Pursuing the perfect cortado is a hobby I’ve earnestly committed to over the last two years. The adventure has taken me to 326 coffee shops since January 17, 2022. I can honestly declare 18 Grams Coffee Lab to be the best cortado I’ve tasted.
My first visit to 18 Grams Coffee Lab was last summer. I knew they created a good cortado then, but I wanted to make sure. This afternoon my husband and I made the hour and half trip back to Culpeper, VA to revisit 18 Grams Coffee Lab. Thank heavens we did! Today’s experience was even better than the last one.
We met Joe, the owner, and listening to him talk about cortados made me understand why 18 Gram Coffee Lab creates the perfect cortado. Joe is extremely knowledgeable and. passionate about cortados and coffee in general. He wants his customers to experience the flavor of well made coffee. He uses local organic milk. He makes homemade ganache utilizing chocolate from France. He also carefully selects his coffee beans. Most importantly, he takes the time to measure his coffee, steams milk to the perfect temperature and even balances out milk and espresso to get the perfect drink.
My husband ordered the Campfire S’More Experience. We eagerly watched Joe measure the beans for the espresso, steam the milk to a perfect temperature, expertly smoke the latte, toast the marshmallow, drizzle chocolate ganache, and finally carefully plate the latte. My husband enjoyed the latte just as much as I enjoyed my cortado.
I typically don’t like “fancy” lattes because they are too sweet and you can’t taste the espresso. But Joe created such an eye appealing latte that I had to steal a few sips. It was delicious! If I lived closer to 18 Grams Coffee Lab I would consider changing my “go to coffee drink” from a cortado to a Campfire S’More Experience Latte. Well…maybe. 😊
Thank you Joe for creating delectable specialty espresso drinks. I truly appreciate you taking the time to talk to my husband and I. Your expertise, passion for coffee and your positive customer service was greatly appreciated. I will definitely be adding 18 Grams Coffee Lab to the top of coffee adventure list!
Enjoy life one cortado at a time.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
This place SUCKS!! Their coffee tastes like burnt fish first of all the food is mid and ITS OVERPRICED 51 dollars for two lattes and some baked stuff …. Not to mention how terrible to owner seems.. I started reading through other reviews and they are so rude?? Essentially telling customers they’re stupid when they ask for what they want and it’s not on the menu what ever happened to like treating the customer with kindness??? It’s what the customer wants not what you THINK they want.. not how you run a business. Don’t come here Starbucks is better fr. However, the associate working at the time was great. Not his fault they scam customers out of their money for low tier coffee deserves a raise having to deal with the owner.
Food: 1
Service: 2
Atmosphere: 1
Great place if you want great coffee. The barista is knowledgeable and it is clear that 18 Grams takes care with their beans and brewing their coffee. Not the place to go if you are just looking for some caffeine.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Breakfast
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Everything about this place is outstanding - the staff, treats, and coffee; which they have expert detailed knowledge of!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Brunch
Price per person
$10–20
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Gruyere Ham & Blackberry Grilled
This cafe offers excellent espresso drinks, hot or iced. Carefully prepared with nice coffee beans and top-quality milk. I keep it simple with whole milk lattes, the milk is always nicely foamed and velvety. Delicious! Some of the best coffee I've had in Virginia and certainly the best in Culpeper. The cafe staff are friendly, helpful and they do an excellent job.
The shared setting with Velo Concepts, a space-aged bike shop with carbon frames, is probably not for everyone. I've been in many times over the past several years and have not been warmly received, the white guy at the bicycle counter has never once said hello to me or even looked up. Despite not feeling welcomed by the bicycle counter the coffee is good enough to make it worthwhile.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Interesting place! There were some loungey areas with couches and magazines and plenty of space, which was good for my 4 year old. Muffins came out warm which was a nice surprise, and avocado toast was tasty. People were kind. The strip was a bit run down, but parking was easy and you could walk to the rest of central down town culpeper from it so that's cool. Clean bathrooms. I live outside of Charlottesville and needed to meet up with my parents from Northern Virginia to deliver a thing that was forgotten on a previous visit; this was a great place to do just that with convenience while grabbing a snack and getting to relax and visit a little. We'll go again.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Other
Price per person
$1–10
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Avocado Toast
