Plaxton Coffee is a cafe run by the same people behind Adamson Barbecue and Bakery as well as Conspiracy Pizza. 

Meats smoked at Adamson Barbecue find their way into sandwiches and quiches, and Adamson Bakery supplies all the baked goods.

Molded, varnished OSB pieces fronting the custom concrete counter and hanging from the ceiling feel like owner Adam Skelly sketched a line on a page and made it reality, which is pretty much exactly how the place was designed with the help of partner Alison Hunt.

Quiche ($4.50) flavours change up on the regular, this one leek and cheddar with flavourful bits of bacon smoked over at Adamson. This and a cherry custard and key lime pie in the case have crusts made with beef tallow produced from trimming briskets, meaning it’s incredibly flaky and fatty.

Along with the pies, cookies ($2) in the case are all made by the pastry chef over at Adamson Bakery, nicely round and just the right level of old school homemade, in signature flavours like birthday cake and ginger molasses.

Same with squares ($3.75) that blow every bake sale out of the water, with varieties like s’mores, salted caramel brownie and black forest cheesecake.

The soup of the day is $6 or $10 for a larger size, a hearty and fragrant potato leek soup with large crusty croutons.

Sandwiches go for $7.50, a peppery, heavy brisket offering giving off smoked meat vibes while definitely not trying to compete with a classic smoked meat sandwich, on pressed Fred’s Bread sourdough with strong melty cheddar and a horseradish mayo “horse sauce.”

Smoked turkey is totally my speed, translating the barbecue meat to a cafe setting with brie, roasted pepper and a garlicky, herby pesto.

A latte ($4) made with beans from pervasive local roaster de Mello Palheta feels like meeting up with an old friend, balanced, sweet and nutty. 

Half-pound bags of their Dancing Goats house blend are available to take home for $12.

Matcha lattes are made with Pluck’s ceremonial grade matcha stone-ground in Shizuoka, Japan.

Always tasty, creamy, grassy and a little sweet, it’s lovingly presented here with a dusting of matcha powder around the saucer and rim of the cup.

Hot chocolate ($3.50) is similarly executed, simple, milky and sweet but gussied up with a little fun decorative handiwork.

Named for the street it sits next to, the cafe opens and closes super early and has free WiFi.

Skelly opened Plaxton with the humble ambition of creating a nice coffee shop space where he and his family could hang out in a neighbourhood starved for one.