Kickstand Coffee & Tea
WHAT: Kickstand Coffee & Tea
WHERE: 824 W. Belmont Ave.
OUR RATING: Do It!
(kickstandcoffee.com)
Started in 2010, Lakeview’s Kickstand Coffee & Tea is to nearby Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks as “The Shop around the Corner” is to “Fox Books” in the film You’ve Got Mail. (Yes, that reference DID just happen). Sure, you could settle down into either of these corporate coffee houses, OR, you could change things up a bit and try Kickstand on for size.
(kickstandcoffee.com)
Kickstand can be simply described as a cozy hipster coffee shop. If you aren’t really into the hipster scene and don’t own a mac laptop (they offer free wifi), you might feel slightly out of place here, but just slightly. They’ve recently renovated so the place is a little less hipster, a little more…chic (dare we say)…but it’s nonetheless warm and inviting, with very friendly baristas.
(kickstandcoffee.com)
The space is small and the tables large (and made of some interesting salvaged materials), encouraging strangers to share a table, and perhaps even some conversation. The music tends to be on the louder side, so perhaps not your best bet if you’re planning to study.
(yelp.com)
Kickstand offers Metropolis Coffee, with your typical coffee selection (both hot and cold), including lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, and hot chocolate. They have an alright tea selection (rather minimal for calling themselves a tea shop), with black, green, herbal, rooibos, oolong and white on order. Being simple folk, we’ve only ordered your basic coffee here, but have future plans on trying their mexican cocoa and their pu-aeh (fancy word for ginger) tea.
(yelp.com)
Kickstand also offers baked goods, and of course, lending to its hipster reputation, vegan options and vegan-gluten-free bars.
This is quite a cool spot for people watching also, as you can sit along the natural wood bar beside the window and gaze over the steaming wafts from your latte, pitying the poor souls rushing around beyond the pane.
So, if you are in the area and want to support the local economy and enjoy a relaxed and cozy atmosphere, Kickstand is the place to be. Drink Local! Drink Kickstand!
(yelp.com)