Kave Coffee Bar — Restaurant in Barberton

I’m giving five stars because Kave’s coffee is competitive locally and I would never pan a local business (unless absolutely necessary), although a lower rating would be more accurate from the drinks and information I received. I got a cortado and then a straight espresso shot to confirm my thoughts which were consistent for both drinks: the espresso lacked body and weight with a watery quality and weak taste suggesting too high a ratio (IE too much water through too little grounds). My plain double espresso shot was about 3 ounces, an impossibly large size to be an appropriately pulled shot (for reference, that’s about twice as much water as the industry standard for a double shot). The shot was dialed in to be pleasantly drinkable, although it was very sour. The milk microfoam for the cortado was excellent; a reflection of good barista skills and their Nuova Simonelli (an incredible machine—one of the best in the area). There was no latte art which is neither good nor bad, but is worth noting nonetheless. When I asked what origins of beans were used in their house espresso blend, I received the answer “South America, Africa, and Indonesia.” …well I would hope so since that’s the most basic framework for a blend in existence! However it gives literally zero helpful information. That is a red flag for a specialty coffee shop. Not sharing what origins are in your coffee prevents the customer from being able to appreciate the artistry (and notice when it is lacking) of the baristi and roaster. For example, if they were to share the origins and even roast level, there is still no risk of any “proprietary ideas” being stolen if that’s what they’re worried about, since the balance of bean origins wasn’t revealed and the roast profile has much more to do with the cup result than just the roast level. However, sharing that information /would/ allow the customers to better educate their palates and enjoy the skills of both baristi and roasters better. Overall, I was excited walking in the door seeing what appeared to be a specialty shop that excelled in coffee, instead I found a coffee shop lacking in espresso knowledge and unwilling to share even the most basic level of transparency necessary for a coffee enjoyer to appreciate their offering. On that subject, this is especially odd since they offer cold brew flights (presumably of different origins). The cold brew flights are a terrific idea and better in line with what I think their overall approach to coffee is. To put this review in better perspective: the overall experience was good and their coffee drinks are acceptably tasty on an objective level, especially considering the price point. Any criticisms leveled here are from the point of view of an espresso aficionado and should be taken as such—most of these observations I’ve made would be negligible for most people looking for a solid cup of Joe. I would rank Kave barely top five, if even that high, in the greater Akron area unless they improve their approach to espresso and allow a modicum of transparency for what beans they serve customers. Nonetheless, they are a fine coffee shop...

Such a cool place! We visit often. I love when the weather is nice and they raise the garage door. The drinks are great. Everyone praises everything they get. I just can't get off the chai enough to try anything else. The breakfast sandwiches are good and fairly priced. They have gluten free bagels BUT they have a tendency to make it last. My husband has a breakfast sandwich that came out about 5 minutes earlier. So the rest of the party is half way done before I get mine. I've even had to ask as if they just forgot. They were kind of brisk about it with no apology. They are nice size bagels though. However, last time I don't know what happened. It came out ¼ of the size and it was mangled. Definitely NOT worth the money. I have been seriously debating on how to approach it. Before I pay I want to ask how big is it and can I get it with everyone else's.

There are workers going back and forth and although I was looking at them for help, they ignored me on several occasions. I went to the cashier once and didn't get a better response. All I wanted was to eat with everyone else in my group. Customer service isn't good at all and it's so disappointing because I really like everything else and there's so...

Kavé Coffee Bar is a great place to stop in for coffee and a snack, or tea with a sandwich. I can recall my very first visit to Kavé, I ordered the matcha tea to go (it was traditionally tasteful). So, here is my first review of Kavé: the light airy atmosphere is most inviting. The design, layout and flow, of the newly renovated coffee bar, gives this small city coffee shop a big city feel. Without all the hustle and bustle, of course. Kavé offers a good variety of coffee, and tea (this time I enjoyed the London fog tea). An acquaintance of mine was very pleased with her regular coffee and has frequented Kavé multiple times. There are sandwiches, sweet treats, and more to be served up. I chose the bagel, egg and MontereyJack cheese breakfast sandwich. Very tasty. I'd like to see how the sandwiches, with egg, evolve by using fresh eggs instead of powdered. Yet, my sandwich was still really good. A clean, neat, and quiet place to take a quick break from work or study. I'm looking forward to experiencing Kavé in the summer. Kavé in the summer, that sounds big to me. Great service, good experience....