Duck Rabbit Coffee — Restaurant in Cleveland

Top-shelf coffee and knowledgeable staff are battling to polish a gem which is only blemished by somewhat detached service and an inconsistent atmosphere. This makes some visits blissful and other visits sub-par in comparison to other shops in the area. I tend to go elsewhere when I want a reliably chill experience, which I find unfortunate because I think Duck Rabbit could be a truly great coffeeshop with some simple changes.

1.) Sound deadening panels. Some spaces don't need sound deadening panels. This space NEEDS sound deadening panels. It can be truly game-changing. If you know, you know.

2.) Quieter music, and more consistent. It's always good music, and I usually end up hearing something new and interesting, but it is often at volumes better suited to bars than a coffeeshop which closes at 3pm. The environment here doesn't feel as well considered as the coffee, and both affect the overall experience. The music changes in tone and volume from song to song and from visit to visit, and for me this is distracting, although for others it might improve the experience. I can only speak to my own feelings, and I want to be able to enjoy a coffee in a relatively peaceful place. I don't think you should notice the music unless you want to tune in, and today the bass was vibrating in my chest and it was hard to hear each other talk. I just don't think that's the vibe for coffee, to be honest, and it isn't the first time.

3.) Hospitality also feels less well considered than the coffee. We ordered an americano and were told we ordered a quick cup. The thing is, nobody else calls drip coffee a 'quick cup' and my partner didn't see it phrased that way on the menu, so wouldn't have said this. I think this is one of those cases where you at least leave some room for the customer to be right (we were), but in my numerous visits this is exemplary of the overall hospitality - it's okay. We've experienced more mistakes here - though still infrequent - than at other shops and staff feel somewhat indifferent toward customers. It's not the worst, but it doesn't stand out like the quality of the coffee does, and I think it would be worth paying special attention to this.

I really root for this shop because Cleveland benefits culturally from third wave coffee that's of this caliber. I hope that ownership/management takes this comment as the well-meaning, genuine suggestion for improvement that it is. These are the main reasons why I end up choosing other reliably chill shops for a weekend outing with a slightly warmer welcome and attentive service. That said, we'll keep giving y'all a shot every...

Full disclosure: I am not a coffee drinker. I stopped by the store to grab a gift card for a friend (So great they offer gift cards, as I was traveling around cleveland grabbing gift cards for my friend many places do not offer them anymore - so this is a plus!). This place is right around the block from me, I always loved the aesthetic of the shop walking by and a different friend said they have fantastic coffee. Now again, I am not a coffee drinker. I don't know anything about coffee shop etiquette or culture. I didn't think this was a problem but it was. I walked in around 8:00 a.m. and there was one other person in the store sitting down waiting. Two baristas behind the counter, one of which greeted me and smiled. I assumed this meant she was going to help me and approached her, I shouldn't have assumed. She quickly told me to stop and wait at the front. I was taken aback and instantly felt unwelcome and like I didn't belong. She could sense that and said something along the lines of it happens to everyone, don't worry about it, but the my spirit had broke. And truly that's on me! I didn't know the culture of this shop. The shop again looked great and smelled even better - just be aware they have intricate etiquette and its not super friendly...

Amazing coffee shop!!! This is the real deal when it comes to craft coffee. They have beans that you won’t find anywhere else in town and they’re extremely professional when it comes to pouring fancy latte art. My wife got a mocha with oat milk and I got a latte latte with oat milk and even though they don’t have flavors for their lattes they have 2 coffee bean choices to choose from.

The staff is super friendly and helpful with all our questions and they even gave us free cute little duck rabbit stickers! It’s so sad they do not currently have indoor dining because this is such an awesome place to hang out at with really minimal and modern decor balanced with the old industrial brick building. I cannot wait till coffee places like this start opening up again!

The location is great because there’s a Platform Beer extension called “The Lot” across the street so it’s great to grab a coffee and then walk across the street to get really good beer and wings, or a noodle bar diagonally located as well. We will definitely be returning back to Duck Rabbit to get our superior...