Homer's Coffee House in Overland Park, Kansas

Kansas City, Kansas is chock full of coffee shops. Within a one-mile radius in certain areas, there's probably four or five. With that many around, it's difficult to choose a favorite, but I have to say one of my favorites is Homer's Coffee House in downtown Overland Park (a suburb of Kansas City, KS).

Homer's Coffee House offers some of the best coffee in the area. It's not too bitter like Starbuck's coffee can be, but it does have a strong, bold flavor. I mostly drink their lattes, iced, and they make an excellent latte with a good balance of milk and espresso. Homer's only buys locally roasted coffee, and the baristas grind it in the shop, which means it's always fresh. Homer's serves other beverages as well including juices like Odwalla, loose-leaf teas, and fresh smoothies. Homer's also serves baked goods such as cinnamon rolls, bagels, cookies, and cakes.

Homer's Coffee House is also concerned about environmental issues. Therefore, when people order coffee to sit at the coffee shop, Homer's serves the coffee in ceramic mugs rather than paper (though it does offer paper cups to go) to cut down on waste.

Art is an important part of Homer's Coffee House. Local artists are featured on the walls, changing about once a month. On Friday and Saturday nights, Homer's has a live music. Since it is a Christian coffee house, the musicians mostly play Christian music. (Don't worry, though. Just because it's a Christian coffee house, that doesn't mean the baristas are going to try to convert you. They won't.)

Also, Homer's Coffee House has free WiFi, and they don't mind if you hang out for a few hours. The atmosphere, though it not heavily decorated, is welcoming if not cheerful. And the baristas are genuinely nice people, who want to know how your day has been and so on.