Cafe Keough

I loved this coffee shop! The coffee was good and they have a lot of seating. Its in an older building with a lot of architectural details.

This place has fantastic drip coffee. I mean… fan-​damn-​tastic. But be warned, a large will run you $ 4.37. Apparently, I’ve become my father, because the initial sticker shock sent me into a in-​my-​head rant about how coffee used to cost $ 2.25 at Starbucks. But after I got over that I ponied up the cash and had one of the best cups of coffee of my life. Seriously good.
Their breakfast sandwiches are also great, they’re pretty customizable, and really reasonably priced. A slight ding on the food side, the shell of their quiche is mushy on the bottom, and anything but flaky on the sides. It wreaks of industrial food manufacturing, which to me (an avid fan of pies of all varieties) was very disappointing.

Sister and I went here two days in a row. Everything I have tried so far has been good!

Casual sophistication in the heart of downtown. Primarily thought of as a breakfast and lunch spot with great coffee and tea beverages along with a fabulous quiche of the day and salade nicoise. Kevin has also proven to be very astute at curating interesting special events including a ceviche contest and bouillabaisse contest along with the last two New Year’s Eve celebrations with Walrus.
They are open into the evening and have a full bar available for those looking for a quieter spot for a libation. Great wifi available for those looking for a spot to enjoy coffee and work space that is not Starbucks.

Great coffee served by friendly people. I love the décor too.

Looking for a coffee and breakfast place and this one came up as pretty good. Had a chai latte and the chai was powdered chai — which I don’t mind, but it was overall an average cup of tea.
For food I had the granola. The granola had a good amount of spices and toastiness to it, but there was only one dollop of yogurt and a spoonful of fruit on top. Only enough to actually eat about half of the granola… the rest was left in the bowl.
The egg bagel sandwich was bland and came out very very quickly for something that was supposed to be made fresh. The crêpe seemed to be the winner of the group’s food. But even that just got a meh.
Service was nice, and the location is good for people watching.

I work around the country, and Café Keough is one of my new favorite coffee shops. With a full (delicious) menu, a charming décor, and a perfectly quaint playlist, this is seriously as good as it gets.

Cool little spot. Stopped in after the morning rush for a coffee and a bite to eat. It has a old school downtown vibe inside. Outdoor patio seating is available for good people watching. Good coffee and good food.

If you’re looking for a quick and delicious lunch in a gorgeous spot in downtown Memphis, look no further than Café Keough. It’s located inside of an old, converted bank building and the interiors are absolutely lovely. With crown moulding, incredible details, and a huge, open, airy atmosphere, you really can’t beat the view from your table.
I love this little spot downtown because you can pop in for just a cup of coffee or you can sit down for a delicious lunch with friends or coworkers. The coffee is some of the most excellent I’ve had. Spring for a latte. You won’t regret it. The salads here are really delicious and made with super fresh, quality ingredients.
The baristas and waitstaff are really friendly and helpful. It can get quite busy here during lunch hours but they’re not frazzled and they don’t rush you.

First time here… I ordered the Spinach and Feta Quiche with a side of French Onion Soup. The quiche had potential, but it was a bit bland… I think I should have chosen the ham and cheese instead; however, the soup was VERY good! I will be retrying very soon to try out a sandwich for lunch.
It’s very spacious and has a great atmosphere. Service was fine. Nothing special.

So I cannot say the food is anything special as I only ordered a coffee. I am a coffee aficionado however and I would say Café Keough does not disappoint. I have only had a straight brew nothing elaborate but we all know you can get a bad cup and that’s not Café Keough.
The other part I can comment on is the ambiance. This is a great little spot. The building is really cool and this place is pretty dang big. I would imagine if you need some solitude you can get it here unlike your neighborhood Starbucks, plus this building has a historic look to it, but I cannot attest to that. In any case I definitely recommend this place.
P. S. I do have to admit I personally love the fact this place shares my last name but there is no relation. Just for the record. :-)

If you’re a freelancer like me, you’ll want to find a nice place like café keough to get some stuff done or kill time with excellent food and drink options. They have traditional croissants and bakery items like macaroons and have savoury breakfast items like crepes with ham or bagels and quiches. They also have an extensive lunch menu with salads and sandwiches with a down to earth coffee shop vibe with staff that’s incredibly casual and friendly. The atmosphere has nice lighting with giant windows and interesting eclectic décor. Their coffee is great black, and the bakery is just amazing. The patio is a perfect people watching area to sit at and the inside has incredibly high ceilings to where you don’t feel uncomfortable or anything when it’s busy. Can’t wait to come back.

Went here twice in the past week: once for happy hour drinks with coworkers and once for lunch.
Happy hour drinks were good. You order first round at the table and then the waitress brings your drinks. Good drink specials. Saw the lunch menu and was very hopeful, so i came back next week.
Lunch: ordered the nicoise salad with citrus vinaigrette. Salad was blah. The seared tuna didnt appear to be seared, more of like a lukewarm poach and borderline overcooked, and had no flavor. The vinaigrette did not have much flavor… I dumped the whole thing on my salad and still couldnt taste it. The potatoes in the salad were super bland. Everyone knows potatoes need salt, salt, salt! That is actually the entire theme of the salad, in desperate need of seasoning! The best thing about my salad was the kalamata olives, which they referred to as «salty black ones» when i asked what kind they were before ordering.
I would maybe try café keough again. The food descriptions seem like they should be tasty, so i am not sure why i was so underwhelmed.

When I was in Memphis recently, I went to Café Keough three times in four days! I’m not one to do that, as I’m usually dedicated to exploring. But, the food was good, fresh – mostly sandwiches, salads, soups. They have delicious, strong coffee, and really nice employees.
I also really loved the architecture. It’s big and open, with lots of light. It’s a great place to read or bring your laptop for some quick work. They also have outdoor seating, where I ate lunch one day. The food is made pretty quickly, so there’s no need to factor in wait time on food.
I tried the portabello sandwich, which was a great option for vegetarians. The side salad is a good size, but I would avoid the citrus vinaigrette. Some people seem to like it, but I thought it just tasted like oil. I also had the Nicoise salad, which I remember being good. I have had better salads. It was not as memorable as the portabello sandwich.

Loved it, if it were closer to me I would be here everyday! Stiff coffee and soft croissant!

We had an awesome lunch on Easter afternoon. Quiet but the server was patient and attentive to our family. I had a fantastic beet salad with grilled chicken. Very tasty and light. My wife had the Niçoise salad and the salmon slices were gorgeous. My daughter is a vegetarian and she had a portobello sandwich. My other daughter had a meltdown

Café Keough, I used to love you. But then you decided to charge me $ 7.28 for a cappuccino and all love went away. Since when does charging a $ 0.72 unposted To Go Charge come off as ethical? I’m all about saving the environment, but I know that cup did not cost you anywhere close to thee quarters. Also, a base fee of $ 5 for a cappuccino may fly in a bigger city, but this is Memphis. Get your pricing together otherwise you will lose EVEN more business to Tamp and Tap. Heck, I paid just a tad over $ 4 for an amazing pour over at City and State and that was for a good drink. Did I mention that my cup wasn’t even full when I received it from your barista and that the drink sucked?
With no more love for you,
An unhappy coffee drinker

Alright, after two additional visits I am adding the final star to this review and officially making it one of my two favorite places in Memphis (next to Flight — yes, this place is that adorable!).
My additional visits started with a weekend breakfast. We ordered the lox, quiche, the oats, green tea latte and coffee. Loved that the lox and bagel came unassembled so I could put as much (or little) cream cheese as I wanted. It also came with other toppings for the sandwich like eggs and onions. The oats were probably the best damned oats I’ve ever had… and they looked yummy too. Now if you can make oats look yummy — you’re surely doing something right. The quiche was dry (old? over cooked?) but with all the other homeruns that morning the quality of the quiche wasn’t a party pooper. The green tea latte is so fun to drink (green mustache maker!) and the coffee was of high quality (free refills too!) The had pandora playing indie music while I was there which really enhanced the mood of the room.
I again visited in the evening for drinks (this place has a full bar!!!). Terry the bartender was so pleasant. By the time we left I felt like Terry was an old friend. He also is very customer service oriented — responding quickly to our drink needs and packing up food to go for us.
I did learn 2 important things during my visits here that I think will ensure the success of this place. 1) they will be having music periodically on the weekends with varying styles and 2) they seem very receptive to feedback and ideas from customers.
I also noticed today while walking past, that they’ve added some tables and chairs out front for good weather days.
Thank you Café Keough for joining downtown. I can now say your name and have a new favorite spot to eat and drink!

Please oh please let this adorable place make it!
There is nothing quite like it in Memphis and that is a good thing. I felt like I was stepping into another city, another era… another everything. Don’t get me wrong, I love Memphis, but this… well, this is special.
I absolutely adore the décor and the openness — high ceilings, white walls, simply beautiful architecture. I only had breakfast there but I can’t wait to come back for lunch. My green tea latte was delicious (beautiful, really, did you see that photo?!) and my yogurt parfait was a work of art.
It is an escape — an escape from Memphis and the typical coffee shop. This is unique, classy, vintage, retro, It is the reason why downtown Memphis is so great — a perfect blend of past and present.

Four stars because I’m rooting for this place, and because it’s the best croissant I’ve had in the nine months since we moved to Memphis. I love the space and the menu, while small, seems promising. Owned by Kevin Keough (who holds a minority stake in The Beauty Shop), Café Keough seems true to the original European café function — coffee and pastry in the mornings, and sandwiches/​beers as the day wears on. The person working the front counter said they will likely be staying open later now that they’ve gotten their liquor license.
The croissants and raspberry Danish we tried were outstanding. The croissant had the perfect crispy outside and chewy inside, beautifully flaky and without that frustrating sensation of chewing on butter-​flavored air that accompanies lesser croissants. These could stand up to a contest with Tartine’s in San Francisco. Café Keough could easily put a certain other bakery in town out of business by merit of the croissants alone.
A few things confuse me:
1. J. Brooks (local roaster) coffee is $ 4 for a 16-​oz mug. This seems a bit high to me for brewed coffee without refills, even for a quality local brew (which this is). I would have felt better about paying $ 8 for a French press of the same coffee. By comparison, a latte is the same price and a double espresso costs a bit less.
2. The quiche (a good value at $ 4.25 with a side of fruit, green, or quinoa salad included) was tasty, but a but rubbery, almost as if it had been reheated. This was confusing because the display case was steamy presumably from the warmth of the quiche. We had the spinach feta, and we all agreed that the taste and crust were impressive, even with the textural issues.
3. No high chairs or booster seats on-​site. Maybe they’re coming — the place is new, after all.
I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone looking for nice light and open space to relax and inspire over morning coffee and a perfect pastry. And I’ll definitely be back to check out the nighttime vibe.