Ox Coffee is an independent coffee shop and roaster in Queen Village, opened by two old friends from the New York coffee scene. Will Gross has worked in specialty coffee since 2005, starting as a barista at Joe in New York and going on to Ritual Coffee in San Francisco and to Stumptown in Brooklyn as a roaster. Max Cudworth moved to New York in 2006 to study saxophone at the New School, joined Joe, where he met Will, and rose from barback to senior barista while placing in coffee competitions around the city. After Hurricane Sandy tore through Brooklyn in 2012 the two ran into each other in a bar in Carroll Gardens, and with Will’s family roots in Philadelphia they left for a fresh start. Ox opened in October 2013.
The coffee is roasted at Ox’s roastery in Kensington, with a commitment to sustainable and organic practices. The house blends are OX 1, an espresso blend of coffees from the three major growing regions, OX 2, a sweet, washed Latin American blend profiled for several brew methods, and Ace, roasted for body and acidity that holds up over ice; alongside them sit a Colombia Supremo, an Ethiopia Yirgacheffe, a Colombian decaf and the Philabundance coffee, of which a quarter of the proceeds go to the Philadelphia food bank. Wholesale customers across Greater Philadelphia get weekly deliveries of coffee roasted to order, training and equipment advice.
The room is compact and warm, and there is no wifi. The milk comes from Maplehofe Dairy through the Lancaster Farm Fresh cooperative, the cocoa for the mochas from Wilbur Chocolate, croissants from Au Fournil, vegan pastries from Crust Vegan Bakery and bagels from The Bagel Place at the weekend. Ox shows local artists, takes used vinyl donations in exchange for a drip coffee, and runs evening classes in the café on espresso fundamentals, latte art and signature drinks.
Coffee on the shelf
- Dark chocolate
- Toffee
- Pecan
- Brown sugar
- Melon
- Bergamot
- Dark chocolate
- Nougat
Photograph: Ox Coffee