This has really snuck up on us, and there’s even more coffee available to Wichitans then the shops I frequent or have visited. But I’m going to speak on what I know and my list of top 4 favorites.
Number 1: The Reverie
This is probably no surprise to anyone who lives in Wichita. This place’s stuff is everywhere. If you got a local resteraunt in town that also serves coffee roasted here in Wichita, it’s going to be serving Reverie coffee. You can get their coffee at Donut Whole, Frost, Home Grown, Brickyard Brewery, Jump Start (the gas station!) and probably a bunch of other places I don’t know about. It’s good coffee.
The shop itself is that rustic hipster style. There’s an old timey bicycle with a giant front wheel hung up on the wall (that’s the logo on their Jump Start coffee too). Overall a nice clean vibe. It feels like the yuppy coffee shop and the prices reflect that. Out of all the places you can get their coffee you will pay the most for the smallest cup at the official Reverie coffee shop. That said, it is my favorite place to get work done in town. Plenty of tables, even when it’s crowded I can find a place to work. The Rye Chocolate Chip cookie is the best cookie in town. They’ve got this little oven that warms it up that looks REAL expensive. Leaves the cookie warm but still crispy. Just top notch.
Number 2: Leslie’s Coffee
This place is like the Reverie’s angry sister. She’s a little hipper, a little edgier, a little dirtier. Leslie’s has good coffee. I like the location better than the Reverie (it’s in the heart of Delano). It also has a to-die-for cookie. Leslie’s is the shortbread cookie that is always shaped in a heart with varying colored home-made frosting. Their coffee is a little cheaper than Reverie’s, but not cheap-cheap. Normal coffee shop prices instead of the inflated Reverie price. Leslie’s is big into giving back. They have a fridge for the homeless filled with food provided by community donations. The homeless also get free coffee. If you’re more into ignoring poverty and pretending the homeless don’t exist, probably not the shop for you. If you like supporting a business that makes the world a little bit better, Leslie’s is the shop for you.
Leslie’s is also into plants. There’s a lot of plants decorating the shop. It’s also got a hipster vibe (it’s a coffee-shop thing, guys), but the more dirty version. It’s got rougher edges than the Reverie, but that’s what makes it lovable. It’s the slightly poorer-man’s coffee shop, and that’s cool.
Number 3: Milkfloat
Milkfloat is firstly a dessert place, but they also do coffee. What I love about Milkfloat (other than the awesome desserts) is that it’s open late. Where I come from (I come from here…but I did live in Stillwater for a decade) coffee shops are open late. They close early around here. Reverie shuts their doors at like 4pm. Leslie’s used to stay open later, but Leslie herself needed a better work life balance, so now they close up around 5pm most days. Milkfloat is open till like 8pm, so you can grab a late night brew if you’re needing it. I am a coffee addict, and could drink it all the time, but have been choosing to cut back recently to avoid the irritability I get when I slam the stuff down my throat all day. But, occasionally when the stars align I still do have a late night coffee, and I often get it from Milkfloat.
It’s also a cool place to just hangout. It’s filled with community tables as well as some smaller individual ones you’ll see young people typing away at, or enjoying the company of a friend or date. As I said before, the dessert options are pretty good. A lot of weird things they make up. My favorite being the donut muffin. It’s a giant muffin, but with the texture and taste of a cake donut. Just top notch stuff.
Number 4: Watermark Books and Cafe
This is foremost a bookshop, but, it also has a really nice coffee shop. They have their own blend called the Watermark blend that has a cinnamon flavor to it. They get the beans from a local roaster in town, The Spice Merchant, and then add their secret spice mix that makes it the most popular brew they carry. This is my second favorite place to do work after the Reverie. They’ve got nice little tables to work at, and it’s real quiet. Mostly old people meet other old people to have lunch, discuss books, etc. And, of course, there’s a bookstore when you’re needing a break! I honestly just love looking at all the cool stuff they sell that aren’t books (as you might know, I’m a big library guy) but I do look at their displays to get ideas for things I need to read. They also have a great candle selection if you’re into that.
Honorable Mention: Donut Whole
So, obviously this is a donut shop. And, I’d argue THE donut shop of Wichita. You just can’t beat their donuts. That said, they also sell Reverie coffee in a much bigger cup at a lower price. Outstanding. I love going here to grab a donut for myself and the kids while also enjoying a delicious coffee. This place doesn’t really have the coffee shop vibe…though, it also kind of does. It’s like a weird hybrid, so I’m tacking in on here as an honorable mention. You should definitely go here though. Hard recommend.