Stauf's Coffee Roasters in Columbus, Ohio

Stauf's Coffee Roasters in is a micro-roaster headquartered in Columbus, OH. It has been around since 1988 and services wholesale, retail, and mail-order customers country-wide. Stauf's uses Arabica beans from over 20 different countries and roasts its coffee to order on gas-fired roasters. Its main retail outlet is located in the Grandview Heights district near Ohio State University, but it also services Cup O'Joe and MoJoe stores throughout Columbus, along with many other coffee houses throughout the country.

Stauf's has probably the greatest amount of floor space that I've seen in a coffee shop. Upon entering the doors, I was immediately impressed with the atmosphere. The shop was divided into two sides: a retail area and a dining area. I entered into the retail side and was impressed by the array of merchandise. There was so much brewing equipment along the wall to my right (coffee makers, french presses, grinders, accessories, etc.), that it made Bed, Bath, and Beyond look like a dollar store. There was a large table in the middle with Stauf's branded merchandise including hats, shirts, mugs, and tumblers.

Immediately ahead was an enormous display of too many bins of coffee to count, behind which was an area for baristas to measure and grind the beans. Some of the coffees included Tanzaia, Zimbabwe, Kona, Yemen mocha, India monsooned malabar, Kenya AA, Nicaragua SHG,Guatemala SHB, Costa Rica Terrazzu SHB, Java Estate, Brazil Santos, Papua New Guinea, and Stauf's famed proprietary Baba Budan Blend.

As I entered the dining area to my left, I noticed about 20-25 tables, at which a diverse range of clientele were eating lunch and talking vibrantly. There was some nice coffee house music playing overhead, nice vintage decor, and beautiful hardwood floors. It seemed like a great place to hang out and socialize for anyone from a 15 year old teenage hipster to a middle-aged corporate professional. Fairly crowded and a very conversational vibe.

The menu was pretty full for a coffee house. I was a little late to see the breakfast offerings but the kitchen did serve breakfast. For lunch, it offered: house, caesar, and spinach salads, black bean, turkey bacon, and italian sandwiches, as well as wraps, croissants, paninis, and grilled cheese. Also, there were of course the coffee house classic pastries: bagels, muffins, scones, cheese cakes, coffee cakes, cookies, biscottis, and several vegan offerings. The coffee menu included classics like espresso, americano, cappuccino, french press, and machiatto, in addition to specialty drinks such as Milky Way, Almond Joy, Buckeye, White Chocolate Latte, and Oregon Chai, and cold drinks such as iced lattes and Chillers (blended beverages) including mocha, caramel mocha, peanut butter mocha, vanilla, caramel, and chai flavors.

What I had: I had to try it. I got a french press of the Baba Budan Blend. It was magical--one of the top blends I've ever tried. It was a full-bodied dark roast blend with heavy notes of cocoa and honey, subtly spiced and earthy, smooth, creamy, and balanced. I also had a House salad containing mozzarella cheese, Roma tomatoes, and Portabella mushrooms topped with citrus vinaigrette. For the road, I grabbed a Flex-Fit (greatest hats ever) Stauf's branded cap and a half pound of whole bean India Monsooned Malabar coffee for a future tasting.

I cannot recommend Stauf's highly enough. If you live in central Ohio and do not visit regularly, shame on you! If you're going to be in the area, please stop by! It was an amazing experience.