Dana Street Roasting Co. -- Mountain View

Set up more as a neighborhood shop, Dana Street Roasting Co. is not only out of the way for road travelers, it's also a couple of blocks off the acclaimed main drag of Mountain View, Calif. -- Castro Street. (I found out later, as I was chugging it back to the light rail station, that there was a shop on Castro I overlooked. So I probably will be returning to Mountain View sometime soon).

As for the Dana Street shop, it reminded me a bit of Barefoot Cafe with its neglect for providing a comfortable, relaxing place to sit and talk, do work or just take a break from a busy day. Like Barefoot, much of the furniture looks as if it came from Goodwill (not that there's anything wrong with that) and a portion of the seating area is dominated by the roasting equipment and wooden pallets holding yet-to-be-opened coffee bean sacks. Some of the tables are so small, I could barely fit my 15-inch laptop next to my drink, let alone set any books or papers alongside. If you order a sandwich or a pastry, forget about it -- either find another table or start shuffling your stuff around.

I'm sure the coffee itself is exemplary -- a Best of Mountain View winner in past years, according to its Web site -- so that appeals to the pick-up-and-go crowd. I didn't bother hanging around for a taste test, but I was there long enough to figure out that Dana Street Roasting is a locals' place -- perhaps even more of a night spot for many -- and not really a must-go shop for those passing through.

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Dana Street Roasting Co.
744 W. Dana Street
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 390-9638
Map

Bean Scene -- Sunnyvale

Smack dab in the middle of a vibrant restaurant district in downtown Sunnyvale, Calif., Bean Scene seems to be the go-to coffee house for locals, no matter what time of day it is.

The shop is set up well as a pick-up-and-go place or as a sit-down spot for the mobile business community or working lunch crowd. In addition to its variety of gourmet coffees, the shop makes sandwiches, salads and soups as well as fruit smoothies, Italian sodas and teas. Bean Scene lists about two dozen coffee blends and recommends trying the Black Forest Mocha.

Plenty of seating options are avaliable, including sofas and easy chairs as well as outdoor sidewalk tables. Some indoor spots, however, are a bit cramped and even block entering patrons who have to reach the back of the shop to get in line (it's a much easier navigation for those using the rear entrance).

I arrived during lunch -- after I finally parked a few blocks away -- enjoying a turkey sandwich and a Gritty Kitty (chocolate shake with small chunks of espresso beans blended in) while watching a stream of business people march through the shop. Service was quick and courteous, and the product was decent.

Bean Scene's decor is bright and pleasant -- light oak tables and chairs, large blackboard menu, vast glass display case holding various modern and antique coffee accessories, not to mention tasteful art displays and large front-of-store windows to allow plenty of outside light and views of the busy street activity. The hum of conversation was constant during the hour I spent there, so if you're looking for a quiet spot, this may not be it.

There's little doubt Bean Scene is a spot for locals, for socializing and for enjoying good coffee and eats. However, if you're passing through the region by car, it's a bit out of the way from U.S. 101 or I-280 and may take some time to find.

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Bean Scene

186 S. Murphy Ave.

Sunnyvale, CA 94086

(408) 738-4523

Map

Barefoot Cafe -- Santa Clara

A cool name and logo, an outstanding online presence and no doubt a quality product make Barefoot Coffee Roasters the model of brand management among independent coffee producers in the area. Sadly though, the company's lone retail outlet, located on Stevens Creek Boulevard at Lawrence Expressway in Santa Clara, Calif., leaves a lot to be desired.

Granted, I seemed to have caught the shop on a bad day -- I observed what appeared to be a transitioning of the wall art and overheard customer/employee commentary to support as much. But bare walls aside, the shop's secondhand furniture (some of which sparked flashbacks to my community college cafeteria days), stained and cracked concrete floor and overall lack of coffee shop ambience didn't offer me good cause to stick around.

Frankly, I was little surprised at the cafe's drabness. In researching Barefoot online, I found its comprehensive Web site inviting and perhaps even a little intimidating for its knowledge of and passion for producing quality gourmet coffee. The bean roasting and wholesale distributing side of the business certainly is not lacking, as Barefoot supplies coffee to several markets, coffee shops and restaurants in the area. The Web site makes special mention of these resellers as well as Barefoot's producer partners. It harps on crafting quality coffee and the importance of freshness. It goes out of its way to give equal time to all its "people."

Maybe I'm missing something, but it makes me wonder why they don't put the same time and effort into making the shop equally inviting.

On the plus side, there is free WiFi and open mic night every Wednesday, the latter of which I know only from perusing the Barefoot Web site. Aside from the friendly employees, there is little, if any, communication (signage, business messaging, bulletin board, expanded menu) of what the shop is all about or why you should come in to sample the coffee and the surroundings.

For road travelers, Barefoot is just off I-280, so if you're looking for a place to pick up expertly brewed coffee on the run, by all means proceed. But if you're wanting a comfortable, relaxing spot to recharge before getting back behind the wheel, you may want to look elsewhere.

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Barefoot Cafe
5237 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Santa Clara, CA 95051
(408) 248-4500
Map