Initially wasn't impressed by their matcha but went back and the vanilla latte was great!read more

Nice coffee spot in Little Italy. Parking is a little difficult since there's no lot and only…read morestreet parking. The interior is cute and comfortable. There's lots of tables and chairs for meetings and to get work done. I didn't check the outlet situation, but plenty of the tables are around the walls, so hopefully there are enough outlets. I also liked that they had a good amount of countertop seating around the coffee bar. They have a few savory pastries and also sweet treats. They roast Heartwood Coffee beans and have a good amount of syrups, as well as seasonal drinks. I got a cardamom and honey cafe au lait and the spinach and feta pastry. You can ask for them to warm it up a bit which was nice. I'm not sure where the pastry was from or if they make their own, but it was fine. The coffee drink was great. Noise level was fine.

Tried for first time this morning. Very good food and coffee. The staff is friendly and super…read morehelpful. I'll be back there soon!

Where do I begin, let's start with the funnel cake fries. I have had funnel cakes fries from…read morenumerous places, and the "fries" are usually made from funnel cake batter and then the powdered sugar put over them. These funnel cake fries were legit French fries with some type of syrup and sugar put over them. They were absolutely atrocious. I am not sure what funnel cake fries or funnel cakes is in Cleveland but that's not it and the fries were cold. Everything bagel with cream cheese and salmon aka bagel with lox. I would say slice the salmon a little bit thinner and don't throw on chunks of salmon. For the price paid, it's not someplace my family would go back to.

There's a grocery store (Provisions) that carries their bread. The bread is uncommonly amazing…read more It's on another level of quality. I had to visit the actual store to try other items because it's hard to find quality bread. But.... I read a lot of negative reviews about this place that seemed to have a common theme... poor service. Considering I already experienced their product, I knew these people were SERIOUS about their CRAFT, and people like them want RESPECT for what they consider an art form. These men at craftsmen, not baristas! So I went in with a clear expectation. If you're looking for a typical "cafe" (Starbucks) experience... don't go. You will leave with your feelings hurt. There won't be smiley faces on your coffee cup and service with a smile while selling you inferior products. Go with the understanding you're there to pay respect to the art. The art is the experience. You'll likely need to leave the country to find better... barely and maybe. I had a ham sandwich that tasted like it needs its own chapter in the Bible. Bottom line... go... don't just order coffee... be excited about their art... and like magic... they'll give that energy back. If they don't... it's ok... just enjoy your food and understand this place is a living passion for them, and the intent is to make you smile with great food.

Went by this morning at 9am and it's closed. It looks like it's gone out of business. Everything…read moreinside is packed up.

Great place to work. I ordered an iced coffee with vanilla and whole milk. I tend to be picky with…read moreiced coffee, but this was some of the best iced coffee I've had! Highly recommend!

I really enjoyed my coffee; it was such a good roast I could drink it black. The paintings on the…read morewalls are quirky, the plants give it a cozy coffee shop vibe that makes it just like the ones in all the cozy coffee shop games come to life.

Rising Star makes a great flat white. They have yummy looking pastries, but I've always eaten by…read morethe time I get around to getting coffee. Someday! The staff is friendly and speedy. I've always found a close parking spot on Taylor. Oh, I also bought their bean so that I could make my own flat white at home. The bean is really good, I don't have a commercial machine, I only have a consumer version, but it's still really, really delicious. I forget which bean they use, but if you ask the person at the counter, they will tell you because that is how I found out. I highly recommend Rising Star. I've been to two locations and they are both stellar. (oops did I really just say star and stellar? That was an accident, but I'm not changing it.)

You guys know me, I am rarely a Grumpy Gus in my reviews. I give more stars than I probably should…read more But I can only give the Cleveland Heights location of Rising Star Roasters 3 stars because I have more negatives than positives from my August 2026 visit on a busy Sunday morning. I will not give it less than 3 stars because the interior decor is lovely, there's ample space to sit inside, and the baristas were efficient. There are also a lot of local small businesses selling their wares in here as well like Jeff's Candy, Cleveland Vegan, Stem Soap Co, etc. So, I love coffee and I am also not picky. I even like gas station coffee more than I should! But the prices here are too high and the beans weren't good enough to justify the cost. I got a cold brew ($5.75). Normally, I add almond milk and sugar free syrup to my cold brews. But I balked at the $1.00 almond milk cost and there are absolutely NO sugar free syrups of any kind offered here! None! So I added a packet of splenda and some of the free oat milk to make it tolerable. Not bad after that but not great. My boyfriend had better luck with his iced Chai ($5.25). He did pay to add almond milk and the spice in the drink was nice and strong. But the most egregious error here was the awful blueberry vegan scone we bought ($4). It was a hockey puck of weirdness. The berries in the scone were the best part of the scone. Too bad there were only like 5 berries total. The batter just wasn't good and it was bright yellow from the Earth Balance butter. It was crazy busy when we visited so obviously, this is the preferred coffee shop for many of the locals here. But I think this won't end up on my list of coffee shops to come back to. Life is too short to drink mediocre coffee!

No sense in repeating myself. You already know I LOVE this place…read more My wife and I went on this beautiful early fall morning. I was in the mood for a great cappuccino and their homemade pop tarts FANTASTIC! Just being there, sitting out front, enjoying the neighborhood, and watching all the wonderful kids walking by is worth any drive to get there. Here's a few more pics.

Customer service was nice and it's a nice homey environment but that matcha was downright…read moredisgusting. I can't speak on the other items on the menu. Had a cheese danish and that was pretty good. I wish they had more chairs with cushion as I have tail bone issues. Overall, would spend time there again - just wouldn't order the matcha.

A charming spot in Little Italy!…read more This place offered a cozy atmosphere. It almost felt like walking into someone's house with the funky decor and unique, not quite matching furniture. I got the falafel sandwich ($8), shak-shooka ($9.50), and a coffee drink called the Cafe Algebra ($4). The food was delicious. The sandwich was filled with flavorful, moist falafel as well as fresh vegetables, tahini, and hummus, all wrapped in a warm, fluffy pita. I also enjoyed the shak-shooka. It was a flavorful dish made with tomatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, and caramelized onions. It also came with warm pita on the side. For the price, I thought the sandwich and shak-shooka had decent-sized portions. But I wasn't the biggest fan of my drink. It came in a small mug and wasn't sweet enough for my taste. And even after I added some sugar to it, I still found it kind of bland. However, I will certainly come back for the food! A few notes - you order at the counter first. You can watch the staff cook your food as you wait for your order. After you finish your meal, you pay as you walk out. If you use your credit card, it does come with a 3% fee.

When and how did I discover Algebra Tea House? I don't exactly remember. I think it was around…read more2011. (It could have been earlier but my 5 star review of this place 16 years ago is an objective starting point). Although I have spent much of the past 23 years living in various places outside of both Cleveland and Ohio, I'm a born and raised East Side Clevelander. And whenever I resettle in the area, I always find myself gravitating back to Algebra Tea House for the good vibes. In the past several months that I have been visiting, I'm happy to see the place really feels like a cultural community hub and an outright neighborhood institution. Over the years, many unique small businesses that have shuttered operations in Coventry (China Treasure House, Big Fun, Record Revolution, La Cave du Vin), Cedar-Fairmount (Nighttown). I'm so happy to see that Algebra Tea House is thriving and continuing to create a unique and inviting environment for the neighborhood. I love the unpretentious and lo-fi atmosphere and operation. I love the DIY craftsmanship that permeates in every aspect of the business. The food and beverage options are also quite good. Although I haven't been around for many years, I think maybe there are more offerings on the menu these days. I especially love the vegetable stews on their chalkboard menu and the foul madamas (fava beans). Service is lo-fi and very casual. Just place your order at the counter. It is written on a scratch pad. Sit down and be patient. The food or beverage will then be delivered to your table. Pay on your way out. Bring cash if you want to avoid a credit card transaction fee.

I found Lionheart Coffee while staying at the Kimpton Hotel. Honestly, I was immediately attracted…read moreto the name because I'm a Leo! Ha! But when I walked through the door, it instantly felt welcoming and like a place I'd be a regular at if I lived in the neighborhood. The customer service was wonderful. Everyone behind the counter was friendly, and I just loved the atmosphere. I ordered a hot chai latte, and since I don't like cinnamon on top, I asked if they could hold it if they normally dust it--they were more than happy to accommodate! I also got a raspberry danish, and both were delicious. I would definitely come back next time I'm in the area!

Great local coffee shop smack in the middle of downtown Cleveland. I came by for an afternoon…read morepick-me-up and really enjoyed my experience. The menu is full of unique drink options, lots of flavors and combinations to choose from. Staff was super friendly and welcoming. And the space itself was great, plenty of comfortable seating to choose from and free WiFi to get some work done. I got a peanut butter and latte jelly, the barista convinced me to give it a try. I'm so glad she did, because it was delicious. It tasted like an actual PB&J sandwich, but still had a coffee-forward overall flavor; very hard to put into words, but definitely a winner. They use real peanut butter as part of the latte, along with two shots of espresso that had me bouncing off the walls later. If you're looking for a neighborhood coffee shop vibe and unique drinks, definitely come here!

Disclaimer: I haven't been here in person, a friend brought me some stuff from here…read more Usually when I eat dan tot (egg tarts), I like the filling more than the crust, which I find to be weak and of more benefit as a mere container. But that's not the case here: the crust here is buttery and crisp enough to stand on its own in addition to a perfectly flavorful filling.

This Asian themed bakery is within Asiatown in Cleveland. There are a few long tables inside where…read moreyou can enjoy baked goods and teas. The set up is similar to your traditional coffee or bakery shop.

I walked by this place twice on my walk around downtown Cleveland and since I was cold, decided to…read morestop in for a coffee. I had never had Yemeni coffee before so I asked the barista for suggestions. Based on the fact that I wanted to also try one of their beautiful milk cakes (like a tres leches), I opted for the Mufawar coffee since he said it was less sweet and a bestseller. It was served on an adorable bamboo tray, piping hot and very strong! It had a unique flavor and paired well with my saffron milk cake. Yes...I said saffron. I was very hesitant to try this after he described saffron to me, so I actually got both saffron and biscoff milk cakes. Wow, this man knew his stuff! The saffron milk cake was absolutely scrumptious!!! And who doesn't love a biscoff cookie?! I had to take that one to go. I hope to return to Cleveland soon so I can try the pistachio latte (a sweeter coffee) and possibly a different flavor of milk cake. The coffee shop was quite large, bright, and tastefully decorated with lots of gold accents. I loved my experience there!

Two words: Pistachio Latte. They make the best in town, sometimes I have it with oat milk,…read moresometimes soy milk...but the delicious creaminess is there. They also carry a variety of cheesecakes which were all very good. Most of all, they open late until 10pm, I tend to visit after 8pm and that is a blessing. Bravo!