149 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
614.732.4899
website
Ever popular in downtown Columbus, this little coffee shop has managed to maintain a steady crowd for years. In one sense, it’s hard not to see that: what used to be a mall across the street has been reborn into a new night life and living destinations. Still though, the thousands of city and county workers and employees of the many businesses nearby 10 to find a coffee shop that they love and stick with it. And for many, they start their morning at cup O Joe. There’s a very good reason for that, it’s just so pleasant here.
Of course there are plenty of coffee drinks on the menu, but it’s also got a late breakfast and lunch menu to bring people back into the afternoon as well. Some of the things to try:
- Iced mocha: made with real chocolate, and you can absolutely taste the difference there. And yet, this drink is not too sweet or overwhelmed with sugar. It’s fresh, especially in those humid Columbus summers.
- Coffee: the simple pot of coffee is divvied up on a few different options. Generally speaking though, there is a light roast, a medium roast and a blonde roast typically on the menu. Maybe not a place to go if you’re looking for craft coffee or being sourced from a certain area, but pretty good.
- Chai latte: just the right amount of chai spice adding a little bit of heat to the end of your taste, without overwhelming the pallet. Another wonderful, light alternative to a traditional coffee drink for those early afternoon pick me ups.
- Quiche: I confess: it doesn’t always look good when you see a quiche sitting in a refrigerated display, almost as though it was prepackaged or store-bought. My mistake. That crust is extremely flaky, the egg and spinach a perfect mix.
The coffee shop typically attracts its largest crowd earliest in the morning, because it’s so popular with State employees and local government employees in the surrounding buildings, they tend to show up at work around 8 to 9 a.m. Later in the morning, and later in the afternoon, the shop tends to clear out a little bit which is nice. Because that patio is really something to behold, especially with as many people and as many experiences as you can see in downtown Columbus these days. Or a table inside the shop too; it maintains a refreshingly serene atmosphere, in spite of the fact that it is in the middle of an increasingly dense downtown.
It’s very difficult these days to find a good coffee shop that maintains that same sense of peace in downtown Columbus. The fact of the matter is this is a growing city. Which makes this little local dive that much more great. It’s well worth the trip.
Recommendations
- Crowds are largest early in the morning, but they clear out considerably in the afternoon.
- This is a nice slice of peace in downtown Columbus. Shops like this are increasingly rare.
- There’s a nice outdoor patio to if the weather is good.
Another Food Critic 