Carabello Coffee Company — Restaurant in Newport

So, this place received rave reviews and we had an hour to spare in Newport. So, it wasn't really a tough decision to try this one. Tough one was, to leave the place.

Coffee & Food: They have a large menu for coffee with some amazing new varieties. They also have pastries, cookies, and some savory items. I came across Maverick's chocolates as well - which is one of the best in Cincinnati area (arguably in the US as well). We went for Cortado and London Fog along with Donna's chocolate chunk cookie and got the coffee cake packed. Cortado is pretty much 50:50 coffee and milk. Definitely, the kind of coffee you would love to have in the morning - provides great kick and really gives you a feeling that you're having one of the best coffees in the world. London Fog was good - a very different beverage. I loved the velvety finish to it. It had a very familiar taste - closer to vanilla but not exactly that. But found it pretty bland - I would rather try something else than this. The cookie was great - something which can easily get overly sweet - they had a good proportion of sugar. The coffee cake was great too - very fluffy and soft.

Ambiance: One thing you instantly fall in love with, as you enter the place, is the ambiance. The combination of wood and red bricks is very much visible but one thing you can't stop noticing is the bicycle right on top of the menu wall. There is a rack on one side with different types of coffees that you can purchase. Brilliant work on the interiors - right from the tables to the curtains. The view outside is amazing. Be sure you take the table with a roadside view (for which you'll need to be two or more).

Service: Very good service. I hadn't heard about Cortado before, so the lady at the counter explained it with great detail. I loved the enthusiasm these folks had. Pretty fast service, although the place wasn't crowded when we were there.

This is definitely one of the best places for coffee in Newport area and one of the must visit places if you're traveling...

This was my first visit to Carabello Coffee shop. I particularly like to visit local coffee shops in lieu of corporate coffee locations.

I appreciated the overall environment of the shop. There are a lot of windows, which makes the shop bright during sunny days like today. The café was spacious had plenty of electric outlets. The décor was simple, mixing some retro furniture along side modern pieces, and homie plants. The seating area had mainstream coffee shop furniture.

The music level was perfect. I was able to tune in or tune out. The conversation/chatter was low and easy for folks with difficulties concentrating like me. I also liked that they had the "old school" espresso machines, where the barista tamps the coffee to brew the espresso. Its a lost art.

A few things of note: Their are several doors to the shop, but the customer is instructed to use a door around the corner. I got the impression that they might serve food because it seemed like the two seating areas where divided, one for coffee and one for food service. This is not the case, they only serve display case food. Within the shop they have a section called the Analog Coffee Bar. It contains a smaller coffee bar with specific hours. It looks ok, but I am not sure what purpose it serves. I did not see a special menu and when I asked for one the attendant told me the Analog Bar was closed and did not offer me a menu.

It was great to see the shop was busy when I arrived. Although, the line was challenging to follow. The barista stopped what she was doing to redirect the line.

They have outdoor seating.

Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Carbello Coffee. Its local and has personality...

I am shocked to see the review with 1 Star! I am a self proclaimed and friend affirmed coffee snob! We have tasted coffee across the country and over the big pond. We have sat at the proverbial feet of some amazing artisan coffee roasters and grown into refined coffee "connoisseurs" (termed used loosely of course). I experienced this coffee for the first time last Saturday...It was amazing! So much so, as soon as I saw the bottom of the cup, we turned around and returned for another.

We plan our trips around hitting Lagrange, Ky in time for one of our favorite coffee shops to draw us a much needed shot of espresso. We will now be planning our trips to include a stop at Carabello!

I have neither tasted a dog's butt nor smelled rats, but I am a professor and given to fancies of imagination and yet I can NOT fathom a scenario where canine anal furunculosis or Muridae redolence would elucidate or delineate the fragrant notes of the blend I relished at Carabello.

How dare this coffee shop luxuriate and contribute to the improvement of humanity! Don't they know there are refined palates that can distinguish paint thinner and other complex compounds that would live on the streets and operate a shop that takes NO profit?!

Until such an establishment rises like a phoenix on the banks of the mighty Ohio River, we will continue our luxurious ways and savagely consume latte after latte, and recklessly blow our money on cup after cup that only donates a portion of profit and stop in Carabello every...