My pumpkin spice latte tasted like perfume. The interior is dark and drab with little character, and there was no music playing. If they re-decorated with some pops of color, played some fun ambient music and opened the shades for a little sunlight, this place could feel much more inviting. read more

We were heading out of town in a midday stupor and Z's drive-thru was pretty perfect for what we needed. It's not going to have the aesthetics of downtown Lawrence, tucked into a strip mall, but it's a function over fashion kind of coffee shop. My wife ordered a chai latte, I got a cold brew, and both were really tasty. Cold brew is one of those you have to get right in a technical sense, because if it's mis-measured or mis-timed, you're looking at something flat or bitter. This was just right. I especially appreciated the drive-thru as we both had to get back to work, but also with Covid going on, it just made things that much easier. While the location here is kinda blah, it makes up for it with quick and easy service, and the fact that you can easily pop onto K-10 heading east, or head into Lawrence the other direction. read more

Poor customer service, we were the only customers inside. No hello, no good morning?? No thank you for coming in. Coffee is meh, not very robust.. Very disappointing. read more

Seriously delicious mochas here. I rarely order a mocha, but any time I'm at Z's that's what I get. The drive through is convenient, but I like walking in to order because I like the environment. This is an easy place to sit and study. There's always music playing and it's usually just loud enough to create a conversation barrier between you and the next table. read more

Z's Divine Espresso East - the counter and menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Lawrence, Kansas

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It's all in the name. The flavor of Z's coffee is absolutely what they promise: Divine. Another wonderful thing: Z's East is all about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION (honestly, I hate that expression, but when it comes to needing coffee in a quick, convenient manner, it seems to apply). You can hit Z's bleary eyed and bedraggled before you hit I-70 and if you are us, this is often as early as 6am. Thank you Z's for being open so dang early for us. They also have a drive-thru. I would easily give them five stars if not for one egregious error: they automatically cool your Americano down by adding COLD water instead of hot. CRIMINAL!!! Luckily this was noticed and corrected, but if you have new baristas working on your drink, you have to correct them/keep reminding them (I am not criticizing the staff for doing what they are told to do. I appeal to management: when people are ordering an Americano that is NOT iced, well, they typically want that shit hot, OK? This should be standard. Their current practice of adding cool water without asking seems to be unique to Z's, so I don't think I'm asking for the impossible here). One of the baristas explained that the reason the cold water is standard is because some people like to "gulp" their coffee. Excuse me, but that is just WRONG and I daresay one deserves to be left with a burnt throat for such behavior. Maybe that's extreme. How about this, how about these "big gulpers" be the ones to have to ASK for their damn cool water instead of the hot. Why should us civilized coffee sippers be the ones inconvenienced? Is gulping coffee some new trend I wasn't aware of? I am disturbed. read more

I usually get my morning drip coffee here and it's reliably good. Staff are friendly and there's a frequent buyer drink card for coffees and espresso drinks. The drive-thru can be unpredictable in the AM (sometimes 1 car ahead and sometimes 6 cars) so leave enough time if you have to get somewhere after. Bagels are sometimes stale but better than no breakfast when in a hurry. Convenient location if you're headed to K-10. read more

New owners, new staff, new rules means a new experience. In this case not a good one. I loved Z's but with the "z" gone from the shop it's lost that jena se qua, or as the French say "I don't know what" The friendly greetings and warm atmosphere have been replaced with the inefficiency and attitude. Prices have changed, policies have gotten stricter and waits longer. Don't you realize that people have to get to work in KC when they stop in to your shop in the morning? A coffee shop that has run out of fresh coffee twice (and offers Americano instead) annoys me. Long term with the Z being responsible for roasting as well, I'm fearing more shortcuts and cost saving methods. Buyer be aware, the Z's of the past is no more. I'm cashing in my punch cards now because I've seen that's the first thing to go with a new owner. read more

The east Lawrence Z's isn't quite on the same level as the other coffee shops in Lawrence. This is referring to the ambiance and prices. Seating is somewhat limited. Tons of parking outside since it sits on the corner of a large strip mall. Actually, they downsized over the years and lost at least a quarter of their former space. Music is always top notch in Z's. The Baristas are hit and miss. Usually pretty good but have witnessed a couple grouchy one's in the past. No biggie. Z's does roast their own beans and this is where they shine. The organic selections and espresso drinks are really good. The drips are top 5 in Lawrence. Just be careful because regardless of drink, they run really sweet at Z's. If u like super sweet, this is your spot. If not, just ask them to go easy on the syrups nd such. Very limited pastry selection. Sometimes u can get cookies but be careful there too. Sometimes stale and old tasting. Their really good when fresh. OK, my biggest beef is the price for a 12oz refill drip and a small cookie.........Almost $4 freaking dollars! Call me cheap but YIKES!. This wont stop me from coming back as I leave Lawrence on occassion. But it will dig into my lunch budget for the day....hee hee. I know this particular Z's get major props for their drive thru. Other than Scooters or Dunns, Im not sure Lawrence has coffee drive thru until Starbucks opens their new store on other side of town. Again, Z's has seen better days but definetly a good recommendation in Lawrence Kansas. read more

Z's makes quite a bit of good coffee drinks. My personal favorite is the "Tiny Dancer." I'm not a huge fan of their smoothies as they taste like their loaded with sugar, but otherwise you can't go wrong with their menu. They of course do a 10 punches, get your 11th free card. They also have a larger selection of snacks than most coffee shops (although, overpriced snacks...). This location is by far the best of the two in Lawrence. When compared to the two locations, the owner keeps a closer eye on this shop, and therefore it's product. When I go to the location downtown the drinks are not quite as good. When I have a choice between the two locations, I always choose east. I think the downtown one is technically closer for me, but it's worth it to drive a little further. Staff here are good baristas but don't really talk much to you. So even though I'm a regular customer and tip well, they don't ever take the time to get to know me. Not that I expect much, but when you go in every Saturday morning for a whole semester long, I'd like to think that I'm a familiar face at least. The venue itself is wonderful. They have a beautiful mix of several different types of art in the shop. They have a murals on the walls, local art work displayed, and mosaic tables. The windows have great natural light pouring into the cafe, along with some gorgeous curtains to curtail the afternoon sun in your eye. I'm always able to get a socket plug for my computer. Lastly the drive through window is AWESOME. I cannot thank this place enough for making an easy stop for coffee on my way out of town. I do wish they opened even earlier though because there are several occasions where I've left Lawrence but its too early to get coffee here. read more

Props to Z's for being the first espresso venue in Lawrence to open a drive-through facility. Can't tell you how many times, how many years, this little spot of caffeine heaven leaving Lawrence has fueled drives to Kansas City, Lee's Summit, Springfield, heck, even St. Louis. Service through the drive-through is quick and friendly, the coffee solid. No b.s. They showed the way to Scooter's, Dunn Bros., even to the Star****s going in on West 6th street that the city would support drive-through java. The coffee: Z's does their own roasting. I find their coffees very middle of the road (a compliment), not overly strong and not bitter. They know how to craft a proper latte (hate luke-warm ones some of the Scooter's will deliver). However, hard to just beat their solid dark roast with a dash of half/half. A great road companion for the race down 10 highway, and race they do. Made my first walk-in visit over the weekend and found the interior to be a decent hangout with wireless. Little to fault Z's. Solid coffee, good service, convenient and open early on the way out of Lawrence. Like. read more

Enjoyed the coffee today. Got a specialty drink: Carmel and vanilla. Inside is quaint enough; driven by for years and just now made a stop. Will definitely be back read more

cute place to hang out and chat or study, service was amazing! i forgot to ask for iced coffee and she made me another with no charge. definitely would come here more often because my coffee was amazing as well! thank youu! read more

When you hit a city where a Starbucks seems to be greatly loathe, you find a coffee alternative. K-10 is my usually way back to my hometown Topeka. This is along the way and has a drive thru which I have yet to try. I will say that I have gotten my most fav chai here. I got my roomie a strawberry frappee and it was super strong. I think they scared her off. As for me, I shall be back on my many journeys along K-10. read more

I like Z's downtown, but I like Z's East better. The coffee is the same at both locations- delicious, roasted in house, well brewed, and the prepared drinks are fantastic (try the Hotel California). The advantage of the East location is the space. The interior is full of light from the huge south and west windows, and has super high ceilings, so it feels spacious and airy. It also seems to be quieter than many coffee shops, as the East location has a drive-thru, so less folks parade in and out for to-go drinks. This drive-thru is another great advantage when driving out to KC, as the location is at the edge of town, right before K-10. read more

Because Sconelady's is closed on Sunday, and Scooter's makes foam and not mochas, I stop by the drive-thru every Sunday. The coffee is acceptble, the people are nice, and it's not far out of my way. read more

Great beans! I love both locations and the staff! In a town with some coffee variety, these cats stand out...in a good way!

Z's is one of the few places in town that has always catered to my every need. Now I'm not normally that high maintenance, but I like things the way I like things and they respect that. I recently found out that this business was purchased by a new owner....In March. Talk about your quiet transitions. They've done a marvelous job of cruising right along with what looks like a smaller staff than usual in the mornings. The coffee is still a thing of beauty both in Drip and Espresso form. And I was able to purchase almost a pound of pre-bagged coffee through the drive thru, which I never knew was possible before. I have been a patron here for years and seen some catastrophic days, but I've seen days of beauty and grace. I understand the need for transition and practice. But i have never seen anything but joy in the staff. Some of those smiles make my day. Don't worry, no matter what, I'm still a-comin'! read more

I love all the unique coffee flavor options. Some people prefer fancy "coffee" flavored, foam leafs, deep espresso flavor, drinking with an upturned pinkie. They do have that option at Z's, but I enjoy the Kashmir (coconut and curry coffee blend) and the Orange Blossom Special (exactly what it sounds like...but with coffee. Who knew?!) I love this place! read more

I prefer this locations to the down town location. I have gotten better drinks and quality consistensy. The iced skinnymochas are amazing. Some of the best I have had. The atmosphere is great. If you don't feel like dealing with the parking and hipsters downtown, this is a great place to diseapear into a good book and some good coffee read more