than a guy very LOUDLY breaking up with his girlfriend, and calling all of their friends for the next couple of hours convincing them that she was back on drugs and sleeping with her dealer…) Anyway, we had a lovely lunch, saw some beautiful ocean views, had a lovely steak/chicken dinner, and then had some of the worst sleep I’ve ever had on a moving vehicle.
The second day Starr was in worse shape than I was. I think I had 3.5 hours of back and forth sleep compared to his 1.5? He was in and out of naps while I worked on homework and spent the rest of my time admiring Oregon and its rainy weather. (Hot take: Oregon was so much prettier than Seattle; come for me Twilight fans). (Jk, please spare me). The evening is where things went wrong.
Ok, I’m being over dramatic. Our train just had to change out one of the cars because the wheels were… not good? I don’t remember, this was in October, give me a break. But anyway, hey, I am someone who has TIME ANXIETY. I do not like being late. Our train was supposed to arrive at 8pm, we were supposed to have some dinner on the roof-top balcony at our hotel (the only reason I even picked this hotel), and we were supposed to have a lovely evening! OKay?!
Ok, we still had a very nice time. Our train stopped right next to a pizza shop, a lot of the passengers got out to use the bathroom there and ended up buying pizzas. Alex got us a cheese pizza, the attendants passed out some water and some snacks, a lot of the passengers took this to kind of get to know each other and hang out (not Star and I though… we uh… we just played a bunch of rounds of Ludo on my phone). The vibes were honestly really nice. We arrived in Seattle at 11pm, took an Uber to our hotel, when I got out of my shower Star was already dead asleep.
Yes, I know this is a coffee blog, that’s what you’re here for. You’re not here to hear about how my vacation was. You want to know all of the details of the first ever Starbucks. I don’t blame you, I’m getting to it! Gosh you’re so impatient today, just like how I was the 3 hours our train was stopped… ANYWAY!
A Little History:
In 1971, Starbucks opened their doors for the first time in Seattle Washington. “Their name was inspired by the classic tale Moby-Dick, evoking the seafaring tradition of the early coffee traders.” (https://www.pikeplacemarket.org/vendor/the-first-starbucks/) They were one of the first stores to offer fresh roast coffee, tea, and spices across the world.
This is a tourist destination- so much that they have ropes outside the store designated for the line that will form outside. They have a person waiting by the door to let in a certain amount of people that way the store isn't fully crowded and uncomfortable to walk around.
The Review:
The Oat Milk Mocha (no whipped cream): Since we were on vacation and only would be visiting once, I had to get my favorite drink. It was a simple oat milk latte and tasted like I would normally get at a Starbucks, so it's nice that they are consistent. I do really like the oat milk mocha here, I believe it's creamy and nicely balanced. The mocha sauce is a little dark and bitter which works well with the (burnt) espresso. I know Starbucks uses vanilla oat milk so that adds a little more sweetness to the bitter drink. 4/5
The Latte: Since I'm writing this in July and our trip was in October, Star does not remember how this drink but he thinks it was okay. So... cool! 3/5
The Accessibility:
Parking: There is accessible parking on the street in front of the shop, however, it is a little bit of a walk since the parking is on the corner. Star and I went around 8 o'clock in the morning so I cannot say how crowded it can get during busy hours but around this time it wasn't too busy or crowded on the sidewalks.
Outside: There are ropes right in front of the store so they can maintain a better experience inside. This helps you in the long run, however, I will say that if it does get busy a part of the line goes off the curb and into the street and there is not a ramp nearby. Star and I were lucky that we didn't have to deal with me getting on and off the curb since we were early; but I would make a note that if you're there when it is busy to have someone with you to either help you on the curb or to save your place in line. There is seating outside (also in the street off the curb), there are a couple of picnic tables that you can sit on for a moment.
The Door: The door was propped open during our visit, with an attendant carefully managing the number of people inside the store.
The Shop: This shop is the original 1971 shop, so it is on the smaller side, but the crowd control does help. There is a line that leads from the door, to the merch on the side wall, to the counter in the back of the store. While most people must follow the line, we were ushered to the counter on the other side of the store. A barista personally took care of any coffee or merch order we had. We then were asked to wait in the line for our coffees and we then paid at the same counter. This made it a little easier for us to get around the store. The counter in the back is a taller counter and is hard to do any ordering from so I appreciated the extra assistance. The counter we were helped at was lower and displayed all the different beans they used to (some they still do) sell. Payment was difficult for me because while the counter was low, the card reader was propped up on a stand so I had to have Star help me (though he actually paid for my coffee and my merch). I'm sure the barista would help anyway but keep that in mind if you plan to go alone.
Seating: There is no seating inside the store; the only seating available are the picnic tables outside that might even be for another business.
The Staff: The staff have already been present in this review and I'm sure you can understand why. They are what make this store work. They are all kind, friendly, and helpful even this early in the morning. They have a system that works and they know just how to accommodate while making their customers feel comfortable.
The Bathroom: From my recollection, there was no bathroom for customers.
Overall: Let's face it; it's an older shop and a tourist destination, I'm honestly impressed I was able to make it inside the building. The staff are the stars in this bucks and they make it possible to have a good experience; so big thank you to them. If you want to try their coffee, genuinely, it is the same taste as any Starbucks I've been to. The accessibility left some to be desired but the staff makes up for any short comings the building has. So was it worth the 68 hour train ride forward and back? Honestly? Yes. I will happily look back on the time we decided to spend a whole lot of money to get a cup of coffee, the long hours, the horrible sleep, the conversations I had with my friend of 25 years, the mid cup of coffee in a historic birthplace of a franchise.
Final Score:
The Merch:
There was no difference in sleeve compared to the one you normally get at Starbucks BUT we did buy merch because we cannot help ourselves.
Comments