Location
4161 Grand Ave. S., Minneapolis
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Ratings
| Location: | ★★★ |
| Atmosphere: | ★★★★ |
| Coffee: | ★★★★ |
| Food: | ★★★★ |
| Service: | ★★★ |
| Vibe: | ★★★★ |
| Overall: | ★★★½ |
Pros
Comfortable — feels almost like being at home, but better; excellent coffee and home-baked items.
Cons
Limited table seating; a little too out-of-the-way if you don’t live in the neighborhood.
Review
Finding a coffeehouse for this week’s review has been a bit of a challenge. I had hoped to review the new 3 Tiers bakery/cafe that just opened in my neighborhood on Saturday. But my experience there on opening day left such a negative impression that I think I’m going to need to wait at least a few weeks before I can go back to give it a fair review.
Having run out of options in my immediate Longfellow/Nokomis area, I’ve decided to branch out into other parts of Minneapolis. Today I headed to the Kingfield neighborhood in southwest Minneapolis. My initial plan was to go to Anodyne at 43rd and Nicollet. In fact, I did go there. But it was too crowded and too hot, and I decided to save it for another day. So I headed over to nearby Caffe Tempo at 42nd and Grand. I’m glad I did.
I immediately felt comfortable — almost at home — when I stepped inside. I’m not sure if it’s because the interior reminds me a bit of the old “mom-and-pop” stores I remember shopping at when I was a kid, in their dying days just before the big boxes began to take over, or if it was simply the fact that the temperature inside was far more pleasant than at Anodyne, but I knew I wanted to stay.
Caffe Tempo has a definite neighborhood vibe. It’s the kind of place that attracts a lot of local regulars, not unlike the oft-mentioned Nokomis Beach Coffee in my own neighborhood, although Caffe Tempo is better suited to a leisurely visit, with its plentiful “comfy” seating. There aren’t many tables to sit at, and at the moment most of them are occupied, so it does present a bit of a challenge for the caffeine junkie looking to get some work done.
The coffee is excellent, among the best I’ve had in my travels so far. The pastries, baked on premises, are also excellent. Grilled sandwiches are available for lunch, and I’m already contemplating staying long enough to get one, assuming I can work off the croissant I’m currently eating, through vigorous typing.
Because Caffe Tempo is tucked away in a residential area, it’s easy to overlook, which is probably to its advantage for maintaining its relaxed vibe, but also does a disservice to its pleasant atmosphere and excellent coffee and food. I’m not in this area very often, and when I am it’s usually on a “main drag” a few blocks over. But anyone who lives in or visits this neighborhood regularly should definitely check out Caffe Tempo, assuming they haven’t already.
