Seeing how I was dying for a warm drink but nothing that would put me into a sugar or caffeine high, I was really happy to see El Almacen Cafe nearby. The small and welcoming cafe is bright, clean, and a quiet place for people to enjoy a cup or a small bite while working on whatever is on their lap top.
The decor is fun... with clear Latin American nods in their choice of murals and colour scheme. Bright, bold, and fun... with lots of nice wooden finishes. The service was helpful but they did take a regular that came in after me first... I guess it does pay to be a regular here. After the regular got their drink, they asked me what I would like. After a quite run down of their drinks, I took a Mate Latte with almond milk to go. For a regular sized drink, it came up to $5.99 all in. It definitely is pushing the upper end but I figure for something unique, why not try it.
For those who have never tried Mate before... it's quite a woody herbacious bitter note. I am used to drinking Asian loose leaf teas and I would say that this is up there with them on bitterness. I didn't love it but I did appreciate how it was different from the overly sweet tea latte just a few stores down.
Would I come back here immediately if I'm in the area? Possibly not ... but it's definitely something to try for an unique taste in a nice bright cafe.