Moka & Co — Restaurant in East Lansing

Being a rare person with gut issues, I can't have any additives in beverages and unfortunately couldn't try ANY of their amazing-looking desserts. (I wish I could have!)

I drink my tea and coffee black. Being that it was later afternoon, coffee was off the table and bc it was a 75 degree day outside, I was craving an ICED black tea, straight up.

They didn't offer any iced options that didn't include diary/alternative milks, which left me with NO options. (sad face)

I almost left and went to Bigby, however, what I loved is the gentleman who helped me was very kind and did his absolute best to find something that I could have. Great customer service!

Even though they don't normally do it, he made me the Shai Yemeni tea, and then added ice to get it to cool. (Thank you!)

Few other points of feedback:

-Paying $5 for a black tea is rather pricey for me to do often, so this place may not be the best option for my budget and gut issues, however, that shouldn't deter whoever reads this not to give it a try!

-I'm not sure how this place will survive Michigan summers with few to no iced options, so maybe something to consider

-I did enjoy the environment for working on my laptop. It was peaceful, open, lots of light, everyone was very respectful, and the internet worked great

-I wished the place was cleaner, tables and the bathrooms

-I'd love to see their menu added to the website, with explanations of...

Moka & Co has become my new staple! After the Blue Owl's tragic relocation in Nov 2023, the downtown EL area was lacking a local, friendly coffee shop for community members to meet and enjoy that serene coffee shop atmosphere. Thankfully, Moka & Co has filled that void! In the menu, there are some staple coffees that you can get anywhere, but I haven't tried any of those yet because of the main attraction of the menu: authentic Yemeni coffee recipes, rich with premium coffee and spices. I haven't gone through the whole menu, but every coffee and tea I've had so far has been expertly made and delicious. Like the drinks, their pastries section has a few standard treats (muffins, croissants, etc) but mostly has Yemeni treats! I've only tried a couple of the foods so far, and although the sweet ones were usually too sweet for my taste, the high quality craftsmanship of each food is obvious. The employees are always kind (even when people botch the menu item names) and very skilled at their work. The space itself is larger than it looks from the outside, with tons of natural sunlight streaming in! There are beautiful hand painted murals on multiple walls and a variety of spaces to sit and either work/study, chat with friends, or simply enjoy a hot coffee in a peaceful environment. An added bonus is 10% off discount for MSU employees and...

I ordered a Turkish coffee to go, it took a while to make though I appreciate that since it means they care for the process and a Turkish coffee is definitely a process to make. It was pike hot given to me and it took a good 35 minutes to be able to drink it, also referring to how fresh it is by its hot temperature. I appreciated the inside it was cozy and offered deserts and other cold beverages on the display by the cash register. One person helped me and the rest of the ladies were chatting and giggling which is refreshing to see but I was hoping for a tiny bit of team work coming from then since only one person helped. The parking was a bit odd since you can’t park immediately next to the shop but we made due parking on a street behind the building on a free 15 minute...