Steam Espresso Bar: Two Shops, One Mood Swing

Steam Espresso Bar has two locations in Denver, Colorado. There is one on Tejon Street and one on South Pearl. After visiting both, I can confidently say they’re the same brand in theory, but entirely different in feel. One feels like a Pinterest board; the other feels like the barista could be your new best friend. Here's a full breakdown.

Let’s start with Tejon. This location is inside a renovated firehouse. It has high ceilings, tons of natural light, a central bar surrounded by wall seating, and even a fireman’s pole tucked in the corner. I half-expected to see someone slide down it with an espresso in hand. There’s also a made-to-order juice bar with options like green juice, grapefruit, and a house special made of carrot, orange, apple, lemon, and ginger. Very LA wellness influencer energy, in the best way. They’ve even got a kitchen cranking out small bites like a rose yogurt bowl and Mediterranean veggie bagel sandwich, which feels fancy-adjacent for a coffee shop.

But the shine dulled quickly. I ordered my go-to: an iced oat milk vanilla latte. To my surprise, they don’t have vanilla syrup. Or lavender. Or caramel. They only have two syrups—honey and simple. I went with honey, and the result was a nutty, not-very-sweet drink that gave me high school almond milk latte flashbacks (Emma Chamberlain, this is your doing). Also, my drink only had four ice cubes and came in a to-go cup because they were out of glassware. Whether that’s a dishwashing oversight or a sign of how slammed they were, unclear—but not ideal.

I added a gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffin to my order, but it ended up being a poppyseed muffin with the ghost of a lemon. Also: bone-dry. The crystallized sugar on top tried to redeem it, but it wasn’t enough. And the music? Oh no. Every other track swung violently between yoga meditation vibes and early 2000s rock. It made me yearn for elevator music. The biggest offender, though, is the fact that there’s only one outlet in the entire space, and it was next to the trash can. That wouldn’t be a huge issue if they were trying to encourage community, like Davis Street Espresso famously does. But Steam has WiFi, and literally everyone was working on a laptop. So it really limits the consumer to how long they can stay.

Pricing:

• Latte: 6

• Oat Milk: 1

• Honey: 0

• Muffin: 3.50

• Total = $10.26

My rating:

• Coffee: 2

• Activity: 4

• Music: 1 

• Vibes: 3 

• Overall = 2.5

Now let’s talk Pearl. This spot won me over almost instantly, despite the fact that I ate the sidewalk trying to get here. I tripped on the uneven sidewalk outside a bar, scraped my leg, and whimpered in an alley like a Victorian ghost. Rough start. It’s located on a corner in a cute neighborhood—smaller, cozier, and with even more outdoor seating than its sister shop. But once inside, I knew the day was looking up. They have open garage doors behind the barista bar for some windows, giving it a laid-back feel. It feels like it used to be an auto shop, and I love that it still has that breezy, industrial energy. 

A couple was meeting up for a blind date, and I couldn’t not eavesdrop. Gabby was clearly more interested in the Tom Selleck mustache barista than her date, who was dressed like he was headed to the gym with a grease-lightening hairdo.

I ordered a cold brew because I didn’t want anything sweet, and it did not disappoint. My favorite cold brew is from Davis, but this might be a close second! The notes seemed to be butterscotch, caramel, and red grape. I know these are sweeter notes, but it still has the bitter cold brew taste. The flavor profile is amazing. I asked Tom Selleck what the actual flavor notes were, and he said cherry, caramel, and dark chocolate, so I feel like I was pretty close! 

She was better but not perfect. There was very limited indoor seating, and what exists is strictly functional. Think bistro chairs—not comfy. They did, however, have a whopping three outlets, but they’re not exactly accessible unless you're willing to hover like a goblin. The music is just okay. Nothing offensive, nothing special. I wouldn’t want to work from here for hours, but I would walk around the neighborhood after grabbing a cold brew and pretend I live in one of the nearby craftsman-style homes.

Pricing:

• Cold Brew: 5.25

• Total = $5.67

My rating:

• Coffee: 5

• Activity: 4

• Music: 2 

• Vibes: 4 (lost a point for the leg injury, gained a point for Tom Selleck)

• Overall = 3.75

If you’re after aesthetics and plants, go Tejon. If you want flavor and friendly faces, Pearl’s your place. If you want outlets, go literally anywhere else.