Kaladi Brothers Coffee — Restaurant in Alaska

I used to spend every Sunday here for years while I was in school, I’d read endless literary criticism chapters or kick out essay after essay, once completing 7 essays in a two week period (only one B!), and it was all accomplished thanks to perseverance and constant infusion of caffeine. The employees at Kaladi’s on Tudor Road have worked exceedingly long hours to keep me going through midterms, group projects, study sessions, article reviews, journal entries, and multi-text literary analyses, and for all that the baristas deserve my eternal kudos. It’s not just ideal for workflow though. The view here is also very alluring, whilst facing east you have a fantastic view of the mountains, unobstructed by copious amounts of cityscape. Often I would set down a book after a particularly dense chapter of mostly made up words (academics, y’all) and gaze longingly out at the snow-capped mountains that seemed close enough to touch.

I have since graduated from UAA with a Degree in English and though my diploma rests safely in my room, I feel like a small part of it will always belong to this coffee shop. Now that I dont have homework, I find I still return to this location on the reg, and though the reasons are a bit different now, the motivation has remained the same: it’s not just the atmosphere, the ambiance, or the astounding view, this Kaladi’s has a wonderful and diverse selection of chairs. Look, the surrounding environment is great and the employees are friendly and the coffee is pretty damn good, but here’s something no one will tell you about this place: it possesses quite the impressive curation of chairs which means that, depending on customer capacity, you have a plethora of sitting options to choose from. The Kaladi’s on Tudor has got tall chairs, leather chairs, bench seating, you can lounge, or sit upright! And take it from me, someone who’s sat in almost every single chair here and basically an expert on chairs: when you’re gonna be stuck in a coffeeshop trying to bust out 3,500 words, double spaced, with one inch margins, by midnight that night, you’re gonna appreciate having a wonderful array of options for where your butt goes. A 7 hour research and essay writing session I once undertook was only made bearable by the utilization of different seating configurations.

You may think this review is just a skosh bizarre, but the chair situation is one often overlooked when it comes to the amenities of any establishment, especially a coffeeshop. You are highly encouraged to check out this Kaladi’s, order a steaming hot cup of your preferred vessel for caffeination, and then dont immediately sit, you must first stop, breathe in deeply, and achieve a zen-like appreciation for the dazzling assemblage of chairs. Once you have found the chair that fits your unique disposition, that mirrors your inner core, the true self that is obfuscated by ego but remains omni-present, then... then you sit. You partake. You look at the mountains. Homework and assignments can wait for a few precious moments of life. For now, you drink...

Been regularly going to this Muldoon location at least 10 years (2009-2020). Quality of coffee is always consistent. They do a better than average job of holding employees, it's always good to sort of know who works there.

Recommend the sludge cup. EXCEPT, if there is a lot of people waiting... unless you have 10 minutes or so to stand there and wait. Getting the drip coffee is a huge time saver. If you're going at peak times (before work/at lunch/weekend mornings) it's a much better use of time to make the coffee at home.

Food selection is not the best. I always go in there thinking I'd grab a snack, but 90% of the time I choose to starve. If you don't have 10 minutes to wait for the sandwiches to be heated, they're pretty average. It's worth it to just go to Subway if you're actually hungry. However - their cinnamon rolls and bagels (in the morning) are really good.

Despite long, agonizing waits at peak times, and sub-par food selections - I still give 5 stars because the wait times are what they are. There's not much to be done if they want to keep the coffee quality high. They do a pretty good job of hiring and training, so the employees are never an issue either.

P.S. - you people who order 5 coffees to go, please stop. Nothing worse than when you people do that. You know the coffee won't be fresh and good when you get to work. It's dripping in your car, on your hands and clothes. Why would you continue...

The atmosphere is fantastic. The staff is informative, interactive and attentive to all of the customers needs. I had driven from North Carolina to Alaska in about 4 days, which meant I hadn't slept much, the staff here was chatting with me and when they found out my path they told me to relax there and offered free refills on coffee. I ordered the Sludge which is an Americano with drio, not water. It was smooth and delicious. I went back every day I was in Anchorage to this place. I ordered coconut milk Vanilla and hazelnut lattes. I got Iced sugar free toasted coconut and almond Americano and a pour over. All were made quickly despite a line and all were equally tasty. Best coffee I've ever had (minus really good coffee in an Australian place in NYC). Do yourself a favor and try them. Locally owned and roasted too. The food here is fresh and...