Rising Star Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Shaker Heights

☕ Rising Star Coffee in Shaker Heights is LITERALLY the Avengers of Cafés—No Cap! ☕

Okay, so I’m visiting Cleveland from Austin (aka the land of hipster beans and oat milk everything) and yikes, I was low-key scared I’d have to survive on gas station brew. But then… Rising Star Coffee popped up on my radar like TikTok’s algorithm blessing me with a viral cat video.

Walked in and—vibe check: PASSED. The place was buzzing like a Duolingo owl reminder, but chill enough to make you wanna post a #StudyTok. The squad behind the counter? A trio of coffee wizards moving faster than my ADHD during finals week. Shoutout to Austin (yes, the irony—an Austin saving me in Cleveland) who hooked us up with the full tea. Dude explained the menu like he was narrating a Netflix doc, and I’m here for it.

The Order That Changed Our Lives: Me: Double espresso—“make it hurt”. Sis: Cinnamon honey latte (aka “Basic Witch Autumn in a Cup”). Dad: A pour-over because he’s a coffee snob who still thinks his ’90s French press is peak tech.

Y’ALL. The espresso hit like Thor’s hammer—smooth, bold, and woke me up better than my 7am alarm. Sis’s latte? Sweet, spicy, and Insta-aesthetic with latte art so fire it deserved its own follower count. Dad? He took one sip of his pour-over and actually smiled—a rare event usually reserved for Dad Jokes and BBQ triumphs.

As someone who’s owned a coffee shop for 17 years, I’m ob-sessed. These baristas were squad goals—flawless teamwork, zero chaos, drinks landing faster than DMs from my ex. Quality? Chef’s kiss. Service? 100/10, no notes.

Rising Star didn’t just serve coffee—they threw a flavor rave in my mouth and everyone’s invited. Cleveland, you’ve got a hidden gem that’s slapping harder than a plot twist in Euphoria. If you skip this place, you’re doing your taste buds dirty. 12/10 stars—would sell my soul for another sip. ✨

TL;DR: Austin who? Rising Star is the real coffee MVP. #CaffeinatedPerfection #GenZApproved...

I'll start with AMAZING, in every respect - especially the staff behind the counter Lou and Mero. You guys rock. After having had one my worst lifetime coffee experiences the day before in Little Italy (you probably know what store I'm talking about - gag), I had my doubts about another Cleveland Coffee Shop. Well, boy was I dead wrong. First of all you can (must) get your coffee in either glassware or ceramic - did you know that in the US we use 16 billion single use coffee cups a year? Not to mention it tastes much better. So A+ for that. Then, the spelling of all the espresso drinks is correct. Major pet peeve to see missing Cs and Ps in cappuccino, missing H or C in Macchiato etc. And they have Cortado! Two bean choices for espresso drinks including a single origin from Oaxaca?! OMG. And Lou speaks accentless Spanish? Oh, and the cortados and cappuccino were seriously top notch. Spoiled in LA with amazing coffee shops everywhere, but I wish we had Lou, Mero and Rising Star here as well. Well done Cleveland! Can't wait to go...

Old review: I came here and had a latte, a pour-over, and the Elderberry Tea. Everything was great. It's rare to find coffee shops in the area that know how to make a proper pour-over, but Rising Stars usually gets it right. The staff was friendly and welcoming. I definitely recommend trying this place out.

However, I’m changing my rating from 5 to 1 due my experience today. I’ve visited this store many times, and my coffee is usually well made. Today, May 13, 2025, I came around 4:42 PM, and they refused to make a pour-over because they were about to close. I ordered a latte, and they gave us one with oat milk—even though we didn’t ask for it. Our decaf Americano was also served in a small cup without asking our preference. I usually get a large. Very disappointing...