Steve Hawthorne, one of two owners of Hawthorne Coffee Roasters and its head roaster and barista, has forgotten more about coffee than you’ve likely ever known.
I dropped by Hawthorne Coffee Roasters (4177 S. Howell Ave.) to grab a cup and chat with him a bit for this article, and my notes look like I signed up for a crash course in java—stuff like “coffee degases about three days after roasting, so if you brew right after, that gas will get in the way of the flavor.” Though he’s incredibly knowledgeable, he never came across as pompous or rolled his eyes at my questions—he’s a very genuine and likeable dude that makes really, really good coffee.
Hawthorne currently offers two pour-over options each day, typically a lighter roast and a darker one. During my visit, they were offering a lighter-bodied Colombian roast and a more full-bodied Guatemalan one. The Colombian roast had some nice lemon and apple notes—acidic, but not distractingly so—while the Guatemalan roast, in addition to having a heavier mouthfeel, leaned heavily on dark chocolate and stone fruit flavors. Both were some of the best cups I’ve had in quite some time; I actually said “wow” out loud to myself after I tried the Guatemalan roast.
Much of the full and vibrant flavors of the coffees come from the fact that Hawthorne roasts the beans right onsite about 25 feet away from where he brews it, and he ensures that the coffee beans are brewed three days after roast, to avoid those abovementioned off-flavors that come with degasing. The room in which he roasts is sufficient for him for now, but he spoke excitedly about plans to move into a larger space in the same building once Iron Grate BBQ begins serving dinner there in the next few months.
Hawthorne looks forward to sharing a space; although he will not be directly involved with Iron Grate’s operations, he assured me that “when Iron Grate is open, there will be coffee available.” He also mentioned he’s tinkering with a recipe for a coffee-glazed ham to be served with rolls at their Sunday brunch.
As it stands, Hawthorne Coffee Roasters has an attractive and quirky layout, with a mishmash of wooden chairs and tables found at various auction houses and a small play area for children in the back. You can find the typical mix of coffee shop patrons here: moms, students, retirees and workers just dropping in. I liked the ambiance quite a bit; James Brown howled at a modest volume while Steve and I talked, and a toddler, fascinated with his toys, squealed with delight as his mother watched him, sipped a cup of coffee, and enjoyed a muffin, which, along with rotating pastries, are brought to Hawthorne fresh from City Market Café and Bakery in Shorewood.
Aside from a handful of distribution spots—Ardent restaurant, Holy Moley Coffee + Doughnuts, Tosa Farmers Market—Hawthorne Coffee Roasters’ coffee is only available at their space on Howell, and it’s worth the drive.
