Black Owl Cafe

Category:	Coffee Shop
Address:	414 Walbridge St, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA
Phone:	+1 269-459-1334
Site:	blackowlcafe.com
Rating:	4.7
Working:	7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 7AM–7PM 9AM–2PM 9AM–2PM

Location

Photos 1

Reviews 15

Adam Adam

This place certainly has a cute ambiance which draws you in. However, it was quite crowded which is fine, but once we sat down at a table no one cleared it off through our entire meal. Im not picky and this would be fine and would only remove a star in my book. However, the food was just terrible. We ordered their famous chai tea lattes which were overly bitter, and yet somehow watered down and overpowered with raw cloves. Even this would have been bearable but I ordered the biscuits and gravy which had good biscuits, but the gravy was basically heavy cream with nothing else, it had almost no meat chunks in it to speak of. Any gravy without a plethora of meat chunks is a crime against humanity. Maybe they were trying to appeal to the hipster pallet by making it nearly meatless, but if so this place is hipstering itself to death. Not only that but they didnt put enough gravy on the biscuits so they dried out and stuck to my throat. This was fine because i couldnt finish them because the gravy was so overwhelmingly just the taste of heavy cream and no other flavor that it was making me sick to eat them. When my wife (who also ate some of my dish) and I got home we both felt sick the rest of the day so maybe something was even wrong with them. Her dish was an egg omlet that was far inferior to one that we could even make at home, and the potatoes on the side were tastless and cold. Ill normally eat anything, my wife can attest to this, but BOO, this food was surprisingly bad! How did this place get such good reviews? It must be the ambiance. I was so disappointed. I dont normally ask for a refund but I was tempted.

Naomi Gonzalostein

The town with the funny name has a hipsterish joint to get your cup of joe in. Well,sort of. Rustic wood table, looks like it was hand hewn from a large log. Those old,wooden, school - maybe office? - type rotating chairs; hmm, can you say bohemian?Maybe poser boho, like the photos of a blonde in a white peasant maxi dress showinga lot of cleavage. The kind of place someone likes to let her or his hair down at, after a long, hard day at a groovy job. Yet, votes for Japan to nuke the whales. That wasthe impression I got when I first walked through The Black Owls door. Seemed confirmedwhen my eyes popped out looking at the prices on the menu. Got a few, other, eyes popping out, gandering at my outfit. Its cool; thats what its there for. Course, if youre not into the whole, grunge branch of the boho scene, and like your boho style loud and colorfull, and are mindful of prying eyes, you might want to back it down a notch. Just a quick flavor note. So; on a different flavor note, being a coffee afficianado and an adventurous sort, I requested one of the blends on The Black Owls menu that seemed most exotic to me.Bleck!!! Horrible! Was this coffee or what? Had to order something new, that was just a wee bit more conventional. Suave...smooth. Pretty good.The coffee eventually cooled down and so did the crowd, actually, crowd might be an exaggeration, and The Black Owl became a nice place to kick the old dogs up onto a neighbouring chair. Coffee break ended, hopped on the back seat of my boyfriend Steves chopper andwe roared off into the sunset. The End. P.S. Plenty of parking space for motorcycles or otherwise.

Ayla Aktan

Amazing coffee, amazing food, and a wonderful place to visit. The coffee here, their specialty, is incredible. Although it may take a bit to get your coffee, its well worth the wait once you take a sip. This is due to the method they use, drip coffee, but is definitely a huge reason why the coffee is delicious. Although not a food place, their breakfast food is amazing along with some pastries they sometimes offer. It should be noted, they only offer breakfast on the weekends [along with Friday], so dont expect to come on a Wednesday and get breakfast. One should also keep in mind, some weekends are especially busy, so service may be a bit slow, but once you place your order itll be served in no time. The ambiance is very unique and I love it. Hard to describe without actually stepping foot into the cafe, so you should definitely visit! Highly recommend this place to anyone visiting downtown Kalamazoo and loves coffee.

Scott Swope

One of the top three coffee stops in Kalamazoo. Top tier, locally roasted coffee. Knowledgeable and friendly baristas and great food options. The dining area is very comfortable in his rustic decor. Excellent place to get some work done or for meeting with others. Until they are able to complete the upstairs area, the seating is sometimes insufficient. Weather permitting there are some nice out door seating options. And one last thing - I dont think Ive ever written this in a review before - but you have to check out the bathroom. Seriously, one of the best decorated Ive ever seen in any restaurant.

Logan Brissette

Absolutely my favorite cafe I have been to in my life. Great place to sit and study the day away, to read that book you have been meaning to read, or to just sit and chat with friends. Love the outside tables too in the summer. Coffee and specialty drinks are superbly made. Staff has always been incredibly courteous and helpful. I will be sad when the day comes that I leave for graduate school. <3

Alec Wells

Easily the best coffee in Kalamazoo but, and I cant emphasize this enough, call to check if theyre open before going. Very irregular hours without updates to Google, their Facebook page, or their website. Ive been burned countless times by checking their hours online and then finding them closed after making the trek down.

Anastacia Scott

Never a bad experience on the coffee side of things. The brunch service can be lacking depending on when you hit during a busy shift. But the staff still deliver great service, even when short handed. Great hole in the wall place!

Josh Marunde

Great, (non-syrup) flavored / seasonal coffees and the atmosphere is amazing. Warm, rustic, and free wifi. They offer multiple brewing methods, with theyre suggested method being chemex slow-brew. DELICIOUS.

Dylan Walter

Great coffee, comfortable atmosphere. The coffee has amazing flavor, one of the best Ive tasted in west Michigan, also the price is very well set. Black owl also serves breakfast Friday through Sunday.

Austin Mifsud

Delicious food and drinks. Its a small business so expect a bit of a wait. But it is soooooo worth it. On par with Crows Nest. Best Chi Late in Kalamazoo. 10/10 would recommend to friends.

Hoai Nguyen

Coffee is okay, but not great (from a traveler perspective). Space is very cool though - outdoor area with garden touches, hip industrial building and interior space. Nice baristas.

Dave Van Haren

I love the Black Owl! It has such a unique and warm vibe, and the best lattes in town! The breakfast on the weekends is spectacular, amazing food for a great price!

Anthony Morey

Coffee roasted on premises, choice of Chemex and Vacuum brewing methods amongst others. Very good espresso and espresso based beverages. Excellent atmosphere.

Matthew Davis

This is an awesome place with a cool atmosphere. Good food, great prices and amazing coffee. A must for visitors to the city, this building is one of a kind.

Ben Herrera

The best coffee you can get in Michigan, and yes, it is better than water street. The atmosphere is great and each cup of coffee is perfectly crafted.