Best coffee spot in town, traditional champurrado and tamales. Real baristas knows how to make good coffee!

Absolutely delicious coffee and tamales. A combination that I never thought I would try but here I am. Their champurrado espresso is to die for.

I am so glad I found this spot. Employees are super nice and discussed the menu options with me. Both of the drinks I tried were unique and delicious. The original hot champurrado reminded me of a hot cocoa but had little savory cornmeal and cinnamon flavors also. 😍 The banana champurrado was also amazing and was like a plantain drink, it seemed familiar and delicious but at the same time I have never had something like this before. I cant wait to come back and try other options! The Boba looks fun too. You should definitely check it out and support this unique local business!

I was nervous to try a coffee drink with cornmeal in it, but the traditional champurrado espresso was amazing! I had decaf, because thats all I can have, and Im happy to say that their decaf passes muster.Service was quick, I had curbside pick up due to pandemic guidelines, and they immediately ran my drink out to the car, I didnt even have to wait!

Definitely check this place out! Juan and Alex are great and their coffee is delicious. They take pride in their original drinks and it shows!

Essential stop for any visitor to Albany, or, for that matter, the planet Earth.I stumbled across this amazing place by sheer good fortune. First, the essential point: the coffee here is DIVINE. It is beyond excellent; excellent is just too weak a word to capture the sublime, inspired joyfulness-in-a-cup that the staff prepared.Ancillary virtues include the delightful good company of the people who work there; the ambience of the shop itself; and its location next to a similarly fantastic Mexican bakery (yum!). Seriously, dont dither: get your morning coffee here.

Great service, awesome cafe with a nice atmosphere and not to mention their signature champurrado is very delicious.

Ive never been so impressed by a business. Juan is a huge asset to this shop. Very friendly and helpful. I really enjoyed the unique options and that everything was organic. Prices were good too. I like that they focus more on the flavor of coffee versus over loading it with sugar and syrup. They dont have to cover up bad tasting coffee because theirs are superb! By far the best experience in coffee Ive ever had. A must try! I wont go anywhere else if Im in the area. I wish there was several locations.

Great, quiet coffee shop with a delicious selection of beverages. The owner is very friendly and has created a warm, relaxing atmosphere. This has become my favorite hideaway in Albany!

Coffee was absolutely amazing! Great Prices! Cozy little shop and I knew exactly what I was getting, no suprises. Scones looked delicious but I wasnt hungry quite yet. Will be returning to see if the scones are as delicious as the coffee.

After recommending Universal Coffee to my guests we made a visit & they, including myself, enjoyed (understatement) the coffee. Todays espresso was Nicaraguan & cold brew Guatemalan. The espresso was flavorful & delighting, while the cold brew smooth & subtle.

My latte was delicious, not too sweet. Texture was consistent. The coffee was very high quality, not a burnt flavor like most commercial coffees.

I can say with confidence that this is the best coffee in Albany. Its also fun because it had a Latino twist which is fairly rare among coffee shops. Slightly spendy but you get what you pay for. The shop owner is also a great host and always greets and thanks me warmly and is always up for a conversation. If youre in Albany looking for good coffee and dont know where to go I would encourage you to check out Universal.

Such a positive and unique experience! The owner was so friendly and told us about the drinks. Such a dope environment. 10/10 would recommend.

Very cozy shop, with excellent coffee and very helpful staff. Their coffee is a little different with a very distinct traditional Mexican twist on it, but this is one if the best cups of coffee I have ever had. 10/10 would recommend.

Tremendous little spot! Offering real Mexican hot chocolate and wonderfully gently sweetened fresh chai tea. The soft live guitar music is an added bonus.

These guys know how to make coffee. Always made perfectly, tastes great. The shop is full of character. Best place in Albany.

What a great little coffee shop! I loved the vibe, the employees were great, and the drinks were delicious. More people need to know about this place.

Love the coffee here. I Love the flavors of their espresso...Ive never found it to be bitter. Their decor is wonderful. My favorite espresso in Albany.

Great service, great coffee, unique and fun atmosphere. You can be adventurous with your coffee choice, or stay traditional, up to you.

Great unique coffee shop. Dont miss out on this. You can get regular coffee drinks but so much more. I like the galleta (cookies) drink. It is a desert but have it anytime a day. Alex is owner and is my brother-in-law. Even if he wasnt this place would still get my thumbs up!

Easily the best coffee shop in Albany (in my humble opinion). If youre in to Second Wave coffee (emphasis on sugar, syrups, flavors, whipped cream, and not on coffee) then go to Starbucks, Dutchbros, Snow peak, etc. If you like Third Wave style coffee (emphasis on quality beans, roasting, extraction, etc.) then this is the place for you.Fine coffee can be enjoyed for all the types of nuances and subtleties found in wine, beer, scotch, etc. If thats what youre into - and you want coffee in Albany - Im not aware of any other place.Its certainly not as good as some places you can go in Corvallis, Salem, Portland (think Coava, Dapper/Wise, Courier, Tried and True, etc.), but is certainly the finest that Albany has.

Great coffee, great people. Stopped by on drive from Portland to Corvallis. Will be back... Better than most Portland coffee shops.

I have traveled most the country and worked at a couple coffee shops when I was younger... this is by far the best coffee shop Ive ever been to. All organic yet lower pricing than a regular coffe shops. They have regular options but a lot of different unique options. We tried 3 out of the ordinary choices and each one was amazing! We werent sure what to expect but we were blown away. On top of amazing product and prices was an employee named Juan. A very genuinely friendly and very knowledgeable individual. He took the time to educate and assist in our choices. You can tell his great passion in coffee. This place needs to be everywhere! I tried their organic ice cream with espresso poured over it, SOOOOO YUMMY!

Delicious coffee, well made. 8oz is perfect, youre not here to drink milk after all!

Super nice owner from Costa Rica. Great roasts on the coffee and its single origin. They do champurrado as well, and its delicious. Great little shop.

Excellent coffee and great atmosphere with occasional live music. This is one of my favorite places to go.

I went here to kill some time with my girlfriend because we got down here early for a wedding. The owners are sooooo nice. The have a great selection of coffee drinks, all of which can be ordered without coffee if you dont like coffee like me! We went there for the gf coffee fix, but I was able to get something great too.

Wonderful and quaint coffee shop with delicious tamales and delectable drinks. We had a couple of tamales, a latte with chile (don’t knock it until you try it!) and a champurrado. We will definitely be back!

I love this place! Knowledgeable baristas, incredible quality, and hand crafted drinks that are to die for. I cannot recommend this place more!!

Fun coffee experience. Friendly service. Unique coffee options.

My boyfriend will drink mediocre coffee if necessary, but weve been on the hunt quality coffee in the neighborhood. And this is it. Well roasted and brewed coffee with beans from his favorite area.

This is my favorite place to have coffee whenever im in town. They can make a good dirty chai!

I had a champurrado blanco and it was great. I really appreciate that they have non-coffee options. The service was excellent, and I would go back any time I was in the area.

This place is amazing. Their regular drinks (think mochas and cappuccinos) are amazing, but the Costa Rican style drinks are totally unique and something special. Id give 10 stars if I could.

Universal is by far the most unique coffee shop Ive ever been to. While you can get an amazing coffee, capuccino, or espresso, the real highlight are the pre-Hispanic traditional drinks like the Champurrado. This is a must-go for people in the area, and easily the best coffee in town.

I spent a great time wit a delicious coffee and listened to Latino music

I have no idea how I did not know of this place since Ive lived here for 5 years. Great selection of Mexican Cafe and a great little environment to enjoy it in.

Fantastic, unique selection. All organic, and all delicious. Friendly staff to boot. Worth a trip!

High quality coffee made in an unique style using corn to sweeten. Lots of settling will occur with these pre-hispanic coffees so drink with a straw or swirl often.

Delicious coffee; nice atmosphere. Really great find!

Organic coffee, best place in town!!! Great atmosphere and if youre lucky you too can feel like the bachelorette and hear some beautiful live guitar playing!

Fantastic lattés. The chai latté is great and needs no sugar, it’s so smooth.

Super friendly owners and unique tasty coffee! A very hidden spot but worth coming by :)

Great, unique coffee, superb service, and cozy atmosphere!

Champurrado con café y Leche de almendra, mi bebida favorita. Excellent people, and ask Alex to play a song for you, he is an excellent classic guitar player.

Great coffee, far better than any other place in town. REAL coffee.

Comfortable setting, great coffee and good service!

Best coffee in Albany! Juan is awesome.

The best coffee in albany oregon I taste all the coffee in the city and that one is the best it is organic coffee

Love the atmosphere. Perfect coffee.

NO INTERNET!If youre looking for a spot to meet and have a conversation, I could not recommend this spot more. However, there is no internet eliminating this otherwise awesome spot for students and from home employees.

Cause the service is great and best hot chocolates

Pretty cool place to kick back and read a book

Just the best coffee in town.

Best local coffee shop in Albany!

You can find good coffee

Great place with great coffee!!

Great service and tasty coffee.

Great, freshly roasted organic coffee.

Good coffee, friendly owners, cool ambiance

Delicious drinks that are made with love!

Love the service and of course the coffee!

Awesome coffee! Friendly staff!

Awesome coffee and staff!

Best coffee in Albany.

Best!!!

Staff are always ready to serve you with a smile and modify your drink to fit you specific taste buds! Great alternatives if you are looking for ways to reduce your sugar intake with more natural sweeteners. Love that they are always trying new recipes to see what the customers might not realize they want to try!My girls especially love their Mexican hot chocolate, and staff make sure that the chocolate isnt too hot so they can enjoy it right away!Stop by and try something new! Doesnt compare to the other chain coffee shops in town.I love that the Universal Coffee staff is always ready to serve you with a smile and modify any drink for everyones palate. Good alternatives for people who do not want so much sugar in their drinks and be replaced with something more natural. They are always happy to try new recipes for customers.My daughters love Mexican chocolate, and the staff prepare it warm so that they can enjoy it at that time. They are not compared to popular coffee chains, try something new!

I love this place! The drinks are great. And the owner is so friendly.

CHAMPURRADO!