Z’s Divine Espresso Downtown

Z’s is one of my favorite cafés in Lawrence. The service is always very helpful and friendly, and the environment is clean. They have delicious croissants, muffins, cookies, and hot chocolate. They also have bagels. Whenever I’m in the mood to eat at a café, Z’s always comes to mind. If you’re hungry and in downtown Lawrence, I would highly recommend Z’s.

5 stars. «Big» Americano was the best I’ve ever had in the entire state of Kansas. I highly recommend. I would keep coming back if I ever was in Lawrence KS again.

This is my favorite coffee shop in Lawrence, thus far. I’ve been in here at least half a dozen times and my lattes are consistently perfect. I haven’t fallen in love with the atmosphere of the shop, it’s just not my style. But I usually get my drinks to go anyway, so this couldn’t possibly affect the rating of the shop due to how incredible their drinks are.
Highly reccommend!

Not super-​hyper-​trendy or a cluster of coffee scientists, but the folks here consistently and dependably create one of my favorite café lattes. It took me a long time to realize how dependably good these folks are. Also great nut caramel chocolate cluster thingys. Seating area doesn’t really let you get lost or comfy and you always feel you are in the middle of someone else’s meeting, like a random KU prof counseling one of his graduate students. Good little children’s area in the corner.

I have been less happy here lately.
All the baristas I used to know are gone, and the new ones maybe are just new, and will get better. I don’t know. But all my specialty drinks lately have been tasting a little like sour milk, and also coming with a good inch of big bubbly foam on top. I’d much rather have the full size of the drink I ordered than all this tasteless foam wasting space in my cup. Although if the coffee tastes sour, maybe I’m better off with the foam. Sourness aside, the flavor’s been weird on my past two visits too. I order the spicy mocha and it’s been tasting… thinner. Kind of like a light hot chocolate with a tiny bit of cayenne only on the very tail end of the taste. Very disappointing, and totally different from how it has been for the last couple years up until a few weeks ago.
I think I’ll go elsewhere for a month and then come back here for another try, and if its still bad then I doubt I’ll be back after that.

Z’s Espresso is great, especially the downtown location. I like to explore the menu and have yet to be disappointed. I really enjoy going in when a barista by the name of Rachel is there, she’s great!

Note the owner’s response to my review. Interesting how the only point she actually contests is one that can’t be proven either way. It’s not like those tips always close the gap between what the crew is making and Kansas’s too-​low minimum wage anyway. Theoretically the employer is supposed to cover the difference but that’s very hard to track, verify or enforce too. (And then why have the tipping system in place at all at that point?)
At this point in my life I’m just sick and tired of seeing the people who actually do the work of keeping the business running getting screwed.
Sorry, Ms B, but you’re just gaming the system.
You’re charging $ 5 for a cup of chai that takes 20 seconds and 75 cents (less if it’s chock full of ice) to make and you can’t afford minimum wage? Yeah right. Every other shop does that I know of. Starbucks has an unprofitable corporate bureaucracy to pay for and they do, even in states with much higher minimum wages. Coffee is more expensive of course but you’re buying in bulk and reselling much of it a pound at a time– almost no labor cost, pure profit.

Z’s has two locations, the Downtown one you’re reading about and their 10 East 9^th Street location on 1800 East 23^rd Street. The latter, your best chance at sanity on the drive toward Kansas City, for this forward thinking company was the first in town to deliver a drive-​through espresso anywhere in town. God bless ‘em. They’ll always have my respect for this reason. More than a few times I felt as though I was cheating life in a good way by stopping there for a custom Joe in the early morning darkness.
But I digress. This is about the downtown location. Not a place I typically frequent but there’s not a particular reason for this. It’s a homey spot indoors with nice outdoor seating and friendly staff. Seems more of a place to sit down and visit while I’m typically a solo guy with a laptop (yes, they have wireless). Z’s roast their own. I find their espresso with just a bit of bitter bite on the end but their drip coffees are stout as hell and I like that. They know how to pour a proper latte and are not amateurs with espresso, something that can’t be said about all of the downtown coffee houses (some are downright dreadful).
Solid 4 stars. You can’t go wrong here, but don’t expect the hipster crowd. They’re next door to the west. I’m not part of that group in case you were wondering.

I think I just had the best ice coffee in my life, Kashmir and hotel California are great with a unique taste. the place is a bit small so can get noisy when people decide to talk loud!

I guess my review will be based purely off the product and not so much the ambiance or ability to sit in Z’s and enjoy a nice coffee or espresso drink.
I totally agree with others wondering why in Sam’s hell did Z’s pull the little cubicle style seating out of the downtown location? Maybe it was the ingenious idea of the new ownership that took over. The place is small and it’s hard enough to get a little privacy or work done on the laptop or read book as it is. Of course this is all incumbent upon finding an open seat most days. Some of the seating area has been replaced with a self serve coffee bean dispenser. Maybe the new owners figured the revenues from more people purchasing their whole coffee beans outweighed customers sitting inside Z’s with the former set-​up. It just screams that the new owners reworked the seating inside Z’s based purely on «business» prospects.
Z’s can get crowded in a New York minute and the place gets super loud and crazy. The downtown runners and cyclist absolutely love Z’s and have been known to overtake the place after their finished with the morning routine downtown. There is also outdoor seating that is extremely popular with the customers throughout the year.
As far as their product goes, it’s excellent. Their roasted coffee is top quality stuff. My only wish is that they offered more than two selections of brew during business hours. Regardless, the coffee is still locally roasted and extremely fresh. Very very good product indeed. The espresso based drinks are still some of the finer choices in Lawrence. I’m extremely fond of their Latte’s. Very smooth and nutty. Not overly sweet and normally hot. On occasion, the espresso drinks have been known to be served «not» hot enough. Just keep an eye on that. Not a huge selection of pastry’s. I did notice they serve what appears to be instant oatmeal in the paper cup containers.
Another thing I noticed was their condiment station is a little cluttered and confusing. There are a couple of cups with stainless silverware/​spoons in them sitting on the condiment station. Are these spoon clean or are they dirty? I ask because I’ve seen customers use the utensils and then put them right back in the same cup on the counter for others to use. The dirty dish bin is placed on the side of the Barista station out of the way and I think others are confused as well.
The Barista’s at the downtown location are very good at what they do. I can’t remember her name (Ashley?) but she is one of the best Barista’s I’ve ever encountered. She has years of experience and knows her stuff. Very friendly and personable no doubt. Whenever she works you can bet there will be an eclectic mix of jams playing over the speakers. From the The Eagles to Jack Johnson and so many other genre’s of music that is was an absolute joy to sit there and listen.
There are things I really like about Z’s. I would definitely recommend going there if you haven’t already tried it. Without a doubt, one of the cleaner coffee shops in Lawrence and some of the best coffee based drinks in the city.

I got a «heart of gold». Espresso with coconut and curry. It’s quite a bit ambitious but really delicious. + Fast courteous service. Well done. I wish the drink was hot, but other than that, great experience, great coffee.

Stopped while visiting from out of town. Good coffee

Best iced mocha I have ever had. Cozy, nice tunes.

Hate the new place. Complete redesign makes it hard to get work done, which I’m sure is that goal. Music is too loud and the staff is slow. Worst of all I miss the old logo. In case you never realized it, it was a nose with an eye. Why change what’s working?

I love Z’s but why oh why did you take out all the cute little workstations along the wall??? Outlets are hard to find and for me it’s just lost a lot of that studious, private appeal. Plus last time I was in here it was ridiculously loud — I now know far too much about the baristas’ personal lives… I’m ok with employees chatting but for your customers’ sake, please keep it down, people! The frapps are so delicious that I’ll definitely still be back, but you won’t find me working or hanging out here anymore — the atmosphere is far too distracting.

Really cool little coffee place. I’m not an experienced coffee shop veteran but I was really impressed with the friendliness of the barista and how fast the drinks were ready (but still quality drinks). If your order isn’t to go they have house glass cups and coffee cups with saucers (nice touch). They also have free wifi with little computer desks for the student that wants to get away from the library. I’ll be making another visit soon.

I never stick around or order espresso drinks, but Z’s has by far the best roasted beans in town, perhaps in the region! I’m pretty picky about the coffee that gets made at home, and Z’s is the best.
«Moon River» is the favorite standard blend of three roasts. Everyone that tries it loves it.
«Perfect Day» is good when they have it, a dry roast with a good flavor and loads of caffeine.
Bags of beans make great gifts for coffee-​people friends.

This has become my favorite coffee shop in Lawrence. Very friendly staff, clean, great ambiance for studying, right next to the convenient parking garage on New Hampshire, and most importantly, superb coffee.

Great work space great coffee.
Probably the best spot downtown to read or get something accomplished. Generally the other patrons are quiet and respectful and there is always a plug for your laptop. The individual work stations are great, but I prefer to be by the large windows.
Fab coffee and tasty mocha/​latte drinks that aren’t too sweet or too bitter.
Good music on the stereo that’s at a nice volume.
Love.

Not only do I think Z’s coffee is made of the best beans in town, this location is really a great one to plop down your lap top and get to work. Outlets are ubiquitous, even if you’re not at one of the three or four work stations against the wall (each come with handy shelves and individual lighting). If you wish to work by the window, no worries – there is always an outlet within reach.
I bought a bag of hot pepper/​chocolate covered pecans that are divine, as the name implies. Tempting baked goods in the cases (I was addicted to their healthy seed/​dried cherry/​chocolate chip bars this winter).
Yup, I’m a fan indeed.