I used to work over at the firehouse at 50th & Baltimore Ave out in West Philly a few years back. I was up on the 3rd floor of that drafty old firehouse. It creaked, it had roaches, but I must say, it was charming. Located where PhillyCarShare HQ used to be is Philly Community Acupuncture and Dock Street Brewery is now on the ground floor [I hope they got a really good exterminator up in there]. On the second floor is Firehouse Bicycles. But on the first floor is a little gem: Satellite Cafe.
Decorated with coffee sacks hanging from the ceiling, broken tile mosaic tables, stacks of boxes by the coffee condiment stand and well-worn chairs, it feels cozy and homey when you walk in. This spot, which can hold about 25 inside and another dozen or so outside when it's nice, can get busy in the mornings, especially so when there's just one person behind the counter. Lunch time can get hectic too with the panini press running all the time.
At the start of many cold work days, I'd trudge up the 3 flights of outdoor stairway, boot up my computer and then head back downstairs, mug in hand, to get some maple tea and a muffin. Oh those muffins. Nothing like a fresh muffin to start your day. And Satellite has the goods. The one muffin I eventually settled on was the apple, raisin, walnut muffin. It's got a nice crust to it with a very moist inside helped by all the apple bits. The baked goods eventually made their way into the refrigerated case later on in the day, but they're on top of the counter at the start.
You can see here just how filled with stuff the muffin is. I was back in the area a few weeks ago and I couldn't help but stop in and grab a muffin for old time sake and I wasn't disappointed. It's been about 3 years since I've been there and the place hasn't changed. This little neighborhood spot still has the goods. The place was the same down to the "We need $1s" sign made out of an old index card just like old times.
Since I'm not a coffee drinker, I can't help you out on that front, but they do have a wonderful selection of teas and baked goods. They've managed to stick around for a good while too so they're surely doing it right. If you're passing through the area or live around there and just never got around to venturing in, give it a try.
Satellite Cafe
701 S 50th St
Philadelphia, PA 19143
(215) 729-1211
Margaret bakes those – you can get em at old city coffee in rtm, sometimes the last drop, earthcup in west philly, and a few other places too.
Old City Coffee in RTM is where I get them now. I think they started selling them a year and change ago. Thanks for the heads up though!