Avenue 209 Coffee House {Lock Haven, PA}

The Great Coffee Adventure: Just a wedding photographer + her coffee-enthusiast husband on an adventure through Pennsylvania; discovering, photographing and otherwise enjoying the unique, independently-owned coffeeshops and cafes of our great state. Coffee makes us happy. 

Avenue 209 Coffee House is just straight-up COOL. They are industrial and artistic and thoroughly local. Like someone’s little brother who went to college as a scrawny 18-year-old kid and came back as a hipster musician with style.. and everybody raises their eyebrows. I don’t know what I was expecting, but Avenue 209 definitely went straight up and over those expectations and delivered the ambiance that I’ve been longing for in a local coffee shop.

It’s a meeting place. Where people gather to talk, date, gossip, work, read among people while not really talking *to* people. I saw slices of local community life and I liked it. (Brandon and I drove away and discussed whether we wanted to move to Lock Haven).That’s what coffee can do to you! For the record, we settled on just coming back for a Friday night date or two.

Let’s talk coffee.  (Brandon)

• Espresso – Ave. 209 roasts their own beans, so when you drink it, remember that it’s local.  Jared (the barista/friend who served us) mentioned that they literally drive to Jersey and meet a boat at the docks, buy beans, drive to Williamsport and roast.  The espresso is balanced.  Not too light, and not too crazy.  Sometimes it’s nice to have the shot of espresso that hits your palate with 12 different layers of flavor (I jest); this roast is just a lot more simple.  It’s kind of like a French roast without the complexity, except that smokey finish that we love in a French roast.  Mildly aromatic, caramelly like an Italian roast; after you put your cup down, you’ll enjoy a clean finish–this espresso leaves little behind besides the smoke.  Simple, but pleasing.
• Coffee – There are no crazy Ethiopian-Sumatra-Hazelnut-Norwegian cups of coffee in this establishment.  If you are caught up with all of that, go somewhere else.  But if you love a good-ole cup of coffee, come here and bring your friends. It is very good.  Balances well with sugar, not too light to lose its flavor in creamer.  Not to strong to overwhelm you.  Balanced and uniquely local.
• Liquid  Brownie – Some coffee joints just can’t do mochas/dessert drinks.  I must say, the highlight of our experience was the liquid brownie.  A shot of espresso, dark chocolate syrup, caramel, and steamed half-in-half (you heard me).  If decadent has a spot for a picture in your dictionary, you now know what to put there.

End Brandon talking…. return to Naomi talking.

Small coffee + small mocha + double espresso + lemon bar = $9.82

Can I double-rave about that Liquid Brownie? Because it was YUMMY. I definitely considered that my dessert for the day. Plus the lemon bar. Also yummy. When I go to Avenue 209 again,  there will be something sweet at first… until I drink it all.. and then regular coffee for the next hour as I enjoy the ambiance.

Ambiance is where Avenue 209 really shines. Hand-painted murals + local artwork on the walls. Repurposed cable-spool tables covered in crayon-colored papers underneath plastic. Steel accents. A cozy couch for reading.. high tables, low tables, a window bar for the lonely laptop worker. A bookshelf. A corner stage with piano and acoustic equipment. This place is ready for people & music & laidback college life.

Wanna check it out yourself?
See them on their website and on facebook…
Or just go there. 209 Bellefonte Avenue in Lock Haven (Map it!)

One other AMAZING thing about this coffee house… they have great hours!!
7:00 am to 9 pm, Monday through Saturday (yay for being open later for the after-5:00-pm crowd!)

Stay classy!
~Naomi Elle

PS – They let me play the piano!<— Happy Naomi

Have you been to Avenue 209? Is there another place we should go on The Great Coffee Adventure?

Comment! Tell us what you think!