Caboose Coffee
Now that Spring is here and the sun is finally sending its warmth to our surface I have been walking a lot more. As I headed in the normal direction my nostrils caught the scent of baking bread and I knew I had to follow it. It took me to Automobile Alley which is a long stretch of shops and restaurants on Broadway Ave. The smell became stronger and stronger as I headed north. I came to an intersection and looked in front of me for a way. I noticed a large set of blue glasses on a white background. Someone like me is always boastful about what I know about my city. Especially an area that I live in. However, I had no clue what this building contained.
I took a sharp right turn heading east up 13th Street toward the railroad tracks. Confused about which way to complete my journey to this mystery building took me on a gravely short walk up the side of the tracks. On approach, I noticed two signs set across from each other with a dual staircase between them. It leads to a door into the old building. Once inside my eyes gazed upon books and art in a tiny corridor. Two more beautiful old windowed doors led me into the main area.
The room has high ceilings and old windows that fill the place with natural light. A young man set quietly reading a book on a vintage couch that was clearly from the late 60s or early 70s. He invited me with a smile and asked if I needed help with anything. His name is Ben and he runs the small little coffee shop inside. When I say small I mean he built it into a small closet in the corner of the room. Genius level! I ordered an Americano with nothing in it and chose to stay a bit. He went to work on my order as I paid through Venmo, and no cash was needed.
Caboose Coffee is tightly nestled into the northeast corner of the main area of Bookish. A small bookstore with Used Books and Art. As Ben finished making my Americano I browsed to see what was available. So many great books that I had either already read, or that were on my list to read. This place is an Oasis set within the urban core of downtown Oklahoma City. It is a calm old building with so many things to see. Art, poetry, and books fill the walls with color and music fills the room. Extra points for playing a playlist with the likes of Bill Callahan and Kurt Vile.
My coffee was ready and served in a vintage coffee cup that was set on its companion plate. You are also given a Biscoff cookie to dip in the coffee. I obliged and took to soaking my cookie after each sip. The coffee was delicious, hot, and perfectly crafted. A lot of baristas will add far to much water to an Americano, but Ben did no such thing. I grabbed a book called Decoding the World and set at the table nearby. I read a few chapters as I finished my coffee. It was time for lunch and I had to leave. I didn’t want to go. This place is just so comfortable.
I paid for a cold brew to go and bought the book. I only spent $15 there which made me feel like I was stealing from them. Like Anthony Bourdain use to worry, do I tell everyone about this place and worry that it might be ruined? I think it is worth letting people know. It is a wonderful place. Enjoy!
