Happy Sunday My Sweet Friends!
I am so excited to share this post with ya’ll. It was one of my first blog ideas when I was thinking what would I even write about if I started a blog (not joking, I thought of it while I was in the shower).
Coffee is the foundation of my food pyramid. It is an addiction that I share with so many of you. I’ve had to learn some balance with it like I do everything in life. So, I try not to have it every single day. When I do have that beautiful latte or a pour-over cup of roasted, deliciousness, so much appreciation and admiration goes towards that perfectly brewed cup. From the incredible designs to the exquisite aroma, and unique coffeehouse experience. Coffee is art.
If I’m not being completely clear… I LOVE COFFEE
I love it so much that Bryce and I dedicated an entire weekend to it. Bryce mapped out our route to taste-test seven different shops in the Kansas City Area, and then we rated them on what we look for in the total coffee shop experience. Seven coffee stops later, we were dead and possibly in a coffee coma but we pushed through it for the sake of sharing our passion of some of our favorite local, Kansas City coffeehouses.
Disclaimer: This was not our first time in any of these shops with exception to The Filing Station. Each coffee destination made our list for different reasons, but mostly because we love them.
So here it is … THE KANSAS CITY COFFEE GUIDE.
What We Bought: Guatemalan Gran Quetzal
Taste: So incredibly smooth that it tasted like BarkThins or chocolate covered pretzels. With notes of caramel in the flavor, we top it off by adding a dash of almond milk giving it a nuttier taste.
Price: Small is $2.00 and a large is $3.00
Menu Variety: The menu is very small, but you will not be disappointed with anything you get. They even offer hot chocolate right now.
Atmosphere: This is a more masculine coffee shop–but everyone will enjoy the experience Blip offers. It is known for being a destination for bikers, artists, photographers, and antique lovers that wander around The West Bottoms of Kansas City. The outside of it is a perfect place to take photos and the inside is dark, and relaxing with such a cozy feel. You will see an old freight elevator and several motorcycle parts for decor. It’s a quieter coffee shop. Perfect location if you want to do some studying or relax after antiquing. They also have a wide variety of shop merchandise and unique biker gear.
What We Bought: A Cappuccino (only time we didn’t buy coffee because it was from a coffee shop we had been too before).
Taste: It was on the lighter side, but the milk over powered the actual taste of the espresso. Was not what we were expecting, but it wasn’t bad.
Price: $3.50 for a Cappuccino
Menu Variety: It had a decent sized menu. They offered a lot of different options, and even had milk steamers.
Atmosphere: There are actually three different locations… but the one that we went to was in Westport. It had a drive through which is very unique. It had a large bar area that faced out to one of the main streets in the Westport district. This location was pretty small, but the charm it had was unbeatable. It truly felt we had walked back in time to an old gas station. Bryce said that it reminded him of Footloose (lol). We will be back to try more.
What We Bought: Koke Ethiopia pour over
Taste: The taste is best described as juicy with a hint of lime, and blueberry Pop Tart. It no joke tasted exactly like an actual blueberry Pop Tart.
Price: $4.25
Menu Variety: Very big! They have a ton of different options for those who love coffee and even options for those who don’t. They offer sodas that are just as popular and unique as their coffee.
Atmosphere: It is a small shop, but very lively and hip. It’s a great place to catch up with a friend or get some work done. The baristas are so in love with their craft, and enjoy sharing their coffee passion with anyone who walks through the door. One time a barista remade my espresso 4 different times because it was not coming out the way that he wanted it to (that is true love).
What We Bought: Ethiopa Congo Natural
Taste: Pomegranate, blueberry chocolate… do I need to say more? It tasted so much like Brookside Dark Chocolate covered pomegranate seeds.
Price: $4.75
Menu Variety: Very large! They have an awesome variety of teas and smoothies as well. If you go, please try a wedding cake cookie (my mom is literally addicted to them). It will not disappoint.
Atmosphere: This is a chain primarily in Missouri, but it seriously gives off a small coffee shop vibe. It does have a Starbucks feel, but you do get the feeling that coffee is a little bit more appreciated here because they really take pride in providing you with a GOOD cup of coffee. Don’t knock it because it is a chain! We went to the Plaza location. Last time I was there I spotted Jason Sudeikis from Saturday Night Live enjoying a Kaldi’s on their outdoor patio. You never know who might be there.
What We Bought: Kenya Pour Over (Heart Roasters Portland, Oregon)
Taste: It had notes of peach, strawberry, caramel, and lilac. It was definitely not your traditional coffee because the flavors were extremely bold. Very peachy and yummy though.
Price: $4.25
Menu Variety: Their menu is above average. They have six different house-made syrups and milk alternatives which is very unique in comparison to other coffeehouses . They also offer seven different teas, hot cider, and hot chocolates.
Atmosphere: This is where I first fell in love with coffee. It is industrial chic decor includes a bank vault and a deer mount. Over the past couple of years, Quay (pronounced key) has had a big increase in traffic, but it still holds a special place in my heart. I would describe as the Instagrammers Haven of Coffee Shops. From the big Edison lightbulbs to the iconic anchor logo, you will fall in love (and maybe take a couple of photos).
*They recently opened one up in the Nelson Atkins Art Museum that Bryce and I have been dying to go to.
What We Bought: Kamwangi AA Kenya and a Pistachio Rose Latte
Taste: The coffee tasted just like your average Cup of Joe…honestly nothing really special about it. The latte on the other hand… now that was incredible.
You could taste the pistachio and notes of rose flavors infusing it. The best part was that it wasn’t too sweet –just right.
Price: $3.00 for a cup of coffee and $4.75 for the latte
Menu Variety: If you are dining in, the menu is a decent size. If you are wanting your drink to-go, the menu options are pretty limited.
Atmosphere: It’s very instagrammable. It’s also very busy and kinda loud environment. It gives off the same feel as a Starbucks, but just like ten times nicer with beautiful drinks. I would definitely recommend dining in and soaking up the whole atmosphere. It has such a unique vibe to it.
What We Bought: Peru Cajamarca (from Blip Roasters) & a Reese’s Cocoa Puff Milk Steamer
Taste: The coffee had notes of vanilla and marzipon (don’t really know what that is, but it was good). The latte took me back in time when all I ate for breakfast was chocolate cereal. I would seriously recommend going here just to try their cereal milk steamers because they are a GAME CHANGER. Even if you are not a coffee drinker, I can promise you that you will enjoy this.
Price: $3.00 for the coffee and $5.50 for the steamer
Menu Variety: Pretty small, but they have a really fun cereal milk steamers available ONLY on the weekends.
Atmosphere: The Made in KC Cafe is a place that is honestly very hard to describe. It is 1/3 a store that sells products made locally in Kansas City, 1/3 a coffee shop, and the other 1/3 is a soon-to-be spirits bar. The coffee that they have is all featured beans from local Kansas City coffee shops. It is a wonderful place to try different coffees from different roasters without having to drive to a million different places. It’s fairly new, so not a lot of people will be found here. The workers are probably the nicest baristas I have ever spoken to and are so excited to share cool things that Kansas City has to offer. The coffee shop also has really pretty tiled floors, cute napkins, and an awesome neon sign. It has been described as Kansas City’s most insta-worthy walls.
Our Final Thoughts
Overall, Bryce and I truly love Blip coffee. There is such a vibrant and bold taste to each cup. It is seriously incredible coffee. The atmosphere is also perfect if you are a person who likes to work in a quiet area. If you are ever in the West Bottoms, please make sure to visit it! First Fridays are a perfect time to schedule your trip with all the antique stores open, food trucks lining the streets, and special coffee spots hidden like Blip for recharging.
Aside from the coffee itself, each one of these coffee shops mentioned offers a different vibe and amazing specialty drinks that I encourage all you to go try. My goal from this post was to help you discover some new coffee experiences or maybe a new place to do homework even if you are not a huge coffee drinker. Kansas City loves good cup of coffee and the community is embracing these Mom and Pop unique shops. Comment down below any coffee shops that we should try or what your favorite one is. I would love to hear from you.
I hope your week is as magical as your first sip of coffee.
Other Notable Coffee Shops Not Mentioned
*Disclaimer: Bryce and I are not coffee experts. We like to think that we are… but these are just our honest opinions.
by Twofold Media 
