MoKabe’s Coffeehouse
Why in 2007 an establishment that bothers to have a non-smoking section situates it in such a manner that you have to walk through the smoking section to get to it I will never understand. And that’s exactly what happened before taking this picture after making it safely to the non-smoking side of MoKabe’s Coffeehouse on Friday.
When you belly up to their counter to place your java order you do so through gasps of smoke filled air. The barista will then proceed to foam milk and poor it into a glass followed by the shots of espresso rather than the other way around. They will then ring you up, and as their last trick, follow your payment by hovering a hand under a little hole they have cut out of the counter where they chide you into tipping. Apparently the vibe they’re going for is: “if you don’t tip you’re not cool enough to be here.”
And just what the hell is that picture? Amazingly it’s a cappuccino. Even more amazingly they put the spoon in it themselves when serving it to me as if it were a root beer float. Kinda looks like one, no?
Shockingly, MoKabe’s wins best coffeehouse all the time. I can only hope it’s the liberal vibe people are applauding and not the coffee. Call me crazy, but when a business slaps the words “coffeehouse” on the side of the building, and then proceeds to win “best coffeehouse,” I think it’s fair to assume they’ll have at least a passable cappuccino. MoKabe’s does not.
Unequivicably the worst I have ever been handed; the hipster baristas hovering hand grabbed nothing more than a handful of air after which I quickly decided I wasn’t cool enough for MoKabe’s and left.
Sadly, it was not before my one brave sip verified my assumption and I made one last detour — to the bathroom to pour it out!
7 Responses to “MoKabe’s Coffeehouse”
Do they have hot chocolate tea at this dive?
By Nate on Nov 26, 2007
Did the person reviewing this establishment walk in looking for a fight? Does he or she have a serious confidence issue? I’ve been frequenting Mokabe’s for nearly 10 years and it’s like a second home. Sounds like the reviewer has a major chip on their shoulder about fitting into the clique. I believe the no smoking section was added to be up to code after the restaurant expanded. I can’t begin to describe the number of loyal customers that come for the “liberal vibe”, stay for the great conversation and enjoy a multitude of community events at this establishment. No, it’s not Starbucks, it’s an independent business that is esentially the glue that holds the gay community of St. Louis together. Come back and look a little closer, you might find something positive to say.
By content customer on Nov 27, 2007
Ser.
I know nothing about coffee or espresso, or even the finer points of making a cup of cappuccino(other than that tastes good or bad), however, I do know that if I was handed the above picture, I would instantly realize the person who made it was clueless.
Forget the facts about walking thru the smoking section, forget the facts about barista’s loitering for tips…..who the hell puts anything in my cup other than the drink I ordered or the garnishes that go with it???
By Mac on Nov 28, 2007
Amen, Mac.
I am also not a connoisseur of cappuccinos or how they should be made. However, I do know that a good cup of coffee is not served in a bar glass with a spoon. All other complaints about MoKabe’s aside, this is tragically the worst excuse for a cappuccino I have ever seen. The last time I checked a cappuccino wasn’t supposed to look like an ice cream float. I would be interested to know why MoKabe’s has decided to serve their drinks this way.
By Ellie on Nov 28, 2007
My only experience at MoKabe’s was awful — no integration of flavor on the latte. I tossed my drink in the bin around the corner.
They don’t seem to be hurting, however, so I doubt my lost business matters much.
By Jeff on Nov 30, 2007
I don’t remember the coffee I’ve gotten there being anything to write home about, but for not having heard anything about it beforehand, theirs was the first French dip I’ve eaten in town that I’ve really, really liked since Ken Berry’s closed in the late ’90s.
By Eric on Nov 30, 2007
I am not surprised about the smoke. The parents of one the owners of Mokabees runs one of the nastiest, smoke infested bar/tavern in Ellisville called Carmodys. Apparently she did her training at that stink-hole. She learned well.
By Michael on Jan 2, 2008