Highland Coffee House

Every time I have been here I’ve had nothing but exceptional experiences. Treat your servers well and they will treat you well. Food and drinks are fantastic and the ambiance is super chill. Music is always great with a ton of variety. The furniture and building are very authentically vintage with a very bohemian type of decor. It’s definitely one of the most unique places I’ve dined at.

Whenever I’ve visited here I’ve seen each of the guys behind the counter work extremely hard to tend to all of their customers. For God’s sakes, tip your servers. Tipping helps pay the rent for many people, so even if you’re buying just a coffee it can really make a difference. Not everyone has a comfy hourly rate to fall back on: especially servers and bartenders. Don’t be stingy and support local business.

All in all, fantastic place to chill and have a nice meal at. There is tons of personality and authenticity here to boot. Recently I have started to regular this place just to unwind after a long day of work, and I will definitely continue to do so. Highly recommend.

My favorite late night hangout in Cincinnati. I always love seeing Jay when he’s working the bar, he always makes you feel at home. The drinks are great and the vibe is immaculate. It can get a little busy, particularly during the school year, but generally you can find a table whenever you come in. Be mindful that outlets are a little sparse if you’re planning to bring a laptop!

Leaving this review purely to tell the people who don’t tip that they should tip. Been here before and never had any issues. Always tip because I was raised right, and I worked in the service industry. Tips are earned, sure, good ones. But even a dollar is just common sense and kindness to your fellow human who barely make any kind of money outside of tips, who made your drink. Have a nice day y’all!

Drinks are fine, but why you think that fostering a hostile relationship with your customers is a good business move is beyond me. The bartender has been nothing but pushy and rude when I’ve been, shaming my friend for not tipping on a can of beer.

I’ve always tipped every time I’ve been, brought friends with me, and done a good job at patronizing this place but I’m done. Until you learn how to treat your customers like human beings, I’ll never return to this place.

This place used to be awesome when the owner was working there. He would work alone but always made your drink with a smile, had great conversation and made you feel welcomed there. They have a new guy making the drinks and serving food and he ALWAYS comes off overwhelmed and acts bothered if you order more than one drink. And please don’t order food or he gets snippy. He is obviously overwhelmed and his frustration is deflected onto his patrons. I get that it’s a busy place and there is only one staff member there but being treated as if you’re bothering someone and getting served drinks that definitely don’t live up to what they used to be, totally kills the cool vibe this place used to have. I don’t think I’ll be coming here anymore. If the owner is ever back that may change.

Great place with out door seating and perfect atmosphere

I've had bad experiences here with their strictness about buying a certain $$ amount every hour (or they kick you out!), and not letting my friends finish their flurries inside. They are not nice about it either.

It's sad because the space is so fun and they stay open late. I just don't agree with the strictness of their philosophy and will not support it.

The vibes are always immaculate; Jay and Dane always play the best music. The service is always great. I LOVE coming here to study or catch up with friends. Again, they play the BEST music.

It's a social contract to tip, at any restaurant, bar or café in the United States. Some people that review this place do not understand that, and that's a major flaw with our education system.

Highlands is a must-stop if you are visiting Cincinnati. It's straight out of a Jack Kerouac novel. Always friendly staff, serving great warm cocktails, draft beer, bottomless coffee, the best boozy(and non-boozy) milkshakes in the city. (A delicious curry chicken salad sandwich on the DL aswell)

Perfect place to start your night, end your night, or hang out for hours with buds having a few drinks. Always laid back, ambiance impeccable.

They have a patio in the back, where it's easy to forget where you are, for the better. It's a haunt for young hipsters, college students, artists, and everyone.

One of my favorites, that always, i inevitably return to.

If you want to be kicked out of a coffee shop after an hour of studying because you don’t want to order a 2nd drink yet, this is the place for you. How they maintain business is beyond me.