Character Coffee

I’m writing this maybe 45 seconds after leaving the establishment. Immediately, I was met with a smile from the barista. The shop didn’t feel “recently opened” even though it’s still the first hour of the day. The barista was well-spoken, friendly, and really the definition of proper customer service. She spoke enough to engage with me yet still not too much to bother. The coffee was really quite delicious. Their Advent Calendar specials for the holidays are phenomenal! Knowing that the syrups are made in house justified price. Espresso is great quality. Not stellar but it’s hard to get stellar beans without being a roaster too. Overall, 9/10. 4/5 stars ONLY because there was a miscommunication with the menu pricing. absolutely delicious.

Coffee with the most Character

This is the best coffee shop I have ever found in New York (and actually anywhere else). You will not find another shop that cares this much about the coffee craft within a 100 mile radius (at least). The most aptly named shop - it is full of great coffee and great character. Some of my highlights:

*Attention to quality of the craft is immeasurable here. The fantastic barista, John and owner, Katie were at the bar, testing and creating flavors and combinations. You can really tell they have a passion for innovating in the coffee community - you can really taste it too!

* The creativity is unmatched and inspiring. As mentioned above, the staff here make house-made syrup from scratch, and they have flavors NO other coffee shop offers (Pistachio syrup c'mon). They also experiment with multiple beans/roasts and methods of brewing, they are extremely knowledgeable about the craft

*The genuine character the staff offers. I walked in this shop for a quick stop and ended up spending most of my Sunday here. John, Katie and the crew were so engaging and offered such interesting coffee talk. They were extremely friendly and kind - they truly gave the 'coffee shop culture' you only see in TV shows.

You will never step into a coffee shop that has quite the character this one does, and even as I write this, I have the urge to return. You go for coffee and leave with an experience . I 100% recommend this for anyone stopping in the area.

It took me a minute to find this place, but the decor is amazing in this place.. love all the greenery. The maple latte was absolutely freaking delicious. They also have an assortment of very interesting flavors like honey lavender, and honey cinnamon.. 🤤🤤🤤 definitely will be back.

10/10 Had a delightful experience for my 1st visit. Came for the Honey Lavender Latte but they were out, so I enjoyed a new flavor they were testing- 'Rosé'. Beautifully crafted and the owner/coffee crafter (Christi/Katy/Cati??) was a great conversationalist. The smells coming from Soul One 12 next door only added to the experience ❤

really cute place…subpar coffee. Loved the cinnamon donut. And the people we’re really nice. Think the owner took my order 😇

I love Character like a second home. The coffee is top notch. The specialty drinks are inventive. The staff and the owner keep a welcoming and fun vibe going always. If you're in need of coffee or small bites you'd better stop into Character.

This was the 5th stop on our Northeast Coast Coffee Tour. It held the #1 spot for a short time. We don’t eat sugar, but apparently they make all their own syrups from scratch which is awesome! The barista was kind and didn’t scoff when I mentioned we were from Texas (which came up in casual conversation - I didn’t just throw it out there 😂). Anyway, I enjoyed it enough to buy a sticker to display proudly somewhere. 😁

This is an amazing local coffee spot. They really know their coffee! Place is beautiful in the midst of a revitalizing downtown Utica. Selection is superb. It's always changing depending on where their latest order was sourced from. The mocha latte I had was so tasty.

Randomly ended up in Utica, randomly ended up at this coffee shop. The blueberry latte was AMAZING and the staff was so friendly. If you also randomly end up in Utica (or not so randomly) you should definitely make this place a stop on your itinerary.

Their matcha latte is so good!