Honestly, who doesn’t want to stop at Das KaffeeHaus von Frau Burkhart? It takes forever to pronounce all the words, but they are so very satisfying to say; even more so with a faux German accent.
The KaffeeHaus is a little corner coffee cafe that set up shop inside of Zauber brewing. The coffee shop serves up legit German treats.
Consider the strudel in all its glorious flavors. Apple is popular, but a shot at Blueberry Strudel seems like a golden opportunity. It’s not terribly sugary like a morning pop-tart (those are now apparently part of a “healthy” breakfast, according to the evolving label standards). Instead, it’s a purist’s flaky, velvet-smooth pastry stuffed with mildly sweet, syrupy blueberries.
That said, the house Cake Balls outshine the strudel. The Frau may or may not be pleased by this usurping of traditional foods, but it is what it is. The cake balls are like giant orbs of candy; the tested versions were covered in white chocolate and filled with soft, dewy, condensed cherry cake. In contrast with the strudel, the cake balls are deeply and intensely sweet.
And if pop-tarts can qualify as healthy, surely cake balls can too. Cherry is fruit, right?
The KaffeeHaus has a big line of fancy coffee options to go with the pastries. Or, since it’s in Zauber Brewing, you could also team them with a pint or two. Jim Ellison of Columbus Brew Adventures recommends a couple of pairings to try: he says to try Vertigo (a Hefeweizen) with the strudel and Berzerker (an IPA) with the cake balls. And because he also has opinions about food, he recommends hitting the Explorer Club Food Truck, often parked outside Zauber, for some pierogis.
The coffee shop opens weekdays at 6am. You can find it at 909 W. Fifth Avenue in Grandview Heights. For aficionados of drive-through service, you can call ahead to 614.837.8837, and the team will bring your order out to your car.
For more information, visit www.daskaffeehaus.us.