Park Avenue Coffee - Cortex

Could be stellar. Has some drawbacks, though. Often out of one product or another. I've been there when they were "out of espresso." (Yes, a coffeeshop.) Again when they were out of one of their few lunch offerings. And the service is similarly hit or miss. I'm often coming from physical therapy, as are many of the other customers--they're in the same building. Their chairs are hard wooden scoops that immediately put my sciatic leg to sleep--but I can't get anywhere else without calling a Lyft. A big pitcher of ice water on the counter would be wonderful. Still, the coffee is good. The sugar-free syrups are appreciated. It's nice that they have bakery items, breakfast all day, and some lunch options. I wouldn't return if not for proximity, though.

Hot tea $4.75. Counter service only. No gluten free options. Just very expensive for basic coffee and tea which are their mainstays.

This place is close to my office so I was really hoping that it was going to be good. It was perfectly acceptable. Service was quick and they had a decent variety of options

Boyscouts in front of my local grocery store were selling STL's finest Park Avenue Coffee and has me hooked! Uniquely blended, it was worth the drive across town even though they ship to the door. The service is good, but there was a long wait time in a small waiting area that was not what I was hoping for. The Carmel Frappuccino was great, along with the soft Pumpkin bread.

Good coffee and friendly service.

Caramel Dulce frappe with almond milk was tasty and chilling. Service was good. Clean and quiet atmosphere. No one is washing hands anymore before they serve.

So I have traveled a lot and these ladies here put it down!!!! Coffee has a perfect balance to even drink black!!!!

Great coffee, pretty good pasteries and desserts, and also pretty good sandwiches. For a coffee place inside of Cortex, it does a great job. Not long wait times and plenty of places to sit. Nice staff. I recommend the carrot cake muffins and the turkey sandwich.

I love what's happening in the Cortex area, and I'm glad there's a coffee shop nearby! Check for street parking (paid with an app) and be prepared to walk a bit; I found a spot a block away at 9 AM on a weekday. I wasn't greeted when I entered and I didn't see a food menu, so I chose from the baked items in cases on the counter. The drink menu included many temping items, and a list of tea varieties was on the counter. Later, I noticed an LED screen was changing displays and did include some breakfast sandwich items that I missed. Maybe next time! My latte was good. The bacon cheddar scone was served at room temp and did not seem fully cooked; it had sticky batter in the middle. Unless I missed an adjoining room, seating is limited to counter stools and tables for two-- both high top and low options. There's plenty of outdoor seating, though it wasn't shaded when I visited. Several people were working at computers in the morning I dropped by, and a few tables of two were talking. I think it would be a stretch to have a larger group in the space.

Nice coffee spot in our office building. Great assortment of drink options and some food choices. Service was quick and efficient, not much chit chat. Lots of seating and a bright room, perfect for a quick meeting or decompression before getting back to work! I just started a new job in the building and will be back (many times), I am sure!

Delicious coffee, fast, efficient and nice service, and the best blueberry scone! Not overly sweet, just perfect!

My wife and I had a few minutes between appointments in the Medical Center and in Cortex. We stopped in to get lattes and a muffin. Great drinks and outstanding carrot cake muffin. Quick service in a clean environment.

Barista was great-kind and fast. I had the frozen cold brew mocha, ham egg and cheese sandwich and okey gooey butter cake. Each was practically perfect but that ham breakfast sandwich is going to stick in my head as especially tasty-salty to be sure and just what I needed. Lots of windows and bright making the place a great one to wake up in.

Accidentally ordered my drink hot and asked for a cup of ice to pour it into. Don't think I'll be returning after getting the attitude from the barista that's always sitting on their phone. I asked for a top not wanting to touch behind the counter but I guess it wasn't perceived well and had it thrown onto the counter. Loved this place...

Very friendly staff I forgot to ask for almond milk and they didnt ask what I wanted in my latte so had a stomach ache that day Also the nice looking leather chairs are not at this location Easy to find

Expensive, no gluten free options. $4.75 for hot tea. Overpriced in every way. Counter service only.

The coffee was good, the ambiance was fun and cool with high ceilings and exposed pipes, etc. The only downside to me was the smoothie was far far too sweet.

The Cortex district has coffee covered. Park Avenue Coffee is a simple unpretentious place with a great mix of window seat high top tables and a few cafe tables. It's busy with offsite meetings normally, but not noisy, despite the sort of clean angular hard surfaces that make up the decor. The coffee: on point. Well-0pulled espresso shots and accessible drip roasts make it a nice go-to for me when I'm visiting on business. Combine with a friendly staff, and this is just a pleasant place to drop in and either air a meeting or just get caffeinated to start the day.

Stopped by Park Avenue Coffee and tried some butter cakes. I went with their pumpkin and lemon blueberry offerings and I have to say they were both quite decent. I did like the pumpkin a tad bit better, but I'm inclined to like anything with pumpkin in it. Customer service was great and the space was clean and welcoming. Cool vibes all around. If in the area definitely, give them a try.

Nice roasted whole coffee as well as drinks. Friendly and quick service. Always a go to when I'm in the area!

Well, color me delighted. I love this new location so much! Each Park Avenue spot has a very different vibe and serves a different purpose for me. Here's how it goes: This new Cortex location: amazing work vibe. Plus, they have breakfast and lunch! Lafayette Square: hanging with friends and enjoying comfy chairs and locals. The Hill: another great spot to work + you can enjoy the smells from the roaster. Downtown: my go-to meeting place and a spot where my productivity soars. The natural light in this location alone is enough to keep me coming back. It's also refreshing to see so many young professionals stopping in between meetings in their nearby offices. It just has a really creative vibe and seems to fit perfectly into the St. Louis coffee shop scene. You can also score a great breakfast sandwich or quiche, and they have a nice little lunch selection as well! I was scoping out sandwiches and wraps that I'll definitely be trying on my next visit. You might have a bit of a walk from your parking spot, but it's completely worth it. Thanks to Dale for making it rain coffee all over St. Louis!

Great little coffee spot. Nothing fancy- but they do have a large number of food items that all seem pretty good. The coffee never tastes burnt and the location is great if you live and work in that area.

Been here several times. Ice coffee is delicious along with the various flavors of gooey butter cake. Today I had the red velvet which was very rich. My favorite was the expresso with chocolate chip. This place is great to just hang out and surf the web and enjoy fresh made coffee and snacks. I will contiune to stop in here whenever I can.

I was pretty underwhelmed by the house coffee, to be honest. It tasted weak, without any distinct aroma, and was overpriced imo. Unfortunately, the breakfast menu was switched out by the time we got there at 11. We got the turkey cheese wheat wrap. All of the lunch menu items come with a side of either a fresh salad (look at those gorgeous tomatoes), chips, or apple. The wrap itself was ok, but on the bland side, despite the attempt at flavoring with some cranberry-based sauce. On the upside, there are great alternative milk options (coconut, soy, almond) for very reasonable add on pricing. The many sweets in the counter called my name, but I'll have to come back and indulge another time. Also, I can picture this being a perfect study location, given the abundance of natural lighting. FYI, don't get confused like I did and wander into the Cortex building itself (ignore the two labeled signs pointing towards the Cortex entrance...) If you're heading east on Forest Park, turn right on Boyle, then left on Duncan, and it's the first building on your right. There's plenty of street parking on Duncan as well.

I have been a fan of Park Avenue ever since they opened their Lafayette Square location, it was just a perfect location serving up some great drinks and delicious coffee. Over the years Park Avenue has outgrown Lafayette Square by adding several locations such as downtown, South City near The Hill, and now Cortex location but one thing has stayed the same, the quality. You can still get a great cup of coffee and a delicious slice of gooey butter cake just like their original location. Due to its location in the heart of the Cortex district, I will admit that this location feels slightly different, however it still has casual seating and a quiet atmosphere. I think there is much more of a focus on workers in the building grabbing coffee and getting back to their work. However if you do happen to decide to stop on by there are two 15 minute parking sports right on Duncan which are ideal for grabbing a cup of coffee to go. The staff here, like all other locations, are always friendly and willing to make a recommendation if you simply cannot decide for yourself. On my initial visit I went with a Peanut Butter Cup Frappuccino, which tasted like a blended Reese's peanut butter cup, it was a sweet treat worth savoring, we also got a Blueberry Mini Pie, which was equally as delicious. Overall Park Avenue Coffee is a welcome addition to the neighborhood, now if I could only convince my employer to open an office in Cortex, lol!

This location is likely super convenient for folks working in/near Cortex. For my visit, parking was a struggle. There was one spot but marked as 15 minute max so I didn't use it. After finding a spot I walked in. The interior has abundant light which is nice. The two baristas were friendly. I order a cafe au lait but requested a coffee mug to stay. When my order was ready, it was prepared to go and I had to ask for a mug. The barista said he would remake but I told him it was totally fine to pour it into the mug instead (no need to waste). The WiFi is good and requires a password that they give you on a piece of paper (nice touch). There's a nice selection of pastries but I didn't get one. My coffee was alright and the atmosphere is nice. Plenty of tables to sit at and get some work done but there's no real "chill" spot inside. There's a cool chair setup but it doesn't look comfortable for drinking coffee and checking Instagram (that's what everyone does now, right)? Overall, I'd come back and try this place again.

They've opened another location! And guess what? It's fantastic. This is their fourth edition and I really like the space. Each Park Ave location has a unique flavor and this one has a modern and clean design. Located in the Cortex office building it might be kinda hard to find at first but they have plenty of signage. Since it's next to a lot of offices there is a lot of employee-only parking but I had no problem finding a spot on the street outside. They even have a 15 minute to-go parking section at the door. They have a decent amount of two person tables in here which is great for working. I came in here with my intern and we had plenty of privacy. In fact, only 3 other people were there! Sounds like the perfect coffee shop for working to me. This location has hearty food, unlike the others (exclusively baked goods). Their breakfast croissant sandwich was tasty but I really can't wait to try some of their lunch options. I know they rotate out certain sandwiches and recently had pulled pork...yummmmm. I can already tell you, this is going to be one of my go-to for out of the home office working.

Caramel macchiato is so sweet! Coffee is over priced and not that good. The gooey butter cake is worth it though! Staff at this location isn't overly friendly and seems annoyed to be working.

I go here when I miss the train during my morning commute (it's right by the cortex stop) and I always get a black coffee. I've also had their smoothies which can be tart but pretty good, a salad with seared tuna which was yummy, and a cappuccino muffin which was awesome. I give it 4 stars because sometimes their stuff can miss the mark, especially the baked items, but overall an amazing place to get coffee and the people who work there are incredibly nice.

Whenever I'm in the area for a business meeting, I try to stop by Park Avenue Coffee. I can't vouch for their coffees, but their green teas are always top-notch, their WiFi is fast and their baristas are very friendly and helpful.

Love the new location!!! I went on a Saturday at 4. I was the only one there and it was clean and still had a large variety of sweets. I grabbed the zucchini bread which was phenomenal. I then went for the park avenue mocha which used white chocolate syrup. Delicious! Also, they offer coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, half and half and then I believe another option for milk aside from the standard. There is an extra charge as expected but it was surprisingly low! Definitely will come back and bring my back pack next time :)

I have never found a more consistent quality coffee roaster in my life. While I've never been to the shop, I've ordered my coffee online for almost two years now. I'm a total coffee snob, buying coffee all over the world. Park Avenue is a single source vendor, which means you get the same bean from the same farm at the same quality. I understand that a light to medium roast does not remove the flavor or the caffeine. It isn't burnt. You don't have to hide the flavor with sugar and cream or artificial flavorings. Sit down and compare Star Bucks French roast and one of these cups--it will blow you away. The coffee is fantastic black. It is best made with boiling water straight into a thermal mug so it stays hot--to be enjoyed for an hour. TBH, I've been afraid to write reviews because they might get too popular and I wouldn't be able to get my orders filled--but no I'm not going to tell you my favorite roast. I've had this happen with three or four coffee roasters found on coffeereview.com. Pros: Light/Medium Blend Perfect black Single source Great flavors Wake and I choose a bag to grind from I rotate from the earthy African to the milder South American Fast fulfillment Great prices for single source Cons: None, sorry. I'm a big fan. #gushingovermymorningcup

I tried the traditional gooey butter cake and also a red velvet. They are buttery deliciousness! I was NOT a big fan of the coffee, it was ok at best.

When I was in St. Louis I wanted to go get some coffee and Dunkin' and Starbucks were pretty far from where I was. Park avenue coffee was 5 minutes away and I'm so happy I came here. Their coffee is much better than Starbucks and I also got free gooey butter cake when I found a coupon at my hotel. Wish I could have this coffee place where I live.

Wasn't a big fan of the caramel macchiato, too sweet. But I do like they gooey butter cake! The carrot cake muffin is also amazing, it's hard to justify it was breakfast, but it has muffin in the name.

Awesome selection of pastries and desserts. Limited savory options for breakfast and lunch, though, but what they do have is pretty tasty if basic. Their regular coffee drinks are decent. I've had two flavored iced coffees so far, and they go pretty heavy on the syrup, so if you're not into that, definitely ask for fewer shots of syrup. The baristas so far have been nice about it. Edit: ok, I worked in 4240 for about a year and went to this place often for breakfast and lunch. Regretted every food item I got that wasn't a pastry/butter cake. I don't know why I kept eating mains there other than the restaurant was convenient.

I came here for a work lunch. I went with the cuban. It was good cafe food. I wish it had more crunchy crisp stuff on it. Maybe better pickles? Nothing super impressive but good! The staff was very acommodating and helpful!

I went in there this morning and the lovely barista, Kayla, made such a beautiful Christmas Tree in my cappuccino that I'm actually considering converting from Judaism

One of the best Mocha Lattes I have ever had. Staff is super nice as well! They also do some breakfast foods like bagels and muffins. Lunch is also an option with soups and sandwiches. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the vicinity.

Egg croissant, broccoli cheddar quiche, roasted chicken club & green tea frap are so good. I will be back. Helpful staff as well. Relaxing atmosphere

I love the feel of this coffee shop- it's cozy yet open, with lots of windows. The baristas are always friendly and make an awesome latte, plus the gooey butter cake is divine. I've been looking for a new perch since moving to the city, and I think I may have found it.

Stopped here with a friend as I was leaving St. Louis. The barista at the counter did not seem thrilled to help us and seemed annoyed that it took a few minutes to decide. Well it was my first and probably my only visit. My friend recommend this location due to my request to find gooey butter cake. The cake here was delicious and that is what helps the review. I also had a large chai tea and it was underwhelming. The majority of the cup was foam and it didn't have much flavor. Maybe I would have more success at one of the other locations.

METAL IN MY FOOD!!!!! So my friends an I decided to pop into Park Ave today instead of eating at the food trucks, we ordered the turkey and cheese wrap with cooked carrots. Our food came up, sat down, grabbed my fork and went straight for the carrots. As I was getting ready to bite into it I pulled it back and noticed a rather large piece of metal on my carrot. I walked back up to the lady at the counter and showed her, she took the carrots and of course said "oh no I'm sorry" but then came back out of the kitchen and asked me if I wanted new carrots or something else and said that it was because of the metal grate, making an excuse as if this was a normal thing. I was really upset at the fact that i almost ingested something that could have really hurt me right then or in the long run, I was expecting her to turn around and give me my money back or something! EXTREMELY upsetting!!!

New clean bright modern friendly coffee shop. Good selection of pastries and baked goods. Coffee is tasty and staff is friendly. Togo cups are nice with modern fun tops. Nice space to hangout work relax. Easy parking and quick in and out access for such a large building

Park Avenue is definitely my favourite local STL "brew," and this location is as welcoming, clean, and pleasant as their other outposts. Parking might be tricky, but as I always arrive on foot, it's an easy stop in the Cortex. So glad this PAC has the nitro cold brew. It's awesome.

The only reason I'm not giving this zero stars is their coffee, their food is so inconsistent and poorly executed, today I ordered a power bowl with chicken and Carolina mustard sauce, what I got looked like a fifth grader made it, it was literally a microwave packet of rice with some bland chicken breast with yellow mustard on top, I like the staff there and their espresso is great but their food leaves much to be desired, I work in the building and have given them more than enough chances, they will no longer get my lunch money

Favorite new study spot close to home. Decent coffee at a good price point. The baked goods were also fresh and yummy. They have interesting soda options as well. Quiet, not overrun by Washu or Slu undergrads. Lots of Windows for natural lighting.

Phenomenal cake offerings. Had the gooey cake and found it very authentic and perfectly moist and firm.

Nice friendly service and trendy furnishings make for a nice relaxing place to enjoy my coffee.