Z’s Divine Espresso East

Props to Z’s for being the first espresso venue in Lawrence to open a drive-​through facility. Can’t tell you how many times, how many years, this little spot of caffeine heaven leaving Lawrence has fueled drives to Kansas City, Lee’s Summit, Springfield, heck, even St. Louis. Service through the drive-​through is quick and friendly, the coffee solid. No b.s. They showed the way to Scooter’s, Dunn Bros., even to the Star****s going in on West 6^th street that the city would support drive-​through java.
The coffee: Z’s does their own roasting. I find their coffees very middle of the road (a compliment), not overly strong and not bitter. They know how to craft a proper latte (hate luke-​warm ones some of the Scooter’s will deliver). However, hard to just beat their solid dark roast with a dash of half/​half. A great road companion for the race down 10 highway, and race they do.
Made my first walk-​in visit over the weekend and found the interior to be a decent hangout with wireless. Little to fault Z’s. Solid coffee, good service, convenient and open early on the way out of Lawrence.
Like.

The east Lawrence Z’s isn’t quite on the same level as the other coffee shops in Lawrence. This is referring to the ambiance and prices. Seating is somewhat limited. Tons of parking outside since it sits on the corner of a large strip mall. Actually, they downsized over the years and lost at least a quarter of their former space.
Music is always top notch in Z’s. The Baristas are hit and miss. Usually pretty good but have witnessed a couple grouchy one’s in the past. No biggie.
Z’s does roast their own beans and this is where they shine. The organic selections and espresso drinks are really good. The drips are top 5 in Lawrence. Just be careful because regardless of drink, they run really sweet at Z’s. If u like super sweet, this is your spot. If not, just ask them to go easy on the syrups nd such.
Very limited pastry selection. Sometimes u can get cookies but be careful there too. Sometimes stale and old tasting. Their really good when fresh.
OK, my biggest beef is the price for a 12oz refill drip and a small cookie… Almost $ 4 freaking dollars! Call me cheap but YIKES! This wont stop me from coming back as I leave Lawrence on occassion. But it will dig into my lunch budget for the day… hee hee.
I know this particular Z’s get major props for their drive thru. Other than Scooters or Dunns, Im not sure Lawrence has coffee drive thru until Starbucks opens their new store on other side of town.
Again, Z’s has seen better days but definetly a good recommendation in Lawrence Kansas.

Z’s is one of the few places in town that has always catered to my every need. Now I’m not normally that high maintenance, but I like things the way I like things and they respect that. I recently found out that this business was purchased by a new owner… In March. Talk about your quiet transitions. They’ve done a marvelous job of cruising right along with what looks like a smaller staff than usual in the mornings. The coffee is still a thing of beauty both in Drip and Espresso form. And I was able to purchase almost a pound of pre-​bagged coffee through the drive thru, which I never knew was possible before.
I have been a patron here for years and seen some catastrophic days, but I’ve seen days of beauty and grace. I understand the need for transition and practice. But i have never seen anything but joy in the staff. Some of those smiles make my day.
Don’t worry, no matter what, I’m still a-​comin’!

New owners, new staff, new rules means a new experience. In this case not a good one. I loved Z’s but with the «z» gone from the shop it’s lost that jena se qua, or as the French say «I don’t know what»
The friendly greetings and warm atmosphere have been replaced with the inefficiency and attitude. Prices have changed, policies have gotten stricter and waits longer. Don’t you realize that people have to get to work in KC when they stop in to your shop in the morning? A coffee shop that has run out of fresh coffee twice (and offers Americano instead) annoys me.
Long term with the Z being responsible for roasting as well, I’m fearing more shortcuts and cost saving methods.
Buyer be aware, the Z’s of the past is no more. I’m cashing in my punch cards now because I’ve seen that’s the first thing to go with a new owner.

Z’s makes quite a bit of good coffee drinks. My personal favorite is the «Tiny Dancer.» I’m not a huge fan of their smoothies as they taste like their loaded with sugar, but otherwise you can’t go wrong with their menu. They of course do a 10 punches, get your 11^th free card. They also have a larger selection of snacks than most coffee shops (although, overpriced snacks…).
This location is by far the best of the two in Lawrence. When compared to the two locations, the owner keeps a closer eye on this shop, and therefore it’s product. When I go to the location downtown the drinks are not quite as good. When I have a choice between the two locations, I always choose east. I think the downtown one is technically closer for me, but it’s worth it to drive a little further.
Staff here are good baristas but don’t really talk much to you. So even though I’m a regular customer and tip well, they don’t ever take the time to get to know me. Not that I expect much, but when you go in every Saturday morning for a whole semester long, I’d like to think that I’m a familiar face at least.
The venue itself is wonderful. They have a beautiful mix of several different types of art in the shop. They have a murals on the walls, local art work displayed, and mosaic tables. The windows have great natural light pouring into the café, along with some gorgeous curtains to curtail the afternoon sun in your eye. I’m always able to get a socket plug for my computer.
Lastly the drive through window is AWESOME. I cannot thank this place enough for making an easy stop for coffee on my way out of town. I do wish they opened even earlier though because there are several occasions where I’ve left Lawrence but its too early to get coffee here.

Great beans! I love both locations and the staff! In a town with some coffee variety, these cats stand out… in a good way!

When you hit a city where a Starbucks seems to be greatly loathe, you find a coffee alternative. K-​10 is my usually way back to my hometown Topeka. This is along the way and has a drive thru which I have yet to try. I will say that I have gotten my most fav chai here. I got my roomie a strawberry frappee and it was super strong. I think they scared her off. As for me, I shall be back on my many journeys along K-​10.

Rude owner.

It’s all in the name. The flavor of Z’s coffee is absolutely what they promise: Divine. Another wonderful thing: Z’s East is all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION (honestly, I hate that expression, but when it comes to needing coffee in a quick, convenient manner, it seems to apply). You can hit Z’s bleary eyed and bedraggled before you hit I-​70 and if you are us, this is often as early as 6am. Thank you Z’s for being open so dang early for us. They also have a drive-​thru.
I would easily give them five stars if not for one egregious error: they automatically cool your Americano down by adding COLD water instead of hot. CRIMINAL!!! Luckily this was noticed and corrected, but if you have new baristas working on your drink, you have to correct them/​keep reminding them (I am not criticizing the staff for doing what they are told to do. I appeal to management: when people are ordering an Americano that is NOT iced, well, they typically want that shit hot, OK? This should be standard. Their current practice of adding cool water without asking seems to be unique to Z’s, so I don’t think I’m asking for the impossible here).
One of the baristas explained that the reason the cold water is standard is because some people like to «gulp» their coffee. Excuse me, but that is just WRONG and I daresay one deserves to be left with a burnt throat for such behavior. Maybe that’s extreme. How about this, how about these «big gulpers» be the ones to have to ASK for their damn cool water instead of the hot. Why should us civilized coffee sippers be the ones inconvenienced? Is gulping coffee some new trend I wasn’t aware of? I am disturbed.

Because Sconelady’s is closed on Sunday, and Scooter’s makes foam and not mochas, I stop by the drive-​thru every Sunday. The coffee is acceptble, the people are nice, and it’s not far out of my way.

THE BEST BEANS I have ever purchased, hands down. Mark’s Indonesians are the best I have ever had. He doesn’t over-​roast as most do, so even his espresso has a slightly nutty, complex flavor as well as a superior mouth feel.
They sell good insulated cups and mugs in the shops, as well.
Five stars if they brewed it the way I like it in the shop (stronger?), if they had a straight bean or light roast daily brew, instead of a dark roast blend, if they had vegan pastries, OR if they had more fairly traded beans, especially those that are sustainably grown.
I really like several of his blends, though I avoid all blends as a rule. I am not a fan of Central Americans, but if you are, they do them very well.
Also, if you go into the South store on 23^rd, they have local ice cream as well as local goodies (vegan or not, local is where it’s at!)
I will continue to drive back to Lawrence and stock up on his Sulawesi as long as I am able. Nothing else compares.

I like Z’s downtown, but I like Z’s East better. The coffee is the same at both locations– delicious, roasted in house, well brewed, and the prepared drinks are fantastic (try the Hotel California). The advantage of the East location is the space. The interior is full of light from the huge south and west windows, and has super high ceilings, so it feels spacious and airy. It also seems to be quieter than many coffee shops, as the East location has a drive-​thru, so less folks parade in and out for to-​go drinks. This drive-​thru is another great advantage when driving out to KC, as the location is at the edge of town, right before K-​10.