Coffee Emporium

There are a few locations in Cincinnati, two are in the building (s) I work in in the Central Business District (Great American Tower) and there’s also one up North a little in OTR and one in Hyde Park. The one in OTR is a quirky place, it has a nice cozy feel but you can tell they have a lot of space. But I usually end up going to one of the ones in my building for coffee before work. I have not tried any of their espresso or blended drinks, only the drip coffee and the iced pomegranate green tea (really good!) They usually have 3 – 4 blends of their coffee out, I like the sweeter ones like Autumn Harvest and the Winter/​Christmas ones. They also have some pre-​made sandwiches and pastries at GAT, I ALWAYS have to get their homemade granola bars. They use a seasonal fruit (through December they had «sugar plum») mixed with nuts/​seeds, they’re SO good. The staff is always very friendly and accommodating. Coffee Emporium may be a little on the hipster end of the spectrum, but don’t let that deter you. You can tell their coffee is quality and everything else they make right in their own kitchen. You know what you’re getting will be good!

Great service and plenty of options for being in an office building. For those who don’t know… This location is located at the upper floor of the Great American Insurance building. I was unaware of this until the GPS took me here! But there is still plenty of seating and a nice fountain to view! Very business-​y and upscale.

I have the same feelings toward this Coffee Emporium as I do it’s Central Parkway location, I believe they are overhyped.
Although I’ve been in this location more so for coffee rather than the grotesque food options they offer; I wasn’t surprised to acknowledge the soap aftertaste just like the Central Parkway location. This location has a more prominent soap aftertaste interestingly. As well as the prominent burnt flavor. As noted by another reviewer she also thought that their coffee tasted «funny». I’m glad to know I’m not the only one.
I enjoy helping out the local business, however Coffee Emporium makes that difficult. I’d love to support their company as a customer but something needs to be done about the customer service and coffee they have going for them at the moment.

Great coffee, friendly service. Yesterday, they briefly ran out of full city roast in the self serve area. They offered to concoct something, but I just grabbed the darker roast. Today as I started to pay, the barista said it was on the house and apologized for what happened the day before. That’s a very good way to keep a customer coming back. Also, you get a free coffee on your card after a certain number of purchases and it can be a specialty coffee, if you like. By far, my favorite place for coffee.

My favorite place for a mid-​day treat! The baristas are so helpful and always polite whenever I’ve asked about menu items, ingredients, etc. The selection seems pretty varied despite the size; they even have almond milk as a non-​dairy alternative (seems like many places around the city only seem to carry soy).

I haven’t gotten lunch at Coffee Emporium for a long time because their menu is limited but I used to like their caprese sandwich, which they call a pesto panini. From what I recall, the pesto on this sandwich used to be true pesto and little of it. It was actually pretty dry. The panini was often burnt but I love tomato and mozzarella, which were both good and fresh. Whoever is making it now is literally slathering it with a tartar sauce goo that does not belong on a caprese sandwich. It should have some type of balsamic vinaigrette or a layer of true pesto would be okay, but not this. I took a bite and the goo shot out of my sandwich like a torpedo. God knows what it hit on my desk. I’m just glad it didn’t hit my friend over my cube wall. Truly foul. I picked it apart and saw that every spinach leaf, every tomato, every piece of mozzarella, had been just coated in this goo. Since this location does not have a kitchen, there was no point bringing it back. I scraped like crazy and tried to make the best of it. I will not be ordering this sandwich again. If you like caprese, I would not recommend.

I ordered an Iced Latte + Caramel and I could not figure out if the coffee tasted funny, the caramel tasted funny, or both.
Beyond that, this is a neat spot to chill or get some work done! I’m not going to say it’s comfy or cozy, but it’s atmosphere is more get-​work-​done, which is perfect if that’s what you’re looking for!
The restrooms are funny – I mean, how sanitary is that giant spoon pass everyone uses? Nice spot to hangout!

I’ve not been to the main location in Over-​the-​Rhine, but if it’s anything like the little counter they have in the Great American building I’m certain it will live up to the hype.
For the past three weeks or so my student and I have been alternating between coffee here and at Tazza Mia in Carew Tower. After a day or two all the baristi knew us by name and knew both of our drinks before we ordered. At times they even offered my student different drinks to try for free.
The coffee was always fresh and flavorful — maybe not as much as a cup from a pour over or a vacuum pot but far in excess of the swill you get at Starbucks. I never tried any of their muffins or breads but my student had several and said he really enjoyed them. They even warmed, plated and buttered them for him on several occasions which was really nice.
I see no reason at all, if you’re on 4^th street and really want some coffee, to not stop in at Coffee Emporium.