ChowDown Cafe — Restaurant in West Chester Township

A hidden gem. Strong, no fuss coffee without any bitterness or acidity! Would recommend a stop. Drink details: I ordered a 20oz hot vanilla latte and total was $6 and change. I order the same at every coffee shop when it’s my first visit so I can compare flavor, and this cafe probably is tied for the strongest espresso but without the harsh aftertaste others may have. Vanilla and milk were subtle, which is great for those looking for a clean flavor. (I however prefer my lattes tasting like a treat after my workouts, so next visit I’ll be asking for extra syrup.)

Atmosphere: Shop was empty but service was kind and atmosphere welcoming. Sign is a bit hard to read from the street, but cafe is located on the corner of a small business strip right next to the subway. There’s lots of tables to meet with friends or enjoy a book without straining your eyes (lots of natural lighting). Speaking of, they conveniently have a bookshelf with page-turners if you find yourself escaping here without one handy. Definitely worth the additional 5 minutes to stop here vs Starbucks, reason #1 its Locally owned. Reason #2 coffee tastes MUCH better and like I said, it packs a delightful punch. I’m still wired as I type this out hours later ha!

Let me know if you check it out, I’m curious to see if my review helps brings them business. (I hope it does- it’s great and deserves it!) Either way, I look forward to stopping in again next time I am in the...

Very nicely decorated space and chill vibe. It was the perfect place for our group to gather and have a discussion. There was some background music but nothing too loud or distracting. Plenty of coffee and tea offerings were available. There was also a very tempting pastry case. They offer a program to purchase a coffee for a future (charitable) event they are holding. If you are bored or waiting on someone, there is an unassuming bookshelf in the corner available for your perusal. Tonight I was boring and had black coffee, which was pretty good. The mug option was a nice touch, though refills were $1. They do have some nice milk alternative options but the coconut milk is sweetened. A few of my companions had London Fogs and declared them quite good. I am looking forward to the wine bit being available. This will be a very...

UPDATE: the cafe has started selling bagged coffee so I added a star back to my rating. Nice! The original, unedited review is below.

The shop itself is not easy to find and looks like a vape shop or something from the outside. Inside, it’s about what you’d expect from a suburban coffee shop. They make some attempts at “third wave” style espresso drinks in addition to the sugary lattes they are known for, but the execution is about average. Pastries are fine. I wasn’t impressed with the wine selection, but it may change over time. Also, they don’t sell bagged coffee beans, which is a real missed opportunity since they work with a decent coffee supplier and crimson cup (yuck) is the only competitor on this...