Kittie's Worthington — Restaurant in Sharon Township

UPDATE: I revisited Highline recently which is now under new ownership. The matcha I had was traditionally prepared and sweetened to my specifications. Revising my review accordingly!

ORIGINAL REVIEW (SEE RECIPE BELOW IF INTERESTED): I'd love to give Highline 5 stars great location, great aesthetic, and I've loved seeing it grow! My go-to drink is a matcha latte with non-dairy milk - so much so that I make them at home regularly and have taken to perfecting my recipe. But sometimes I want a hot beverage when I am about town. My most recent experience w/ Highline's matcha was not pleasant so I'm posting here ONLY because I don't have Insta and that seems to be the only way to direct message (I really appreciate you all, Highline!). Based on the pale green of the drink I received (see pic), I wonder if culinary matcha has been subbed in here for a more ceremonial grade. This is SO common because the ceremonial grade stuff is $$. But the supposed culinary result was low on flavor and left me with something of a lingering, scalded aftertaste as though the milk had been overheated. Did not drink :( My home recipe for success has involved a shift to granulated maple syrup bless, I add a tablespoon to an empty mug, froth 2 oz water with 1/4 tsp ceremonial grade matcha, add to mug. Then froth 4oz non-dairy milk, top of mug. The drink mixes itself so no stirring! Lots of recipes call for 1 or even 2 tsp matcha and I find the outcome is still excellent with less matcha which also makes for a more cost-effective ceremonial equation. Happy to see Highline thrive and hope this encouragement can help make a good...

I know this is against the norm, but I really did not have a good experience here. Let me break it down.

Price: The prices at Highline are definitely above the norm for coffee shops. At $4.25 for an Iced Mocha, I was expecting something fantastic.

Menu: Nothing out of the ordinary here, just your standard coffee shop fare including the typical espresso drinks and a (rather sparse) selection of baked goods. What was missing for me was a selection of house specialty drinks, to set Highline apart from the dozens of other coffee shops in the Columbus metro. I only saw one (1) specialty drink.

Space: Highline occupies a small (and I mean SMALL) space right off High Street in Worthington. Parking wise, there is plentiful, free, public parking nearby, which is certainly a plus. The shop itself, however, feels cramped. Two other gentlemen walked in right after I ordered, and I had to slide past them toward the door so they could get to the counter to order. Further, Highline has no interior tables, so if you were planning on sitting in the shop to work, think again.

The Coffee: Lastly, and most importantly, the coffee. As mentioned previously, I ordered an Iced Mocha. While the service was excellent and my drink arrived promptly, the quality of the drink itself was poor. The syrup was not distributed through the drink, and clumped at the bottom. Flavor wise, the Mocha tasted like it had been mixed with Nesquik to get its chocolateyness. Now, I'm not against Nesquik on principle, but I don't want it in my coffee.

Overall, I would not recommend Highline...

A true shop with light roast, medium and dark and a HUGE HEART.

The reason I love this shop is because of the availability. Every day I have the option to choose an Ethiopian to a dark Colombian. Throughout the year it can rotate as they use one of the best roasters in Ohio; granting an advantage to taste new offerings and provoke a bag purchase. YES, they also offer 12 ounce bags of whole beans and of course you can request them to be grind it if needed. This is huge, because it saves me from mail order, or having to run directly to the roaster.

Now that they’ve implemented online ordering I’m saving 10 to 15 minutes a day in the AM - before I start work. I simply go to the site load my cart, and then show up at the window. It’s that simple.

Cold brew: Method Espresso (One Line!!!) If you take it black this is the perfect level of rich and full. If you like a splash of something try oat milk. It gives a subtle sweet and smoky taste. Promise, it’s good!

Drip: usually there is 3 options - light, medium, dark. I had the light, which is Ethiopian and the notes are huuuuge! So flavorful. If you buy a bag, I recommend making iced coffee using 21 grams and 300 ml water (150 cubes, 150 brew water)

For the kids: I would have died for the steamer when I was strolling the neighborhood on my Dyno!!! Mom’s and dad’s we know you’re busy and working from home... grab something for the kids. It’ll shut them up for 10 minutes!!!

The menu options are vast and yet all valuable...