Isnโt it boring to get the same old latte in the same old cafe, day in and day out? Yeah, it is, butย because life is often weird and sometimes even a little bit wonderful, more and more themed cafes have been popping up across North America. Ifย the rest of the worldย has a bit of a jump on us (um, helloโSwitzerland has not oneย but two dedicated toย Alienย visionary H.R. Giger), we’re catching up. So put down thatย boring ‘spro, hit the road, and seekย out some of these coffeehouses.
Uncle Tetsu’s Japanese Angel Cafe
Toronto, Canada
A huge trend in Japan, the maid-style cafe has finally come to Toronto. For those unfamiliar with the concept, itโs like if cosplay and theater had a baby in a bakery. At Uncle Tetsuโs, the waitresses dress in J-Pop-friendly maid costumes while serving up slices of Japanese-style cheesecake and huge matcha lattes. Evenings and weekends are when the real fun begins because you can be treated to one of the staff’s choreographed, delightful dance routines. The whole thing is deliciously campy and over the top.
Poop Cafรฉ
Toronto, Canada
Holy crap! Once again, Toronto has adapted aย trend from Japan, becauseโwell, it’s a long story. Owner of Poop Cafรฉย Lien Nguyen has saidย she’s “trying to make poop cute,” and the cafe has done a goodย job at not shitting the bed on that front. Chairs take the form of toilet seats, while latte mugs are shaped like (you guessed it)ย toilets themselves. If your stomach is strong, this is whereย shit happens!
Cafรฉ Jack
Los Angeles, California
Fans of Titanicโthe movie or, you know, the ship itselfโneed to visit Cafรฉ Jack. Located in the middle of Koreatown in Downtown LA and housed in a replica ocean liner, the cafe is the vision of superfan Jack Shin (who’s also a practicingย psychic and Tarot card reader). Customers even get to drink and eat in small, private “cabins.” Throughout the ship, youโll find movie stills, publicity shots, and weird fan art that Shin has accumulated through the years. Cafรฉ Jack is the king of the world!
The Moonfyre Cafรฉ
Portland, Oregon
Miss Pixie Fyre, a professional dominatrix, is having a side of BDSM with her coffee. Whileย The MoonFyre Cafรฉย is not the first kink-inspired coffee shop, it is a space where coffee is approached with just as much care as the play. While manyย may fail toย see the intersection between coffeeย and BDSM, for Fyre itโs a natural connection, explaining to Willamette Week that โaftercare is a big part of the lifestyle,โ so providing coffee and tea was to help her clients connect with each other after a session and talk about the experience. Weโd have to say there is nothing vanilla about this.
Tragic Update:ย The MoonFyre Cafe has been forced to change venues amidst much drama, reports Willamette Week.
BAMF Cafe
Baltimore, Maryland
Comic books and coffee? Itโs basically the perfect combination!ย BAMF Cafeย co-owners Nicholas Springham and Melissa Murphy have created the cafe of every kid’s (and many big adult’s) fantasies. Inside you can drink all the coffee you want and buyย all the vintage and present-day comic booksโalong with other geek paraphernaliaโyour heart desires. Each month, BAMF throws in-house events likeย movie marathons (the kitschier, the better) and TV parties (Doctor Who or RuPaulโs Drag Race, anyone?). Don’t missย the cafe’s ever-changing window display, which features action scenes from comics and manga and witty pop culture references.
Cafรฉ Chat L’Heureux
Montreal, Canada
It would be shameful not toย include at least one cat cafe, so here is a good one:ย Cafรฉ Chat L’Heureux, one of the first to open in North America. The big attraction is that patrons can pay a cover chargeย to play with cats in a supervised area. Itโs a cute little place but remember the food/coffee area and the cat area are entirely separate. Rules are rules: no kittens allowed at tables! But the cafe’s eight cats were all adopted from local shelters (in part for their friendly personalities), and the space is super welcoming, laid-back, and comfortableโperfect for a first date because, be honest, if you don’t like cats, we’re not going out again.
Amanda Scriverย (@amascriver) is a freelance journalist based in Toronto. Read moreย Amanda Scriver on Sprudge.
