Little Brews Cafe — Restaurant in Osage Beach

Please read if you have the chance. As tourists we were hoping to find a good local spot and after reading many positive reviews about this place, so we wanted to give it a try! Unfortunately, the reviews we read did not meet our expectations after our experience. I say this all with love to help your local business grow from detailed customer experience:

Food: We did not order any food from the kitchen, but it all looked great. However, our muffins were dry on the inside and didnt have much flavor. The muffins looked good with a nice round top, golden brown, with a slight crumb on top, they were your average/medium size muffin (not jumbo, not mini). We got blueberry and chocolate chip muffins. There was no price to these, but based on our total im assuming they are $2.50-$3 a muffin?

Coffee: We got 2 cold brews, one with caramel and one with cake batter (couldn't taste) and cream in both. I'm an unsure of what kind of coffee they use, but it reminded me of Folgers coffee. I have had a lot of cold brew, and this was by far the worst I have had. It was bitter, bold, and pungent; I saw the pitcher out on the top of the mini fridge and even with ice in my drink, the cold brew still tasted "warm." I know we are all here to learn, so I am not sure if this was a bad batch or if this is typically how they make it? We ended up dumping out our half our drinks because we couldn't even drink it. In my observations beyond our cold brews, I saw the barista pulling shots (espresso) and coming back minutes later to pour it into the cup.. at this time the shot is dead and becomes super bitter. Another observation was how the barista steamed milk, which she left it under the steam wand and walked away which caused the milk to "scream" and "rumble" (as it is called) and caused the milk to burn and create large air bubbles. The barista stopped the wand, then walked away and poured the milk later on after doing something, this causes the air bubbles to rise and create almost a cappuccino type consistency when it should be uniform and silky, with tiny air bubbles for a latte. Pitchers that are stored on top of the espresso machine make them hot and can cause the milk to be steamed improperly, try keeping them at room temp (off of the espresso machine) and this might help the consistency of steaming milk. I worked at my hometown county's best-claimed/titled coffee shop, and have 4 years of working in 2 other coffee shops, so I just wanted to share my experience. I am sorry if this comes off judgey, I just wanted to share my experience at your shop and my coffee knowledge to help. There is a true science behind the type of coffee one makes, and this may help your coffee shop excel even more :) I would be happy to share more of my experience if you would like to reach out.

First look: When we first pulled in, there was about 10-15 cars, and for a little parking lot, we were hoping we found a gem! Parking was easy, walking in was great! The layout was unique and had spaces for other craft vendors to display their products, which is nice to see local businesses supporting other local businesses. There was a little homemade lotion and soap area, art work pieces, antiques, and a little boutique.

Interior: There was lots of seating on the left and a kids area on the right with additional seating, which would be perfect for a family or group with kids! Then there was a little cozy center with couches and books, magazines, and some games. There is a self-serve condiment area with a bus/dish station and ice water.

Service: We were greeted with a smile and positivity even though they seemed short staffed, the barista was polite and transparent as we were told that there were a few orders ahead of ours. We waited about 25 minutes for 3 muffins and 2 cold brews. Granted it seemed that it was only her as the barista and maybe one or two others in back, so perhaps the wait was due to being short-staffed?

Thank you for...

This place is freaking awesome! They have an amazing breakfast burrito that is huge and has all the extras in it. All the breakfast options are great, and there are a lot of options! The coffee, lattes, and frozen drinks are phenomenal and have a ton of flavor varieties as well. If you have small kids, the play room is giant and filled with toys to keep the little ones occupied while you relax and eat. It reminds me of the play places growing up when I was a kid. They also have many local vendors that sell handmade goods created right here at LOZ! All the art on the walls is from local artists and is ALL for sale as well. There are many unique artists who do some truly amazing work. And sometimes you can even catch a really cool live show in the evening with RadioActive Theater, and grab some amazing dinner during the show too. The service, atmosphere, and all around vibe make this place by far my favorite place at the Lake to get...

Walking into this coffee shop is everything I dream a picturesque coffee shop would be. A friend brought biscuits and gravy while gushing about this "cute little place down the street" from where we were staying, about the decor in the interior and the service and the quality of everything from the latte to the food she had. I was determined to stop by on my way out of town just to see. It is BY FAR the BEST latte I've had in a loooong time! The biscuits and gravy are perfection. The biscuits are fresh and soft, topped with perfectly seasoned white pepper sausage gravy that has magically soft and crispy chunks. I don't want to drive two and a half hours to get the best latte ever again but I...