Boxcar Coffee | Mesa Cafe

The patio looks at the Flatirons. That's the reason to time a visit here for a clear morning rather than a cloudy one. Inside, Boxcar's South Boulder room on Broadway is white tile, high tables some people find uncomfortable to sit at for any length of time, and a room temperature that runs cold even when it's warm out. It reads more like a modern bar than a lounge, which is either a feature or a flaw depending on what you came in for. Don't try to settle in. Drink and go.

The Bareknuckle drip is the house pour and what most people order without thinking, and as house pours go it deserves the default. The pastry case is where Boxcar shines. Kouign amann and croissants both hold up at the bar in front of you, and a few breakfast plates including avocado toast round out what people order most. The floral palmer is the seasonal drink that gets called out by name when it's on the menu. Espresso drinks pull well. Sandwiches do the job they're asked to do.

Nine in the morning is the busy hour. Lines move, but you'll wait through one.

Do not come here to work. The wifi is unreliable enough that regulars have stopped trying, certain work sites get blocked outright, and accessible outlets are scarce. The high tables are the wrong height for a laptop and the room runs cold enough that you'll be reaching for a jacket within an hour. As a place to grab a pastry, a strong espresso, and a sunny patio seat with a Front Range view, it earns the visit on a clear morning. As a remote-work cafe, it doesn't, and pretending otherwise has cost more than one person an hour of frustration before they gave up and packed the laptop back into the bag. Trying to make it something it isn't will turn the morning sour. Going in with the right expectation, the kouign amann and the Bareknuckle on a sunny patio, is a fine way to spend forty-five minutes in South Boulder.