Quay Coffee, located in River Market, has quickly become one of our favorite places to grab a quick Americano or to settle in for a latte and some study time. There are several reasons this little place makes it to the top of our list for coffee in Kansas City; the vibe is awesome, the coffee is incredible, the staff is friendly and location is perfect.

Quay does well what most of the local specialty coffee shops aim to do – they make great coffee and keep everything perfectly local. Their menu is simple. No drip coffee, only espresso drinks and brew bar options like their v60 and chemex.

Oddly Correct supplies Quay’s espresso blends. If you don’t know the guys from Oddly Correct, you should. Located off 39th and Main, they roast only fair trade coffees and are as intentional about developing relationships with their growers as they are about their roasts. Their artisan coffee blends are arguably some of the best in the Kansas City coffee scene. But back to Quay. Looking at their menu, I found only local suppliers; Oddly Correct supplies their espresso, Soho Bakery their pastries (YUM), Dunns Cider Mill their Cider – you get the idea.

The atmosphere of the shop is great. It’s not too small, not too big. With its exposed brick and giant high ceilings it’s very urban but surprisingly cozy. It is very calm, it’s clean and has tons of natural light from gorgeous front windows.

On our last visit, Blake ordered his classic Americano, Bethany grabbed a French press of green tea and I decided to try their seasonal “gingerbread” latte. You must understand I’m not much for three pumps of maple or vanilla syrup in my espresso so I was apprehensive, but thankfully this latte lacked both. Instead, it was an INCREDIBLE latte with a perfect melody of organic cinnamon, cloves and a hint of caramel. It was faintly sweet and perfectly comforting. If you happen to venture to Quay on a blustery, leaves-blowing-in-the-wind kind of Kansas City day, PLEASE try it.

We struck up a conversation with the owners, Corey and Tanner last time we were in. Since opening last June, they and two other guys, Ray and Andrew, work around the clock as owners, managers, baristas, etc. They do a great job of avoiding the snobbery of the “coffee snob elites,” they’re just down to earth guys who love coffee, love the city and run a great shop.

One question we had to ask them was why the name? They shared with us that the River Market was formerly known as the River Quay and was one of the original districts of Kansas City. Their name is a cool way to incorporate the location, which is such a great element to the whole experience. (Who doesn’t love River Market?)

Quay Coffee Logo Engraved

One last plus to this favorite – we’re always looking for companies that creatively “give back,” which is a trendy but meaningful initiative. Quay seeks to give back to the community by buying exclusively local goods and they look to make a global impact by featuring a “global shoppe” full of hand made goods. Sales from the goods are used for aiding refugees who have escaped from war torn countries and to help women find a way out of prostitution in India. All-around Quay Coffee gets 5 stars.

Details:

Address: 412 Delaware, Kansas City, MO 64105 Phone: (816) 471-7277 Hours: Mon-Sat 6:30 am - 8 pm, Sun 7 am - 4 pm

Twitter: https://twitter.com/quaycoffee

Website: http://www.quaycoffee.com