Taza

Was a wonderful coffee shop. They closed today. A small part of my coffee-​loving heart died.

Dropped in at 11:30 AM looking for a doppio and found a warm, quiet place sparsely peopled by folks working on laptops. Secured wifi, but I wasn’t staying long so I didn’t ask for the password. Good spot for a bit of coffee and a bite near UC. I’ll drop by again for a more substantial visit and try some of the food, but the espresso was pretty good this time.

Came here as part of the Oatmeal Tour of Cincinnati. We’d heard about their oatmeal with cookies on top and made it a primary stop.
The oatmeal came in a disappointing third place. While portion size was _​huge_​, and the concept was great (oatmeal with custom toppings and two huge cookies = rockstar idea), the execution was poor.
The oatmeal came out as a bowl of steamed milk, with some right out of the container oats poured into it. Forget the gooey, thick, gelatinous kind oatmeal that’s cooked for hours, this has at most 5 minutes sitting in steamed milk. Which was lukewarm by the time it got to our table. The cookies were awesome, and there were tons of pecans, but it was underwhelming and overly sweet.
Summary: a gigantor bowl of warm oatmeal-​sugar-​flake cereal with cookies on top couldn’t unseat the other properly cooked oatmeals out there.

Some of the baristas need a little more training but overall the coffee is wonderful! Love how they use local roasted coffee. Now you all should use local milk

Taza is awesome! I love their coffee and the ambiance.
Taza really knows how to make a good cappuccino or latte, with plenty of foam. They also have a guy who makes fab latte art, but doesn’t make a big deal out of it. I also like that they have a simple menu but really know their stuff, and they never ask you if you meant to order a flavored latte, like some other coffee places in the area do. They also know what simple syrup is. Starbucks and Coffee Emporium have different names for Simple Syrup (which is literally sugar water that blends better than granulated sugar) and charge you extra, its ridiculous. Taza doesn’t its one of the sugar options on the coffee condiments table.
So, basically they are laid back, they are great at making drinks, free wifi that always works and is never slow, and two floors of comfy seating plus an outdoor courtyard. The top floor boasts comfy couches and chairs, and the first floor is more table and chairs and high chairs gathered around long high tables for group studying. Its near campus so you get a lot of students but also young professionals and teachers enter the mix.
Sometimes, they show local art on both floors. Their bathroom is pretty clean too and is on the second floor. The mood is kind of dark and comfortable and quiet forcing you to do work without being bothered. Although there is one guy that tends to hang out early evening, who will sit by unsuspecting ppl working and try to start up meaningless conversation, the best thing to do is to not make eye-​contact, or you may just have a new buddy.

still impressed with this place.
+1 for a quiet, calm atmosphere.
+1 for air conditioning that works.
–1 for iced coffee that wasn’t made fresh.
+1 for free refills on iced coffee for $ 0.70.
+1 for friendly barista.
–1 for playing reggae music.
–1 for closing at 7:30pm on fridays (summer hours).
+1 for free wi-​fi (with password).
+1 for balcony area.
see my previous review for more details.
recommended. i’ll likely return, but i won’t be having an iced coffee.

I had a pleasant experience here.
The baristas were friendly, the atmosphere was calm but not library-esque…and the coffee was pretty great. I would definitely stop by again if I came through.
I recommend a pour over if you have the time to sit, and the wookie cookies are an excellent deal.

TAZA is just a feel good, guilt-​free, fair trade, laid back coffee shop. They’re priced fairly, the staff are all polite and sociable, and everything on the menu is great no matter your coffee preference. Even if you don’t like coffee (which is weird), I bet you’ll like TAZA.
If it’s your first time, get a monster oatmeal. It’s oatmeal with cookies in it. That oatmeal alone is worthy of a 5-​star rating. With a large cup of Mayan Mocha plus a shot of caramel, there aren’t enough stars in the universe to rate that experience.
Although it’s right across the street from the University of Cincinnati, It’s remarkably uncrowded during the day so most of the time I just chill and do homework there with other students. Yep, most of the clientele is college students.
The last Wednesday of every month they hold an open mic called, «Bare Your Soul». I’ve performed a few times, and it is by far the most accepting audience that I have ever been in front of.
I know that it may be hard to trust the integrity of this review because I am totally in love with the place, but I think TAZA was voted best coffee shop in Cincinnati 2010 by some authority that should know about those things, so there is my unbiased opinion as well.
Go there now and you’ll likely see me.

I’ve heard a lot about Taza from a lot of friends and co-​workers, a lot of Vegan co-​workers. That’s why I never actually visited Taza. Not anything against vegans I just don’t prefer vegan style food and drink. But, I do like coffee and as one of my classes was moved over closer to Taza I decided to slide in and at least check out this non-​profit coffee abode.
It’s place on the corner of Jefferson and University which you might think is a great spot right next to campus but it may not be as good as it would first appear. It IS in a large building but what kills the placement is re fact that there really isn’t anything else around it. Yes, there are stores and restaurants close by on short Vine but they really aren’t close enough to pull in business from passerby’s. Also, parking is atrocious. Because it has that location if being right next to campus there are hardly eve any spots anywhere because the students snatch them up the moment one becomes available. You’ll usually end up parking up on Vine or every once in a while find a meter close by.
I however, don’t like to judge a place on it’s placement and parking most of the time. If you do manage to find a spot you’ll be glad because your ready for a good cup of Joe.
Now, I’m kind of a newbie here and not really sure what to get yet but I am sure I will learn soon. I hear and read so many things about what they do well it is hard to remember everything when you get up to the counter. I decided to just ask the barista what they do ‘especially well’ and he told me that their Chai Tea and Lattes are outstanding. Being it was pretty chilly out… ah who am I kidding, it was 10 degrees outside, more than chilly. I decided to go with a latte. They have a large selection of flavors and I wanted to go with something I’ve had other places to compare it to. I picked a Peppermint Latte. Peppermint Lattes sometimes get to be too strong, however, thankfully this one was perfect. It had just the right amour of sweetness and flavor while drinking and a beautiful amount of latte kick peppered in after the sip. Very well done guys, you get an A+ on your Latte.
I haven’t gotten too far into the food here yet but it looks pretty basic along the lines of muffins and pastries. They are, however, fresh daily.
Taza’s little setup is very homey and comforting. It contrasts a coffee place like say Starbucks who has a very modern and new feeling to it. Taza has that small coffee shop feel a lot of people like. It kind of looks like Central Perk from Friends and may even have the same couch in a different color. It’s two floors which you may not be aware of walking in. The first is large and wide open with a stage area that doubles as extra seating when a band isn’t playing on a weekend night. The second floor takes the shape of a loft which overlooks the first floor. This has a few more couches and is mostly known as ‘the chill’ area as the emitted informed me. The walls are brick and the floors wood which is always a great plus.
It never seems to be crowded when I come in but that may be to the large amount of seating available. It is an excellent place to get some work done as it is always quiet and calming indie music never too loud.
My only gripe with the place is the counter area is a little small. It is placed directly at the front door and can get a little crammed and confusing when there are multiple people ordering or waiting for coffee. This is hardly a deal breaker and more of a small hiccup than anything.
I really enjoy checking out local favorites more than anything. I like hearing from someone about how great a place is and actually going in to see if it doesn’t live up to expectations or in this case, greatly exceeds them. Mark it down, Taza will fulfill your coffee shop needs.

Rohs Street Café and Taza are my two favorite coffee shops around the University of Cincinnati’s campus. They both are located in very unique spaces and offer great drinks. Taza is located at a corner building across the street from Turner Hall on UC’s campus. The entrance faces W University Avenue, not Jefferson Avenue as you would think. The space is very well laid out. There are two (maybe three) levels to the coffee shop. The first level has a stage at end of the building and the bar is near the entrance on the other side.
The second floor has a balcony overlooking the stage. Free wifi is availabe, and there are plenty of plugs for laptops. It is a great place to meet up with groups and provides a lot of space to find a quiet area. I still have not seen an artist play there, but I am looking forward to it when I do.

In my heart, it’s a four star, but, I had to give them a boost for the location, WiFi, boardgames, amount of seating, and most importantly to me, their selection of vegetarian/​vegan food and treats. Oh, and not just good coffee, but a good tea selection as well, and they appear to prepare it correctly.
Its somewhat of a stereotypical Hipster (grunge-​yuppy) type place. I’d rather go here than Starbucks, but it’s perhaps a bit like the younger brother of Sitwells.
I imagine for normal people, parking would be quite the hassle. Luckily for me, it’s directly across the street from my parking garage.
While it may seem small, there is an upstairs, and in the warmer months, the outdoor patio. I haven’t tried all the seating, though I can’t say what I have tried has been particularly comfortable for long stays.
One thing it has over Sitwells is that there isn’t exactly the same kind of table side service at Taza. Because the service at Sitwells can be frustratingly inattentive at times, Taza’s advantage is that you can walk up to the counter whenever you need something.

This coffee shops is one of the best around the University of Cincinnati. and is within walking distance form the College of Business and it’s surrounding buildings. Taza has two floors and tons of spacious couches and tables for lounging. It is very cozy. You often find patrons playing board games like monopoly, life, scrabble, or just studying and discussing almost anything.
The baristas are definitely well trained. You often find hearts and clovers in your latte when you look down to drink it. And they have a huge assortment of organic pastries. The blondies are my favorite, they go really quick though. Make sure you try one out if you can snag one.
The atmosphere of Taza is inviting, and warm. A great place to get away and decompress if you are in the Clifton area.

Best Feature: Coffee is great, love the fact you get two floors to choose from! Also, the wookie latte is AMAZING.
Worst Feature: Changing hours, hard to find parking
So this place will always stay close to my heart for one big reason: the wookie latte! I’m not sure if this is an all-​year coffee option, but if you get the chance (and love chocolate and peanut butter), this is a must.
It took me a while to visit this place — once I was able to meander on up to Taza, I definitely saw why it had been recommended to me. A friend on Twitter had told me to try it, and I will not regret it!
Parking is off-​street, so it may be a challenge to find a spot. I know that we once drove several times around nearby blocks to find a spot to park.
That being said, I love the fact they are so friendly! I’ve been there a few times now, and I’ve not once had an unpleasant experience with the staff! We ordered coffee and then were told we could find ourselves a spot; the coffee was brought to us by the staff! Pretty awesome.
We found there was a staircase (after realizing the first floor was fairly full) and decided to check that out. Upstairs there is a definite artsy feel; we could peruse custom art pieces that had been hung on the walls. I love art, so that was a huge bonus for me. My friend and I took a seat and enjoyed the ambience; the music and general noise level of the place was not overwhelming, so we stayed for some time to chit chat and enjoy the place.
A downside I discovered recently was that during the summer, they change their hours — instead of being open later, they closed at 8. So that was a bummer; I often couldn’t get out to Taza by that time, so no Taza in the summer for me.
I love this place and will definitely return — I want to check out other coffee drinks they offer!

Good:
— Great atmosphere. Free wi-​fi and a great place to study when you want to get out of your room/​school building. Usually has good music playing.
— Art. Taza features various artists from time to time and the stuff displayed is usually pretty awesome.
— Caffeine. I usually get a pretty good buzz off of whatever I order at Taza. I usually get an iced latte with brown sugar cinnamon syrup, but sometimes I’ll get the bottomless iced coffee if I’m going to be there for awhile or a mocha if I want something warm. Their espresso beverages are usually pretty good.
— Music. Taza frequently hosts music, often for benefit concerts. It’s a pretty nice little venue… you can get your coffee, catch up with your friends, enjoy some great music, and support a cause.
— Wookie cookies… mmmmmm…
Bad:
— Smoke. The employees and patrons tend to smoke right outside the open door, so the smoke often wafts in, causing the coffee shop to smell like cigarette smoke.
— Closed on Sundays, unless there’s a special event. Would be nice if it was at least open Sunday afternoons.
— Beverage quality is a little inconsistent– depends on who the barista is. The espresso beverages are good, but the regular coffee is so-​so.

Buzz coffeehouse used to be in this same space once upon a time, and Taza is similar in many ways. While there is no CD shop upstairs in Taza, most of the best seating options are hidden away up there. The coffees are good. The atmosphere is extremely relaxed. I can get a bottomless cup of coffee here and hang out for hours playing scrabble and acting like I might do some work. It’s nice to go somewhere that gives you a real mug rather than a disposable one. They have some foods, but I haven’t gotten around to trying them yet, though I’ve been tempted a few times by the mac and cheese. They often have some sort of baked treat on the counter. I once had blackberry cobbler that was warmed up and was very good, WAY better than the frozen crap you could get at Starbucks. My only disappointment so far has been that I miss the great mix of music from the Buzz days. I often hear the same music on subsequent trips to Taza, and some of it is annoying.

great neighborhood coffee shop with outdoor seating (rare cincinnati). awesome coffee, some foodish options, free wi-​fi, great ambiance and lighting.

Taza is great. The coffee is delicious, fair-​trade, organic and locally roasted. The Chai Tea is, in fact, made from scratch (this means that the tea is brewed with actual tea leaves, cloves, cinnamon, cardamon, and real crushed ginger) — not just poured from a box of syrupy Oregon Chai.
Taza has great seating on their main floor but also boasts a killer chill space upstairs — complete with comfy couches and chairs.
Local bands often play there on weekends and they have a great Open Mic Night every month.
Best part: Taza is non profit. Go ask the barista what that actually means, they would be happy to tell you.
I moved away to Portland and when I come back to Cincinnati, this is the first place I’m going.

Taza is a great coffee shop that has lived up to the reputation that the Buzz coffee shop had built in the same space. Just across the street from the east side of UC’s main campus, Taza has provided a place for students to grab coffee that isn’t doused in corporaticity (I made it up, deal with it).Taza has a great atmosphere inside with comfy couches and a nice bar area, both great for studying. The drinks are also great, my wife swears by their soy iced mocha (she’s allergic to milk).
My band also played there once and, while the monitors were mysteriously dead that night, we still had a great time playing, and Rose the manager was very hospitable. We look forward to playing there again, and now that school’s started back up students should be watching Taza’s schedule.

Scene: goateed hispster sipping soy milk lattes sits on faded 1950’s art deco couch while Belle and Sebastian plays in the background.
Tazo’s embraces every coffee shop house stereotype without becoming a caricature. This comfortable college student hang-​out serves up good brew (non-​alcoholic kind) and yummy treats, like freshly baked cookies and homemade chili.
I lost my Chai tea virginity here after I told the barista I’m not really a «coffee» person. She explained that they make their Chai tea «from scratch,» but I have no idea what that means. Regardless, my exotic iced tea with whipped cream was very good. I’m definitely a convert.
I also snagged up a few of their rich and chewy chocolate chip cookies (3/​$ 1). Highly recommend!