Lussi Brown Coffee Bar

1 review

1. Carl

   on March 5, 2018
   

   Time of Visit: Saturday Afternoon
   Drink: Americano (Hot, 1 size only, ~10 ounces)

   Atmosphere: It’s an unusually warm November day, which makes the 2 block walk from the closest parking spot I could find fairly enjoyable (read: parking kind of sucks). As I enter, I’m greeted by the dark, warm ambiance of one of Lexington’s newest coffee shops. Red brick adorns most of the walls, with the rest being painted in a soft bluish-gray. The Floor is made of deep brown wood tiling. There are a few windows, but for the most part lighting is provided by a series of Edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling. The décor is almost non-existent, except for small black and white photographs in matching frames hung throughout. Jazz instrumental music plays in the background.
   Of all the coffee shops I’ve been to so far, this one stands out as being the most meticulously designed. Whereas other coffee shops have seemed to decorate with a mix of whatever they thought to be interesting, Lussi Brown seems to have aimed for a consistent, cohesive atmosphere. I don’t think one approach is necessarily better than the other, but it does make Lussi Brown unique.
   The space is split into a front and back section, connected by a narrow hallway. The front section has the bar/counter, along with seating for about 6 patrons. Following the hallway leads to a small opening holding about 6 tables. Most are small wooden folding tables with matching seats (that you would typically expect to see used for outdoor café seating). While not uncomfortable, they would probably not lend themselves well to long study sessions (and the slat/grate style of the table tops would make using a mouse difficult).
   Service: Two girls were working behind the counter on my visit. They were nice, though didn’t seem overly interested in making small talk with customers. While my drink was being made, it became clear that these people take coffee-making seriously. The conversation between them focused solely on coffee, from how they were tamping the grounds to what cup to use for each drink.
   There were a few orders ahead of mine, so it took about 5 min to get my drink. If you take a seat while waiting for your order, they’ll bring it out to you.

   The coffee: My 1-size only Americano came served in a small (~10oz) mug with a white saucer. The mug has a bunch of wolves on it, so bonus points for that. The smell is nutty and slightly sweet. Tasting it, there is definitely some acidity (almost citrus), but it’s not bitter or burnt. The initial flavor follows through on the nuttiness found in the aroma. On the back of the tongue / finish it’s almost a little sour, but again not in an overpowering way. Overall a well-balanced Americano with a slight push towards the acidic/sour side of the flavor wheel.
   Also worth noting there were no grounds in the bottom of the coffee (shouldn’t have to say this, but given a few bad experiences in the past it seems worth noting)

   The verdict While largely a matter of personal preference, Lussi Brown is my favorite coffee shop in terms of atmosphere that I have visited so far. If I were grabbing coffee with a date or friend and wanted an intimate setting to talk, this would be my go-to. Coffee is top-tier (hard to say “best I’ve had”, now that it’s been so long since I’ve visited many of the earlier places I reviewed). May not be the best for studying, but for any other purpose I don’t think you can go wrong with this spot.

   Misc. Notes: -Sign says they do happy hours weekdays 4-6, with $1 drip coffee and 10% off all other drinks -Small menu of pastries -Small selection of can/bottle beer -They had 3-4 board games at the front you could take to your table and play -Street parking only (there’s a lot next the building but requires a permit I think, someone let me know if I’m wrong on this!)

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