Coffee ME Up

Turkish coffee, and espresso done properly

Turkish coffee is the drink the shop is known for, and it is the reason to come in the first time. The espresso work is more conventional but deliberate: ground, tamped and extracted with care, so the macchiatos, lattes and cappuccinos land balanced rather than sour or bitter. The coffee identity rests on fundamentals instead of named origins or a rotating roaster list.

The rest of the board is straightforward. Arabica coffee, smooth nitro cold brew, tea, fresh squeezed lemonade and smoothies cover most of what people order, and the non-coffee side is strong enough that the café works for a table where only one person drinks espresso. Fresh squeezed lemonade in particular is a summer order the espresso crowd tends to overlook.

A bright room built to sit in

A husband-and-wife team built Coffee ME Up over five months with help from friends, starting with the space itself because they wanted people to feel welcome the moment they walked in. The result is white, bright and cheerful, with an industrial-meets-rustic look and a great deal of natural light.

It is built for staying. There is plenty of seating, comfortable seats, many power outlets, and outdoor seating both in front and on the back porch, so the room holds people reading, working and talking rather than moving them through. The tone is neighborly: regulars, friendly staff, and owners who are around and know the menu. The stated aim is a home away from home, and the layout delivers it instead of turning tables. It is the kind of room where people stay for hours.

Turkish coffee, then baklava

Order Turkish coffee first, then look for baklava. That pairing is the most specific version of this café, and it points at the Middle Eastern side of the pastry case sitting alongside the American and European baking.

The case is broader than one pastry: sweet and savory baked goods, homemade European specialties, traditional American favorites, breakfast and lunch sandwiches, and daily specials. For an everyday order rather than a first visit, a latte with a breakfast sandwich, or nitro cold brew with whatever came out of the oven that morning, is closer to the usual rhythm. Either way the mix of coffee, food and a room you can settle into is the whole proposition.