Giving Black Coffee a New Meaning | COMA Coffee Roasters
This coffee shop on the outskirts of St Louis MO is giving black coffee a new meaning
We're Back!
After a long dead silence we are finally back! We took a break from traveling this fall but now snow is moving up north and we had to take our chance to go see it and drink coffee in our new favorite way: while watching FLURRIES!
Coma Coffee | The Find
Last week we tagged along on the guys’ work trip which of course means we were enjoying the city scene and staking out the best places to get coffee. Because of the riots in 2020 and overall decline in the city’s success, we were a little surprised to find the city itself an altogether dangerous place to explore. However, luckily the place we had been dying to visit was in a residential area a few miles out of the city so it worked out to be the perfect coincidence.
It was around 40 degrees with the temperature dropping and calling for snow but we made our way out to Coma and made it in just in time for flurries.
The Atmosphere
We were overall very impressed with the atmosphere at Coma. It is located in the bottom of a tall business building, nestled in the first corner unit — but if you didn’t know any better you would think it was a stand-alone community coffee shop. There was plenty of natural lighting from big windows that made it feel bright and airy, not businessy (so to speak😂) at all and there was plenty of seating both on stools and tables by the espresso bar and in their loft. We found the community there very inviting which stood out to us.
It definitely reminded us of the coffee shops we have back at home, with people constantly coming and going catching up on each other’s lives and having casual meetings. In the metro Atlanta area, we have seen coffee shops serve more as meeting places for office workers and hangouts to put your headphones in and get stuff done. While there was still a good share of headphone workers, they really maintain a good community feel we really appreciated, especially after a bit of a shocking first impression of the iconic city a few miles away!
BLACK Coffee... Latte
If I could review their lattes in one word it would be decadent. They were just on the cusp of being overpoweringly sweet, something we enjoyed on an exploration day but not something I could handle all the time. Mom got a cookie butter latte which was not as much on the sweet side but mine definitely killed when it came to sugar. Both of them had perfect foam which I have to note before I move on though, very pillowy with just the right consistency which I only know one other coffee shop to have mastered in that capacity! So with everything above being said, don’t let the fact that they are sweet fool you. These were some of the best lattes I have had out of the state.
Their notorious campfire latte is what we went for - a latte colored with charcoal to give it a rich, black color. While mine wasn’t as black as the ones we saw online (they did them super black for Halloween which is probably why), the black color was definitely visible on the top which was so interesting! They topped it with the most pillowy foam and graham crackers so it was really the ultimate experience. If you know me, you know smores and peppermint are my two favorite scents/flavors so needless to say I was in heaven. The only thing that made it hard to drink was the sweetness but for people who are used to sugar, it is probably not as big of a deal! The execution otherwise was perfect so I really can’t recommend it enough.
The People
I would be doing everyone a disservice without mentioning the people. The baristas working were so incredibly kind to me. This is probably the first time I have really put a test to that kindness because originally our drinks were swapped so I asked them if they could make me another s’mores latte since mom was drinking mine. They were happy to do it even though it felt like such a bratty request which I deeply appreciated.
To make matters worse for them, mom had a cold so I went to get her some water and had no idea the glass I had grabbed was stuck to another one. It basically projectiled toward the clean dishes by their sink and shattered, sending shards onto the bar and a girl’s laptop. I was beyond embarrassed but they were so understanding and helpful even though I was a bit hard to deal with. We stayed there for hours reading and working — the same baristas were working the whole time and they were so kind to everyone in their long shift. The community and barista/baristos here deserve a 5-star review, expect to be treated like royalty!
The Food
And finally the food. I had a banana muffin that was mouth-watering. Mom had a bowl of french onion soup that was divine. Everything was served up warm and quick and altogether so delicious. We had lunch and breakfast there and both were simply perfect. Their breakfast biscuit was chef’s kiss and the avocado toast on sourdough was sweet and spicy and fresh and everything it should be. No crumbs were left!
Overview (IMPORTANT FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK!!)
Overall, we loved Coma. It is refreshing in every sense of the word, neatly run, and just a fun place to be. We were surprised and so thankful for the quality of the food and the diligence of the hosts taking care of us. NOTE not to explore St Louis alone but the nearby area of — is full of good people and good coffee that everyone should experience.
©️Goodstrong Words October 2023
