Amberson Coffee & Grocer
401 S College Avenue, Indianapolis, IN
A recent stop to Indy had me searching for another coffee locale in the Crossroads of America. A little mining and a recommendation from a client led me to Amberson Coffee & Grocer. This is a “must make” coffee shop from the coffee to the vibe to the barista/staff. Can’t recommend highly enough.
Coffee:
I went with the Ethiopia Dara pour over and an El Oasis Gesha. I did ask for the Gesha to be put in to the coffee, but was kindly told that it needed to be on its own. I complied with my steward of coffee and that did not disappoint. They did the pour over in my travel mug (and it was hot!; I love a hot pour over) and delivered the espresso in their signature glass bottle recycling program glass. Love this concept, but let’s not bury the lead that both the drip and the espresso were delectable. The description of the pour over having hints of milk chocolate and berries was spot on.. The gesha was smooth and indeed clean per the description. I do feel that it would have been fine to throw the shots in the coffee, but alas, when in Rome.
Barista:
Loved their working together on orders and even talking about my order as it came up. The barista was the one who recommended I split from my routine and take the espresso separately. Interestingly, he came up to me while I was waiting and presented me with the idea; not as a mandate but as a “if you want to”. That really appealed to me. As I finished my espresso and went up to get my pour over, one of the baristas asked if I was from Montana (I was wearing a Montana t shirt). We got into a lengthy conversation about our favorite places in Montana and the natural wonder of the state. We also agreed that Black Coffee Roasting Company is one of the best coffee shops in the country (Missoula MT).
Vibe:
The corner service station repurposing is an attraction signal. Amberson rests nicely off the street so easy to sit outside, linger and enjoy. Inside, the airiness and light has you smiling upon entering. There is a small (accent on really small) grocery portion and also a merch/coffee section before you hit the counter. There’s plenty of seating inside even though there was a steady stream on this Saturday morning. Really loved the fact that even though there were four behind the counter as they were ready with a smile and a hearty greeting. Also nice to have a menu before you as you order and they did not try and hurry your order; in fact, they were perfect guides.
Make You Better:
The coffee was tremendous….I’m a big fan of being able to get a larger cup (more than 12 oz), but also mindful that the pour over world does not embrace it. Their merch (see pic) is fantastic and I simply had to have the hat. They could do more with their merch because their logo is really simple and good (t shirts, stickers, etc.). The music was a little bit of an afterthought as it did not seem to have a theme, but that’s just being picky.
Indy….I underestimated you. This is a gem in the Midwest that should NOT be missed!
The wompling returns…….Matt