Coffee Cartel

I loved this coffee shop — especially the butter cream latte (sweet tooths will really savor this one). It was perfect — not cloyingly sweet and not at all artificial tasting. I found the service to be quick and welcoming as well. The area where you wait for the coffee has a bunch of «thank yous» from the service organizations to which Coffee Cartel has donated — very sweet. And the cashier helped me look for a glove that I had lost at some point that day.

Coffee Cartel is typically a mixed bag hahaha! You reach in every once in awhile and ⁸⁄₁₀ times it’s live but then again I assume you’re looking for a spot to get a coffee and unwind after a long night so it’s definitely the spot to do that any day of the week.

Gotta live this place. A bit divey and lots good drink and food stuff. Just right. Late nite in and just across street from my dinner stop. Will def return.

Oh, Coffee Cartel, how I love thee… from the Chi Frappes to the Sweet Cream lattes, you just cannot be beat.
I have been frequenting Coffee Cartel since about 2008 and I’ve never ever had an issue with them. The coffee price is a bit steep but in my mind it’s worth it to keep such a place in business.
Sure you get the occasional rowdy teens and homeless folks but it’s a city location so you have to keep everything in perspective. If you want a place to work by yourself at 12pm or meet with friends at 12am, get thee to this blessing of a coffee establishment.

If you can find parking, this place is a good place to check out. It’s a bit pricey but there is plenty of room inside with a pool table and games in the back room. There will often be patrons camped out with their computers since they offer free Wi-​Fi for their customers. Their coffee is just ok, but a place to lounge in the middle of the hustle & bustle of the CWE is sometimes exactly what is needed.

There are a few good things about Coffee Cartel that are unfortunately also hindered by some factors that just really made this somewhere I’m not dying to go back to unless I needed somewhere to sit and study at an ungodly hour. I would also like to note that I came here at 12 A.M., so I can’t speak for what it’s like when this place is busy.
The good:
1) Open ²⁴⁄₇ and in a nicer part of the Central West End that you’d feel comfortable being at all times of night, even if you aren’t completely familiar with the area.
2) There’s an extensive (and I mean seriously extensive) variety of food and drink here, including house made items (mostly cooked on griddle top thing?), desserts, bottled sodas, and, obviously, coffee.
3) The lay out of this place makes it possible to (more than likely) find an area that suits what you’re there for. Some parts of it seemed «quieter» with people studying/​doing whatever, and some parts had people who were there to socialize with their friends. Or both. It’s a pretty big space.
4) The Wi-​Fi is fast and reliable, unlike some places like STL Bread Co. that kick you off after a half hour.
The bad:
As someone who hasn’t worked in a place that’s open 24/​7, I can openly acknowledge that the employees probably don’t have the easiest job when it comes to taking care of customers at the cash register, taking a food and drink order, and preparing it. However, the people here just seemed a *little* too uninterested in anyone that walked through the door. As someone who has worked in different positions in the service industry, I know what it’s like when you’re doing one thing when you have people who are waiting to be rung up/​tended to/​etc. However, The problem I had was that the cashier literally ignored us for at least five minutes during two separate occasions while we were waiting to buy things. The guy making our drinks simply placed our coffees on the ledge of the counter, without a mutter as to what they were/​if they were even our drinks. I understand that they have to a variety of tasks to fulfill, but it seems slightly rude to ignore customers waiting to give you money, then ignore them for another five while you go about your business, and then proceed to act inconvenienced when they dare to double check that what they’re taking is theirs. The food and drinks were pretty mediocre for the price, in my opinion. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had, but I wasn’t dying to finish it either. Maybe it was just an «off» night, which I can understand. I’ve had them too. Hopefully the next time I come here it will be different, because Coffee Cartel is a cool concept and a nice spot to come when you need a caffeine fix before finals.

Busy place in a great people watching corner in the Central West End and they have some good desserts. Otherwise, the place is filthy, cramped, cluttered, service is shotty and depending upon who rings your order up, you are at serious s risk of being overcharged. It’s a good thing they have location going for them. Otherwise, they would not likely stay in business. Good spot to sit outside in nice weather months.

I really dig coffee cartel. I used to come here a lot in high school and I came back the other day while in town for thanksgiving. It is bigger than I remember! There are a couple different rooms so there is plenty of seating. They have a huge selection of coffee and teas. And as far as coffee shop food goes, theirs is pretty great. No rubbery sandwiches here! I also like that they have ice cream and are open 24 hours! This is really a nice one stop shop for all of your coffee shop/​café/​late night/​ice cream needs. Plus they have awesome art up on the walls!

Okay coffee… not the best. I like their boozy drinks, teas, and snacks. Open 24/​7, and therefore a good place to go when pulling an all nighter or to sober up after a night of drinking.

My largest prior piece of criticism was the frustrating non-​existent or so-​slow-​its-​pointless wifi. This past week the wifi has picked up considerably to the point of being… reliable (gasp). I really love coming her to study. The vibe is weird/​funky — not the typical cliché cutesy coffee shop. I like the cutesy vibe during the day, but coffee cartel’s vibe is perfect for the ²⁴⁄₇ hours — I highly recommend coming here at any hour of the night.

Friendly staff, Great variety of teas and ice cream. And pretty good home made sandwiches and wraps. Yes, they could clean up the tables more often. But all in all: An oasis of individualism in the Starbucks world!

I take advantage of the 24 he service and usually stop by around 5 am on my way to work to grab a coffee. I really love their flavored coffee and prefer it over Starbucks which I think is overrated and overpriced.

Jason’s a great barista. Some of the other baristas make the mix too sweet when I order flavored coffee (which is always), but his are the best. They always know how to get you in and out even when it’s busy.

This place! It seems so weird to me! This part of town has such beautiful architecture and has so many restaurants that I would consider high end. But this place totally reminds me of every crummy coffee place in NYC. Obnoxious orange awnings that have never been cleaned and have grayed and even have streaks of black due to weather and dirt. It’s the called Coffee Cartel, yet the first thing I notice when I walk in the door is Edy’s Ice Cream. They have two enormous coolers that provide most of their counter space. So, not only is the coffee place serving tons of ice cream, it’s not even good ice cream — it’s Edy’s. I would prefer a place that sells a local ice cream. Next to the ice cream is a a little display case with cakes and brownies and such. They don’t look like they’re anything special, but that might have to do with the fact that they are wrapped in plastic-​wrapped and all squished.
My husband ordered an ice coffee and it was out in no time! But while service was fast (it wasn’t very busy at 9a on Labor Day morning) none of the people there greeted us, acted very friendly or even smiled.
We stepped aside to top off his cup with half and half. While they did have REAL half and half, I was surprised to see that on top of that, they felt the need to offer powder half and half. Why? Would anyone actually PREFER the powder?
Also, above this little station there was a sign posted — «No Loitering! You must purchase at least one beverage every half hour!» While I certainly understand where they’re coming from, the sign wasn’t written in a very friendly way and the time limit of one half hour is absurd. I can’t imagine this could actually be enforced or hat people even pay attention.

Groovy coffee joint in STL. They are open ²⁴⁄₇ and serve all items on their menu all day, everyday. The place even has a pool table if you are into that kind of thing.
The downside of the joint is their prices. Just a little too high for a cup of coffee.
I will definitely go here again though. It is right across from the Drunken Fish. Lolol.

$ 1.20 for a splash of soy milk?! Apparently Coffee Cartel is trying to pay its rent by gouging the vegan and lactose intolerant population. Speaking of the vegan stuff, there’s next to nothing to eat here. Another St. Louis business that’s way behind the times.
Other than that, coffee is decent and the location can be fun for people-​watching. It’s also an alright place to get work done as long as it’s not packed full of people, which it too often is.

I don’t really know how this place is still open.
Bad coffee, bad food, bad prices, bad service. The place is usually a little dirty, the line is long, and they make you buy more of their stuff if you want to sit and hang out. Its a great location, but just doesn’t seem to have their act together. I’ve been 5 or 6 times (mostly because of its location). I like to support local places, but in this case I’m likely to goto the Starbucks across the street.

Great little shop in a relaxed area. The chai latte was amazing and at a good price. We didn’t love the alcoholic coffees as much though. Tried green tea ice cream for the first time there too and it was delicious.

Coffee cartel for me is a place filled with memories of coffee and drinks with friends late at night.
I remember one summer hanging out past midnight in high school with a friend just chatting over some hummus and maybe a hot drink of some sort. It can be really pretty in the central west end with lots of great people watching under the street lights and a few stars above.
To be honest there aren’t any stand out drinks, but any of them will do. Maybe that would make this really 4 stars, but coffee cartel does something that other cafes in Saint Louis don’t.
When you ask other LGBT people from Saint Louis about Coffee Cartel, you’ll find out there’s a lot of history behind this place. They too have long standing memories of a welcoming place for all kinds of people at all times of the day.

The staple of the CWE makes a great hang & wait or people watching spot. Open ²⁴⁄₇ with a nice patio, tons of seating in the back room (s), and lots of fun drink options. All the coffee normalities plus booze plus ice cream. Combine them all and you’ve got a bunch o’ deliciousness.