Emerson Ave Coffee — Restaurant in City of Utica

TL;DR minimalist atmosphere that came off as cold and distant rather than inviting, the coffee was decent, thought not what I wanted or technically ordered as well as over priced, and the experience left a lot to be desired.

The coffee itself was decent enough, but at $8 its was the most expensive caramel "mocha" I've ever paid for. I say that because what I got was not a mocha, it was a latte with chocolate syrup instead of coco powder, which would explain why I spent a couple hours pondering why it didn't quite taste right. so a $6 latte with $2 for syrups. at that price there is only 1 place in town more expensive and it's the coffee bar attached to Nostro, basically everywhere else ranging from 4.50-5.50 for a 16oz. And it took me several hours while to even realize what I got was not a mocha because I was unable to find a menu before I ordered. I was standing at the counter rather bewildered at the lack of available information about their offerings; finding only an empty counter and a huge blank chalkboard on the wall. It wasn't until afterwards while wandering as I waited on my order that I notice 3 clipboards with menus in a basket on the side of the counter just out of view. At this point I went on instinct and attempt to order the 2 things I want from any coffee shop, which I haven't had issues getting thus far in my life, a large mocha with caramel and a bagel. The bagel was a lost cause from the onset and I was simple told OK regarding the mocha. No indication that this was not actually something they offered (again a mocha requires actual coco, not chocolate flavored syrup), and for the benefit of the doubt on the part of the employees I won't speculate as to why I was mislead. The coffee was oddly lukewarm despite me watching them make it fresh. Compared to mocha/lattes I've gotten else where it was the temp I usually expect it to be after drinking it for about 5-10 minutes which was disappointing, by the time I got home(a 5 minute drive) it was basically at room temp. They don't appear to actually offer hot food, just pastries from the display case (which may or may not be good, but whether or not they are warmed before serving is unknown to me) which don't appear to be listed on the online menu. The colors chosen for the walls felt cold and visually loud while the art, while nice in it's own right, didn't do much to make the walls not feel sparsely populated. If you're into minimalist coffee shops you'll likely enjoy it, but it's not my cup of coffee (if you'll indulge me). My take away is that the goal of a place where people go to get coffee was second to the aesthetics of being coffee shop. Like how do you not serve bagels in a coffee shop, or not have proper mochas for that matter. I'll have to continue my search for a quite, cozy, jazzy coffee...

I really appreciate this tea and coffee shop. Because not only that, the owner is very nice. The barista knows exactly what I want and then like memorizes it. So all I gotta do is Waddle myself in there and be like, I'll have one of my usuals. And then, every so often once a week, we'll have this group or a bunch of people that crochet or knit. Get together. Can we chat and laugh And it's just been so good for my mental health lately. I totally recommend this place. If you're just looking for something fun to do nothing but good vibes with this...

Every drink I have had has been amazing and very well priced ! I have a 1.5 year old and the children’s area is perfect and is the only reason I can even hang out a little when I have him with me. When it’s the choice between this cafe and a different one to meet up with someone and I have my son, I will always go here because of this. The baked goods are amazing and I’m working my way through the menu and it never...