Warm Up with a St. Louis Coffee Crawl Monday November 18, 2024 Share Dining By Rachel Huffman Whether you need to perk up, warm up or catch up, St. Louis coffee shops can accommodate. Some offer small plates, sweet treats or modern art for an enhanced experience, and one was recently named the best coffee chain in the U.S. Here are our top picks for brewing excellence. From single-origin coffee to nitro cold brew, the rocket fuel at these coffee shops will keep you energized as you explore the Gateway City. 23 West Coffee Offering a classically crafted modern coffee experience, 23 West Coffee believes that you shouldn’t have to go far for a great brew – leave that up to owner Rich Elias and his team who travel high and low to source beans, from the volcanic soils of South America to the fertile forests of East Africa. Housed in a sleek, freestanding building in Webster Groves, the coffee shop features a La Marzocco espresso machine on the white quartz bar, which joins other refined design elements such as live-edge wood tables and a green moss wall depicting a map of the area to realize the stylish aesthetic. After you get your caffeine fix, meander through the boutiques, stores and art galleries of the neighborhood – Green Door Art Gallery is a must for us! Blueprint Coffee If you don’t want to make your own cup of Joe in the morning, head to one of Blueprint Coffee’s three coffee bars in the St. Louis area. At each, the team focuses on quality, execution and customer service – and they serve coffee in glass beakers, Breaking Bad-style. The specialty roaster offers everything from sweet Guatemalan coffee with notes of chocolate stout and molasses cookies to earthy Ethiopian instant coffee with hints of blueberry jam and chocolate ganache. During the holidays, the panettone-inspired blend – which is reminiscent of pastry crust, dried fruit, caramel, citrus peel and vanilla – also entices. Coffeestamp Through research, hard work, creativity and resilience, Honduran brothers Patrick and Spencer Clapp were able to open a micro-roastery in St. Louis in 2018. Coffeestamp has since grown into a full-service coffee bar in the Fox Park neighborhood where the mission is simple: deliver the most delicious coffee possible. Ethically sourced and served, the coffee’s flavor profiles range from notes of pineapple, lychee and sweet vermouth to hints of dark chocolate, butterscotch and dried cranberries, and it’s best paired with empanadas stuffed with cherry wood-smoked ham, marinated steak and barbecue chicken. Vegetarian or vegan? Try the Baleada (red baked beans, scrambled eggs and fried sweet plantains topped with cream and Cotija) or the Garden Curry (mushrooms, onions, peppers, sweet corn, roasted potatoes and basil in coconut curry). If you have time to play after this pit stop, walk across the street to Adventures of Intrigue, an all-ages, open-concept escape room, where you can put your energy into an otherworldly puzzle. Coma Coffee Roasters Employing specialty coffee to bring people together, siblings Macy and Corbin Holtzman founded Coma Coffee Roasters in 2016. Located in University Tower across from Saint Louis Galleria, the two-level coffee shop hums with activity every day of the week. Whether you want to pop by for a cup of washed El Salvadoran coffee with notes of molasses, almond and graham cracker or settle in for a flight of three – including a cortado, four-ounce drip and four-ounce cold brew – this pit stop promises good vibes. Feeling peckish? Opt for breakfast tacos, yogurt parfait or spicy potato hash with your coffee. Good Press Staying in downtown St. Louis? Good Press is a go-to neighborhood café. Located inside 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis, the casual coffee shop serves signature drinks with a smile. As you sip a seasonal drip, black walnut latte or cardamom cold brew, take in the contemporary art around you. Site-specific installations and rotating exhibitions carry over from the adjoining hotel into the chic space. High Low | Photo by Mark Hermes High Low Culture vultures, you’ll love the Blueprint Coffee counter at High Low in the Grand Center Arts District! Enjoy a steaming brew from the Gamatui Community in Uganda – plus, a pastry – while perusing the latest exhibition in the art gallery at the back. After you down your cup, walk through The Walls Off Washington, which features more than 20 vibrant murals created by local, national and international artists. Covering the side of High Low, Kenny Scharf’s Kranzbergville includes four “buildings” painted yellow, emerald, purple and tangerine, respectively. Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. In the midst of its 30th anniversary celebration, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. won Best Coffee Chain in the U.S. in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. Since its founding in 1994, Kaldi’s has expanded to 14 locations, dotting diverse St. Louis neighborhoods such as Clayton, the Central West End, the Delmar Loop, Kirkwood and Chesterfield. The exceptional experience at each location includes warm service, sustainable practices and quality coffee. If you’re interested in a seasonal special, try the brown sugar-rosemary latte or the peppermint-mocha latte, both of which will help you combat the winter blues. La Finca Coffee As the first Colombian-style coffee shop in the St. Louis region, La Finca Coffee serves decadent brews, carefully roasted to accentuate the delicate characteristics of the single-origin coffees from Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Ethiopia. At La Finca Coffee’s two St. Louis area locations, pour-overs pair well with huevos rancheros, empanadas and patacones. Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop Satisfy your coffee craving at this charming garden store in Webster Groves. Inside or out, Maypop Coffee & Garden Shop has you covered with beautiful plants like its namesake, a showy native vine whose stunning summer blooms give way to an edible fruit. As you peruse the greenhouse, you can savor an espresso drink, drip coffee or cold brew made with beans from Blueprint Coffee. For heartier breakfast items, snag a seat in the café and dig into the Kale and Basil Pesto Toast topped with tomatoes and garlic-infused olive oil. Meshuggah Cafe Nestled in the Delmar Loop, Meshuggah Cafe serves house espresso any way you like it. The mellow vibe of the community space will make you want to stay awhile, so we recommend adding breakfast bagels and cinnamon rolls to your order. The Mud House | Photo by Mark Hermes MoKaBe’s Coffeehouse Consistently crammed with students, young professionals and neighborhood residents alike, MoKaBe’s Coffeehouse begins the six-block stretch of diverse culinary delights on South Grand Boulevard. If you’re looking for comfort and caffeine, kick back with a cup of quality java and a hearty heap of breakfast – think stuffed brioche French toast drizzled with housemade raspberry syrup, biscuits and gravy with two eggs and a vegan burrito stuffed with scrambled tofu, seitan sausage and green chiles. Park Avenue Coffee Start your day St. Louis-style with piping hot coffee and a side of gooey butter cake. With six locations throughout the region, Park Avenue Coffee makes the famous dessert from scratch in flavors such as turtle, triple chocolate, white chocolate-raspberry and Mom’s Traditional – where it all started. The local chain’s small-batch, air-roasted coffee hails from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, Tanzania, Colombia, Indonesia and Kenya, and the freshness of each brew will truly lift your spirits. Quarrelsome Coffee Committed to quality and exploration, Quarrelsome Coffee will add a twist to your morning jolt. By intentionally manipulating the fermentation process with specific yeast and bacteria strains, the company has created a unique line of coffees characterized by novel flavors and rare aromas. Owner Mark Schwarz puts education at the forefront of the business so that customers can better understand the process that sets the brand’s coffee apart, and the Quarrelsome Coffee staff ensures that guests get exactly what they want from the limited menu. Sump Coffee Coffee enthusiasts, listen up – Sump Coffee is no average Joe. Specializing in light-roasted, single-origin coffee, the St. Louis-based coffee shop will change your life with a simple espresso. Here, skilled baristas craft every drink – from a brewed Guatemalan coffee to a salted maple latte – with the utmost care, resulting in balanced flavor and a powerful rush of caffeine. The Mud House Thanks to The Mud House, you can have brunch any day of the week from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Start with coffee or tea and then take your pick of food items, which range from a Belgian waffle with strawberry compote and mascarpone to avocado toast with pickled red onion and radish to black bean chili with Cheddar and sour cream. After you’re finished, peruse Cherokee Antique Row, which offers six blocks of independently owned and operated establishments, including antique shops, art galleries and specialty stores. Share
