Cleveland, OH 44115-2110
Phone: (216) 589-0194
Hours: 7am-5pm Mon-Fri
Wifi: Yes
Outdoor Seating: no
Credit Cards Accepted: yes
I've been meaning to venture into Moko coffee for some time now. Other than the fact that it's only a few blocks away from work, it also boasts being the only coffee shop in town to serve Intelligentsia coffee.
For those of you who don't know, Intelligentsia is a coffee brand that began back in 1995. Their shops are in Chicago, LA and New York. Their Black Cat Espresso is what they are known for, syrupy and sweet it stands out in a league of its own. They use Direct Trade with their coffee producers, traveling to the farms every month out of the year to make sure what is served in each one of their shops is the best both in quality and ethically.
Ok, so back to Moko. They are situated in the heart of Playhouse Square, and because of that, only open Mon-Fri 7am-5pm. Walking in, I was really not impressed. Gotta be honest right?? Maybe this place is relying on the fact that their coffee is amazing and letting everything else fall by the wayside, but for me, I want the whole experience. I want to sit in a comfortable environment while drinking my great coffee. Too much to ask? I think not. Their pastry case was disgusting. It looks like it hadn't been cleaned since they opened back in 2007. There was an old biscotti with several layers of mold on it staring up at me from the bottom shelf just begging to to thrown away. Chad asked for bagels (they were still on display) and they were out. Um, if you're out, you should probably put your display bagels away...just sayin'. Chad ordered an Americano and I ordered a soy latte in a ceramic mug. Well...there were no ceramic mugs so I got paper..wa waaa. Lame. The espresso machine was tiny and sad, and it took him at least 5 minutes to get both of our drinks together. Now, word in the coffee community is they have a La Marzocco espresso machine. But what they had the day I went it, it was definitely not that. Maybe their machine was broken and this was the temporary replacement? I am hoping so. When I tried to watch him make my latte, my stare was caught and I was shot a dirty look. So I was left hoping my shots were coming out correctly, since I was now flying blind. While waiting for our drinks to come out, we wandered around the place a bit. Very cool framed posters from the various shows that have come to the Playhouse lined the walls, and fliers for local events cluttered a corner table. Oh, speaking of corners, there was a corner there that time forgot. There was a fast food 'McDonalds' type garbage can along with boxes and garbage around it. The back door was left open so I could see even their stock room was a disaster.
When we got our drinks, I was happy to see a little heart on my latte.
Sure, it's something basic, but at least it was something.
We sat upstairs in the balcony, which is an awesome seating area. Very quiet and comfy. But again, random empty boxes were thrown in a corner, and what looks like an air vent hole in the wall, just without the vent...so it was just a hole in the wall. A coffee burlap sac was randomly thrown on the wall, as you were walking up the stairs.
We did get a great view from the balcony, as we drank our coffees and people watched.
I actually really loved Chad's Americano. The Black Cat Espresso is amazing, sweet with a maple flavor, completely unlike any of the other espressos around. Chad, didn't like it though. Anything sweet as far as coffees go is a no-go for him. My soy latte was good, perfectly balanced and not too hot. I think he put just a little bit more vanilla that he should have though. When you're espresso is that good, you want people to be able to actually taste it.
In the end, I don't think I will be coming back to Moko. I wasn't comfortable there and while my coffee WAS good, my skirt wasn't blown up like I was expecting it to be. Maybe I would go back just for a regular coffee, just to see how it tastes. But I don't think I would hang out again.
That biscotti still haunts me...
