Restaurant Review: Square 1 Coffee

SQUARE 1 COFFEE 15 Fairway Drive | square1coffee.ca Instagram: @square1coffee | Twitter: @square1coffeeco Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew

There isn't much better than a really great coffee shop. A cozy place where you can go and sit that serves excellent coffee and delicious food... Every neighbourhood wishes for one. I know that I do!! The people of Aspen Gardens are lucky because they have Square 1 Coffee, a truly wonderful cafe that delivers on all levels. (There is now a second location in Glenora as well.) Edmonton Journal named them Best Coffee Shop 2021, and I would personally say that they are among the top 2-3 best places to grab a coffee in the city. You'll find the original location in a strip mall and when you step inside you will immediately be surprised by the expansiveness of the space. It's a really big restaurant! Complete with soaring ceilings, a small patio out front, and enough space for a retail area. There are a lot of tables and couches but Square 1 is no secret and it can often be quite busy. Such was the case on my Saturday morning visit, as I hurried to grab myself a slice of couch in the middle of the room. The vibe of the space is eclectic, with plenty of rustic wood mixed with vintage chandeliers and edison bulbs. It's basically a hipster's ideal surroundings. Like most cafes, you approach the counter to make your order, however not without taking a look in the cooler on the left first. This is where you'll find all of the sandwiches for the day (which rotate) and all of the special desserts. You can pull out whatever you like and take it with you to the counter. If you've selected a sandwich you will have the option to have it heated up. The staff is friendly and helpful, ready to make your coffee dreams come true. I like that Square 1 often has different seasonal coffee/tea/latte features available because I'm someone who always enjoys trying something new. However, on this visit I went for a personal classic and ordered a Mocha ($6.00 for regular size). This is my usual fallback when there isn't something "fun" or "interesting" to try.

I am no coffee expert by any means but I know that I like the coffee at Square 1 better than most. I'm aware that they use 49th Parallel coffee from Vancouver but I'm not entirely sure if this is what they serve exclusively. My mocha was everything that I want a mocha to be; velvety smooth, a hint of sweetness, and the taste of good quality coffee. Every element was in perfect balance, letting each component shine. Wonderfully frothy and super creamy, this mocha felt luxurious. One of my favourites in the city for sure. The next most important thing that you need to be aware of at Square 1 is the Cinnamon Knot ($4.50). The pastry case is full of various goodies but the cinnamon knot is the thing. It's not quite like a cinnamon bun... And you need to try it for yourself so that you're in the know.

Twists of warm, soft pastry dough reveal folds of cinnamon within, while the outside adopts a deliciously caramelized shell. You honestly can't go wrong with this delightful bakery item and I can see why it's one of the most popular items on the menu. Grab a cinnamon knot and a coffee? Perfection. I wanted to get into some of the actual "food" and it was pretty early in the day so a breakfast-themed offering seemed like a solid choice. Square 1 has a breakfast sandwich as well as a Breakfast Wrap ($8.00). I chose the latter since I'd heard good things.

Egg, hash brown, onion, mushrooms, cheddar, peppers.

The wrap came from the cooler and then was reheated in a panini press and served on a plate. I liked the components of this wrap and especially enjoyed the melty cheddar cheese. I think that the addition of hash brown is a great choice to take the wrap to the next level and to round out the breakfast experience. I could have used some hot sauce on the side to add a bit more kick but overall I found the wrap to be a great option for a quick and easy handheld breakfast. I didn't even really realize that it's vegetarian! Next, I absolutely had to try the Dill Pickle Grilled Cheese ($10.00). The sandwiches are constantly rotating at Square 1, in fact I grabbed the last dill pickle grilled cheese and they didn't make more. Instead, they replaced it with an entirely new sandwich. If there's a sandwich that you love it might be difficult to track down if/when you'll be able to eat it again. So enjoy those bites!

Dill pickles, cheddar and mozzarella cheese & dill aioli on sourdough bread.

This was another situation where the sandwich was wrapped in paper in the cooler and they heated it in a panini press and served it on a plate. I mean, it's a grilled cheese sandwich. If you didn't reheat this one it would be a pretty sad situation. I LOVED this sandwich and I think that it was my favourite food item overall. Cheddar cheese, tangy dill pickles, and a dill aioli spread... My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The cheese was melty and the pickles were juicy. If you're the type of person who is crazy for pickles (IE: me) then this is the sandwich for you. It will bring you much joy. The only issue is that it's a complete mystery as to when this thing is available. Lastly, every time that I visit Square 1 I note that the cooler is usually filled with pretty fancy dessert items. Like, more involved than you would expect from a cafe. It was finally time that I tried one of these too-fancy desserts and there were several to choose from. Although, when a peanut butter and chocolate option is available, I'm going to pick that every time. The "Reese" Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake ($12.00) was exactly that option.

I certainly can't complain about this dessert which combined the flavours of peanut butter and chocolate wonderfully in a creamy, moist little cake. There was a rich chocolate cake within that was covered in a peanut butter buttercream icing which was also covered in a ganache drizzle... Basically creating the best inception of flavours ever. This dessert was rich and great for sharing. Square 1 is a great place to visit and it feels very comfortable. It's the kind of cafe where you do want to sit down and stay a while. I love poking around in the retail area and checking out all of the cute items for sale. They bring in all sorts of different local makers and it's such a great use of their massive space. I also really love the Square One app which you can download onto your phone. Each time that you visit you input your phone number and collect points with every purchase. It doesn't take long at all until you'll have enough points for entirely free items! In fact on this visit I got the breakfast wrap for free! You'll also receive a free beverage on your birthday. Everyone enjoys free stuff and this app totally delivers it. (I've gotta get that 650 point sweater, if only for the bragging rights.) Square 1 is everything that you want a coffee shop to be. Their biggest success is that their coffee and food items are actually good and they bring it all home by having a very cool and comfortable atmosphere. Whenever I'm in the mood for "a good coffee" they're one of the first places that comes to mind. You should add them to your roster of "good coffee" places as well!