Drinking Coffee in Kansas City: Garden House Cafe
We’ve revived the series that helped launch Explore–
we take our coffee seriously, over here!
Photos by Meredith Schneider
If you pop off the highway just a couple of exits into Kansas, you will find a fun little surprise of a cafe-meets-quaint-and-beautiful-plant-shop-and-creator-space tucked away on a cute little, unexpected drag of street between main thoroughfares. The outside of Garden House Cafe is unassuming, a corner spot on a quiet, residential stretch painted in a dark, moody hue to capture a flick of your attention from the street.
And that flick of a moment is all you need to be drawn into its beauty. Garden House Cafe, without its wares and clean, Swedish decor, would be a blank slate. It feels like a rotating canvas as soon as you walk in the front door, offering light wood details and white walls as the base to it all.
The menu at Garden House includes an expansive espresso bar. Americanos, cappuccinos, chai lattes, espresso shots, matcha lattes, and more are offered for those dining in insider double-paned glasses and beautifully crafted ceramic. Their cold brew is a sunshine weather staple, especially with a little sweetener or splash of seasonal syrup.
Garden House stocks a limited number of pastries from Fox and Bull, and you can often find fresh sourdough bagels from Bread Friends behind the case as well. The best way to track down what flavors they’re selling are following them on Instagram– just beware the cravings, their creations are delicious!
If you do choose to dine in, you will be forced to choose from one of very few — though aesthetically pleasing and intrinsically calming — spaces to perch. This keeps the atmosphere creative and intimate, allowing the shop's wares to expand and contract across surfaces as necessary. In that light, the space feels like a living, breathing entity.
If you’re not grabbing one of their beautifully made, branded ball caps, shop from their loose-leaf tea offerings. The shop hosts artist residencies throughout the year to come, enjoy, and purchase items from. They carry small home decor options like plant stakes, carafes, and incense holders, alongside tools of the trade like bonsai scissors, bookmarks, and knives.
Treat yourself or a friend to a gorgeous, embossed notebook, hand-cut keyrings, sling bags, bandanas, and so many other helpful tools and items. Right now, you can find natural deodorants, eau de cologne, and beautiful double-walled mugs in amber and smoke colors.
Though closed Mondays and Tuesdays, Garden House Cafe’s doors are open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4 pm and every weekend from 8:30 am to 4 pm.
