Coffee Proper

*This experience happened a few months ago*

I'll admit I'm a little bit of a coffee snob, ehh-- I just know what I like and I have reasonable expectations. Anyways, I figured I'd give this place a try. The name is cute, the coffee shop looks cozy and the reviews are pretty good. Also, I prefer supporting smaller businesses rather than large money-hungry chains. Unfortunately, I was not pleased.

1. It's not very obvious where you order and where you wait for coffee. There's a rug that runs all the way up to where you receive your beverage, but you pay to the right of that off the ramp. It's confusing and a little embarrassing for first time customers.

2. The line was crazy busy, which is fine because, like me, people enjoy their coffee. However, it was unorganized and chaotic. People were getting their drinks out of order, baristas were forgetting to make certain drinks, etc.

3. They only have ONE cup size. I prefer quantity AND quality when it comes to my coffee, especially if I'm paying a lot of money for it.

4. My vanilla latte wasn't sweetened when I asked for it to be sweetened. While I was waiting in line for sugar, I overheard they were out of sugar. This is a COFFEE shop. How can you be OUT of sugar? Nobody was apologizing, nothing and I would have appreciated a warning of the outage BEFORE paying almost 5 bucks for my, what 8 ounce coffee?

The only plus is the atmosphere. You can bring your own records to play on their record player. Sadly, the service, price and quality isn't worth it.

I hate to criticize a labor of love, which is clearly what this place is. But here goes:

Pros: the Pourover I got -- with Honduran beans roasted by Rising Star -- was delicious. A very good cup that I was happy to pay $3 for. For that I'd return.

Cons: the place has a hippie-ish, dark, dated feel that made me want to leave as soon as my coffee was ready. There's clutter everywhere, from equipment behind the counter to books and knickknacks and other junk in the seating area. Half the display cases were empty, and what was there looked sad and old. The sweet gal behind the counter didn't know answers to my questions about the beans or the process. The list of coffees apparently is limited to just one kind of bean. For some reason they don't offer non-dairy milks, which makes zero sense.

Bottom line: great coffee, good intentions. But the place looks shabby and unkempt and apparently was designed by a Deadhead frat boy. Not for me.

This is a hidden gem in Lakewood, and I'm glad I had the pleasure to go and taste some amazing coffee while soaking in the great atmosphere. I've known the owner on a professional note as he does taxes for some members of my family. So when I found out he now was a co-owner of a coffee shop in Lakewood I wanted to stop in and see. And what a wonderful place! I could tell that every customer was treated to a gourmet experience; chats with customers about the bean roasting, the source of the beans, the process used to make some of the great coffee we're about to have, etc.

This place is not for the casual coffee and donut kinda person; if you go in and ask for a coffee you might be confused when you look at the menu of different espressos, teas, and other kinds of café products I can't quite recall seeing at other more mainstream coffee shops. But the owner is a very personable and friendly guy, striking up small talk amongst the various customers who were reading, chatting, and just having a relaxing Saturday afternoon.


If you want a nice, unique café experience, I suggest stopping on in.

This is a no-compromise place that simply makes spectacular pour-over coffee, espresso drinks and teas. It's "proper" by definition of the owners, and they won't change it for you. While I think you should thank them for that, since I just had the best cappuccino I've ever had, this place isn't for everyone. Like to put crap like soy milk in your coffee? Forget about it. The owners hate soy milk and won't serve it. Want $1 swill? Go elsewhere. You can't have it your way, it's not cheap, and I respect that. Local beans, local owners and a commitment to excellence for a reasonable price. I'm sad I haven't gone sooner.

Coffee pretentious it should be called! It's laughable today because I had time to soak in the absurdity and price tag that came with my visit to coffee proper. It was after 7 pm on a Friday and the men working with their wild awesome beards gave me a hello as I walk in and I thought okay this place looks cool, I've been wanting to stop in for awhile now and they carry my paleo friendly "treats"that I thought this place is going to be my new Mecca. I was wrong, so so wrong. This very NYC mixed with Seattle'esque barista was cute and looked so promising and his glorious beard made me think that this dude knows what the f he is doing....

As the hipsterish/emo/cavemenesque barista with blank stare asks me what I would like I order a double espresso for my husband who was in the car waiting as I stopped in. I wanted to like him because that beard was well awesome. I wanted to order a coffee with coconut milk or heavy cream as I am paleo and can't have dairy. He proceeds to weirdly state that HE (the barista god) has made the exception of just carrying whole, grass fed, cow milk and that they too are a Paleo place and understood why I was asking and again as I'm telling him I don't do dairy-I ask so no pure coconut milk? He again says 3 haunting words "grass fed milk". You are paleo friendly yet only carry dairy? This made no sense to me. What about the individuals who are vegan or lactose intolerant? Do you force them to drink grass fed cow milk latte's because you don't want to carry another option and made an exception to only this glorious grass fed milk? I was annoyed, that beard was looking less godly by the millisecond.
What about Kalhona grass fed cow organic pure heavy cream? One of the best creams on the market that I love so dearly? I see you carry epic bars, Jackson honest chips (which they marked up $2 a bag from retail btw) and primal chocolate bars but no other "milk option". I started regretting ordering that espresso...

The espresso. He proceeds to ask me which bean I would like, I said this is for hubby in the car who is staying with our daughter, so whatever he feels is the best espresso (I don't drink espresso's) and that my husband knows, breathes and lives his espresso's. He tells me again he will "make an exception" and serve it in a to go cup because he would rather not do that and I said okay thanks? What if I was running to a meeting or a yoga class and I wanted my espresso to go? Will you force me to order it for there and stand over me as you watch me drink it while your beard cascades in front of my face? I am a $30 paying customer and if i want it to go damnit you better give it to me to go...So freakin weird...he is starting to creep me out, and obviously the to go espresso messes up his barista powers and gasp might ruin the espresso (which sucked btw) I tell him the hubby travels the world literally for work and he has tasted the finest espresso's from Italy to Singapore to Vietnam etc..so whatever he feels is best make him that-you my friend are the expert correct? I am hopeful. I stock up on my way overpriced marked up goodies I kinda needed and $30 later I'm out the door with the espresso and shamed that I literally spent that much on 2 bags of chips, 2 epic bars primal chocolate and that damn espresso..
The moment of truth, hubby gets the espresso and as I am there so proud that he is going to taste the best espresso ever (ummm beard made it) tastes it and literally not kidding spoiled up his face spit it out in the cup and was like WTF is this! He was so pissed he was about to go inside and freak out on my bearded barista. I talked him out of it. Like I said before you can't pull the "oh this is a bean from wherever and it's slowly roasted at this temp to give it this luxurious crema and taste on the palate" BS. He knows his espresso-trust me and his well travelled palate. I tasted it and almost gagged myself it was like drinking a straight shot of vinegar and I thought maybe this espresso bean is supposed to taste like? Nope. It was so incredibly bitter and acidic and not in a good way at all hubby says in all his time he has NEVER tasted one so unpalatable. The entire car ride home he was livid about me paying that much for crap, tossed it out the window and called the place to speak with the barista-luckily no answer.

My husband the calm loving real espresso drinker was about to call the bearded dragon and freak out on him for ruining his precious palate. Laughing, I told him about my experience in the shop and we laughed so much at how we have travelled to the greatest barista coffee shops in the world and in the US and this was the most pretentious shop with the most pretentious barista who "obviously"knows his espresso which sucked.
Oh and btw fantastic bearded gent we will not be stopping back to try your African/Ethiopian blended espresso you wanted me to recommend to hubby he will get a real one when he visits that country

Excellent place for a coffee connoisseur to stop. Very informative staff, will help you if you are not a connoisseur.

Very cool interior. The espresso I had was quite good - the Ehtiopian Yrgacheffe.It expressed subtle flavors well, intense and lovely. Their dedication to goodness and simplicity is really nice. 4 stars rather than 5 because prices are the highest of any of the "high end" coffee shops in Cleveland. It's priced like it's in NYC.

$3 for a pour over, sure. $5 for an iced coffee, a bit too much. This place is quite good, but I always feel underwhelmed when I leave, I wish I could like it more

If you only drink coffee for the caffeine, then this place might not be for you. This place takes coffee serious and everything else in the world not so seriously. Great baristas, with great personalities, making the best coffee and teas you can find. Seriously, they are always up to date with new and improved techniques to making you the best cup of coffee money can buy. Definitely an awesome local business to check out.

I came to Cleveland from Chicago to visit a friend for the weekend. Wanted to grab a coffee while everyone else was sleeping and Coffee Proper was right down the street.
The atmosphere here was disjointed. It as if they couldn't decide whether they wanted to make it a comfy coffee shop or an upscale Intelligentsia-like cafe. They had old, mismatched, peeling stools right by the Pacman arcade table (cool though) but on the other side of the room you'll find high-end coffee gadgets and $150 BoosBlock cutting boards(???)
Okay, onto the coffee.
After looking over the menu I approached the unenthused or tired barista. When I asked the difference between the two pour overs he gave me one flavor note of each. One has chocolate flavors one has more currant notes. I asked for the less acidic of the two, which ended up being the Brazilian.
I know I'm the only one in here, but is "umm, your coffee is ready" the best way to tell me to come get my order?
Not the friendly and super helpful baristas I have become accustomed to in Chicago.
The pour-over was very good though.

*Not interested in Paleo trends at all (especially at those prices) so I was excited the Beck Center, to which they are connected, was holding a fundraiser and selling donuts.