The Roasterie Cafe opened up in Brookside about a year ago (at 6223 Brookside Blvd.).The building where the Roasterie is now was once a gas station. It was not your standard Quickie Mart, but an honest to god gas station. The kind of place that could fix a flat, change your oil etc. The kind of place where the guy had his name sewn onto his shirt. From what I heard, the gas station was one of the oldest businesses in Brookside. Back around 2000, I don't remember the exact year, the gas station closed down. Rumor was that the local developers kicked the gas station out and wanted to put in a Starbucks. The guys who worked at the gas station didn't seem too happy about the deal. Before they moved out, they wrote on all the windows phrases like "developers want lattes instead of gasoline" or something like that.
Anyway, the Starbucks deal, if there ever was one, must have fell through. The building sat vacant for a couple of years. In late 2005 the Roasterie Cafe opened up in the building. They totally redid the building. It's impossible to tell it used to be a gas station.
The Roasterie is a pretty swank place. It has a very urban/chick style to it. Lots of black and stainless steel. The coffee and food is very good. The service is very good. The barista's look the part, your hip coffee shop type. They are all friendly and do good job.
The only real downside to the Roasterie Cafe is the clientel. You walk in and there is a sea of laptops and a lot the "beautiful" people. The crowd seems much more Johnson county, than KC. Maybe Brookside proper has more yuppie folks than I realized.
The last time I went there, some tanned blonde guy was talking a little too loud about a business deal he had and no one batted an eyelash. My four year old daughter Zoe explained to me that cookies eventually turn into poop and everyone gives me the eye. I've stopped by enough times to know that this is the normal crowd. The place just seems to attract a very yuppie crowd.
So the Roasterie has great coffee and really nice staff. If you can get past the yuppie crowd, then I say give it a try.
6 comments:
But warning - the food there is terrible - not fresh at all! I agree with your findings on the clientel - case in point, last time I was there I guy rode up on his bike pimped out a la Lance Armstrong and proceeded to sip on a cappucino. It was jarring.
Your sentences read like a Hemingway novel.
uh.. the rotisserie? uh... no compete with customers... uh stewards of the land... uh... why did his sister quit
Since those original comments I believe the customer base at The Roasterie to have changed drastically. There are lots of students and what seem to be more artists (stereotyping a bit). I find it to be eclectic and refreshing from the pretense of other Cafes in KC. The Roasterie also has the most exceptional barista staff.
The food has gotten better as well. I think they are serving freshly prepared sandwiches provided by Cosentino's Market (a great grocery store).
This place is appalling and audacious. I was even told the reason this place was so incredible expensive (compared to anywhere else in KC) was because they were the best (ha). Do your self a favor and go a little further. Linda’s Winged cup serves way better coffee (PT) and it almost ½ the price at Gregory and Oak or try 63rd and oak (63 street coffee) or maybe the best in town (in my opinion) Broadway and Westport (Broadway cafe) I wouldn’t piss on the place (roasterie café) if it was on fire. Unless you’re to pretentious to be seen in other parts of town there are much better opportunities for caffeination and that have a better bean. Plus everyone I have mentioned uses local beans!\
well, the roasterie actually roasts their OWN beans. and is the best in KC. by far. at least is doesn't smell like patchouli hippies.
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