At the Prospect entrance a sign posted by Trinity Cathedral announces that Cafe Ah-Roma serves food and drink for the soul. Judging Cafe Ah-Roma as a coffee house is equivalent to judging Kim Kardashian on her IQ. A cafe is what Starbucks has been trying to be for over a decade. It fails. Business publications report It is trying again by serving boxed small portion lunches.
Cafe Ah-Roma is a neighborhood cafe serving fresh and above average fare. What a neighborhood it is with CSU, Trinity, the YMCA, condos, and an RTA transit center. Customers range from CSU professors, Trinity persons of the cloth, students, jocks, and all the others who belong to these large institutions. Most come for a quick bite or for take out. This is not a place to sit for hours with a laptop as seating is limited. This is not the place for those who count how many customers are over 55 years old. Coffee is not the raison d'etre. I am in this area several times a week. I have found this cafe a perfect fit for the neighborhood. In at least 100 visits I have not had my order mixed up, nor have I ever had anything that was not fresh. The staff members are quick and good humored. The chicken salad is excellent. I usually get it on top of one of their very good garden salads. In the summer the outdoor seating shares Trinity's beautifully landscaped garden.
I can understand why some may not be impressed with Cafe Ah-Roma as it is like Cleveland, not trendy and too diverse for those seeking the comfort of homogeneity. I like simple food done well in a room full of people who reflect the city.