Another visit and did not disappoint. Highlight was the strawberry pop tart. Worth getting…read moreeverytime. Coffee was delish. Breakfast burrito was great as usual. Avocado was better than the ground beef. Great staff.

Went here for brunch on a Saturday and it was busy both inside and on the patio. If you eat…read moreoutside, you order at a window. If you are eating inside, you are seated and the you'll have to go to the bar to order your food. It comes out wrapped up on a plate (not what I was expecting). Unfortunately, because it was a Saturday - it was loud and I struggled hearing the conversation with my friend. We ate quickly and left - having better conversation as we walked the streets popping into the cute shops nearby.

This might be the best coffee shop in the area, except that they don't have any food, that I'm…read moreaware of, other than a small selection of baked goods. But why would you want to eat food from a coffee shop? I've been visiting coffee shops on the reg for the past several weeks, and I've repeatedly made the mistake of ordering breakfast sandwiches, burritos and what have you. I have no one to blame for this but myself. I knew going in that it wasn't a good idea. I just couldn't help myself. This must be how people end up on drugs. There was a race going on nearby, when I visited 23 West yesterday. I wasn't involved, though I was there in a running capacity. My running group just happened to be meeting there. We ran a few miles in the neighborhood before our visit. By the time we got there, there was quite a crowd. The contrast between the sweaty, disheveled runners and the sleek, modern decor was striking. This place has an interior like some showroom where you're pressured into taking out a high-interest loan to purchase jewelry of questionable provenance. Are they in cahoots with the bank next door? Both buildings, I notice, have a similar facade. 23 West is painted the same shade of gray as a post-McPlayPlace-era McDonald's, when they started trying to look like a Chipotle. Some girls on apps prefer it if you didn't take them to get coffee. It's not expensive enough. If you can get one to agree to such a date, you might consider bringing them here. It's classy. The coffee is good too. I went with the Raspberry Cheesecake Cold Brew, a seasonal item. It was magnificent. I ordered mine to-go, so I could enjoy it at the tables out front, and in case 12 showed up. They give it to you in a tall plastic cup with no lid, filled to the point where it's nearly impossible to carry without spilling, presumably so you can sample the delicious cheesecake-like froth and probably get a little bit of it in your mustache. You can't really sip it with a straw. The coffee itself is surprisingly robust, given the depth of the raspberry flavor. It's an odd idea for a drink, and not something I'd usually order, but the execution was on point. I also went with a Cherry Almond Scone. I had to eat something, for emotional reasons, and it looked interesting. I'm no expert on scones, but I enjoyed it. It may have been the most dense baked good I've ever eaten, to the point where it could probably be used as a weapon, in a pinch. I know it's supposed to be similar to a biscuit and that in England, where they're consumed on the reg, a biscuit is known as a cookie (why?). It's a lot dryer than even the biscuits at a Lee's Famous Recipe, but intentionally so, I guess because it's designed to be eaten with a beverage. A hot beverage is probably ideal, but I made it work with a cold brew. It's the kind of thing you don't realize until after the fact. Next time I'll know. If and when I do return, I'll be dressed as a magician, possibly with a young lady in tow.

Highly recommend the s'mores latte and raspberry latte. Their drinks are not overly sweet like a…read morelot of other establishments. The cherry almond scone is especially great when served warm. The space is pleasant and the service is expedient. Natalie is friendly and provides great recommendations.

I hate to leave a bad review, but it was the weirdest interaction.. or lack there of, I guess??…read more The website and the hours on the door say it closes at 10pm. I got there around 8:45pm. As I was walking to the door, I see a man cleaning the tables. He walks toward the door as I'm walking up to it. We're literally standing face to face with the door in between us. I smile, he is stone faced. I go to open the door as he walks away. The door is locked. I try a few more times, thinking maybe it's me. I look around at the hours again, but next to it is a "we're open" sign. I try maybe 3-4 times more before I give up. I walk to the window and he's sitting at a table toward the back, looking at me. We just look at each other, then he looks at his computer. I turn toward my car, then turn back around and he's still looking at me! I sat in my car, confused. He never looked back up from his computer, so I left. Highly disappointed.

This was my second time coming to this place…read more The staff is so inviting and friendly and are willing to answer any and every question you have. They made a fresh pot of coffee and even went the extra mile to go get ice as we came in later in the evening and they had run out. I did tell them they didn't need to, but he insisted which I thought was outstanding. This quaint little café is so charming inside. It allows people to gather eat a sweet treat and have general conversation conversations where you can actually hear one another. They do have outside seating too. The chocolate cake was soft and as a non-cake lover I found this very delicious. Definitely worthy of sharing. I ordered a quiche to go. I had mentioned they didn't have the spinach feta pastry that I had before. The gentleman stated we have some in the back, I'm happy to get you one. So I ordered that too. And although this was only our second time coming, the fact that they'll make a fresh pot of coffee in my opinion is key to a great café. I will keep this in my rotation of places to go.

+++++ Food ++ service…read more+++ unique ambiance since it's located above a nursery! I LOVE Telva it's one of the places I recommend to friends and family when they come into town. There are no misses on the restaurant menu, everything is delicious, and if I had the stomach capacity I would want to order everything in one sitting to eat. The Cilbir is one of my favorites because of the yogurt and the eggs once mixed together is so delicious together with the bread they provide. However the Sendvic is another classic in our household, either with the sudzuka or the beef bacon added. Honestly everything on their menu is amazing. One thing to note is you are supposed to order first before sitting down since they assign you your seat/table. It does get very busy on weekends so head there early (sometimes even right when it's open during special weekends!).

We finally tried Telva at The Ridge. This spot is owned by the same folks who own Balkan Treat Box,…read moreso we hoped to have a similar or better experience than BTB (which we liked, but didn't love). Sadly, I'd say this restaurant is actually a star worse than BTB. Let's start with the positives: this place has a cool vibe. It's industrial with a bit of the warmth from the attached Rolling Ridge Nursery below. The downside of the industrial vibe is that the chairs are painful and there could be more seating. The food wasn't bad by any means, but it didn't knock our socks off. My Mom got the Breakfast Sendvic, which is essentially an Egg Sandwich on crispy bread with an herb aioli. She added Beef Bacon. I understand they don't serve pork here, but the Beef Bacon was not her favorite. I got the Breakfast Pide. I thought I ordered sausage on top, but instead received something similar to Pepperoni. Regardless, I enjoyed my meal. The service was definitely the weakest part of our experience. We did not encounter one "friendly" staff member. They all ranged from cordial to rude. That being said, I think we'd give Telva another chance a few months from now.

This place is kind of a hidden gem! My GPS found it tucked away when searching for a place to get…read morea chai tea. It's fun, quirky, and filled with delicious goodies -- a great place to get coffee and tea, with the added bonus of sweet treats! I love the rotation of seasonal drinks, and the baked goods are a small but mighty selection of scones, muffins, cookies, sourdough cinnamon rolls (my favorite!), and other yummy baked deliciousness! Staff are friendly and helpful in offering options -- for example, I needed some dairy free milk choices. The barista also offered great recommendations with the seasonal drinks. Pricing is really reasonable... which allows you to indulge in some additional baked goods or one of their fun merchandise items like homemade dog treats, t-shirts, mugs, etc. I also like that they have a small shelf of books, records, and games if you want a little BFF time - with your bestie or for just yourself! I enjoy stopping in for refreshments and a little break from shopping on Lindbergh, or getting something to go to enjoy at home. The vibe is relaxed, and easy-going, and marching to the beat of its own drum. You gotta love places like this! There is plenty of parking, and the lot is easy to get in and out of. Just watch your step at the doorway entry/exit. It's got a slight incline painted yellow to catch your eye. Seating is limited, but it seems to work, because there is a steady "to go" crowd that doesn't take up the tables. I love this cool spot in South County! It's local, and I love that over bigger, more expensive alternatives. I've been thinking a lot about those cinnamon rolls. So, I need another visit!

One last stop in the STL area before heading home -- coffee, of course! This place was the choice…read moredue to its proximity to a family member's house where we had breakfast together. I arrived early at around 8:15. This is a relatively small establishment with a small parking lot. It looks like they have a trailer available for mobile coffee service too. They were fairly busy and it seemed like only one person was working. This made the wait a bit longer than I expected, but the employee was working very hard and making good time considering she was alone. I enjoyed listening to the alternative music and hanging out in the store. It was clean and comfortable. I ordered one of their March specials, the Peanut Butter Guts, as I love coffee and peanut butter together. I also ordered a cookie from Cookie Hustle (which I think is like a sister business housed under the same roof) -- a pumpkin snickerdoodle. Sounded so good! I enjoyed my coffee drink. It definitely had a detectable and enjoyable peanut butter flavor, as well as the mocha. I think it was a tiny bit heavy on milk for my preference, but overall it was tasty. I ate the cookie later and it was absolutely delicious. Perfect chewy snickerdoodle texture and lots of yummy spices. I wish I'd gotten several different cookies to try more! When I showed up at breakfast with my coffee, my family remarked on how much they like this little shop and keep coffee from here at their house for special occasions. High praise! If you're in the area, give them some love! :)

This place is super cute! They have so much to chose from on their menu but I went with a classic…read moreiced vanilla latte and a chocolate croissant. The latte was perfect it level of sweetness and flavor. The chocolate croissant was huge and equally delicious. They have a wide variety of snacks, jams, dressings, baking mixes, etc that you can buy as well and would make perfect gifts. They have indoor and outdoor seating with a cute patio. Definitely will be back!

I've come here multiple times to study with friends and it's become a go to spot. When you walk in…read morethere's a market in the front with a deli and food you can order, which I love because it's nice having options beyond just coffee. I've ordered drinks and the mushroom sandwich, both really good and reasonably priced. We tried to get the cheeseboard too but it was sold out, which was a little sad but just means I have a reason to come back and try it. The coffee is solid as well, no complaints there. For studying, the space is really great. Good amount of tables, enough room to spread out, and there are charging ports which is a non negotiable for a long study session. The workers are friendly too. Oh and there's an ice cream shop attached to it. It's such a well rounded spot, whether you're coming to grab a quick bite, study for a few hours, or treat yourself to ice cream after. Highly recommend!​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Finally got around to visiting and Kentzo Coffee and it was such an enjoyable experience. They have…read morereally made the space their own and offering lots of seating options. The service was great. You walk up to the counter to order. We ordered the BLT and Basil Pesto Club. They do not skimp on the meat here! My Basil Pesto Club was loaded with turkey, bacon and pesto! The break was great and the chips and pickle were a nice addition to the meal. My partner got the BLT and it also did not disappoint. A very filling and flavorful sandwiches. We were not able to sample their coffee but will be back to try them

Having a weirdly large cinnamon roll on the patio outside Kentzo Koffee, it occurred to me that it…read morewould be lovely to live nearby. I'd eat there on the reg. I'd be grossly overweight. Eventually, I'd run out of money and be forced to live out of doors, perhaps in a tent in the park across the street. It would almost be worth it. Kentzo Koffee is not without its flaws, but it's a good place to have a coffee ("koffee") and a light breakfast. It's not clear to me how long it's been around, but it's possible they have a few issues that just need ironing out. A guy from my running group who lives nearby was running down the litany of businesses that have been in this space. Is this location cursed? Was a Native American killed there? This is no fault of Kentzo, but there was some confusion as to whether the breakfast bowl comes with eggs. I could have sworn that it doesn't and that the menu made this clear, but a few members of my group, who are girls with whom I'm not inclined to outwardly disagree, insisted that it does. It seems like it should anyway, right? What's a breakfast bowl without eggs? You could just as easily have such a bowl for lunch. That's unacceptable. This place had umpteen baristas, including one dressed like she was working for tips in a place frequented by bikers (she looked amazing), but they were barely keeping up with orders. This was fine with me. I didn't have anywhere to be, and my drink--an iced vanilla latte, natch--was good when it finally came out. But this is not the kind of place to stop and grab a quick drink on your way to work. There was only one guy making food, as far as I can tell, and he was on it. He made my Breakfast Bowl w/ Bacon and brought it out before I got my drink. He warned me that the bowl was hot, but he was holding it with his bare hand. He must think that I'm actually *from* Maplewood. I had to have the girl who handed me my drink fetch my cinnamon roll. Were they supposed to hand it to me when I ordered? Were they hoping I'd just forget? The cinnamon roll was cold, like maybe it sat in a refrigerator overnight. It occurred to me that it almost certainly wasn't made that day, but it didn't seem particularly stale or prepackaged. It cost more than I paid for most meals in the pre-Brandon era, and it occurred to me that they could just give you a bit less, not charge as much, and I'd be fine with that. Did I devour the whole thing in a few bites anyway, like I just got out of jail? Yes. Yes, I did.

I love Zensia :) since it opened, it's been a top tier, repeat spot for me. I love that I can bring…read moremy laptop and work, my crochet or hang, or even a book club for some community time! The vibe is great for any occasion and the long hours of operation are helpful for those who have breaks during any time of day. Their drinks are well worth the price and delicious. The staff is always so kind and accommodating. I also love that they wear flag pins! 10/10.

1st visit, attempting to break free from the Starbucks comfort zone! Even though I couldn't stay…read morelong, this was an in and out visit, I enjoyed the atmosphere so much that I will certainly make time to come back to enjoy the space. It's a calming environment; can tell that care was put into the design. With both inside and outside seating options, it has what you need. It's located on a busy street in Clayton, so people watching is available. Being used to ordering at Starbucks, I was uncertain how to approach this, so I told the employee I was trying to adjust and he was so kind and helpful. I went with a Hot Macchiato with Caramel and Mocha, 2% Milk and a small Chicken Empanada. They were a bit backed up, so the wait was a little longer than I expected, but the drink was very good. I didn't even have to specify how many pumps of what to put in there, they just did it and it was perfect. The right temperature, I didn't have to wait to drink it. The empanada was piping hot, so I had to let it cool and unfortunately couldn't try it before my appt. Next time tho.