Domestique coffee
200 41st St S, Birmingham, Alabama 35222
In Birmingham’s Avondale neighborhood, an old warehouse district, turned funky with brew houses and BBQ’s, sits an intriguing coffeehouse named Domestique - Satellite, that is part radio station, part night club bar, part vintage computer game lounge, and 100% unique. It’s definatly worth checking out.
Coffee:
My drip delivered a hot, full-mouthed, very satisfying, chocolaty experience. My cortado came with a chaser of seltzer water which is a very nice touch. It allows you to cleanse your palate so that each sip has the flavor burst of being your first. My Cortado milk was clearly steamed, not frothed, but in a first, I found it to be a bit hot. When I arrived, they were still waiting on their 8am bakery delivery. Oops. This shop also had only one staff person to wait on people, make drinks, and operate the register. Perhaps its a staffing problem, perhaps they have too many things going on to focus on the complete coffee experience.
Barista:
I arrived shortly after open to find just one staff person in the whole place. Luckily, I was one of the initial customers so I predated any potential line-up. She was attentive and offered information on their roasting facility and beans. Still though, this lack of staff is a miss and almost humorously opposed to their name, meaning servant in French (founder was a bike racer and this is terminology for teammates that support the team’s top rider. My 7:30 arrival also proceeded their bakery delivery, “usually at about 8,” I was told. The first thing that pops up on their website is a very prominent font proclaiming, NOW HIRING. So, I’ll guess its just a staffing problem.
Vibe:
You can’t walk in without wanting to explore. From the Sega and Nintendo gaming stations, to the air ducts painted like a rocket ship, to the pinball room in the back, to the wall of 300 or so table games, or the night club entrance, or the spool of vintage Ford F-150 TV ads playing on a projector screen, or the vintage photo booth, this place deserves an inquisitive stroll. I bet it rock at night and I’d very much love to check it out when they have a musical act worth seeing. Its retro chic, circa 1980.
Make You Better
More staff in the morning and an earlier bakery delivery are the nudges I’d suggest.
I recommend a docking at Domestique’s Satellite in Avondale. It’s a bit out of the way if you’re downtown, but almost on the way if you’re heading in from the airport, and in either case, this hip and funky time warp of a bar/coffee house is worth the trek.
~ Clyde <3