Roasting style: Light to medium roast
Opened: 1994
Drinks Menu: The espresso menu offers nice variety, from traditional espresso macchiato to Starbucks-style blended coffee drinks.
Food Menu: Full kitchen that prepares pastries,
breakfast, lunch, and dinner (at least at STL locations).
Espresso Machine: Manual machines on which the milk and
espresso are almost always impeccably prepared
Brew Options: The works. From traditional espresso to toddy cold
brew to hand-brewed tea. If you're in a hurry, you can get the standard batch-brew drip coffee, and if you have more time, you can order a pourover prepared with a Kalita or Chemex.
Locations: 14 locations in St. Louis, Kansas City and
Atlanta. This includes Kayak's in St. Louis and Latte Land in Kansas City.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Specialty drinks: They usually offer creative seasonal drinks,
using syrups made in house, such as a Turkish latte made with a cinnamon and
cardamom syrup.
Review:
One of the originals, Kaldi's has established
itself as a regional presence and is continually expanding its territory.
Whether you like the coffee or not, it's impossible not to give Kaldi's props.
The company is known (at least within the coffee industry) for its training
standards, requiring baristas to complete a certain number of training hours
and pass certain tests before they can prepare espresso drinks for customers.
From a customer's perspective, this rigorous standard is evident in the
consistency and quality of the drinks. While I have had a couple drinks from
Kaldi's that didn't taste right or didn't have the right light, fluffy texture,
most of the drinks I've had were not only prepared well, but prepared almost
exactly the same way. That's across many locations that I've visited in St.
Louis and Kansas City. As a customer, I really appreciate this consistency.
I think the coffee itself is also good quality, and I enjoy it for a light
roast. But, I can’t drink very much of it. Every once in a while, I enjoy a
Kaldi’s espresso macchiato, but if I go there too often, it gives me a
stomachache. This can happen with light roasted coffee because it's higher in
acidity, which if you’re sensitive to that (as I am), then it can cause problems.
The food is also pretty good, although I’ve been disappointed with the salads.
Several visits in a row, the lettuce was wilted and limp – not quite bad yet,
but getting there. If I’m going to spend $8 on a salad, I never want to walk
away thinking I could make something better at home. That said, I think the
walnut-avocado salad is excellent when made with fresh ingredients. My
all-time favorite thing to order, though, is the pita bread, which is served
warm and dusted with big flakes of sea salt. It’s buttery and soft and salty,
which is exactly what I want to munch on during my lunch break. I usually get a
second look and asked "just the pita?” when I get an order of it on its
own, but it’s worth it.
- 5:29 PM
- 0 Comments
