Welcome back to Food Wars, we’re so excited to continue this series in the new year. On this edition of Food Wars, we wanted to visit two Black-owned businesses in the Johnson County area and review them. The establishments we chose aren’t necessarily similar in food, so we won’t be comparing food, but we will consider the environment and service received. With that being said let’s get into the review.
The first place we visited was a little far out, although still in Olathe, ‘Sweet Thang & Café’ was a little drive for us. The building is tucked away in a little strip mall area, which made it a little difficult to find, but once we parked and walked inside, we were transported to a candy wonderland.
The store itself was actually fairly large considering it looked small from the outside. The right side of the store had some tables and booths that were spread out, while the left had the 44 flavors of ice cream. The amount of ice cream selections they had was incredible, there were so many flavors to choose from it was almost impossible to select just one flavor. They’re not just limited to their premium ice cream flavors either; the store featured some sherbet, sorbet and non-dairy ice cream options.
One thing I was shocked to find out looking at their menu was they had regular food items as well. With a full sandwich menu and lettuce wraps, Sweet Thang has more than just sweet treats. Something else I really appreciated was the variety of the vessel which contained the ice cream. Obviously, there were the normal cups and waffle cones, but they also had cones that were chocolate dipped and cones dipped in chocolate covered in rainbow sprinkles.
As if the wide variety of flavors and eye-catching design of the store wasn’t enough to draw us in, the staff of Sweet Thang & Café put the metaphorical cherry on top. Before we even began to order, the manager welcomed us in and carried on a little banter while we looked at the flavors. They had the normal staples like vanilla and chocolate chip with some fun new flavors I had never seen before like Purple Daze, Garbage Can and Fun Dough.
As I perused the items, I found myself immediately attracted to the ‘Love U A Latte’ flavor. Coffee ice cream is one of my favorites and this flavor was made with coffee from POUR coffeehouse (past readers will remember my feelings about POUR) so I had to order it. Of course, I also got it in the rainbow sprinkle cone.
I wish I was joking when I say this was the best coffee flavored ice cream I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot. The main problem with this flavor is sometimes the coffee taste can be too overpowering and its essentially frozen black coffee. This was not the case with the Love U A Latte flavor. This one had chunks of chocolate inside which gave it a nice crunch and extra sweetness. The ice cream itself was so good; sweet without feeling like you’re going to get a cavity.
While we were enjoying our treats, the manager once again struck up a conversation with us, asking us how we felt about each of our selections. He then revealed all of the ice creams and cones are made in house, which explains the freshness of the flavors. We stayed in the store for a little bit longer before going to our other destination.
My final review of Sweet Thang & Café is definitely a glowing one. From the staff to the environment, I can safely say I had a delightful time. I was pleasantly surprised at their accommodations for people with dairy sensitivities and their vast menu. The only thing making this from being a perfect review is the location of the café. It was a little out of the way for me and it’s not a drive that I would make often, but if you’re looking for a new ice cream shop to try, I absolutely recommend Sweet Thang.
By Alieu Jagne
The second place we visited was Revocup Coffee House South which was just a short drive from campus right off 135 and Quivira. Revocup has several locations around the area including Leawood, Overland Park, Lenexa and Kansas City. The location we chose was unique because of the late closing time at 7 p.m., which is uncommon for non-chain shops.
We arrived when it was near closing time, but the café was still full of a few groups of people working on laptops and talking.
As soon as we walked in, I was immediately met with moody lighting and a calming ambience. Indie/folk music played lightly in the background and from this I could tell this would be a great place to hang out and do homework or talk to my friends.
We walked to the counter to put in our order and were met by a vast menu including Ethiopian coffee, lattés, Italian soda, custom iced teas and authentic chai. Since it was later in the evening, I opted for an iced blackberry sage tea. The gentleman working brewed It quickly and offered me the next size up from what I ordered free of charge.
The tea itself did not disappoint. I often find that iced teas taste really watered down and lack a good and rich flavor, especially if the flavor is supposed to be fruity. That was not the case with this tea. It was full of sweet blackberry flavor and rich sage. The ice did not immediately melt into the tea and the tea was not watered down at all. I was thankful I was given the larger size because I could not get enough of this tea.
Because we had such a short stay at Revocup I could not form a super strong opinion on the space. We left right before closing time, but before they closed the man working came over to all the tables that still had people and let us know that it was not a problem if we wanted to stay an extra 30 minutes.
Overall, I would recommend Revocup to anyone who is looking for a chill spot to enjoy a nice drink with friends or to study. The vibe of place is great, and the drinks are astonishing.
By Gracyn Shulista