I wasn’t much of a coffee drinker growing up. Honestly I didn’t really start incorporating it into my regular Saturday diet until my second year in Indy. With places like Coat Check Coffee, there simply isn’t a better way to start your morning.

If you’re not sure where to find Coat Check Coffee, don’t worry, I was a little confused when I was looking for it myself. It’s part of the Athenaeum building downtown just of off Mass Ave and Michigan. It’s a large, old-timey building filled to the brim with the story of German Culture in Indy. Seriously, there’s even a wall talking about this. The place is awesome.

Anyways, the only signage for Coat Check is the logo on the door’s window and a letter board outside. I could see why you’d walk by and not think anything else about it…but you won’t. If you’re in Indy, and coffee is on your schedule, then you’re probably already aware of Coat Check because a) someone told you when you asked where is a good place to get coffee or b) you looked up the best coffee shops in Indy or c) I’m telling you now, it’s really that damn good. Don’t believe me? Wait till you see how packed the place always is (and the wait, which honestly isn’t long, is totally worth it).

The Atmosphere

Don’t let the small, easy-to-overlook entrance fool you—once you walk in Coat Check is something else entirely. You’ll be asking yourself “am I in the right place” as you look around at the giant, open seating areas that show off the beautiful architecture of the 120+ year-old building. And Coat Check only occupies a small part of it. It’s easy to get distracted until your eyes finally meet the lettering above the counter, pleasantly reminding you why you are here.

The Service

I don’t consider myself a regular by any means, but I feel like one at Coat Check. I’m there on an occasional Saturday and the staff always seems to be the same 4 or 5 people—they are consistently friendly, personable and you can genuinely tell they are passionate about what they do. I’ve also experienced them introducing themselves to customers, and they never have a problem making recommendations. Despite the line that’s always there when I get there, that customer service never seems to falter or slow things down. That’s what you can expect here.

It’s even pet friendly so expect to see a few dogs while you are there!

The Menu and the oh, so Amazing Lime Leaf Latte

One thing you’ll notice about the menu at Coat Check is that there isn’t much on it—altogether there’s maybe 15 or so drinks on there, but what is on it is masterfully-crafted and delicious. You’ve got five options for lattes: reg, Butterscotch, Ginger, Pistachio, and my current go-to, the Lime Leaf (sorry Butterscotch, it stole my heart). The first time I tried it, I wasn’t too worried about the flavor, but initially I had reservations. Coat Check does their other flavored-lattes so well there was no way they could get this wrong, or could they? Lime Leaf did sound like a weird flavor, but maybe it could work?

I don’t know what they did, how many times they made this experimenting, or if they dressed in lab coats and used a dropper to get the precise amount of lime juice, but they nailed it.

That latte reached right down to my soul, and then the subtle lime flavor came in at the end for a soothing finish. Drinks aren’t the only thing they do well, though. They’re croissants are made fresh daily and make an excellent partner for their lattes. On this trip I tried their almond lemon croissant and I wish I could tell you more about it, but I smashed it in like three seconds. All you need to know is that you should try it.

Final Thoughts

Do yourself a favor: next Saturday put on your best weekend garb or roll out of bed, it doesn’t matter they are going to serve you with a smile just the same, and take a trip to Coat Check Coffee. Chances are you’re going to have a great start to your day.

Until next time readers!