Eddie Delahunt’s Café &

Is Eddie’s still in business? I stopped by today, but the place was empty… no sign outside, either. I hope he just moved! :)

Welcoming coffee shop set in this cute victorian house in the state line antique district. Irish theme due to the owner, I figured that out!
It was warm, quiet on a Friday afternoon and a very zen place to sit and have a bite for lunch while out antique shopping. The locals support each other, too. Love the Mike Savage paintings in there his gallery is just around the corner (Sav-​Art Gallery)

Point Blank: This place serves perfectly fine coffee and has a wonderfully gracious host. But I can’t get past the feeling that I’m having a coffee in a stranger’s kitchen. Sorry Eddie Delahunt Café, it’s not you. It’s me.

Wandered into this place on a whim one autumn Saturday morning not too long ago, in need of caffeine & wifi, and discovered an oasis of charm. With a large cup of delicious Irish tea, I settled in to the beautiful front room to check my email, and completely lost track of time. The soft music, the light filtering through the orange and scarlet foliage, and the lilt of Eddie’s voice as he chatted with his other customers (it seemed like he knew everybody else who walked in the door) cast a pleasant daydream-​y spell on me. I wanted to just hang out all day & was sad when I had to leave… but I’ll be back!

How does a legendary Irish balladeer and beloved son of the KC Irish scene top all the things he does so well on his plate now? He opens a Café.
The corner of 44^th and Bell is a very mellow and laid back area. Standing and looking around, you see the antique and interior shops, but one landmark stands out. Look up and you’ll see the big coffee cup proclaiming where you are, Eddie Delahunt’s Café &. When you walk in you are instantly transported to a calm and comforting place to drink a coffee, have a danish or sandwich, read a paper, or watch soccer (football) in the main café area. The drinks and food are excellent. Nothing grandiose, just simple café bistro fare. My advice is get there early in the day before lunchtime because the greatest treat in the shop is the man himself, Eddie Delahunt.
Spending a few minutes with Eddie will make you forget you needed the coffee you came in for. He can tell you tales of his hometown back in Ireland, share a funny story from his life here in KC, or (in the case of my uncle and I) give us a good razzing. Eddie is truly one of the most genuine guys you can meet and it is no wonder he chose this as his next big success, He’s a natural.
So stop in and say a hello to the smiling Irishman and tell him Sean Smith sent you.

I am so glad I found Eddie’s while I was driving to work one day. It’s a really friendly place! I get a pound of the house brew (made for the café by the Roasterie coffee company) and make a French Press of it at home every morning. I will never buy another coffee brand as long as I live in KC. It’s honestly the best coffee I’ve had! I can even get my boyfriend to drink it black, which he never does. I haven’t eaten much there, or had a chance to sit for long, but I did have a pastry. It was fine. What I relly love though is the coffee and the neighborhood.

What a lovely café. Nestled amongst the antique stores and quiet streets is a converted turn of the century home café. Eddie and his employees serve you quickly and most likely with a song. You feel instantly welcomed and part of the clan. ;-) The iced tea is the best I’ve had and my friend and I shared a veggie sammich of hummus, fresh peppers, onions, lettuce and tomato. CRISP pickles and kettle chips were abundant and a great addition. We sunbathed on the sunporch and watched the world go buy. I do believe the place gave off a relaxey, convo vibe and we were instantly spellbound.
Have a GREAT lunch and forget about time… top it off with some Roasterie imbued espresso drinks… you won’t regret it.

Very cool little café. Super cozy, like you’re hanging out at a friend’s house. Which you might as well be since this is located smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood right outside Kansas City.
Eddie, the proprietor of Eddie’s (go figure that out) is really friendly and whips up a great mango smoothie on a hot day. He’s apparently also an accomplished musician, because he has legit-​looking CD’s for sale by the table in the back.
Stop by and give this little neighborhood coffee shop a try on a lazy day or after a walk. You won’t regret it!

I was quite pleased. After a pleasant stroll around this, one of my favorite neighborhoods, mixed with slipping into the small galleries and antique shops (the one on the opposite corner is quite stuffy, by the way. I even got an evil eye!), on what was one of the first great weather days of 2011, my friend and I stomped into Eddie Delahunt’s Café & (a name that seems clever until it’s confusing. I guess I’m the ampersand?) with high hopes. I say «stomped» because you really can’t be quiet getting into this place: the floors have a wonderful old creak to them.
It was actually exactly what I expected. Quaint really is the first word that comes to mind. I felt like I was walking into someone’s home for coffee, but not in a weird awkward «invasion» sort of way. You meander your way to the left a bit until you find the counter, ran by a very sweet lady who was putting away the various food selections for the day.
I’d love to work at this place. Or, at least I think I would have while I was there. My Irish blood felt welcomed (my family is from Ulster, thank you). The clientele was as laid back as one could imagine, scattered here and there, reading books or writing or chipping away at their laptops: all told there were only about seven of us including my friend and me.
I ordered my classic «how good is your coffee/​how good is my barsita?» drink, a triple cappuccino, no frills, and, as is the way in small coffee houses versus Scooter’s or Starbucks, she asked if I was staying or wanted it to go. Because it mattered if I got a mug or a to go cup. So happy! I hate sipping coffee from to go cups when I’m not, you know, going.
My cappuccino was perfect, except I would have loved some latte art, but, hey, that’s not everybody’s thing. The milk was velvety and distinct from the espresso. My friend got a foo-​foo cranberry, hmm, somethingorother. It was sweet, but not too much so: she hates Starbucks style «coffee with your syrup» drinks, but took a chance and was happy.
As often as I’m in the west Plaza I plan on stopping in. I rarely try a coffee shop’s pastries or food, and didn’t get a good chance to see much of Eddie Delahunt’s because of when we arrived. They aren’t open very late: in fact a little after we continued our stroll they closed shop. I’m still searching for my favorite «late night» coffee shop (I don’t frequent bars very often but like the night crowd vibe some coffee shops have).

If there were a prize for café quaintness in Kansas City, this café would win hands down. It is owned by Irish folk musician, Eddie Lelahunt, who performs in KC venues regularly, and occasionally at his own café. It is located in the «West Plaza» area, which is around the intersection of 45^th St. and State Line Rd. The area itself is super-​quaint. Every single store is an antique shop, without exception. If you were to drive through it, you would not likely guess that there is a café there, since Eddie Delahunt’s is inside a house among the antique shops.
The décor, music, and atmosphere are Irish, perhaps intended to represent cafes outside Dublin. I cannot speak to its authenticity, since I’ve never been outside Dublin, when in Ireland; and I’ve never ordered coffee in Dublin, where I drink nothing but Guinness. Well, maybe I’ve had coffee at breakfast, if I ever got up early enough to have breakfast, while there.
This café does not serve wine or beer, but serves really excellent coffee and sandwiches. I got a skinny Macchiato. They know how to do it right here, unlike most other coffee shops in Kansas City, which seem to think it is supposed to contain some ridiculous syrup, and often don’t even foam the milk on top.
Oh, and I really liked the sandwich I got there. Do I have any complaints? I can’t think of even one. Five stars for sure.

I’ve found a new favorite café in town!
Run out of a charming little house on the corner of Bell Street in Antique Row, Eddie Delahunt’s Café & beckons you in out of your car (they have convenient parking in a small lot right next to the house) and right inside.
It’s a really welcoming environment, with its little seating areas both outside and in, and friendly staff. Eddie, himself, made our phenomenal iced Americanos. The man is Irish and knows how to make a good cup of coffee?! What?! Truth be told, I thought there wasn’t a decent cup to be found during my travels in Ireland, so I had a slight amount of trepidation. So many coffeehouses in the US don’t do Americanos right, but here at Eddie Delahunt’s they are made with just the perfect amounts of strong-​not bitter-​espresso, mixed with bottled water and whatever milk you choose (they have soy, regular and half and half). Delish apple coffee cake muffins, too!
Other things that make this place unique: Saturdays at 7am, you can catch live English soccer games on the flat screen TV (needless to say, you’ll never find Yours, Truly, here then :) and on Thursdays and Saturdays they might have extended hours for live musical performances by Eddie and his band! I can’t wait to check those out, especially if they are anything like the trad music I experienced in Ireland.
Just so you know, Eddie, I may be moving into your coffeehouse! Or, maybe you’ll need a coffeehouse sitter one day?