One of Columbus’ more unique coffee shops opened recently in a renovated building on Hudson Street: Casa Cacao. Casa Cacao features not only coffee, but beverages crafted with cacao and kava, an herb that often acts like a depressant like alcohol (read more about kava on Wikipedia).
Casa Cacao makes its home in a building on Hudson Street between Indianola and Summit. We lived a block away from this structure for a decade, and it’s exciting to see it finally put to use. In the past it served as a boxing arena, a church, and a theatre, amongst other things.
The space has been beautifully redone, with exposed brick walls, lots of natural light, eclectic seating.
Tabletops are inlaid with glass and filled with displays of stones, arrowheads, and other artifacts.
Even the long bar doubles as glass display cases.
The menu features the three main beverages: coffee, cacao, and kava. Coffee drinkers will find classic espresso drinks like cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, plus unique offerings like a mushroom latte and specialties like the Daisy’s Limelight – a double shot of espresso with a twist of lime. Note that all drinks are made with oat milk.
A trio of cacao drinks make great use of it, mixing organic cacao with spices. Some drinks are served warm while some are chilled.
Same with the kava drinks – it’s blended with different spices, oat milk, syrups.
You’ll also find tea, kombucha, cold brew, lemonade. I love the Fluffy – a kid’s drink of frothed oat milk with a sprinkle of chocolate.
I ordered the flat white, similar to a cappuccino but with less milk. This was very nicely done.
And I tasted Bear’s Elixir, a cacao drink with orange oil, clove, cinnamon, and coconut sugar. It’s served warm, and invokes that rich combination of chocolate and citrus. Note that this is real cacao, not chocolate, so it comes with a greater depth of flavor, a little more bitterness. But this was delightful, especially on a chilly day.
There are a number of little corners and tables good for studying or reading, and there’s wifi.
And although it doesn’t look as dramatic now, the large back patio offers a lot more space for tables and benches.
I appreciate that two sides of the building are covered in murals, too, so it’s a lovely pop of color in the neighborhood.
I think Casa Cacao is a wonderful addition to the city’s coffee/beverage scene! I appreciate the unique mix of drinks and the thoughtfully renovated space. I can’t wait to head back and try more.
Casa Cacao is currently open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Keep an eye on their Instagram for their latest hours.
Casa Cacao
367 E. Hudson St.
Columbus, OH 43202
IG: @casacacao.columbus
