Caffe Lento

My review had not better be the last one for Caffe Lento! You must try this place out. It is in my part of the neighborhood, so I decided to take my first visit here today. This was heightened by my learning that Caffe Lento is closing at the end of the year.
While bittersweet, you should be pleased to know that the owners are opening up a chocolate shop up the street at Crossroads Mall called GrendelSweets Caffe Emporium at the beginning of the next decade which is very soon.
The new shop will offer chocolates and their mochas. But that is in the future. Today, I got a tall mocha ($ 3.40) and a blueberry scone ($ 2). They have several choices in regards to chocolate for your mocha. Choices were white, dark and milk chocolate.
I went for the dark, this gave the mocha a bit of a slightly bitter type taste which was decent. As for the scone, it was excellent. It has got a crispy taste to it that I enjoy and that is not too heavy. I don’t know if the new store will have these scones, but here’s hoping they do.
All in all, Caffe Lento is a decent coffee shop. It is a bit small, but it is nice to have a comfortable independent coffee store in my neck of the woods. Alas, I hardly knew you Caffe Lento. Here’s to visiting you in your next incarnation in the new year.

I came by for a morning mocha and ended up grabbing a slice of (tasty) chocolate banana bread as well. The chocolates looked good too, but I figured that might be a bit too sweet for breakfast.
The men working seemed really pleasant and she brought the mocha to my table. It was nice to spend time for relaxing and meeting my friends my friends.
I love this place and their coffee

Overall: A locally owned business that serves fair-​trade organic coffees and organic home-​baked items
I first learnt of this place in the PCC member flyer that comes around every month. When I read that they did organic coffees/​teas and baked all organic pastries/​breads etc on site — I had to try them!
They have unusual opening times, but that’s what I expect from a small, locally owned business — I managed to catch them open last Friday. I knew I had to try Caffe Lento’s mochas, as they use molten chocolate and not chocolate syrup. I grabbed two mochas — one Mexican/​Mayan style, I believe (with cinnamon and cayenne) and the other with dark chocolate, with two pieces of banana & chocolate bread and two handcrafted dark chocolate enrobed roasted almonds. On showing my snippet from the PCC-​member flyer, I got an immediate 10% discount; it all came to around $ 14.
This place is small, with about four sets of table and chairs. They have a small cabinet with their daily baked goods, which didn’t really have that much in there — there was the banana bread, scones, muffins and a couple of chocolates. This is a good thing, at least you know they aren’t going to re-​use the old pastries tomorrow! The lady who owns this place is really polite and friendly and although this place is small, they do take plastic.
The Mexican/​Mayan mocha was pretty good, but there was very little hint of coffee, if any at all. The dark chocolate mocha tasted more like hot chocolate, with no coffee in it — a little disappointing. The best part of this place was that I forgot to ask for soy milk (not sure if they do it or not), which is something I frequently do, just in case my highly sensitive stomach doesn’t agree with it … but after drinking my mocha and eating my banana bread I had no side effects, so they MUST use good ingredients!!!
I’d definitely pop in again to try other pastries/​cakes here and maybe pick up another Mexican/​Mayan mocha…
As a note — mention their webpage and you get 10% off your order.

New and improved reviews! Now, with sound!™
So, I was driving on I-​90, clutching my iPhone as I am known to do — you know, checking e-​mail, etc. — NO! I kid. The only app I use while driving is the Unilocal app, and I only have to press two buttons — the Unilocal button (to launch it) and the Nearby button to see what’s nearby. That’s all I do. Honest.
OK, so I was craving a cup of coffee, so Unilocal directed me here ALL THE WAY FROM I-​90. But this was what I was expecting, and this is what I was looking for — a small hole-​in-​the-​wall café that happens to serve excellent coffee at the same time. It happened to be on my route, so all is well. GroundsForChange is the coffee, and I had a double-​tall latte. The grinds may have sat in the group a bit too long, (10 sec. or so?) but I think part of that was my fault, so I’ll give it a pass. Excellent music on the radio, free wi-​fi, and friendly service. What’s not to like?
And, your link to the sound!
I forgot to change the picture that’s linked to the sounds, so it’s still a picture of the goodwill. Ignore that. I’m still working out the bugs.

This spot did not seem super amazing (maybe it is?), but it’s perfect for what it is… and the location (within a moments walk of the DOL) is quite convenient.
I came by for a morning mocha and ended up grabbing a slice of (tasty) chocolate banana bread as well. The chocolates looked good too, but I figured that might be a bit too sweet for breakfast.
The woman working seemed really pleasant and she brought the mocha to my table. I was rather surprised, but I guess that makes sense when there’s only one customer. It was nice to spend some time relaxing and finishing up my coffee while she kept herself busy in the back, and I was happy to see that there were a few tables of customers when I walked by a little later.
Oh and I second Julia: They DO take plastic! Visa and Master Card, to be specific.

By the way, I don’t know who said that Elena doesn’t accept credit cards, but she does. Cash is always nice for smaller purchases and to tip your barista — and service fees can be nasty on small transactions — but don’t let that scare you away! Let your service-​fee guilt inspire you to buy your sweetheart a big assortment of chocolates while you get your coffee fix! LOL
Oh, and OMG, those chocolate hearts at Valentine’s Day were so good that I had to get more. The box my DH bought me was ample but I couldn’t stop eating them… there’s something about the perfect balance of sweetness and bite in her chocolate that makes it special.

I happened in here after I decided I didnt want to frequent the chain coffee stores any more… loved it! I’m trying not to get addicted but she uses her HANDMADE chocolate for her mocha coffees… way too yummy. This is a small coffee/​treats shop that you an feel happy to support because A) it stastes great and B) Elena is awesome!

So here I am to write a review, and what does the text entry box say? «If you happen to know the owner… don’t write a review.» Well, I’m ignoring that. I DO know the owner. However, I met her as part of being a regular customer at her store, so I don’t think that counts. Chances are, if you go into her store you’ll meet her too.
Others have talked about the great coffee, the wonderful chocolates, and the organic and fair trade aspects of the offerings, so I’ll fill in a few other things that I think should be pointed out…
1. The pepper-​jack cheese scone. Looks plain, especially next to the blueberry scones. They are my favorite. DO NOT try them. You’ll like them, and they are MINE! Try the coconut macadamia banana bread. Also a favorite of mine, but I guess I could share that. :-)
2. The hot-​chocolate and mocha’s are made by melting real chocolate, not by using chocolate syrup. I think someone else mentioned that already, but what they don’t mention is that you can get milk or dark chocolate, or a blend of the two. Got a favorite? Give it a try.
3. The ‘to-​go’ cups are compostable. ‘Nuff said.
4. If you’re into chocolate, try the spicy raspberry truffle. It’s not too spicy hot, so don’t worry about that. It’s got a good chocolate raspberry flavor with just enough spice at the end to make you want another. Bet you can’t eat just one!
5. If you’re lucky enough to see the «hot chocolate» cookies in the case… give them a try. They are chocolate cookies with just a hint of cayenne pepper. Mmm. Great with a latte.

After lunch at Wonton City, and not having to go to work, I used my awesome powers of persuasion upon Don L once again and said «coffee» out loud. We strolled down through the Lake Hills shopping center and came to Caffe’ Lento.
This little Caffe’ wins right off the bat for its dcor. Very lovely, and although small, so inviting to just to want to sit and enjoy.
It smells AMAZING in here with all the chocolate treats being prepared.
The barista was super friendly, and was kind to «warn» me that my mocha may not be «what I’m used to», as this was «real chocolate». I assured her I was not only aware, but looking forward to it.
It was all I hoped it would be.

Great coffee, and more importantly, excellent hot chocolate. This is a hidden gem that I discovered around the corner of one of my favorite haunts — Wonton City. Try the dark hot chocolate. It has a rich flavor that is slightly sweet. and not bitter I really dislike overly sweet hot chocolate so this was the perfect balance for me. Also try the chocolate-​dipped mini biscotti. Unlike most biscotti, this wasn’t overly dry but slightly tender while still retaining that lovely biscotti crunch. Tiny yet charming interior. My only complaint is that it is not always open when I want it to be.