Bela Dubby in Lakewood,Oh

After a long hiatus from my blog, I am back to reviewing. Today I visited Bela Dubby in Lakewood,Ohio.




Address:13321 Madison Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44107-4814

Phone:(216) 221-4479

Hours: Open Mon-Thu 10am-10pm; Fri-Sat 10am-12am

Outdoor Seating: No

Website: www.beladubby.com

Wifi: Free

Accept Credit Cards: Yes




Bela Dubby is a Lakewood hipster hangout, in fact when I was reading the multitude of reviews on this place, the word "hipster" came up in almost every single one. It features a large selection of imported beer and a long list of events ranging from movie nights to improvisational musicals. Looking at the list of bands they have playing I see Dutch Pop along with Indie Rock so I'd say it's a pretty safe bet to call this place "eclectic".



The hours they're open are kind of odd for a coffee shop, they open at 10am (totally missing the morning crowd)and close pretty late at night. But after visiting, I can kind of see why there is such unique hours. They aren't exactly in a highly trafficked area, and they seem to be promoting their night time events more than anything. The weekends there are jam packed with various types of events. There are 4 bands playing this friday,a "car kulture show" this saturday (with ice cream floats!), and a movie night this sunday, which is a Double Feature. And that is just a sample of the night time activity there.

After reading a handful of reviews, I noticed that coffee was rarely mentioned. The artwork that changes monthly, or the comedians that do ameteur night are spoken of quite frequently. The beer is mentioned pretty often too. But what about the coffee? What about the coffee??!!

This is a COFFEE shop blog so that is what I shall focus on. Parking can be a bit of an issue here, it's strictly street metered parking. Don't even THINK about parking in one of the nearby businesses' parking lots. Apparently the nearby business owners just love to tow the cars parked for Bela Dubby. Luckily we saw one of the many signs posted in the coffee shop warning patrons to move their vehicles if they're parked illegally, and we moved our car across the street.



The barista working was very sweet and friendly. She was chatting up a customer when I walked in, which is always a good sign. I ordered Chad's Iced Americano while he parked the car and I pondered my drink. The barista didn't offer any suggestions or ask me questions as to what I liked, which is also a good sign of a barista that wants to help customers make a good decision about their coffee. I finally decided on an Espresso Con Panna. To my dismay, she didn't know what it was, so I had to explain. She made Chad's Americano with Toddy (*sigh*)and it ended up looking like coffee water. But she was more than willing to put in a few hot shots for him to make it stronger. As she made my drink, I watched my shots come out and I was distressed to see that they were coming out way too slow. Dripping out actually. She spread the whipped cream on as best she could , and we both took our seats.



I gotta say this, the barista was very sweet and super cute but MAN did my espresso taste like ass. I knew it was going to. It came out WAY too slow, and since I noticed that she made a point to clean the portafilter and the machine after the shots were pulled, I am thinking it's not because of a clog in the machine. Girlfriend just needs to time her shots, timing is EVERYTHING with espresso. If your timing is bad, they can taste like garbage. The shots poured into a silver espresso cup so there was no way for me to see if there was any crema on them. Just judging from Chad's Americano, there was none. His drink was as flat and watery as...well..coffee water. Even when she added the shots, I didn't see that excited look on his face that he usually gets when his drink is yummy. And while I did drink all of my espresso, my stomach wishes I hadn't. I am still trying to get the taste out of my mouth. A sign of a poorly timed espresso shot is if the taste clings onto your taste buds long after the drink is finished.





The atmosphere was very fun. The furniture was eclectic and antique-y. There was some diner style tables mixed with old vinyl chairs. There was a lounge couch that I think was in every single one of our grandparent's homes. The walls have various artists selling their wares, this month's artist was cute but not my taste. Watercolor mixed with crayon, while an interesting idea, didn't seem very thoughtful. But Bela Dubby promote local artists and local musicians and comedians which is always a plus.

In the end, I can't say I will be back for coffee. It's pretty close to the house, only a 20 min bike ride and maybe a 10 min drive away, but if I wanted crappy espresso I could just go to st*rbucks. The owner was there and he seemed super helpful and nice, talking to Chad about the beer selection. But when it comes to coffee, this place needs a lot of help, and a barista/bartender that is knowledgeable about her product. Nothing is worse than bitter espresso...nothing.

Loop in Tremont (cleveland), Ohio

Address:2180 West 11th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113-3604

Phone:(216) 298-5096

Hours: 7am-Late

Outdoor Seating: Yes

Website: Not Available

Wifi: Free

Accept Credit Cards: Yes





This coffee shop just opened in December 2009. It's the new kid in town and while trying to get the word out about themselves, for now they are relying on word of mouth from the local Tremont-ers. I actually heard about this spot at work, my manager mentioned it in passing, saying they roast their own beans. My little coffee addict ears perked up when I heard that, and since it was close (a 20min bike ride away) I knew it was going to be next on my list. The sun and the warm breeze this morning begged me to come out and play, so Chad and I hopped on our bikes and ventured out to Tremont to see whats what with the newbie coffee shop.

I wasn't able to find out a lot about this spot online. They don't have a website yet and only a handful of reviews on Yelp.com. But all the reviews are positive, most of them from from the local Tremont population. The fact that they aren't listed on any websites and without a website of their own, they might have a harder time getting new customers through their doors. But maybe slow and steady will win the race as they say.

Loop is nestled on the corner of West 11th and Fairfield Ave. It could be easy to miss if you aren't looking though. Like a lot of coffee places in residential neighborhoods, it's a house that was converted to a coffee shop. Parking in on the street or across the street in a small gravel parking lot. We tied our bikes up to the bike rack out front, and went in.

The first thing I noticed is the roaster in the front window. It's a small roaster but since it's just a small shop, roasting in small batches is actually the best way to do it. It ensures that the beans are as fresh as possible and that quality is above quantity. When you roast in smaller batches, it allows the person to see how the beans are being treated during the whole roasting process, before,during and after. It also ensures that the beans are being roasted evenly, and since only a small amount is being roasted at a time, there is no stockpiling so the beans don't go stale.



The menu board wasn't the usual chalkboard style menu board, which is a nice change. It just had the basic drinks on it, the sizes were small,med and large and a small list of "extras" (soy,extra shot,etc). Really, thats all you need in a menu board. You don't need a huge list of coffee and espresso drinks. There was some Monin syrups on the shelf so you could see what flavors they did have. If you have been to coffee shops before, really they all have basically the same thing. What sets each of them apart is the quality. You can have 50 different types of syrups if you want. But really, you're only going to use about 10 of them. No need to get crazy with it. I ordered a soy mocha iced and Chad ordered his Americano. I got 3 shots in mine and chad got 4. I really hate it when coffee shops get stingy with the espresso. If I get a 20oz drink, 2 shots just isn't enough. But thats just me...I like to taste my caffeine and not cover it up.



While waiting for our drinks, Chad chatted up the Baristo Dave. He seemed very soft spoken but very helpful. He answered all of the questions we had about the artwork on the wall (more on that later) and just the background of the place. We also ordered a banana nut muffin to share. They have a very small selection of pastries and muffins for sale. Their supplier is some bakery in the Market (I forgot the name) and while the muffin was really tasty and fresh, I would have liked to have seen more of a bakery selection. Maybe since they are just starting out, they are starting out small and plan to expand the food selection with time. I have been to some coffee houses where there is a HUGE bakery case and a million things to choose from. While that is nice,I don't need anything that elaborate. I'd just like a little bit more than 4 types of muffins. Is that too much for a girl to ask?? Hmm?? Hmm?? Gimme something chocolate why don't cha!! :)

Anyway when you walk in, to the right there is a huge wall covered with paintings. I am not sure if they are all done by the same artist though. I tend to think they aren't all the same person, since the styles of a few were pretty different. Most of the painting were done by Sarah K. Dougherty and as a girl, I really loved them. Chad of course loved the darker paintings to the left on the wall, but what can I say? I like what I like:)



It is also worth mentioning that this place isn't just a coffee shop. It's a coffee shop/record store/art gallery. On the second floor there are a bunch of records to sift through, and they have a very wide assortment of musicians to choose from. The first floor have frames pictures and paintings as well. They are marketing themselves as a coffee shop and record store so they are doing a pretty good job in finding a balance in both.






We took our coffees outside to sit and enjoy the day. My mocha was delish. I watched Dave pull the shots and after counting quietly in my head how long they took (yea I know I am a bit of a freak) I saw that they were perfectly timed. Since Chad got an Americano and I got something iced, I didn't get to see how they steamed their milk. So that might be an additional addendum to this posting at a later date. Chad said quite a few times how much he enjoyed his coffee. As you can see...



it was love at first sip.


They had a wide variety of seating. Both tables and bar seating in the main cafe, a large semi enclosed patio area, as well as some tables on the second floor. We sat outside for a while, the patio had semi private fencing. Where you're outside but it's not like you're a zoo animal, being gawked at by passers by. We sat outside until a young female came outside and lit up a cigarette, and that was our cue to go. Smoke mixed with coffee just doesn't mix well. I know it's a lot to ask to make the outdoor area non-smoking but to me, it's just gross and for those of us that just want to enjoy the fresh air, the air becomes not so fresh when someone is smoking. But I will get off my non-smoking soapbox for now...

All in all I can comfortably say I will be back. For my mocha, the muffin and Chad's americano it was $9.50, which isn't too bad. We also picked up a pound of Espresso to bring home with us.

On a side note, I also think I definitely redeemed myself with Chad from yesterday's debacle at the "Curbside".

Loop might be the new kid in town, but if I had to get my crystal ball out, I can comfortably say they will be leading the pack in the very near future.

Curbside Coffee Cleveland,oh

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:)

Heine Brothers Coffee Louisville,Ky

While in town for the Derby last weekend, I decided it was my responsibility, no my DUTY to check out a coffee house while I was there. And the place to see seemed to be Heine Brothers Coffee. They are the 'Phoenix Coffee' of Louisville, Ky. They have 7 locations throughout the Louisville area so wherever you're at in your travels, there will be a Heine Brothers not too far away.



We stopped at the Heine Brothers Coffee on the way back to Ohio, at the location off Shelbyville Rd. It was raining like crazy so we were the only customers in the place, other than the older gentleman hunching over a pile of paperwork, typing furiously on his laptop. We were greeted upon walking through the door and immediately started to pour over the menu. I like asking the baristas for suggestions to see how good of a job they can do to engage their customers. It's about knowing what your customer wants without a huge conversation. I ended up ordering a honey cinnamon latte and chad had his usual Americano.

I noticed they were using a semi automatic espresso machine a La Marzocco, the same as they use in my coffee shop. While the semi automatics take some of the hands-on element away from the espresso pulling process, they are useful when there are a lot of drinks being made at the same time. I noticed that they had a drive thru, from the ever so familiar headset attached to the barista's head.



While we were waiting I asked about the Heine Brothers business. Apparently they only serve fair trade and organic coffees. These days, most coffee is organic but to hear it's fair trade is definitely a plus. They roast their own beans at one of their locations in the Crescent Hill neighborhood. For those of you that don't know, here is a little coffee 101. Fair Trade coffee basically means that the coffee farmers that you're buying from are being paid a fair wage and given good living conditions, health care and education. Gone is the day where you order your $5 latte, made with beans that were grown by a farmer that was getting pennies an hour and having to live in poor conditions. Long story short, it's quality of life.

After looking around on the Heine Brothers Coffee website I noticed what kind of organizations they are involved with. Organizations like Habitat for Humanity, they send some of their baristas to Guatemala back in 2009 to help out the community that grows their beans. They also work with Center for Women and Families, the relief in Haiti (raising over $4000) and Cooperative Coffees. They also promote small businesses, keeping everything local, which is always refreshing.


But back to the coffee...I have to mention this, I wouldn't be an unbiased blogger if I didn't...my milk was steamed horribly. She aerated the milk for 1 millisecond and then just set it on the shelf until the thermometer told her it was hot enough. First off, any real barista shouldn't have to use a thermometer, you can tell if milk is the right temp by the sound it makes and how the bottom if the milk pitcher feels. But maybe she was new... and her trainer sucked. My milk could have been a lot better. She explained to me that a lot of people say that the espresso they use is "too strong". Since there is no possible way it could be too strong I actually could have had another shot. I think there was only 2 in my large latte. Chad had 4 in his Americano which was good for him. But in the end I did enjoy my latte and chad commented that his americano was very good. Also worth noting, the young barista making our drinks had no shoes on. I thought maybe it was a southern thing?



The decor of the place was simple but tasteful. Nothing too outlandish, dark stained chairs and tables mixed with honey stained chairs and tables. There were 2 big chairs in the back (a standard coffee house "comfy" chair) and some smaller tables against the wall. The mixing station was cute, small colorful flower pots held the different types of sugar and everything was placed on what looked to be an antique type dresser.





Also there are paintings all over the walls. Some coffee paintings, some of other things. They were all by the same artist I think. I actually liked a few of the paintings but the price was pretty steep for me.





The shoeless barista seemed very helpful otherwise, wrapping up my ceramic mug and bringing it out to us (I am pretty sure she used a WHOLE newspaper). She answered all of our questions and encouraged us to come back next time we were in town. And you know? I think we will...

Lucky's Cafe in Tremont, Cleveland Ohio

Today's review is on Lucky's Cafe in Tremont (Cleveland,Oh). I saw this place on the Fox8 Hot list and I have read lots of positive things about it, so I thought I would check it out.



Lucky's Cafe is right in the heart of Tremont. Tremont is an old world style district, where there are little boutiques and amazing historic buildings lining the streets. It has award winning restaurants and cafes, and a new England type vibe to it. It's city living without the bustle and congestion. If the weather was better we probably would have walked around a bit but since mother nature brought a thunderstorm with her today, we kept it inside.

The little background about this place that I do know is Lucky's Cafe is owned by Heather Haviland, who is also the chef there. She owns Sweet Mosiac Inc which does wedding cakes and special occasion desserts. The "sister" company of Lucky's is Vine and Bean Cafe which is located in Shaker Square.

If you didn't know you were looking for a cafe, there is a good chance you might pass this place up. It blends in with the houses around it and only stands out a bit because of the outdoor seating area with multi colored picnic benches and elevated gardens. Parking is strictly on the street, I saw a few people park across the street on the grass but I don't think that's super legal so I wouldn't recommend it.

They have a full espresso bar, a stocked pastry case (banana chocolate chip coffee cake?? Don't mind if I do!) and a brunch and lunch menu. There was no shortage of workers, we counted about 10 people working there, a few girls behind the bar, a handful of servers roaming the seating area, some people doing outside cleaning, and even more working back in the kitchen. I ordered a Lucky Latte which has honey, espresso and half and half (I subbed soy for half and half), a banana chocolate chip coffee cake , and Chad ordered an Americano and a Raspberry Butter Cream Torte.



We took our seats since they offered to bring it out for us. Immediately a waiter came over, told us the specials and asked to take our order. Looking at the menu..."overpriced" is a word I would probably use to describe it. Now I am SURE that their food is worth every penny but paying $13 for mac and cheese wasn't in our budget so we opted out of it and stuck with our pastries and coffee.




The decor seemed nice, artwork on the walls and fresh flowers on every table. The waitstaff was more than helpful as well. The coffee that they were making was freshly ground as we saw one of the baristas walk up, get some of the whole bean coffee from the wall and grind it to brew. There was no music, but for the most part the sounds of conversation filled the silence pretty well. We paid about $16 for everything. The torte itself was $5 and I think my coffee cake was $3.



I get the feeling this place's focus isn't the coffee though. There was no latte art unless you count the tree looking thing on my latte...I wasn't sure if I was reaching by trying to find a shape on my latte. Their espresso machine didn't look well taken care of (I didn't see the barista rinse out the portafilter before pulling her shots) and the espresso menu was a snooze fest. When Chad asked if there were any signature espresso drinks since I was on the fence with what I wanted to order, I was told their signature espresso drink was a mocha. Wa waaaa. Lame. Come on, dazzle me with a suggestion of a Peach Cobbler Mocha, hell make something up on the spot like a "Rainy Day Latte". The food looks amazing in the pastry case and if anything I will come back for that. It was filled with so many options of sweets that it was almost hard to choose. Chad's Torte was a little frozen so it was kind of difficult to get a good feel of how it was supposed to taste. The barista told us to wait a few minutes for the frosting to soften, we waited but in the end it was still pretty stiff. Maybe put it in the micro on defrost for a few seconds? That would have made it 10 times better.





Lucky's Cafe was voted the "Best Brunch in Cleveland" by Fox8 so maybe that is where the focus is in that place. It looks like a nice place to take my parents when they come in, it's the kind of place you take a family member to as a treat for lunch or breakfast. I'd come back for coffee sometime, it looks like a nice area and the service was very good. The price was kind of high...so definitely not a regular stop for me though. I don't want to go broke from my coffee habit, you know? :)

Willow Coffee in Cleveland,Oh

To be honest, I had never heard of Willow Coffee until about a week ago. I was stuck at a stop light at Madison and West 117th, and looking to the right the word "coffee" immediately caught my eye (of course). The first thing I did after getting home was google this place. Was I the only one in Cleveland that was in the dark about Willow Coffee? Apparently I am not alone in my ignorance. I found only a few websites that had Willow Coffee mentioned. But the places I DID find some reviews were on Fox 8's Hot List and CityVoter.com and I read nothing but good things. They made the top 5 in Fox8's Hot List in 2009. That being said, I read nothing but good things about Koffie Cafe too so good reviews aren't always a guarantee that something is going to be worthwhile.


Well, you know the first thing I talk about is parking. They have some street parking in front of the shop, or you can do what we did and park across the street at the RTA parking lot. There were tons of spots and it's a lot easier.


I was a bit skeptical walking in there, a window had been broken in and a board was being used to patch it up temporarily. I saw a lit up 'open' sign and a few men hanging around outside so I figured at least there were other customers around. Turns out one of the "customers" was the owner, as he followed us inside.



The place was decorated amazingly. I can honestly say that in the hundreds of coffee shops I have been in (yes, hundreds..I love my coffee) this was by FAR the most impressive. One of the owners, Richard, is an artist and he did all of the decorating. He painted the walls and put in a little babbling brook water fountain in the corner . I thought the running water was very calming. Usually a coffee shop is filled with the sounds of laptop keyboards and cell phone conversations, so having an oasis like this in the middle of Cleveland was a great find. Coffee pictures and signs were up on the walls, and he even painted the floors to make it look like a stone pathway leading to the back. He was working on opening up a small back patio area, using some old tires for flower pots and a pail for another running water fountain. Even the back seating area was made to look like you were in a garden patio, complete with vines lining the walls and stained glass windows making you feel like you were on the outside looking in.



We spent some time talking with the owner. The entire time we were there not a single other customer came through the doors. Apparently Willow Coffee has been open for 5 years. The owner (well one of the owners, we did not meet the other one) is an artist and he wanted to open up a business that would allow him to spend more of his time doing what he loved. He was using a very small espresso machine, one that you'd find in some kitchens (the kitchens of people with money that is)and not the commercial grade espresso machine all other coffee houses use. He explained their other machine broke and until he gets the money for a new one, that was what he was using. He said that at night it got a lot busier, and that it was more of an adult crowd. Which is good with me, I'm not huge fan of the frappucino drinking teenagers anyway. His menu was small, about the size of a poster board. It was the usual chalk board coffee shop menu of course. I will say that unlike the other huge chalkboard menus I have seen, this one had about 4 items listed on it and they were all the basics (latte,coffee,mocha). His syrups weren't listed anywhere so I had to look through to see what he had. They were all sold out of pastries by the time we got there, apparently they sell out in the morning.




Our drinks came in huge ceramic mugs (green points!!) and while mine could have been a little hotter and Chad's a little cooler, I think they both turned out really well. We did have to wait a little while for our drinks, he could only do 2 shots at a time so making 2 espresso drinks took a bit. But sometimes I think it's okay to wait a bit. I have to remind myself it's not all about *quick* quick* quick all the time. I did watch his pull the shots and they came out very nicely. The crema was thick and perfectly timed. I have to say while the owner didn't seem to have a passion for coffee, he definitely did have a passion for his customers. He seemed genuinely interested in getting to know us and inviting us to come back later on for the "night life" there. They had a small stage set up with a guitar so I am assuming he has live music and such at night. He did mention a few times the "lively debates" that occur after hours so I wonder what goes on there after the sun goes down:)



The price was very reasonable, we paid $7.25 for the 2 espresso drinks and $2.75 for the americano we had to go. No punch cards but I got the feeling if you frequented the place you probably got tossed a freebie here and there if you came often enough.

All in all I would say I will definitely be coming back to Willow Coffee.

In these tough economic times, when you see a business that is struggling like this one is, you WANT to help. He is a perfect example of a businessman that is doing everything right, the coffee is good, the customer service is excellent...and he is hanging on by a thread. Talking with him he spoke about the RTA station right across the street and how he gets zero business from them. He even put $1 off coupons on all the cars and at one point even tried placing a kiosk right where the riders were getting on and off..and he was barely making enough to pay the person running the kiosk. I asked him why that was and in the end people feel more comfortable going to a chain. Asking the public to step out of their comfort zone and try something new is difficult. We don't have to live in a Starbucks world where everything is nameless and faceless. We can support our local businesses and keep them alive in a time where it's the most difficult to stay afloat. I think that is a part of the reason I do this blog. Because there are so many little shops out there,I want to shed light on the independent business owner. They are truly the heart and soul of our society. If we all just stop for a moment and make that choice to support our own people, support our neighbors...I wonder...what a difference that would make.

Koffie Cafe Cleveland,Oh

Getting back on the wagon for Coffee Shop Reviews, I went to Koffie Kafe in Cleveland. It's located right across the street from the West Side Market in Ohio City. I actually have been to this place once before. Right after doing the Brewery tour at Great Lakes Brewery, Chad and I decided to get a coffee and since this place was right across the street we wandered in. I remember saying my latte was so-so, nothing too impressive but since I've never reviewed it, I hoped this time things would improve.



Well for starters, when parking you have a few options. You can find a place on the street and do some meter parking, there are a few spots right in front of the shop (but on the weekend you can forget about it),or you can park in the public parking. I think during the week it's free, but if you're there on the weekend it's $5. You can also chance it by parking in Dave's Market parking lot. I'd advise against that though, there are tow trucks patrolling most of the time and 'tow away zone' signs everywhere. You might end up paying more to get your car out of impound if you choose to park there. We decided to just pay the $5 and go to public parking.

Apparently the background of this place is it used to be called 'Talkies'. I guess Talkies was a film and coffee bar, and while the owners have changed, the workers there have remained the same. When I googled this place, I read nothing but good things about it. From it being "pet friendly" (a guy came in with a beagle and sat down with his coffee while we were there) to the "friendly" staff (I wonder if the friendly people quit.)So I was surprised I had the experience I had there. Maybe I came on a bad day? Maybe the workers have changed since the last review...or maybe people are just too nice.






The place is really small, about 25 chairs including a few bar stools if you choose to sit at the bar. No comfy chairs or couches at all, as there usually is at most coffee shops. But maybe space was an issue so the comfy chair idea was impossible. The usual chalkboard menu boards, one for espresso drinks and one for food. They have a small sandwich menu with the usual paninis and soups for sale.



I ordered a soy vanilla latte (I had my fill of coffee this morning so I wasn't up for more) and Chad got his usual Americano. The barista was unfriendly to say the least. She bluntly asked "what do you want?" when we got there, and I immediately regretted my decision to tip. After she watched me put the dollar in the jar she couldn't bother to utter so much as a "thanks". I have to say as a barista, if I see someone put a tip in I ALWAYS say "thank you" or if I am busy at least catch their eye and smile a thanks. Because you want the customers to feel appreciated, and baristas don't get paid a lot so tips are big factor on income. Anyway so as we waited for our drinks we got the pleasure of hearing the latest gossip as the 2 baristas working there talked about their man problems and their friend's man problems. Fascinating. I know if I owned a coffee shop I would love for my workers to not only bring their personal lives into work but to talk about it in a not so hushed tone. For the 2 drinks it was $8.05. Chad ordered a cookie but she didn't hear him or care because she never rang it up and we never got it (ironically it was a smiley sugar cookie). She was barely listening to us anyway as I ordered. She just stared at me blankly, even almost pissy, then wordlessly made our drinks. When we got our drinks, she did walk them out to us (which was nice). But since we made a point to say "for here" we thought we'd get ceramic mugs (you know...trying to be as green as possible) instead we received the to-go stirofoam cups.

Ok, now we get down to it. How were the drinks you ask? Not good. In fact with all the crap beforehand, the gossiping baristas, the unfriendly service, the outrageous bill...if our drinks had been made well and tasted delicious I would have completely forgiven everything. But they weren't. They were bad, and weak. So weak in fact Chad could see through his Americano. I am thinking for a 20oz they probably put only 2 shots. For my 20oz latte I am thinking they only put 1 and a half or maybe 1. I couldn't even taste a hint of the espresso. When I went up there to ask for some ice for Chad's *burn your taste buds into oblivion* drink, I had to wait until they had a pause in their conversation before I was even noticed. Never mind the fact I was the only one standing at the bar, it's not like I was lost in the crowd.

At one point the 2 workers walked out of the shop for a smoke break. They both walked out, leaving the establishment to self service I suppose. When 2 customers walked in, one of them was kind enough to butt out her cigarette to come in and make a sandwich for them. Never mind the fact she reeked of smoke OR that she didn't wash her hands before making the food. Chad wasn't even able to finish his drink, and I took mine to go. I figured I could just warm it up later, it's not like it was going to taste any worse.





As we walked out, I threw my Koffie Cafe frequent customer card in a nearby trash can. I will not be coming back.