1. The Mud House
[2101 Cherokee Street Saint Louis, MO]
This place. Let me tell you. Before we found it, my fellow coffee explorers and I visited a few other shops that had spectacular coffee, but were missing that “I want to hang out here every day” vibe. The Mud House has that feel to it. We walked in during the late morning hours and the place was bustling and loud with laughter. There are lots of cool seating options. We opted for high stools up at a bar against the wall. These seem to be all the rage and are great for pulling out the laptop getting some work done.
And the coffee. I tried an iced latte (no flavor), which was delicious, and my friend tried an iced mocha (espresso, milk, and chocolate sauce). The chocolate syrup was divine, and we found out they use a syrup made by Kakao Chocolate, a local business just down the street. Their go-to milk is whole milk, but they offer alternative milk choices like almond and soy for a couple quarters extra. I feel like these days people are either really into the milk alternatives, or they don’t even think to question the actual kind of milk put into their drinks.
One great thing about different cow’s milk options is they all have the exact same nutrition content but varying fat content. This means that skim/non-fat milk, 1%, 2%, and whole milk all have the same amount of vitamin D and calcium, but whole milk has 3.25% fat, and the others are as labeled. If you already get fat in other areas of your diet (which most people do!), then switching to 2%, 1%, or skim might be a better option for you! Our bodies need some fat from our diets, but most people get more than enough.
Oh, and another great feature to The Mud House is its lovely décor. We wanted to look for hours.
2. Sump Coffee
[3700 S Jefferson Ave. Saint Louis, MO]
This shop is super unique in terms of environment and coffee. Before we stopped in, we were told by many that this was the best coffee in St. Louis. The coffee is spectacular. They have 4+ different espressos offered at a time from different origins around the world that they alternate in their espresso drinks every day.
We were slightly nervous when we first got in because 1.) the place was packed and there was nowhere to sit (which is a good sign, for many reasons, but made us a little nervous because 2.) if there was a hipster scale on coffee shops, with 1 being Starbucks and 10 being “I have a super awesome beard, my menu is tiny and you can’t see it until you are at the register and in the hot seat, and I have my own coffee language,” these guys are at least a 9.
We got to the front, though, and there was a guy (with an awesome beard) who walked us through their menu and made our choices so much easier!
Something I love about coffee is that the taste is true to its nature and roasting. That’s why I loved Sump’s espresso. I tried their cortado (espresso and just a tad bit of steamed milk), which is one of my go-to first time at a new coffee house drinks, and it was so tasteful. I could definitely tell the uniqueness that the espresso of the day gave to the drink.
Sump Coffee is an experience, not just a divine cup of coffee. It’s a journey, and that must be why the seats are always full.
3. Rise Coffee
[4180 Manchester Ave. Saint Louis, MO]
Rise is one of those places.
Right when we walked in, we were greeted loudly and joyfully. What even made this better is the fact that the coffee was great, too.
The house itself is fun and colorful and cozy. There’s seating downstairs and then up a darling staircase there’s a quieter room for a more studious setting. It’s a good time.
Rise has gone through a lot of changes in the past year, but they continue to be incredible. In their new location (which is only a few buildings down from the original,) they have more seating with spots for a great breakfast as well as that perfect study spot, sweet baristas, and an exciting atmosphere.
4. Gelateria Del Leone
[3197 S Grand Blvd. Saint Louis, MO]
Just down South Grand, this place has a really cool environment, and they serve up some of the best gelato known to taste buds in St. Louis.
Here are some sweet facts about gelato: Gelato is a denser (and delicious!) form of ice cream and originated in Italy. A cup of gelato is said to have less air, half the fat content, (made with milk, no cream) and therefore has less calories per bite. You’ll probably come across it being said that gelato is “healthier,” and is made with “natural” ingredients (whatever that means, that term is nowhere near regulated), but usually it comes with more sugar. You give and you take right? It’s a tasty treat to have on occasion, and since it is less calories per bite, you can have maybe a bite or two more and support a small local business along the way.
Gelateria also has a coffee bar where they make espresso drinks, lunch-y food items, and they’re open until 11pm!
5. Foundation Grounds
[7298 Manchester Rd. Maplewood, MO]
I have been in many times, now because it’s an “I’ll be back” kind of spot. Last time I was here with a friend and we decided to try on of their scones of the day with our coffees (They serve Blueprint Coffee on drip, another coffee hotspot on Delmar Loop where they do coffee roasting, too!) After sitting down and chatting for a while, the people next to us ended up buying us another kind of scone, because “we needed to try them both, right?”
As it ended up, these gentlemen were the owner and the manager of the shop, and we got to know them and learn more about Foundation Grounds that day. I love this place because here, it feels like everyone is a friendly neighbor.
6. Kitchen House Coffee
[3149 Shenandoah Ave. Saint Louis, MO]
I don’t know how much of a coffee house hunter you are, but this treasure is hiding in an East Tower Grove neighborhood, and it never even came up on my maps when I was originally making my list of coffee shop must-goes.
Let’s talk neighborhoods. I am a fan of cozy, unique places full of good people, and this one is just that. The old, colorful trees that line the roads hug you as you drive or walk by, creating that comfortable feeling of home.
Oh, and why Kitchen House? They are a “farm-to-table” kind of coffee house, and then even have their own chickens that you can peak at through the back door! Feels like home, just better coffee.
7. Kaldi’s on De Mun
[700 De Mun Ave. Saint Louis, MO]
Growing up in Southwest Missouri, I didn’t even know that Kaldi’s was a Saint Louis native coffee house, but now that I live here, this fact just seems so much cooler.Many people are a fan of chains that they can count on for consistency of service and taste, and others like the unique environment of a one-of-a-kind coffee house. I am here to tell you that this specific Kaldi’s, the one on De Mun as you’ll hear it called, is both things.
Charming, is what it is. Kaldi’s on De Mun sits snuggly at the corner of a rustic-looking residential building that feels like it’s been there for ages. Initially walking towards it, I felt like it would be one of those little cafes you would walk to first thing every morning in your sweats and warm flannel shirt to start your day with something warm and encouraging. And honestly, this is what I found. This is one of those spots where I could hangout every day, and just sit and be inspired.
Pro tip: If you like strong coffee and don’t feel like you ever get that at Kaldi’s, try only ordering their small lattes and specialty drinks. These often are stronger-tasting in espresso and the sweetness and milk don’t take over the drink.
8. Living Room
[2808 Sutton Blvd. Maplewood, MO]
When I found Living Room, I felt like I had finally found the spot that I had been looking for here in Saint Louis. Living Room is tucked away behind some office and stores spaces right off Sutton Blvd, just down from Manchester in Maplewood. The shop has lovely outdoor seating and tables surrounded by a fun, bright decorative fence & a welcoming entrance along a wall with big windows to look out of if you’re sitting inside.
You could call Living Room cute, but it attracts all kinds of people. Do you like to knit? Right now at Living Room, they have a community basket of knitting supplies where you can knit part of whatever the current creation is while you’re there! I thought this was an awesome idea, involves community, and they donate all of the completed knits.
My first time there, I tried their specialty Salted Honey Latte. I don’t typically go for honey in my lattes, or anything that sounds that light or sweet, but I had a special feeling upon entering, and wanted to try something unique to the shop.
Guys. This latte. Is. Amazing. The baristas here are great and make gorgeous espresso drinks that upon being presented to you, you can tell have a whole lot of love put into them. As the salted honey latte first hit my tongue, the taste had the perfect sweetness from the honey, backed by a strong, powerful espresso. For me, getting a sweetened latte comes with quite a risk because often, you can’t taste the coffee behind all the added sweetener in a cup of coffee you just spent $5 on! This latte was different, it’s that sweet meets espresso balance that you want. And the best part? The subtle salt + honey taste hits the pallet as you gulp and leaves you with a soft, satisfied feeling down to your core. Yum.
If someone were to ask (which they often do), this would have to be my favorite coffee spot.
Saint Louis, you are really “powering” up.
