Walk into Backlot Coffee on Central Street and you’ll find fresh pastries lined up at the counter, the calming buzz and hum from baristas pulling espresso shots, and, most importantly, a thriving ecosystem where parents relax over good coffee, kids play games, old strangers reconnect, and local students study or simply hang out after class.
Backlot Coffee opened with the intention to be a place of connection, functioning as an authentic and kind place for people to gather. For almost eight years now, it has brought its neighborhood together through freshly roasted coffee and warm food.
Open every weekday from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7:00 a.m. on the weekends, Backlot Coffee invites people to stop by for any and every occasion.
Backlot Coffee flaunts an extensive food and drink menu. From unique seasonal drinks to toasty breakfast burritos, it’s hard to know what to order. Being the curious and indecisive person I am, I asked the Backlot team to choose for me and share what they typically order. Here’s what they said.
The Classic
But this isn’t just your classic breakfast sandwich. Gerrit Wilford, Backlot barista for over four years, adds turkey sausage and replaces the english muffin with a honey butter biscuit. Then, layered with a folded egg, cheddar cheese, pickled peppers and a creamy, roasted garlic aioli, this sandwich packs the perfect sweet and salty punch. Inspired by the honey butter chicken biscuit from Whataburger, a Texas fast-food favorite, Wilford said he frequently makes one for his lunch break. The biscuit’s flaky crust falls apart upon each bite, uncovering a soft, fluffy and sweet dough inside, which beautifully cuts through the spice from the peppers.
Cappuccino
For the coffee lovers, Lead Chef Emily Donlon enjoys a simple, hot cappuccino with a dash of cinnamon on top. Backlot Coffee roasts their own coffee beans, and Donlon said she really enjoys their espresso’s complexity.
Smokey The Bagel
Perhaps one of the most popular items on Backlot’s food menu, barista Alberto (Berty) Londono introduced me to Smokey The Bagel. This fan-favorite features smokehouse salmon, whipped herb cream cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes and shaved red onion, all squeezed between a toasted New York bagel. Londono recommends ordering it on an everything bagel, which I have to agree with.
He said he particularly enjoys how balanced the flavors are. The fresh cucumbers and raw onions help brighten the overall sandwich and add a refreshing crunch.
Oatmeal Cookie Latte
If Smokey The Bagel is the most popular food item, Backlot’s Oatmeal Cookie Latte would have to be the most popular drink, according to Backlot Director of Social Media Sarah Veliciu. The Oatmeal Cookie Latte features Backlot’s beloved espresso, sweetened with a little honey, Oatly milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon on top. Veliciu also recommends their chai and matcha for non-coffee drinkers.
If their mouth-watering menu wasn’t enticing enough, Veliciu said the community Backlot offers is what ultimately keeps people coming back. She particularly loves seeing their regulars.
“Every person that walks in you take them with kindness, no matter how they present themselves,” she said. “And that’s what ties the community together. That’s the value of Backlot. It’s kindness. It’s a safe space for anybody.”