The New Iron Bird Cafe
by Mike Schnauz
I was bummed when the old Iron Bird Cafe shut down. It was a great local alternative to Starbucks where I could always count on running into someone I knew. The atmosphere inside was palatable, if not a bit sparse. For example, the space behind the counter screamed less of "coffee shop" and more of "hotel laundry room." But I was only forced to look upon this when ordering, so it wasn't enough to make me stop going. The only thing that could have done that was the sewer runoff they were passing off as coffee. Sure, it was unique with descriptions like "hints of cranberries" but it didn't taste like coffee, which, believe it or not, is something I look for when buying coffee. It tasted like piss.
But still, they had other stuff on the menu besides coffee, like a 3 dollar chocolate milk. (Now that I think about it, the old Iron Bird Cafe was very much the precursor to Dusty Buns.)
Then they closed.
Almost out of nowhere, Fresno's favorite coffee shop disappeared.
The Mural District became dead at night. The only people that visited a once densely packed strip on Fulton were dog walkers freeing their pets from truly sterile apartments.
Then came a whisper.
Iron Bird Cafe was returning.
"Good deal," I thought. It wasn't the best quality coffee shop in the world, but it was a great place to be.
Then I heard that the person bringing it back was the mastermind behind Teazer. Even better, I thought.
It finally opened. What had once been a somewhat sparse interior had been filled, the tile kitchen had been covered with menus and machines that make drinks (where these things were before I'm not sure.) Best of all, they had great coffee.
And they still do.
What saddens me about the place is the lack of respect it has received from the old crowd. 50 cents more for a cup of coffee? "Absurd," says the same people that have given Sny Sneedley flack over not spending $7 on a sandwich. They must not realize that the smallest size cup the new Iron Bird has is nearly twice the size of the large from the old place.
To make a long story short, the new Iron Bird Cafe is the coffee shop that its former fans deserve, yet none of them seem to know that.
I give this place 9/10. If you haven't been there yet, check it out. If you're one of the ones snubbing it, try it again. You won't be disappointed.
And, as always, feel free to question, comment, criticize, or suggest things to us at: goodbadfresno@gmail.com
I was bummed when the old Iron Bird Cafe shut down. It was a great local alternative to Starbucks where I could always count on running into someone I knew. The atmosphere inside was palatable, if not a bit sparse. For example, the space behind the counter screamed less of "coffee shop" and more of "hotel laundry room." But I was only forced to look upon this when ordering, so it wasn't enough to make me stop going. The only thing that could have done that was the sewer runoff they were passing off as coffee. Sure, it was unique with descriptions like "hints of cranberries" but it didn't taste like coffee, which, believe it or not, is something I look for when buying coffee. It tasted like piss.
But still, they had other stuff on the menu besides coffee, like a 3 dollar chocolate milk. (Now that I think about it, the old Iron Bird Cafe was very much the precursor to Dusty Buns.)
Then they closed.
Almost out of nowhere, Fresno's favorite coffee shop disappeared.
The Mural District became dead at night. The only people that visited a once densely packed strip on Fulton were dog walkers freeing their pets from truly sterile apartments.
Then came a whisper.
Iron Bird Cafe was returning.
"Good deal," I thought. It wasn't the best quality coffee shop in the world, but it was a great place to be.
Then I heard that the person bringing it back was the mastermind behind Teazer. Even better, I thought.
It finally opened. What had once been a somewhat sparse interior had been filled, the tile kitchen had been covered with menus and machines that make drinks (where these things were before I'm not sure.) Best of all, they had great coffee.
And they still do.
What saddens me about the place is the lack of respect it has received from the old crowd. 50 cents more for a cup of coffee? "Absurd," says the same people that have given Sny Sneedley flack over not spending $7 on a sandwich. They must not realize that the smallest size cup the new Iron Bird has is nearly twice the size of the large from the old place.
To make a long story short, the new Iron Bird Cafe is the coffee shop that its former fans deserve, yet none of them seem to know that.
I give this place 9/10. If you haven't been there yet, check it out. If you're one of the ones snubbing it, try it again. You won't be disappointed.
And, as always, feel free to question, comment, criticize, or suggest things to us at: goodbadfresno@gmail.com
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