Drinking Coffee in Kansas City: 1888 Coffee House
We’ve revived the series that helped launch Explore–
we take our coffee seriously, over here!
Photos by Meredith Schneider
Nestled in the Hyde Park area of the city - in a unit that was, until recently, Mother Earth Coffee - is a new caffeine stop you absolutely have to try called 1888 Coffee House. One of the perks to this coffee spot over others in the metro is that it has its own designated garage parking area in the attached lot, which makes it so much easier to meet up with people and not have to worry about the street parking rules changing or running up a tab on a meter.
When you walk into the front door, the order counter is right in front of you, facing the bank of windows to your left. The menu board rotates through endless food and beverage options, which is optimum since the space is open from 6:30am until 4:30pm every single day.
If you look to your right, you will find shelving that displays quirky items and an array of chips to choose from depending on your food order. To the immediate left of this space is a cooler for cold drinks.
Out front - along Gillham Rd. - is a quaint little patio setup with a few umbrellas. I got to spend some time enjoying my iced banana bread latte - one of their signature flavor offerings - outside, which was the breath of fresh air that I needed that day. Their specialty menu includes other fun lattes like strawberry almond, dubai dream, and cinnamon roll, which my friend enjoyed very much.
Besides run-of-the-mill coffee drinks, 1888 Coffee House offers matcha, fruity fizz beverages for hotter days, smoothies, and teas. They also serve up breakfast and lunch options like breakfast burritos, bagels, grilled cheese, BLTs, and what I got to enjoy - El Waffle. This meal is just $4.75, and comes with a crunchy, sugared belgian waffle, maple syrup, whipped cream, and seasonal fruit (strawberries in my case).
The concrete space looks much the same as it did with the last tenants, though there are moments of comfort that didn’t necessarily exist prior. In the front windows is a big, comfortable sofa that is backlit by the trees outside. Use this to lounge with your friends or little ones on a cute morning out. There are other cozy seating nooks throughout the relatively large coffee shop.
For when the weather gets cold, there is a fireplace area that warms everything up. The fireplace is matte black, so it isn’t necessarily a focal point. This space in the center of 1888 Coffee House is really beautiful, and a spot I look forward to hanging out around down the line.
Toward the back of the shop is an area set up for little ones specifically. I love when coffee shops leave a few toys out for customers’ children. Making the space feel inclusive encourages community in the space, and I witnessed a few children pop in and out of those chairs during my morning there.
There is one wall in the very back of the shop that kind of takes you out of your environment as you witness it. The chalkboard with moody, mismatched art framed all around it borders on “college campus” and “hole in the wall watering hole.” Something about it makes me want to park myself in a stool and work on the next Great American Novel.
