Sump Coffee 3700 South Jefferson Ave 917 412 5670
Sump Coffee treats coffee like a sculptor handles a chunk of clay -- patient, calculated movements that result in a veritable work of art. So, yeah, this is not the place for a quick pit stop, or venti cappuccinos or lattes. Head barista Scott Carey carefully approaches each drink with the utmost care. For example, he'll brew El Salvadoran coffee roasted by Chicago's Intelligentsia using a Chemex (glass) brewer, while, on the other hand, he'll brew a Panamanian coffee from the same source in a ceramic Beehive coffee dripper. We didn't really follow that, either, but the end result is there for the tasting: rich flavor and a powerful rush of caffeine.
Coffee Cartel 2 Maryland Plaza, St. Louis, Missouri
Show up at Coffee Cartel on a Tuesday night at 2 a.m., and you're likely to find college students cramming for finals, insomniacs drinking their fifth cup of coffee and late-night partygoers sobering up. The Cartel is blessedly open 24/7, and is therefore one of the CWE's premier people-watching sites. A major plus is that the Cartel is happy to spike your coffee to warm you up on a cold night, or to make your afternoon a bit more interesting.
Stone Spiral Café 2500 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood
A block away from Maplewood's main drag, Stone Spiral's menu includes coffee, lattes and slushies with a few simple food items as well. Patrons can also peruse the free lending library for some literary inspiration while sipping out of a steamy mug -- how quaint! The aesthetics are easy on the eyes, with hand-painted windows boasting ads for lemonade and slushies, and interior walls decorated curious odds and ends, including concert posters from the '70s. So, if you're looking for a quiet place to read, do some work (wifi's fast and free) or hear a singer-songwriter (the evening music schedule is steady and diverse), there's no more friendly or comfortable café in town.
Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company 700 DeMun Ave. Clayton Mo.
This is the original -- where it all began for Kaldi's, one of St. Louis' favorite coffee houses. And while the building is small and can become a bit cramped, the interior is newly remodeled, and the coffee is modern. The DeMun location utilizes the pour-over method, which produces a surprisingly rich, flavorful cup of joe. The food menu is more than the usual coffeehouse fare of muffins and bagels; start your day with a housemade pastry alongside your morning coffee. If your mornings seem empty without your Kaldi's fix, the solution is simple: Buy your own bag and brew it at home.
MoKabe’s Coffeehouse 3606 Arsenal St. St. Louis, Mo.
Open till midnight every day of the week, MoKabe's is a South Grand refuge for students poring over textbooks and weary-eyed late-nighters not yet ready to call it night. The menu provides a variety of choices beyond biscotti and muffins, including salads and small bites, sandwiches and burgers, and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. And the staff members definitely know the business of the beans: They pour good, strong cups of straight-up java, plus plenty of delicious espresso drinks. There's also a spacious patio, plus a smoking area (downstairs) and a nonsmoking room (upstairs). Perhaps most important, there are electric outlets everywhere.
Posted on: 2016-04-07 3:33 PM 
