Aromas

Love this place, it’s a great local coffee shop with great service and delicious drinks, any thing from smoothies to your fancy coffee blends!

Great find in Charles City. Really enjoyed my Chai latte and my husband asked for a special concoction, which was made to perfection. (Colada with Ethiopian.) The barista/​owner has skills.

Found this place on here while in town for work. I will now come here every time I am in town! Coffee is excellent! Flavor syrups are of good quality, not the cheap stuff. Espresso roast is strong and the people behind the counter are always nice and know what they’re doing. Highly impressed coffee snob here!

I always make it a point to stop in for coffee when I’m visiting! They have non-​coffee drinks for kids as well… think hot chocolate, frappé w/​o espresso, tea, smoothies.
I love the small town coffee shop and not just because I grew up here. The interior has lots of photography/​artwork for sale which adds to the artsy feel. Make note they only accept cash, however have an ATM inside.
My family prefers this local shop! Great prices and even better coffee. Can’t wait to come back!!!

I just had a lovely final bridal consult at Aroma’s. This was my first time to the shop, at the suggestion of a local friend. I had a Traditional Chai Tea –simple and delicious. I also got a cinnamon scone which was moist and flavorful. Yum! I love the décor– from celebrating coffee to the mismatched vintage furniture. I felt welcome & comfy! Reasonably priced as well. Will return again!

You will never find a better cup of joe… this is a must stop every time in Charles City when it is open.

Wonderful atmosphere! The coffee was really good, and the barista was friendly and funny. I don’t live in Charles City, but if I did, I would be here all the time.

Wonderful atmosphere and great prices. Oh, and yeah, there’s some pretty tasty joe there too. This is the way a coffee shop should be.

I stop here everyday. When I travel I have Aromas withdrawal. At home I brew Dogs Drool, an Aromas roast. Great local business. Sometimes people will talk to me in line before I have had my serving. This is bad. Please do not talk to me before I have had my coffee. Sometimes people will smile at me. It’s good that I fear prison. Great coffee and too many smiling people.

Scones were awesome. Espresso drinks were basically warm milk. Get extra espresso shots.

A fabulous place to get a cup of coffee in the morning, and a frappé in the afternoon. The owners are hands on in every step of the process, from ordering their own specialty beans, to roasting right there in their Main Street shop, to serving you a delicious cup of coffee.
The atmosphere is small town friendly Iowa meets big city flavor. This community is perfect for so many things. There is a park right next door to the coffee shop so on nice days you can be outside.
The owners recently upgraded with an online website so once you’ve been to Aromas in person, you can continue to purchase this exquisite Iowa roasted coffee online. Strike up a conversation with either of the owners while they prepare your drink and you will see true Iowa friendliness. Don’t know what you want, ask them, they’ll make sure what you drink is what you want.
Be a visitor, and the next time you’re in Charles City you’ll come back to Aromas.

Quick story: There I was, enjoying an expertly dark roasted cup of hot Sumatra on the obnoxiously clean brick patio at Aroma’s. With closed eyes, I basked in every warm note of my extremely fairly priced coffee as it hit my with the force of a boxing hamster. The voluptuous exhale reminded me why coffee is my lady and no human woman can ever warm my frozen heart as effectively as a fresh cup of Joe. As I raised the cup to take another hit, a stupid sparrow hollered what I’m sure was an obscenity from the branch of dogwood bush. The little instigator laughed loudly with his friends at my hairstyle and fashion. It wasn’t long before a prissy bluebird and a rabbit emerged from the annoyingly bright colored flower garden to heckle and point at me.
«You’re a stupid, ugly loser and your mom doesn’t love you!» Is what I know they were saying.
I sprang from the park bench like Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat and ran at the sparrow with designs on spilling his blood. Instead, I fell flat and spilled the best black coffee I’ve ever tasted for a crafty squirrel tied my shoelaces to the bench.
The master roaster, Brian, gives attention to the nuances of every bean. The single origin Sumatra and Ethiopian roasts are miles better than any other roaster. Smokey Joe is my favorite blend here.
Nice prices and a great product join forces to make Aroma’s the Optimus Prime of coffee houses.
The only complaint I have is that the sparrows, bluebirds, hummers, and cute flowers on the violently quaint patio detract from the coffee. Also my lip is bleeding. I’m going to quit Unilocaling about it and grab a napkin… also a refill.

I have been to many coffee houses in the Seattle area. So, I know a little bit about what makes a good, fun, relaxing place, at least to my taste. The owner has been roasting coffee and serving coffee drinks for awhile and is pretty good at it. I, too, don’t like the burnt Starbucks coffee. However, I am sure he roasts whatever your heart desires. Nothing better than fresh roasted coffee.
As for the atmosphere, I have only been in to this establishment a few times while visiting. However, it has always been pleasant. I guess anyone can have a bad day, but not while I was there.
Drinks came out properly made, tasty, and timely. If you are in this town, I recommend you stop by and relax with your favorite coffee.

Best coffee/​mochas we’ve had since we left Portland, and that is saying a lot since we’ve been using Unilocal and getting good coffee along the way. A gem in the middle of Iowa. Nice guy, fresh roasted beans, comfortable place to hang out.

Coffee cred? Are you serious? Have you even had good coffee? Growing up in Seattle does not automatically mean he’s got coffee credentials. This coffee? Meh. Pretty forgettable, even «for Iowa» where you can find much better coffee in Iowa City, Ames, Des Moines and even Decorah! Granted my coffee was possibly tainted by the arrogant, unfriendly, know-​it-​all attitude of the owner. And this wasn’t just one experience — it happened twice! The second time he was an a$$ to my whole family. Friendly, charismatic? I must have been served by Mr. Hyde.
I don’t want to wish ill will to a small business that is possibly barely surviving in a dying small town (and sad little main street) but take a look in the mirror buddy, work on your customer service skills and your coffee. (I work in the customer service business so I think I would know) A friendly greeting and a smile go a long way. It’s a small town, you rub the wrong person the wrong way and word will spread fast in this Mayberry-​wanna-​be town. I’ve had better coffee and friendlier service in true Seattle coffee shops of Stumptown, Vivace, Lighthouse… and even Starbucks!!!
I’d rather go to Hy-​Vee for breakfast with drip coffee flavored by those tiny creamers served by people who are truly friendly and aren’t trying to be something they’re not. And I probably will!

We stopped here on our way back East from SF. I was in the car with the sleeping baby but my wife went in and got an iced chai and for me a pound of recently roasted Ethiopian Yirgacheffe. It’s superb –rich and not roasted too much. Nice place from my view through the front window. The owner gave us good advice about where to have lunch at our next stop in Cedar Falls.

Love this place. Love it. Owned by a friendly, charismatic young couple, located in a gracious old high-​ceilinged space on North Main Street in Charles City, «America’s Home Town,» Aromas is a delight. Free Wi-​Fi, lots of space to sit and chat, a welcome, friendly atmosphere, and local art for sale on the walls would all recommend it even if the coffee weren’t good.
But the coffee? It’s GREAT. Not «for Iowa» great — just plain «GREAT.»
Mr. of the Mr./Mrs. couple who own and run the place was actally raised in Seattle, so I suppose he must’ve gotten his «coffee cred» there. That being said, he avoids the dreaded Starbucks Burn that I fear a lot of people associate with Seattle coffee culture. He roasts his own in a little booth in the main service area, and it’s FANTASTIC. He buys excellent beans, then respects them during the roast. The resulting coffee is soft and smooth, with not a trace of extra acid or burn. It’s mellow enough for me to have horked down shot after shot over ice with no sensation but smooth perfection.
They’ve also got scones, teas, chai things (I’m not a Chai Person) and Italian sodas, which they’ll whip up «cremosa» or plain. My orange cremosa Italian soda the other morning was tart/​sweet and very light — not syrupy and awful, like most that I’ve had.
This place is seriously good. My mother and aunts come and get scones and coffees, spread out over a big table in front where the sunlight floods in off Main Street — they even bring in cheese from the Hy-​Vee! — and the owners could not be nicer.
I hope they thrive and prosper for a very long time. Go there!