Coffee for the Working People

Whenever I visit Mito, I always make it a point to grab a cup of coffee. You might wonder why, and the answer is simple: Mito has a lot of great coffee spots scattered around the city.
One of my longtime favorites is Mood Coffee. I usually stop by for a macchiato and a cookie. For a while, I thought Mood Coffee would hold the number one spot in Mito in my coffee heart forever. However, I recently discovered a new café that’s starting to challenge that title.
Today, I’ll be talking about one of Mito’s own: Workers Coffee Stand.

Workers Coffee Stand

Workers Coffee Stand is located in the central area of Mito City, not far from one of my favorite bar/restaurants, the Drunken Duck. You can technically walk from Mito Station to Workers Coffee Stand, but it’s quite a hike—about twenty minutes on foot.
If you decide to bike or drive instead, the café conveniently has a parking area right in front of the entrance.
I’ve visited Workers Coffee Stand twice: once with Mrs. Ibaraki Eats, and once on my own. The first time we went, we parked right by the entrance and headed inside.

The Coffee Menu

Before heading inside, we stopped by the door to check out the menu. Most of it is written in Japanese, but the special coffee menu is available in both English and Japanese.
The regular drink menu includes drip coffee and a variety of espresso-based drinks like café latte, café mocha, caramel latte, cappuccino, and even an espresso tonic. They also offer an affogato—ice cream topped with a shot of espresso—and a granita, which is similar to a slushy, available in caramel, espresso, and mocha flavors.
That day, we decided to order a café mocha and try one of the more unusual specialty drinks: the Ginger Latte. It’s made with black pepper, ginger, honey, milk, and a shot of espresso.

Inside

When we walked inside, the first thing I noticed was a huge coffee roaster on the left side of the café. It’s closed off to customers, but you can still get a good look at it from the entrance.
The seating area, which is on the right side of the cafe, is quite small. Workers Coffee Stand feels more like a takeout café than a place to sit and relax, though there is a small counter and a single tabletop with stools for those who want to stay.
The café also sells a variety of coffee beans, which I’ve tried, by the way. If you like strong coffee, I recommend the Colombian beans.
Since my wife and I had somewhere to be, this visit was more of a grab-and-go situation. We ordered small-sized coffees, chatted a bit with the owner—who is an incredibly nice guy—and then headed out.

Ginger Latte and Cafe Mocha

The first coffee we decided to try was the Ginger Latte, and it was exquisite. With my first sip, the bold flavor of ginger hit my taste buds right away, followed closely by the rich espresso. What really stood out, though, was the subtle hint of black pepper that lingered after the initial flavors. Finally, a touch of honey came through, smoothing everything out with a gentle sweetness.
I honestly didn’t expect all of these flavors to work well together, but they didn’t just work—they completely surpassed my expectations.
Next, I tried my wife’s drink, the café mocha. Workers Coffee Stand really knows how to do a café mocha right. I especially loved the small chocolate specks sprinkled over the foam on top. It was a nice chocolatey coffee drink that was full of flavor and a nice strong espresso.
We both loved the coffees we ordered. My wife’s favorite was the Ginger Latte, and I have to agree with her on that.

Cocoa Presso

The second time I visited Workers Coffee Stand, I was on my own and in need of a really good cup of coffee. I had spent the entire morning dealing with bureaucracy in Mito, and I just needed something to help me unwind. Thankfully, the café’s special that day did exactly that.
It was called the Coca Presso, made with cocoa powder, milk, extra cocoa, and a shot of espresso. It might sound similar to a café mocha, but it had a distinct flavor of its own. It was rich and chocolatey, but not overly so—striking just the right balance. It felt like a comforting dessert drink, with the espresso adding a bold kick that brought me back to life after a long morning of paperwork. It was truly a wonderful cup of coffee.

Workers Coffee Stand is quickly becoming my favorite coffee spot in Mito. I’m already looking forward to my next visit, especially to see what kind of creative special the talented owner comes up with next.

So if you are in need of an excellent cup of coffee and are in the central Mito area, why not give Workers Coffee Stand a chance? Who knows? You might see me there, trying the new special coffee and chatting up the owner.
Enjoy!

For more information on Workers Coffee Stand, check out their Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/workers_coffee_stand/