Café Jude's — Restaurant in Lebanon

If this is the first time you’ve read my reviews, they typically start with, “So I’m on a cross-country trip and everywhere I go, I search for local coffee shops.”

This one is no different! Lebanon, Missouri isn’t a huge town with huge offerings, so my expectations weren’t huge. I found Jude’s based on reviews. The tough thing about reviews is that with many coffee shops, they have other offerings – food items – and the reviews are based on that vs. the coffee itself.

Jude’s is a cute, artisanal coffee shop with lots of cool seating. The most creative thing to mention is the seating area that seemed to create a 1950s living room scene featuring an old-style television. Except instead of a television, it was a fish tank featuring some gorgeous koi (I would guess. I’m a coffee aficionado, not a fish expert). So clever!

The coffee shop is truly inspired!

And while I don’t like saying it, I must. I wasn’t crazy about the coffee. I ordered a flat white with breve, two shots of espresso.

I’ve thought long and hard about how to describe the drink and the best I can come up with is “watery.”

There was no foam on top and the coffee flavor wasn’t great. My best guess is that they used whole milk, perhaps even 2%, instead of half & half.

That said! It wasn’t awful! For the coffee, I would give it three stars; for the barista(s) who was friendly, super sweet, I would give it a five-star review! So that I don’t discourage anyone from visiting here and so as not to ding their ratings…seriously, skip the Starbucks…I’m giving it a four star.

I think had I been forewarned, I would have been more precise in my order, "Half and half, right? Not too much...I like right at a half a cup. That's 4 ounces. Right. Thank you. And I like foam so don't be afraid to sprinkle that around like fairy dust."

Had I known and said the above, I might have written a different review. Go see them! Ask for exactly what you want! Their people...

My Family eats here about 4 times a week. We spend $50-$100 each visit. We also do the date night weekend special meals they do here once a month. We like the food. (Would love more options to order.) We love the cool environment, too and the option for outdoor seating. Love that they support locally made food producers & host classes.

Several times now we have tried to overlook the ladies at the counter’s attitudes and plain lack of giving a flip. They can’t answer a question about food ever and just seem like it’s a bother for them to deal with people. This isn’t our first visit. It’s more like our 30th or so time to visit and my spouse comes even more frequently.

With that being I do want to compliment the young man who brings the food to the tables that always wears the glasses, hat, and apron. He is the nicest, most friendly person in the entire place. He’s a major asset to Jude’s and if everyone was like him what an overall amazing place it would be. The ones that seem to have the worst attitude are the Asian female with glasses and the black-haired female that wears the big thick sole shoes all the time. They aren’t “rude” but you can just tell they could care less.

So, will we continue to come? Yes bc there isn’t any competition in Lebanon… We come for the food, not the ppl, but it would be great to get good food and see smiling faces that make you feel at home.

Also the rewards system is a little janky too, sometimes it works and gives points other times you will spend like $70 and it will be like “you earned no points.” So anyways. I’ve had my rant. Just wanted Matt (the owner)...

They have delicious coffee, seasonal drinks etc. Yet, the last few times I’ve ordered food it’s been a giant disappointment. This is the BOWL of white chicken chili I ordered. It’s more than half empty. I am certain it wouldn’t be ok to just pay for half. As I am not ok with just getting half. Apparently they have also stopped giving bread with the soup because I haven’t received any the last couple soups I’ve ordered. I ordered a bbq chicken pizza to give it a try. The dough was so undercooked it wasn’t edible and way too much bbq sauce. Which overpowered all other ingredients. Used to order biscuits and gravy all the time. The last one I ordered they put the gravy directly on the biscuit (on a delivery order). They never did that before and I have never had a restaurant do that on a to-go or delivery order for obvious reasons. I don’t know what’s happened here. I thought the first one or two times were just mistakes. They happen and I fully understand that. That’s not looking like the case anymore. Things have changed here and NOT for the good. I’ll probably still order coffee here and there, but I will no longer order any food. That pizza was too expensive to be inedible. The chili ended up being expensive since I didn’t get all of it. Wildly disappointing, this was one of my...