Qahwah House Coffee: Tasty

This downtown option has a lot to boast, even if it's not designed with kids in mind. Stop by on a rainy day for a tea and treat tasting that will blow your socks off, without totally blowing out the budget.

The cake. You guys. The cake.

Overall Rating: 8.2/15

Food & Beverage: 2.3/3 (pro: worldly baked goods, con: no full meals)

Service: 2.4/3 (pro: helpful and flawless execution, con: precision takes time)

Ambiance: 1.5/3 (pro: hand-painted murals, con: hard chairs)

Bathrooms: 2.2/3 (pro: single-stall, con: no tampons)

Other: 2/3 (pro: easy to get to, con: no dedicated parking)

EZ's Review: On the day I met Sherrod Brown I went to a coffee shop that was delicious! I would recommend it ten million times in a row. Their lattes were fantastic, also the non-coffee beverages, too! 

We went on a Friday so I expected more busyness but a surprise, there was not many people there… the bathrooms were perfecto and cake (the best part of all!) was also perfect. 

So… 10 out 10. Five-start review. Perfect! 

Mom's Review: We visited Qahwah on a tight schedule. EZ and I just finished hearing Senator Sherrod Brown give a speech downtown (and we were both a bit disappointed we didn’t get to shake his hand) but we only had a half-hour to kill until we needed to be at Easton for his drum lesson. So we needed a quick pick-me-up that wasn’t far off. This was perfect. 

Since we visited on Saturday, street parking was both free and easy to find. There was some construction happening on the street that we had to navigate through, but that’s a fact of life in Ohio. Inside, we found a very spacious community that was busy and bustling the whole time. We both thought it’d be a great place to bring a large party since the tables could be pushed together easily and there was tons of space. 

The drink menu was ample, with both traditional espresso faire and Yemeni specials (which the team at the counter was great at explaining and making recommendations on). Although the Qishr was sold out, the Yemeni Iced Latte was a solid substitute with strong ginger and cardamom flavors that lingered nicely. 

The pastry case was fresh and bountiful, with lots of choices for everyone to pick from (even the unadventurous can find a cakepop to love). We split the chocolate cake with salted caramel icing wrapped in dark chocolate, which was a wonderful mix of flavors and texture that gave us lots to enjoy. It paired with the spiced coffee so well we started shamelessly dunking it to meld the flavors.  

I will admit, the wait time (about 5 minutes for the coffee) wasn’t ideal for a quick swing, and the sturdy wood chairs wouldn’t be my first choice for keeping a fidgety kid seated, but the atmosphere was very friendly. We dinged a few points because there was no music playing in the background, but if you’re bringing a board game or just want the kid occupied with a tablet while you have a grown-up conversation, this could swing either way.

For us, the food and drink alone will guarantee another trip. Even with a downtown packed with coffee choices, there’s nowhere else you’ll find these killer flavor combos and welcoming spirit.