Address:9858 Lorain Ave Cleveland,Oh
Ok, I have to say I feel a little bad about blogging about this particular coffee shop. To me, they are misrepresenting themselves and probably should advertise under "Bluegrass Music" and not "Coffee Shop". But since they did choose the latter I have to do my review. They were voted in to Fox8 Hot List under the label of "coffee shop" and while they didn't get placed, they did get a lot of rave reviews from their loyal customers. Chad and I drove past this place once a few months back, and screeched to a stop upon seeing the word "coffee". We got out of the car with excitement in our eyes, but sadly they were closed. Peering in through the storefront windows, it looked like an old bar to me. I didn't see an espresso machine and the place looked rather barren for a coffee shop. But since I want to hit every single coffee in Cleveland I had to venture out and try this place again.
We got there about 5 minutes before they were closing, apparently on Wednesdays they close at 3pm so Judy (the owner) can get some things done. But Chad peeked his head in and asked if we could just buy a coffee. The owner welcomed us in happily.
Judy and her husband Terry bought the Curbside Coffee Shop about 3 years ago. Her husband Terry passed away about a year ago, leaving Judy to run it alone. Apparently when they first opened for business, having some issues getting customers through the door, Terry asked his good friends The Bluegrass Kings to come and play one night a week. While he couldn't pay them, he offered them all the free coffee they could drink. And that is still their paycheck to this day. Tuesday nights are apparently hoppin' at the Curbside Coffee Shop. The Bluegrass Kings play their hearts out and people come in just to watch and enjoy. They also have country music nights and Karaoke nights as well. From what I read and noticed, most of the customers are of the older generation. They come because there is no alcohol served and it's under the category of "good clean fun".
I bet at this point you're wondering where the coffee comes in. I don't have a lot to say really... Chad and I ordered 2 large coffees and the total was $5. Je-SUS that is steep. I have a hard time being pissy about anything though to be honest. Hell the owner shook our hands, then introduced the straggling customers/band members to us. She asked us where we moved from, gave us a business card and asked us repeatedly to come back for one of their music nights. But since this blog IS about coffee I am obligated to say I think the coffee was not good...ok it was bad. It was really really bad. It was really weak and even chad (who will drink coffee that has been sitting out all day) had to be coaxed to drink his coffee. Dang I spent $2.50 on it, he better drink it.
There was NO espresso machine. While they advertise cappuccinos and coffee drinks, they only had an old Bunn restaurant style coffee maker and a push button cappuccino and hot chocolate machine (you know, the kind that mixes the powder with the hot water). She did have a rack of Torani syrups which I thought was a bit odd. What is she going to put those in? That being said, the syrups looked as old as the coffee shop itself so it doesn't look like they are getting much use. I also have to mention it smelled funny in there. I can't quite place the smell but I know it was bad, like old people and musty farts kind of bad.
Chad and I walked out of the shop to the sounds of Judy inviting us back to a music night. But after tasting the coffee and the dent it put in my wallet, I gotta say...it's not likely. If I was a Bluegrass fan??? Then I probably would. I would bring my own coffee though:)
6 comments:
Well before we go completely destroying a businesses reputation you should probably take a second to look around Lorain Avenue in Cleveland and notice the majority of store fronts are empty and the neighborhood is not the safest place to be. Cleveland is desperate for new businesses and new residents to help keep the city alive and produce additional tax revenue and we should respect people that are willing to come here and give it a chance. Maybe the crowd is older and the decor a little tacky, but when you walk through the door of Curbside Coffee it is a friendly group of people, a safe place to hang out, and no one is going to judge of turn anyone away. The overhead cost of owning a building and a business are astronomical, so yes maybe the coffee will be more expensive then you want to pay, but as far as the music goes, there is no cover charge and no one expects anyone to purchase anything when entering. The coffee is simple, the cappuccino is simple, (fyi there is an espresso machine) but the poverty ridden neighborhood is not really into frappuchinos and lattes. Judy and Terry put their heart and soul into opening a ma and pop shop where everyone was welcome and most likely left as friends. They are catering to a different demographic then starbucks and caribou in case you didn't notice, and 99% of the time if someone is in need Judy will help them out and give them a cup of coffee just to make their day a little easier. So before you go criticizing appreciate the fact that there are good people and nice places to hang out that expect nothing more no curse words and a smile. In your opinion this might not be your favorite place, but respect Terry's memory and don't disrespect a coffee shop that you know nothing about.
As soon as you complained that $2.50 was a lot for a large coffee, I instantly knew that you had no idea what you were talking about.
Being a coffee lover myself, I am on the look out to grab a cup of “joe” whenever I get a chance. This place in particular is one that I have been a customer at on a few occasions and I disagree with much of what you have written. I can agree with you that yes, this particular shop does not have the same tasting coffee as starbucks, dunkin donuts, caribou, etc. but its not suppose to. You want fancy, you came to the wrong place. A cup of black is a cup of black and if you need all the bells and whistles in your cup…then you aren’t a real coffee lover. This place has basic coffee, basic seats and tables and a basic everything else, but it has what all those other places don’t: the most loving and caring owner(s) you would find in this city; People who took a piece of property in a dying part of the city to create a place for anyone to be welcome. The coffee at this place is an accessory. You may disagree, but those who keep on coming back don’t seem to care about the coffee or the price. Speaking of price, I was very taken aback by how many unkind comments you made about the price of this coffee. I’m not sure if you are just a tight wade with your money or just a complainer, but $2.50 for a large cup of coffee isn’t expensive. In particularly its not expensive in an economy that has taken a dump and everything from food, clothes, gas and yes, even coffee has risen. When times are tough the first place that always suffer are the mom & pop places that can’t compete with big corporate chains so they have to have slightly higher prices to make ends met. I am guessing on your ignorance on this, you never took economics. This was my first time reading your blog and it is my last. I think you should have saved your five bucks you complained so much about and bought some class and some writing lessons. The smell you mentioned was probably the stench of your blog. It stinks.
First off I'd like to say your feeling for this particular "coffee shop" is not only commendable but a bit admirable. My little blog's purpose is to merely explore local coffee shops in the area and report on them. Nothing about it is personal. While I can sympathize with this business' plight, every single coffee shop I go into has a back story and my blog is about the coffee aspect, nothing else. I don't think my review was negative, it was simply truthful. The coffee was bad, old and weak. This is the fact. Maybe it was a bad day for them, or maybe that is how they brew it. Regardless, it is what it is. Since the cost of coffee was brought up, I'd like to state the average cup of coffee in DOWNTOWN Cleveland is $2.50 and that is due to the recent drastic rise in coffee cost within the last 6 months. One of my favorite downtown coffee shops charges $2.35 for a large and that is located in a high traffic area. This blog was written before the price hike. That being said, since the area they are located in was also brought up, this business needed to cater to their clientele. Which by your own admission, is poorer than average. Unfortunately not all reviews can be positive and I wish any and all coffee shops in the Cleveland area success. Thank you again for your comments, I am happy to hear loyalty is not dying out.
I have to say I go to the curb side every every thursday and tuesday nite yes there are a lot of the older generation I have never ever found a bunch of better people to hang out with just think when we get old we will all blend right in and never ever have I heard a complaint about the smell or the hospitality that Judy (The Owner)offers Born and raised in Cleveland.
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