A nice little shop in downtown Council Grove. They have ready-made breakfast sandwiches, fresh…read morebrewed coffee and are playing AC/DC on the sound system. Friendly staff and rustic atmosphere. This is also an art store, Alexander ArtWorks, displaying a variety of hand made artwork. I was especially impressed by the laser engraved steel tables and signs.

My wife and I were in town for a few days and I found Watts Coffee on day one and made it over…read moreevery morning for three straight days. I had to get some work done, so I thought it would be great to have coffee and WIFI. BOTH of which Watts Coffee provided. The coffee was great, and the staff team and owner ever Greater. The team let me use space in the Art Store for a zoom call with bankers and I could not ask for more. Plus the Coffee was fresh and excellent. The art of Alexander is amazing and you can see his metal Indian sculptures on the hills in central Kanas. IF you are travelling in Council Grove stop and enjoy an hour in Watts Coffee.

11th Lane Roastery…read more One of our first stops on our road trip was in a little town in Kansas. Coming into the downtown area of Burlington heading north, we stumbled on a quaint coffee shop and had to stop in to see what's up. We discovered this unique little spot that serves pastries, coffee, ice cream and has items from local vendors, including locally sourced beef!! Wifey had a latte which was good and she found some Einkorn flour which she'd never seen before. I'm excited for her to bake something with it! I got a mango smoothie which was incredibly flavorful and not too sweet. Dawn shared my drink with me and got a new hair clip from the vendor section. It was a fun stop and we got to support local! Lots of wins for us and we have a stop to look forward to on our next visit!! Such a cool place!! My only regret was forgetting to get my signature selfie while here!! Whoopsie!!

The ice cream is some of the best I've ever had, and they are more than generous with the sizes of…read morethere scoops. The staff is friendly and always smiling, even checking if something is still in stock. The little nicknacks they sell are fun to look at, and the small dinning area is welcoming, even with a few games to play if you plan to stay for a while. Making it routine to visit at least once a week, sometimes 2.

Haven't been in a while, but when I do they are very kind a friendly... they don't fuss over being…read morea few pennies short at times, and even throw in a few extra donuts around closing time. Their donuts are the best I've had, literally made hours prior to being eaten, so they are about as fresh as fresh can be.

THE BEST donuts I've had. Must try to the blueberry cake donut, and the apple fritters. Mmm!read more

This market has a boba tea and ice cream counter on one side. They have a limited menu (it's really…read morenew apparently) but I got the taro tea and it was probably the best boba I've had. It was sweet but not too sweet. It was also served without ice so it didn't get watered down and you get a good amount for the price. The other tea flavors I can remember are mango, matcha, and strawberry. The guy at the counter was also really friendly.

As we were walking by, Eric R. said, "It is a crime against humanity if Lisa R. does not go inside…read morean Asian market in a random small town." So we entered, and the staff were very friendly. They were pleased to have visitors from Manhappiness and had heard about our great Asian grocery store offerings. This place had a variety of condiments, spices, teas, desserts, meats for shabu shabu, frozen dumplings, mochi...much more than I anticipated finding in Emporia! I would definitely pop in here if I lived nearby. I was able to get matcha genmaicha and jasmine green ito en tea bottles, my favorite!

Wonderful scones and cinnamon rolls. Make sure to try their frappuccino. It's fantastic!read more

I got an iced latte here and it was surprisingly delicious. The espresso was strong and it balanced…read morereally nicely with the amount of syrup. It was one of the better lattes I've ever had. I also got a slice of sausage quiche which was yummy but a bit too greasy.

Radius offers multiple seating options from bar seating, indoor dining seating in their beautiful…read moretap room/restaurant space, a covered patio, and beer garden! We opted for the beer garden, and the staff was super accommodating! Ava was our server, and she went above and beyond in every area to make sure that we had a fantastic dining experience. We ordered cocktails and all of them were delicious! I loved my classic French 75, and my friends ordered a blackberry cocktail and another spiced rum cocktail that were seasonal specials. The classic BLT was just as good as I remember it, the pork belly aïoli really takes it to the next level! The black bean hummus is also a must try anytime you go to Radius. All in all we had a 10 out of 10 experience at Radius Brewing Company, and we absolutely will be back again!

Stopped for lunch on a Saturday and even though they were busy, they seated us at the bar right…read moreaway. Had the chicken sandwich with avocado sauce and half of the sandwich filled me up. It was a great combination of flavors

We arrived too close to closing time to grab a table for food or drinks so we came in and chatted…read morewith one of the employees. The renovation on the space is beautiful! For any Emporia folks that knew the building before, you have to see the space now! This alone is worth stopping by for a peek! He mentioned distillery tours but I do not have the details. There is a small retail area set up when you enter. We purchased a couple of bottles for our home bar. My pick was butterscotch moonshine. I do not recall seeing this flavor before in moonshine but I love all things butterscotch! They had a pretty good crowd there when we arrived. Not too bad for a weeknight in Emporia! They have the cutest outdoor seating area but no one was sitting outside when we arrived. The food menu was smaller than I expected it to be but I suppose if you are there to enjoy some cocktails with friends, the offerings are on target. I was honestly hoping for more menu items to pair with their distillery offerings, especially if I want to try a tasting/flight. You aren't going to bring the family here for brunch or dinner. It isn't that kind of place. I am not sure if they have event space but it has that sort of trendy yet unique vibe that I would consider when selecting a venue for my events. This is a cool spot. I love the craft cocktail, distillery category, rooted in the Prohibition, Speakeasy, and bootlegger history. This is one trend I hope to see continue! We will be back to try it out and I will let everyone know how it goes!

Husband's beer glass had a large chip with sharp edge…read more Server walked by our table several times without checking on us. Table hadn't been bussed prior to us sitting down. Inside AND outside could use LARGE ceiling fans during this heat if for no other reason than to keep the flies away!!

So I'm not local, but we made the time for this. It made for a great reason for an out-of-the-way,…read morebeautiful Saturday afternoon road trip. If not for seeing the governor tweet about this place, I might not have known. What a shame that would've been. Snugged up against the banks of the Neosho, Riverbank Brewing is bringing solid craft beer and a great gathering destination to small town Kansas. A reclaimed building, replete with broken walls outside, houses a small brewing facility and spacious tasting room. Not a beer drinker? No worries, because Riverbank has you covered for craft cocktails, plenty of wine, and non-alcoholic choices. But if you *are* here for the beer, just know that Riverbank is dabbling in the lab and getting it done RIGHT. I sampled a kölsch called 'Thrill Hills' and picked up an IPA for the Mrs. called 'Kenny Gregory's Vertical'. If ya ain't familiar with Kenny Gregory, look him up. The kid had hops, and so does this beer. I also had a pint of the blonde ale 'Yeah Girl', a wheat-y ale with a strawberry kicker, not too fruity and sensational on the back end. The brewmasters of Riverbank clearly know their way around malt, yeast, & hops and their execution in the tasting room has equal game. There are food options, but it's not a full kitchen. Want to bring your doggo? Riverbank Brewing is dog-friendly inside and out! We loved the opportunity to enjoy a beer on a great day in a great place without having to worry about where to put our dog. Patio seating gives shade for warm weather and heat lamps when it's chilly. It's small town Kansas bringing a big city amenity with all the comfort that Midwestern hospitality is known for!