East Lansing, Michigan is a student city with cafes on every corner. How do you know which one to study at? To chat with your friends? To buy specialty drinks that make your taste buds sing? What is the best cafe in East Lansing?
Well, that is up to you. I won’t answer that age-old question, but I will give you the lay of the land. At Michigan State University, we are privileged to have a plethora of cafes both on and off campus, with aesthetic ambiance, luxurious seating, and great on-the-go options. Without further ado, let’s get into my personal favorites.
Strange Matter
A Spartan classic! Strange Matter is a small business owned by Cara Nader, originally based in Traverse City, Michigan, then relocated to Lansing’s downtown area and the MSU Union. The shop, run by a lesbian couple, is boosted by the motto “we filter coffee, not people,” ensuring an inclusive space for all the folks who come in. One of my favorite exclusive items is the Orange Queersicle latte, a questionably named, but nostalgic sweet treat that is at once creamy, citrusy, and leaves you with a warm feeling inside. The drink is perfect for Pride, and as a lesbian, I adore it.
My go-to order, however, is much more performative… It’s a half-sweet matcha latte with pistachio syrup. It is by far the best matcha on or near campus; it is probably the best green-hued drink I’ve ever had. Try it if you haven’t. Your taste buds and stomach will thank you. While the drinks are worth fighting a gorilla for, the hectic atmosphere at the Union, especially in the afternoon, leaves more to be desired.
Also, I’d love to shout out Eli Jones — if you don’t know, he is a manager at Strange Matter and an English/creative writing student like I am, and always brightens up any classroom he’s in by occasionally bringing in a box of donuts for everyone. I love Strange Matter because of its focus on building a diverse community, friendly service despite the buzz, and, of course, its unforgettable treats.
Constellation cat cafe
Positioned at a little house on the side of the highway, Constellation Cat Cafe is a fun and fuzzy experience for all who come in. The cats here are the center of the experience; so don’t expect to get any studying or work done with these hyperactive yet sleepy cats bouncing around. At the cafe, you can book 30-minute or 1-hour sessions to spend with the kitties, along with a free drink or a $5 coupon to use on any merch. One tip — get one of the drinks! Despite the cute cats being the main attraction, the coffees, teas, and milkshakes at Constellation Cat Cafe are just as wonderful. I recommend ordering either a lavender latte or matcha, fresh flavors that, I think, make me feel as if I am one of the felines zipping around the room. Their stuffed animals and stickers are so adorable, too! They represent queer identities and have earned permanent spots on my bed and computer.
Watching a cat loaf in the hazy sun, blinking slowly as the light streams through the windows and throwing a twinkling ball across the room, cats scrambling for their prey while you sip on a creamy latte are amazing experiences. Nothing beats those few moments when a once aloof creature snuggles onto your lap, their purrs reverberating through your heart. These fleeting moments with the cats in the cafe remind me of my own Saraphina, my sassy, pompous, and handsome gingerbread-hued cat who passed away a couple of years ago. I treasured every moment with him and can see his legacy in every one of the cats at the cafe.
Hooked
The first time I visited Hooked was on a Tinder date. She was a few years older, a few minutes late, and got a wine sampler off the menu — which I (totally of drinking age) greedily sipped as the hours wore on. The boozy-bookstore-cafe was an English major’s dream, hardcovers and paperbacks lining the shelves in neon colors, hosting writers from Simone De Beauvoir to Emily Henry, titles from Heartstopper to Shuggie Bain. I skipped through the literary fields, naming every book I read to my date, as if I was discovering a new species with each passing author I knew. I was so excited I became a mansplainer.
Needless to say, I did not get a second date, but I did find a new place to study, snack, and eye new titles. Similar to the Cat Cafe, the main attraction of this coffee shop is not the drinks per se, but the expansive catalogue of books. Although the store hosts a myriad of genres, all the books are united by an aesthetic and spiritual ethos that makes the cafe come alive. The poems, stories, essays, and art all stem from marginalized communities and advocate for a world with more color, culture, and light — an important message to highlight at a time where billionaires and bigots have risen to unprecedented heights. On that first date, I bought a memoir called Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H. It gave me an intimate lens on a culture I grew up around, but didn’t know much about, and illustrated how religion and queerness can be in harmony. I read it every night for two weeks, the taste of the lavender hibiscus tea refresher still on my tongue as I imagined Lamya growing up, finding her identity, and then her place in the world.
MOKA & CO.
Moka & Co. is a Grand River Avenue gem that sells a diverse selection of Middle Eastern drinks and desserts. Brothers Dr. Ahmed and Sal Sufyan seek to showcase Yemeni coffee culture to the world through the lightly roasted but fragrant Julbani, the honey-sweet iced Shai, and my personal favorite, the creamy, cardamom-infused Saffron Adeni. Yemen, in fact, is one of the two countries where coffee is rumored to originate from. All of Moka & Co.’s coffee is sourced from Mokha, a port city on the Red Sea, where beans are sun-dried on stone terraces following traditional roasting methods of the region. They also use the husk of the coffee bean in their drinks, leading to a flowery and iconic chocolatey mocha taste.
What I love about Moka & Co. is that they truly prioritize the flavor of their items and provide great service. Coffee is not only a caffeine kick, but also an aromatic experience at this cafe. Unpopular opinion, but I hate dark roast — Starbucks coffee is only bearable with ten pounds of sugar on top. It tastes burnt, and this Yemeni coffee shop agrees with my sentiment. Even though Moka & Co. was only recently placed in East Lansing, they do a ton to support the local community by distributing flyers for various events, including protests for Palestine, the Lansing Lit Book Crawl, and the Farmer’s Market. The setting is also the best for studying, talking with friends, or business meetings. Honestly, the music has earned a place on my Spotify playlist, highlighting artists from the Middle East such as Saint Levant, Elyanna, and Adel Ebrahim. The delicious lattes make it a perfect hangout space for everyone.
Ultimately, East Lansing is the place to be for cafe culture. There are so many cafes that I love around campus that I haven’t mentioned yet, such as H Tea (formerly Moge Tea), Fosters, and Fengcha, each with its special attributes that make the cafe its own. The best coffee shops, in my opinion, are those with a cozy atmosphere, delectable drinks, and a distinct identity and community that shapes them. When I’m feeling depressed about the state of the world and anxious about my place in it, going to a cafe helps me cool down, focus on my work, and connect with others. I love how these cafe communities have carved out their own little space to relax, refresh, and reignite the things we’re passionate about, and how customers are encouraged to highlight literature, showcase culture, or care for animals.
Cafes have defined a large part of my life here in East Lansing, and I hope they play a part in shaping yours, too.