On a Sunday afternoon back in mid-December, I visited (without consciously planning it) two establishments with the word “lucky” in their monikers: Pho Lucky and Lucky Coffee.
Probably I should have bought a lottery ticket that day, with all that coincidental emphasis on the word lucky hailing from the Universe. Well, I missed that opportunity, but I still feel like I hit the jackpot that day, because I discovered how lovely Lucky Coffee is!
The Corktown-based coffee shop is on the second floor of Detroit Barber Co. To get to Lucky Coffee, you enter the barber shop and go up a flight of stairs near the front door, then navigate through a suite of barber chairs on the second floor. The coffee house is beyond them, in its own room.
Once there, you feel like you are in another world, a cozy, bygone world. Lucky Coffee has an antique-saloon feel to it – except that coffee, tea, and espresso drinks are being slung instead of vodka, scotch, and whiskey. (Baked goodies are available, too.)
Speaking of booze, Lucky Coffee does offer a vanilla bourbon latte, which I ordered during my visit. It was rich and sweet, a delight to savor; it reminded me of toasted marshmallows. According to the barista on duty when I remarked on that to him, I was the only one to have theretofore made that flavor-profile comparison (I hope he knows I meant it as a compliment; it was tasty!). If you visit Lucky Coffee and get that vanilla bourbon latte, you’ll have to share in the comments section below whether you agree with my assessment!
Because I enjoyed hanging out so much at Lucky Coffee, soaking in its brick walls and plank floors and grand wood-fronted counter and crystal chandeliers and strings of bare lightbulbs and old-timey memorabilia (a mounted moose head; a striped barber’s pole; a rusted tin sign advertising prescriptions) and the sunshine streaming in from the window I perched near, I opted for another drink after I finished that vanilla bourbon latte. Consulting with the barista over tea lattes, I ordered the Earl Grey latte that he recommended; he said he’d concocted the syrup himself.
What beautifully nuanced flavor that latte had! I love Earl Grey tea, but I’ve noticed how the flavor profile varies from brand to brand; the bergamot flavor isn’t consistent, and sometimes I find it to be too weak. This latte had the perfect amount of bergamot flavor, in my opinion, as well as a nice sweetness.
My visit to Lucky Coffee left me buoyed by caffeine and contentment – and certainly feeling fortunate that I’d discovered another awesome indie coffee shop in the area (no lottery win required for those good vibes!).
2000 Michigan Ave., 2nd Fl.
Detroit, MI 48216
100 Places in the D 