The espresso machine at that tiny diner in Tulsa blew my mind

I stopped into a greasy spoon called Betty's Grill off Route 66 last week, not expecting anything special. They had a beat-up old La Marzocco tucked behind the counter next to a jukebox that was barely working. The owner, a guy named Ray who looked like he hadn't slept since 1995, pulled me a shot that was smoother than anything I've had at shops charging $6. He said he's been using the same 20 year old grinder and just eyeballs the dose. Has anyone else stumbled into a random spot that totally wrecked their coffee snob expectations?

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lucas97213d ago

I gotta push back on the "smoother than anything at shops charging $6" thing... that La Marzocco is a great machine but it's probably not pulling shots that are actually better than a well-maintained shop. That 20 year old grinder with the eyeballed dose? There's no way that's consistent shot to shot. I've been to places like that where the magic hits one day and the next you get something bitter or sour. The romance of the beat-up machine and the old guy is nice but it's usually just nostalgia talking, not actual coffee quality.