Kape Coffee: Unique

Asian brews, gelato treats, and cow decor... weird, but yes, please!

The do, in fact, have coffee.

Overall Rating: 9.83/15

Food & Beverage: 1.85/3 (pro: the gelato!, con: maybe we had an off-day?)

Service: 2.4/3 (pro: so nice, con: super duper slow)

Ambiance: 2.5/3 (pro: nice soundtrack, con: doesn’t “fit”)

Bathrooms: 2.2/3 (pro: nice sinks, con: cluttered)

Other: 1.9/3 (pro: free parking, con: strip mall)

EZ's Review:

Drinks. The reason this article is called “drinks” instead of “food and drinks” is that we did not get food (except ice cream). There was no food except ice cream, so there you have it. Drinks. I got a peppermint hot chocolate but I could not taste the peppermint and my mom got a sea salt earl grey matcha (tea) but it was very watery (from my POV). Mine had a picture made from cream that was beautiful but I eventually drank it.

Not for Everyone But. As the title, this place might not be liked by everyone, including kids. The children might like more upbeat music, more food choices, and more fun place. But the big latte lover moms will “star” this place with the slow lo-fi music, cool clock, and box-frame 3D pictures, they would “star” this place.

Bathrooms. Mens room was really spacious. I didn’t like it that much. The drain plug would fall and then the water drained slowly. WHich was strangely satisfying to hear.

Conclusion. To be honest, this whole place is strangely satisfying. This is the end of another strangely satisfying blog review. I just really liked just sitting here writing this.

Mom's Review: We found this place from a 614 magazine article on “cool new coffee shops” and made a decent drive to get here and try it out. Tucked into a Westerville strip mall, the coffee shop moonlights as Coppa Gelato. That limits the ambiance quite a bit. While their instagram page conveys upscale asian-chic urbanity, the reality is dairy-themed art from Amazon and rural-industrial trappings. But, that’s the life of a pop-up. Some might argue that the discombobulation is part of the draw, like the lucky few who get to see a tech rehearsal before the grand opening of a new hit show.

At first glance, there’s lots of signs of a hit. The place was consistently busy with ice cream shop regulars basking in the shop’s new life as a morning star. I’m a sucker for chill low-fi in a coffee shop and found myself swaying to the cloudy day soundtrack. And the long, engulfing leather couch called us to its cozy corner.

We started with a sample of the Earl Grey Gelato, which EZ noted had “fruitloop undertones” (which was adorably quaint, but also true!) I came to regret not getting this as an affogato.

Instead, I ordered the iced Sea Salt Earl Grey Matcha. After an inordinately long 15 minute wait I was disappointed to be disappointed. The matcha was earthy and the umami prevailed, while the creamy texture held up against the melting ice very well. But the other flavors were completely lost and at the end of the day it was “just” a decent matcha, and not the decadence I was hoping for.

EZ’s hot chocolate was similar - hot and foamy with a decent attempt at latte art - but neither the flavor (peppermint) or the creaminess distinguished it from a run of the mill HC.

With my mom hat on, it was clear that this place has a loyal parent following already. The steady stream of Boba carriers and Chicco strollers felt a little bit like baby fashion week. The crowd was family friendly, but seemed to draw the extremes of the active parenting spectrum: lots of babies and lots of studying teens, but not so many toddlers and grade schoolers. Which is a bit surprising because the extensive gelato selection (which doesn’t open until noon, so beware) is ready made to bribing someone off a tantrum so you can finish your conversation. The space goes out of its way to make parenting a bit easier, with high chairs for busy crawlers and bathroom changing tables.

At the end of the day, I’d def. Return and try more of the ambitious and creative menu. WIthout a better foundation to build from, I have faith that Kape shines and could prove itself worthy of being added to my regular rotation. I’d love to see it open a permanent space where it really feels at home.

Postscript: we got a cup of gelato for the road, OMG so good!