I enjoy frequenting coffee shops in my spare time and have visited many in my travels, none compare…read moreto the atmosphere and service that I experienced at Zen. The baristas there are incredibly kind and took the time to spark conversation with me, making me feel welcomed. One example was how Olivia (one of the baristas there) would ask me how my work was coming along with my dissertation and took interest in it! How cool is that?! She found it fascinating and remembered all that about me and it made me feel seen and felt like I had a home there. Every time I entered those doors, my spirits were lifted with encouragement and motivation accompanied by the scent of amazing coffee. Rarely do I find a place that I would regularly visit, however, this place is one of those hidden gems that is built upon the awesome people who work there. I would highly recommend stopping by here to see for yourself.

I'm back for fall! Love love love the fall drinks, perfect to try with the coffee flights!…read more Note: if you get the Belgian it comes with the mini Belgian waffle!

Good coffee, great cinnamon roll, nice frittata to get us on the road after an easy walk from our…read morehotel. Busy and a pleasant spot to look out at the world for a few minutes.

Nice little spot in downtown Omaha to grab a latte! I usually don't enjoy flavored lattes, but the…read moresyrups were homemade and much better than *insert big name coffee shop here*. Service was great! Definitely will be back!

I met my dear dear dear friend here for a coffee and catch up…read more I opted for a SF latte and some avo toast. WOW it is just always so good and savory I always want more, even though the bread is very thick and hearty and topped with heaping piles of avocado. I opted for a little balsamic glaze and it was divine! Always a great time at Zen, plus I got to see the new expansion. It's a great spot for meeting, working, or catching up with friends.

I recently visited Zen Coffee Company for the first time. Since I've been avoiding caffeine lately,…read moreI was hoping for a good selection of herbal teas. They only offered one herbal option (lavender mint) but unfortunately I could only taste the mint and didn't notice any lavender. They did have other caffeine-free drinks available, but I was looking for something unsweetened and low in sugar. The space was also different than I expected. Based on the name, I imagined a cozy, relaxing atmosphere with comfortable lounge seating. Instead, the décor felt a bit mismatched, almost like the café had expanded over time and the two sides were decorated very differently. That said, one thing they absolutely got right was the amount of seating. There were plenty of tables and space to work, study, or catch up with a friend without feeling crowded. The biggest downside was the cleanliness. The bathroom didn't feel clean, there were stains on the floors, chipped paint and damaged walls, crumbs around the couches and on some of the chairs, and the dish return bins were noticeably dirty inside. I stayed for about 90 minutes, and during that time I didn't see any cleaning happening, even though there were several areas that clearly needed attention. None of these issues alone would have been a dealbreaker, but together they made the café feel neglected and took away from what otherwise could have been a much more enjoyable experience.

Let me lead off with the fact that this is probably the best multi-roaster shop I've ever been to…read more I've loved specialty coffee since before it was cool to love specialty coffee, and I've hit hundreds--if not thousands--of coffee shops all across North America looking for golden pourovers. This place is absolutely IT. They have a rotating selection of specialty roasters such as DAK and B&W, and the experience and expertise to do them justice. The ambiance is warm and amazing, and I feel incredibly welcome here. If you're looking for an amazing place to get a true cup of specialty coffee, and you happen to be in Omaha, you don't need to read anything else--just give them a try. However, if you aren't really sure what I mean when I say "specialty coffee," or why this is such a big deal for me ("It's just a cup of joe!?"), please read on. WARNING: Coffee geek out ahead! "Coffee" is a berry, much like a large, firm cherry, that grows in equatorial climates. The seed of this berry, when the "meat" is removed, is dried, stored, shipped, roasted, and ground; water of the appropriate temperature is introduced for an appropriate amount of time to achieve a partial extraction of the acids and oils that make up the structure of the seed. Every step of that process, from the nutrients in the soil of the growing region to the precise duration of the pour / the partiality of the extraction changes the flavor substantially. Coffee, roasted until it dries and its proteins have just begun to undergo the mailliard reaction, ground evenly to a consistency somewhere between table salt and ground pepper, combined with 94-95°C water at about a 17:1 ratio by weight, and then filtered to remove the partially-extracted ground coffee, will yield a cup with remarkably wild flavors--berries, flowers, and explosion of floral aroma. It can taste like strawberries and cream, or blueberries, or caramel and peach, depending on any or all of the factors above. As a crop highly subject to the variation of its growing season, however, sometimes those flavors can trend to less pleasant, or not mix well in milk, or dominate a beverage that they're mixed into. Further, the coffee harvest season is not a single time of year--you need to follow the coffee calendar around the world to know what's in season at any given time. For large coffee shops, or roasters that specialize in "coffee beverages," or even specialty shops that exist in a market that requires them to maintain a consistent base espresso or blend for their regular, non-specialty customers, or who are subject to a pricing cap that rotating lots will exceed, that level of variation is often undesirable, and the cup results will likely be unappreciated by the body of the clientelé. So it can be desirable to "unify" that wildness to focus on round, caramel notes and big body. The one thing that unifies the flavor of coffee, more than any other single factor, is the roasting process. When you want to use coffee as a beverage base with a "generic coffee flavor," you want to reduce the wildness of the flavors and enhance the body flavor, and so you subject the seeds to a more prolonged roasting process that results in the evulsion of oils, and gives you a body that milk settles into for that "roasty toasty bold rich" flavor. People like me, who are looking for those wild, sweet, floral, mind-altering cups refer to all of these as "over roasted," although we can appreciate roast variation and coffee blending for espresso beverages. With the preamble out of the way, 99.9% of coffee in North America is what specialty coffee enthusiasts refer to as "bad." That includes Dunks, Folgers, Horties, Chock full, and so on, ad nauseam. Worse than that, for us, is what we consider "gross"--Starbucks, Peet's, Philz, and so on, that is roasted so dark that it tastes, at its best, like bitter, undrinkable char. If you like any or all of these coffee brands, that's totally ok--I enjoy the "bad' coffee as a nice, warm beverage with milk and sugar. (I can't drink the "gross" coffee, though). And as I said, it's almost certain that, despite the exhortations of people you know about how "good" their favorite coffee is, that you've never had true specialty coffee. That's something I'd like to help change--even if people try it and find that they prefer sweetened milk drinks, I think everyone owes it to themselves to try a pourover from an epic coffee shop. Astute is such a shop. These guys absolutely rule.

I really wanted to love this spot. Astute Coffee is absolutely beautiful inside -- clean, warm,…read morethoughtfully designed, and somewhere you actually want to linger. The branding and overall vibe feel intentional, and I genuinely appreciate their mission and what they're trying to build in Omaha. That part really stands out. That said, the coffee itself didn't quite hit for me. I ordered a seasonal latte and was excited for something distinctive, but the flavor felt pretty muted. It tasted more like a standard latte than something seasonal or layered. Not bad by any means -- just not memorable. I'd still come back to try something else because the space and concept are strong. I just hope the drinks lean a little more bold next time.

The Mill is beautifully decorated! They have a full bar along with a coffee bar. I had a pumpkin…read morespice latte which was delicious and hot! The staff was super friendly and made the drink right there for me! There is coffee merchandise to purchase as well. Come check it out! Xo, -BB

The Mill on Leavenworth is a one of a kind place. Not only…read moreis the customer service always friendly and welcoming, but they serve scrumptious food and drinks that ease your thirst. I got the everything bagel it was warmed up and served with a side of cream cheese. The cappuccino was warm and perfectly tasted like coffee with the right amount of milk. I added vanilla syrup to it. The energy stinger flavor is raspberry lemonade. It tasted tangy like a lemon. It's very high quality lemonade. The flavors complement each other for this drink. I love the indoor seating it is very open and laid back. They also have outdoor seating with tables and chairs. 10/10!

I love this adorable coffee shop. The aesthetics are so my vibe, but the coffee is to die for. I…read moreloved the previous owner, but absolutely love the new owner. She's very sweet. Get here! It's in an odd spot, but there's off the street parking!

LOVED the building and owner:)…read more This place has an unmatched rustic vibe. It has charm and character, and a story to it. What was so sad was the rave reviews, and stellar experiences listed had my expectations through the roof! The matcha tasted like close to nothing, more like a sweet milk. I don't recommend grabbing this drink if you stop by! The coffee was robust, and quite interesting. It's a fun stop for the vibes and chatting, not for me taste wise! Thanks for the amazing experience though:)

Stopped in this morning to restock on some coffee beans. We pretty exclusively use archetype beans…read morefor our espresso machine at home. I love that they roast them themselves so they are always fresh when you buy them. It truly makes a world of a difference in taste. We also grabbed a drip coffee and a cortado to enjoy on their patio- great as always. We love the peaceful patio surrounded by the plants. This is truly one of the best coffee shops in town if you care about quality.

Loved this café! The ambiance was really nice--kind of industrial-esque but still modern and cozy…read more The service was great too, everyone was friendly and helpful. The coffee was delicious. I can't remember exactly which latte I got, but it was one of their seasonal drinks and I really enjoyed it. I also love the beans they use; you can really taste the quality of the coffee. Their menu has a great selection of breakfast items and pastries too, and from what we tried, they do them really well. We got the cinnamon roll and chocolate chip cookie and both were delicious. Definitely want to come back and try some of their breakfast items next time!

Visiting from California to try this new location for Stories Coffee on 156th and Maple…read more Parking available right in front. Nice outdoor seating when the weather is nice. Indoor space is spacious with a comfy lounging area for coffee chats as well as a number of tables for dining. Nice variety of hot and chilled drinks, breakfast items and handheld sandwiches. A refrigerated section with chilled cold bottled drinks as well as cinnamon buns, etc. Bakery items include freshly baked croissants, chocolate chip croissants, and large cookies to be served at room temperature or can be warmed up. We ordered some breakfast burritos, warmed cinnamon bun, croissant and a few shaken espresso drinks. The food was delivered to us and the food was hot and delicious. The drinks were refreshing. The staff was super nice and helpful. So very nice to have Stories Coffee in the neighborhood. Welcome!! We will sure to return soon. People. Love. Coffee. Snap, snap, snap! Ok, bye.

I'm so excited about this new Stories Coffee location. It's super close to my home base and already…read morebecoming a fast favorite! The space is beautiful and thoughtfully designed, with tons of seating whether you're going solo or meeting up with friends. I especially love how much natural light fills the room. It gives it such a warm, welcoming vibe. And bonus: there's a drive-thru! I ordered an iced matcha latte and a blueberry muffin. The matcha was delicious, and the muffin? Moist, flavorful, and honestly one of the best coffee shop muffins I've had in a long time. You can tell they care about quality here. They also serve coffee-inspired cocktails, which I didn't try this time but I'll definitely be coming back during happy hour to check those out. Can't wait to make this place part of my regular rotation!