The Naked Sprout

4040 Palladium Way, Unit #11
Burlington, On
905-319-2293
www.thenakedsprout.com

Get naked, go raw

The Naked Sprout is a special place, there aren't many places that you can go eat or drink and feel as good about how you eat and what you've eaten. This is one of the few completely vegan, raw, gluten free restaurants in the Hamilton area. Is pretty cool to go there with someone that is not vegetarian and have them experience great food in an awesome environment and have them not even notice that it's vegan, let alone healthy. I have been many times but spent time thinking about my coffee today (more than usual) and asking the regular questions about the beans and where they came from. My coffee today was roasted in Toronto at the Birds and Beans cafe and were Peruvian. In researching this roaster, I learned about the above average care the beans were grown in to preserve the environment in which they were grown. The people that grew them were properly supported financially, which secures the property from being exploited, and continuing to keep them remaining shade tree, bird friendly crop. Wonderful to feel great about what you're drinking!

1) Coffee- $3 for a bottomless cup (pricey but I got 3 cups of the best coffee included, I left fully caffeinated and happy about the coffees origin:) 9/10
2)roasted locally- Toronto 9/10
3) service- 8/10 excellent
4) accessibility- quite a distance to travel on north Walkers Line, worth the trip 7.5/10
5) flavour- 7.5/10 (great taste, could have bean stronger or made with a different method)
6) Eco-friendly- 10/10 other than growing it themselves you can get any better
7) cup size- bottomless and a big, gorgeous pottery cup 10/10
8) food- vegan, gourmet, delicious, brunch menu 8/10
9) Ambience- hipster vibe, approachable, great bright setting, brought dessert with a birthday candle 8/10
10) wifi- no

* great place for anyone looking for great, tasty coffee with no concern for unhealthy additives!
*overall 7.5/10 great food, good coffee

Manual Labour Coffee

The traveling espresso bar
Info@manallabourcoffee.com
93 Plains Road West,
Burlington, Ont.
510-410-2149
Twitter- @MLCoffee
Facebook- Manual Labour Coffee

I was looking forward to trying MLC, they have been located at a booth in the Terra Winter Market in Burlington for the last couple weeks. They are amongst a group of local shops selling their wares for the winter months at the garden center on Hwy#5, between Brant and Guelph Line. This funky and cool coffee shop is a traveling coffee trailer normally but set up to sell coffee, freshly roasted by the cup.

I am particularly fond of locally roasted coffee and this was delicious, but they also suggested the bean that would suit my particular way of drinking it. Maggie has her coffee with soy (which was available) so was offered Brazilian beans, I drink coffee with a spot of sugar and got Columbian. I am so pleased, informed and satisfied with some fantastic brew! Coffeetastic!

1) coffee- $2.50 9/10
2) roasted locally- Detour coffee beans in Dundas 9.5/10
3) service- amazing, friendly and informative 9.5/10
4) accessibility- tons of parking at the greenhouse, normally mobile in Burlington and west Hamilton 9/10
5) flavour - Columbian roasted beans, sweet and mellow with full flavour as Detour does 9.5/10
6) Eco-friendly - compostable paper cups 8/10
7) cup size- one size 7/10
8) food - n/a
9) Ambience- super cool servers with tons of coffee expertise 10/10
10) Wifi- no, mobile service makes it impossible

Colombian drip, Brazilian with soy

Kelly's Bake Shoppe

401 Brant Street,
Burlington, On
L7R 2E9
Www.kellysbakeshoppe.com

Well, I have to say I had an expected good treat today at Kelly's Bake Shoppe, what I wasn't expecting was to have a fantastic cup of coffee. I try to go to Kelly's sister store Kindfood whenever I can to enjoy amazing vegan and gluten free food and sweets but the bake shop in new having only opened 2 weeks ago. I had a snicker doodle cookie and gingersnap and paused to eat before I continued on my way Christmas shopping. *gasp*! They have a brand new coffee machine in all it's shiny steel beauty, unfortunately there was a sign saying it had only arrived today and I wasn't going to get any. I went up to one of the owners and commented on how happy I was that they were going to sell coffee now, Kindfood didn't sell it. Well, it pays to talk to people because she asked me if I wanted a cup:D

I am pleased to say that Kelly's carries a coffee that is not only extremely delicious, but locally roasted in our own little city of Stoney Creek. I checked out the label and my tasty coffee was from Balzacs, roasted down on the service road in Stoney Creek. They don't have a store front so I wasn't able to get any till now. Worth the wait! I highly recommend Kelly's Bake Shoppe for their amazing vegan cupcakes and cookies, but especially for the coffee (coconut milk or almond milk available for adding if desired, not me, just a bit of sugar for me;)

1) large coffee - aprox. 14 onzes $2.25 plus tax ($2.54) 8/10 a bit too pricey
2) roasted beans - 9/10 locally roasted and local business
3) service - 9/10 excellent
4) accessibility? 8/10 parking lot next door ( have to pay in stupid Burlington)
5) flavour - 9/10
6) Eco friendly - 9/10 vegan options for coffee and treats
7) cup size - decent cup size, re-cycleable paper
8) food - vegan ( the epitome of Eco-friendly because its vegan and paper/plastics are recyclable
9) local ingredients - no but gluten free, animal product free and chemical free so it's just fine
10) wifi - nope, nice windows though (get it?;)

Super experience!