Wild Goose Coffee -- yummy gluten free treats and caffeinated beverages for inspired minds

Wild Goose Coffee
Littleton, CO

On a beautiful Colorado day in September, the hubby and I decided to take a day off together to enjoy a break from our usual routine. As we planned our day, we decided to try a new coffee spot in our area. On a whim I started searching frantically for a new place, but as is my usual rule, I wanted to find an independent shop instead of a national chain. After a bit of Google searching, I found a spot that I hadn’t previously heard of, but it was receiving nothing but 5-star reviews. This piqued my interest, so we pointed the car toward a local place in Littleton.

I was a bit nervous because I hadn’t seen Wild Goose Coffee from the road in all of my times driving past the area, but upon doing a bit more research, I realized it was on the campus of Denver Seminary. Full disclosure, I am no longer a religious person (was brought up in the Protestant church as a kid, but that is a whole other discussion that I will save for another post) and my husband has never been religious at all, so we knew it would be an adventure to check out a coffee place that might be out of our comfort zone. However, after all of my years working at churches as a singer, as well as knowing many kind people of faith, I decided we should stay open-minded.

The parking situation is a bit confusing when you turn into the campus from Sante Fe Drive, however, if you curve around past the first building on your right, there is visitor parking behind that building. Wild Goose Coffee is located just inside this building, so it’s very convenient once you grab a parking spot. There is also a little sign that helps confirm you are at the right place.

On the day we were there, they ended up getting a big rush just as we arrived. I honestly felt bad for the only person working, presumably the owner, as she had a long line of hungry folks looking for coffee and/or food. Since this is the go-to option for all of the seminary students, the ambiance feels like that of a college campus. Everyone in line was very friendly and courteous, so we all waited patiently for our turn to order. They have a huge refrigerated case that I can only assume usually has many delectable treats earlier in the day, but by the time we arrived it had already been almost completely emptied out by other hungry customers. It looks like their specialty is offering gluten free goodies and other bakery items with some lunch-type options as well. Since there were only a few choices left when we ordered, we both got the gluten free chocolate iced donuts.

The drink menu included the usual espresso options as well as Sweet Bloom coffee pour overs, French press, and drip, as well as a variety of teas. We both ordered lattes with whole milk. The milk temperature was pretty hot, as we both noted the temp as we sat down to enjoy our coffee. I was a little nervous to taste my drink since I wanted to have a great experience. The coffee wasn’t bad. It had a bit of an edge to it, probably just a bit bolder than other lattes my palate has become accustomed to at home, but considering how busy it was and the setting, I think it was a decent latte. The donut was a great complement, and I was shocked that gluten free could taste to good.

I will also note that due to the understaffing (likely related to the pandemic and labor shortage — which you can’t really blame businesses for these days), the coffee fixins area was completely depleted. I had to ask for some sugar, and while I usually ask for raw sugar, I decided not to press my luck. I felt compelled to take what I could get in the midst of a big rush of customers with many other demands on the lone staff member.

Here are my takeaways from our visit to Wild Goose Coffee. I would like to go back again. I feel like the experience we had on that sunny Tuesday in September was probably an anomaly for the shop, or at least I hope it was. I would really like to enjoy more of their gastronomic offerings, as well as try another coffee when they are not slammed. The people are so nice and the owner really takes pride in her presentation and menu development. It’s also listed in several locations that she does catering. If you checkout the Facebook site for Wild Goose, you’ll see a beautiful display of the many creative beverages and food items that have been created to tempt and delight customers. I really look forward to that repeat visit and will report back when I do. Until then, if you are ever in the area and have a few minutes to stop by, I do recommend checking out Wild Goose Coffee at the Denver Seminary campus.