Leotah’s Place Coffeehouse

Wonderful place! Beautiful atmosphere! But, unfortunately– closed. I tried to go back today and became very sorrowful to see that it was closed):

What can I say, I love coffee and I love love love this place! I think it’s got great atmosphere, awesome baristas. (Except their phillies fans) but other then that their great. I love the various names of their coffee drinks, even the creative way they place cream cheese in shot glasses. Stumbled upon this place with my sister and invited out my pastor to this place for coffee as well. Only gripe that I have and prevented this from being a 5 star is the hours. They close at 6 :(

I really, really wanted to like this place. I like to branch out and support places up in this ‘hood, but the quality just wasn’t there. It was super cute. The staff was super nice. That’s where the positives stop though.
The food menu isn’t posted. We didn’t even realize they had food until after we got our coffee. Some people like to be able to peruse and decide. A little handheld menu or one posted on the wall would be super helpful. The coffee was … dreadful. Just dreadful. We didn’t even finish it. We took a couple sips and headed down to Higher Grounds.
Sometimes branching out and trying different places is a success. Sometimes you’re super disappointed. This was definitely an outing of the dissapointing variety.
Sorry guys, the place is cute and the staff was super nice, but the quality of the coffee is worse than Dunkin Donuts. I won’t be back.

Full disclosure: I know the owner and I think she’s great.
As for the shop: The best aspect is the atmosphere. The space is warm and earthy and inviting. It gets great light! I always end up camping out much longer than I originally planned for. In addition to the front room, there is a middle room with a couch, community computer, and a few tables. There is some local art and jewelry for sale in a case by the bathroom (which has a changing table — a thoughtful touch). The back room is all tables with candles and plants on each table. There are also a few outside tables. And a kids’ play area in the front!
The coffee is ethically sourced, fair-​trade, etc. The cost of a cup isn’t as cheap as it used to be, but the sourcing is worth it for me. They’ll serve you up a decent latte, but you can get better in the city. (Though not in the area. I’d take Leotah’s worst cup over Rocket Cat’s best.) They have about a zillion latte flavor combinations up on the wall named after spiritual and revolutionary leaders, so if you like your lattes sweet, you’ll have fun. I usually opt for a «Vietnamese Iced Coffee» which is a magical combination of espresso and sweetened condensed milk.
Leotah’s loses a star because they no longer make food to order — now you have to pick out a sandwich from the cooler. They’ll heat it up for you, but it’s not quite the same. The food is also expensive for what you get. They’re good, but not $ 7-​for-​a-​small-​sandwich-​good.

I didn’t catch the name of the guy behind the counter, but he couldn’t be nicer. As is common for us, we happened upon this place waiting for our cab that never came. My girl got a cold black tea and I had a raspberry/​ginger smoothie. Oh Man! Fantastic concoctions and just what the doctor ordered that day. I can’t speak much for the neighborhood, as it’s a bit rough around the edges, but Leotah’s is a fantastic little oasis in the middle of Kensington. I can’t say it’s necessarily worth the trip up there, but it’s damn close. If you find yourself needing a place to sit and relax in the midst of the Irish memorial murals around Boston St, Coral St, and Frankford Ave, give Leotah’s a spin. The prices were fantastic as well!

This place was a great stop after an hour and a half of rummaging through bins of vintage clothes. I ordered an iced tea and my guy got the ginger rasperry smoothie… both were delicious and refreshing. The guy working there was incredibly nice, the place was cozy and had a super vibe. Zero pretentiousness.

Great coffee and a very cute calm atmosphere!
will definately come back adn recommend!

Amazing coffee. I love that they sell iced coffee’s in bottles so you can take them home and put them in the fridge for later. Smoothies and sandwiches are awesome too.
The owner works really hard to only sell fair trade and locally sourced goods. Such a good presence in the neighborhood. Also kid friendly with lots of toys and crayons, but has a quiet room in the back for those that need to get work done

I will start by saying the coffee is decent–
My issue with this place is that it’s dirty and cluttered. I don’t get why every coffee place in this neighborhood is grimy. It’s a small enough establishment that cleaning it up shouldn’t be too difficult.
Food takes forever and they panini press your bagel if you ask for it toasted. Not a huge deal but perhaps they should consider slicing the bagel then placing it on the panini press to actually toast it. Instead they put the cream cheese on and then place it in the press resulting in a warm smashed bagel– not toasted.
Also I witnessed the person behind the counter go straight from handling money to touching and preparing food. YUCK. Wash your hands.

Horrible location, but way better than the other coffee shop within walking distance. Unfortunately, I always seem to have a bad experience…
The first time I went, maybe over a year ago, some crazy old man on York Street about a block away from the shop accosted me and threatened to kill me. Not Leotah’s fault, obviously, but it ruined the idea of walking over there. I then started driving to other places in the neighborhood instead.
With the recent snowstorm, I ventured out again to Leotah’s again on foot, this time bringing my dog, since I had heard that you can bring your dog in while you’re waiting for your order. The guy behind the counter was perfectly nice and friendly, made me a great chai latte, my dog was well behaved, and we left.
Today however, a different guy was working — the were no other customers in the place but he told me I had to wait outside with my dog. I was obviously not pleased — said that I had just been in the day before and there was no problem. He said something about how only «smaller» dogs are allowed, (so you discriminate?) and made up some excuse about how she might jump up on the counter and eat the pastries. I guess he realized how stupid it all sounded so he gave it up, made the latte and let us wait inside. Then he proceeded to tell me all about how his small dog hates the cold. Yeah, we all do…
So either allow dogs or don’t — we will definitely not be coming back here again in any case.

One of the best coffee shops in town, with friendly baristas, ethical coffee, and a great mission. Blew is a hard worker and wants to please her neighbors – both long-​term residents and transplants. Revolutionary, to be sure. Première coffee without the pretension? One up from the South Philly cafes, if you ask me.

The neighborliness of the staff definitely stands out at Leotah’s. They brew up a quality cup of coffee and have a handful of cool speciality drinks too (I recommend the Americano!). Their commitment to fair trade and social justice issues is very ‘down to earth’ (no pun intended!) — no pretentiousness or snobery here. You’ll also find some good reads here if you go by yourself.
A few small down sides: You may find yourself tight for seating space that offers a private conversation, and wishing that their food or general store hours were later than they are. A bread toaster for bagels would be nice too (if that hasn’t changed yet).

Great place for coffee and wifi. Great for us locals but I recommend it to everyone.
Friendly atmosphere and staff. Great coffee for the price, I like Starbucks and strong coffee and this place meets and/​or exceeds this standard.
Sincerely,
silvan619

Awesome little place tucked away in East Kensington. Love the coffee. Love the food. Love that they are so kid-​friendly. Love the atmosphere. Love the friendly people working there.
A minor suggestion: Please seve eggs on your bagels :)

I’ll air my gripes right off the bat because I feel they are very esoteric, anyway. Two things: first, their fair trade coffee, last time I checked, had to be shipped in from Tennessee or someplace like that. I mean economic and social justice is served but what about our earth mother?! Second, the mood can be a somewhat overwhelming; it’s small and populated with a lot of politically minded, eco-​concious, hipster affiliated and sometimes preachy people. But in reality it’s petite bourgeoisie like how a coffee shop should be…
That being said Leotah’s definitely deserves five stars. A very good cup of coffee and reasonably priced. The people who work there always have a kind word and take their barista-​ing very seriously as to serve the perfect pull. For such a physically small place they have a relatively large menu; smoothies, herbas, bagels, sammies (with names like ‘Paulo Freire Panera), confectionery delights, and organic juices, fruit and such. The décor is pretty funky, like upwardly mobile urban meets Markus Garvey and there’s always some Dave Brubeck or Tito Puente playing in the background.
My favorite part is, being that I live practically next door to it, walking everyday past Leotah’s to the aroma and sound of espresso brewing and the energetic (caffeinated) chatter on my way to the local Puerto Rican bodega across the street. In the final analysis Leotah’s embodies the pluralistic spirit of this diverse and evolving neighborhood.
Bravo.

Small coffees hop with a real Community vibe. Has a very cool open air eating and drinking set up Making for interesting street.
interaction. I recommend the Steven and it comes on one of the most delicious croissants you’ll ever try

This is my favorite cup of coffee in Philly. It’s a cute little shop run by really nice people, and the drinks are consistently great. Nice simple menu with snacks and sandwiches, which are pretty standard coffeeshop stuff. A small coffee to go is $ 2, which I’m totally willing to pay because it’s so delicious and I know that this business is run by great people who want to be a positive influence in the community and support good causes.
Pleasant seating areas, outdoor tables, and good music! Check the hours before stopping by — they close pretty early on some days.

We love this place… being new to Fishtown, it is close to our home and can walk there in 10 mins. The owner is very friendly and always extremely helpful.
This place looks small from the outside and even when you are standing at the counter… but, if you walk to the back they have much more seating and a very cool vibe going on!
We ordered a couple of bagels. I did the classic lox and cream cheese with tomato and onion on an everything bagel and it was fantastic. My wife got some weird thing she likes to get with hummus avocado and something else healthy on a wheat or fiberous bagel of sorts and she loved it… just not my thing :-).
We also noticed that they have many books to read as you sit and enjoy your coffee or tea (I believe both are fair trade organic) as well as books to draw in for you artists.
Keep in mind we are in the Frankford Arts District.
I highly recommend Leotah’s Place and will frequent this establishment more in the future.
By the way we are looking forward to joining there «Leotah’s Place Buyers Club partnering with Merrymead Farms» where you can order Local & rBST Hormone Free milk, orange juice, and apple cider… and it looks like they will have eggs in the future.

Very nice shop in an area that desperately needs more establishments like these. I really enjoyed my café con leche and had sips of my friend’s latte. The latte was a spicy version called «Cesar Chavez».
We ended up playing scrabble for about an hour and really liked the view of the intersecting streets. I would definitely come back and would absolutely recommend this spot over nearby Rocket Cat for people looking to get a cup of coffee and a nice, simple bagel or croissant sandwich.
Get on over to Kensington and dine at Leotah’s!

Cute little place with nice clientele.
The coffee is delish and they have a nice menu. I splurged on a chocolate croissant last visit and it was well worth it! (my dog had some too — ‘though no chocolate– and is in complete agreement) I am withholding a star ONLY because I haven’t had any coffee-​drinks or «real» food.
I have only been here in the morning on Saturdays — I walk down with the puppy while my husband is sleeping in. It is quiet and filled with 20 & 30 somethings from the neighborhood with their kids and pets.
As far as «Eric’s» comparison to Rocket Cat — i kinda have to agree and disagree. While both have a relaxed, kinda bohemian atmosphere — Leotah’s is more cozy, cleaner and I the people are nicer. I actually really dislike both the employees and the clientele at RC — they have that I-​am-​SOOO-​much-​cooler-​than-​you attitude.