The Annex Coffee and Foods

Really good coffee shop in STL and great vibes. Indoor seating is usually packed, but they have good outside space as well. Overall, a good spot for a coffee/bakery.

Omg. This is a must visit specialty store. They serve coffees, pastries, candles, sandwiches, etc ! They carry international and local goodies. From olives, olive oils, pastas, teas, salsa, to just everything you are wanting for occasions. I absolutely love this gem. Definitely going back with the family.

The Annex is a super cute coffee shop serving a variety of coffees, along with selling lots of cute items, and they even have an ice cream parlor, Half-Pint, inside. This is as close to a “third space” that you could find… you can chit-chat, study, get ice cream, or purchase something cute. I highly recommend swinging by!

The Annex: Huge flavor, huge variety, and yuuuuge prices Bigger isn’t always better — and a perfect example of that is The Annex. It’s a bakery of big extremes, and it’s big on both the positives and the negatives. The Annex outshines its competition by being in the top percentile in several aspects: - Variety & Uniqueness: How many places do you know of in STL where you can get a lot of the classics, but still get something unique like a pear & frangipane tart or an ube white chocolate chip cookie? - Taste: To offer something like a pear & frangipane tart is one thing; to be able to execute it and make it taste good enough that it’s one of the most popular choices at your bakery is another. The best of the best at The Annex is the best of the best in STL; the key lime pie is king, the beef & mushroom streusel is life-changing, the pear & frangipane tart was the ultimate pear-adise, and the blueberry streusel cheesecake might legitimately be the best cheesecake I’ve ever had. But despite being so good compared to other STL bakeries in some areas, it’s big on a few negative extremes as well — and falls flat on its face versus the competition in other aspects: - Price: Some of their offerings are the most expensive pastries I’ve seen in the STL area, and they’re even more expensive than all of the bakeries I visited in San Francisco a few months ago. And San Francisco is one of the highest cost-of-living cities in the U.S., which makes this even more confusing. The baked goods here are good, but $11 pre-tax for a slice of beef and mushroom strudel that’s about as big as my fist? Come on, lol. - Inconsistency: Some of their bakery offerings are absolutely TOP-tier — arguably some of the best of what you can get in STL, like what I mentioned earlier. But some of their other items fall flat vs the competition: - ube white chocolate cookie (dry) - brownie (tasted like a brownie mix brownie from a grocery store) - blueberry macaron - cheese pierogi Overall, this bakery is a great choice, and I’d 100% take someone here from out of town if they were in the mood for one of The Annex’s standout items I mentioned earlier like the key lime pie. But are you playing dessert Russian roulette when trying something new? Absolutely Beef & mushroom strudel and blueberry streusel cheesecake > pear & frangipane tart and key lime pie > turtle cheesecake > pumpkin praline cheesecake > oatmeal creme pie > cheddar chive scone > lemon macaron > ube white chocolate cookie > fig bar > blueberry macaron > cheese pierogi > brownie

I really loved the Annex! The patio is lovely, and the inside has such a nice atmosphere with a beautiful spread of original looking products. There’s a great variety of cakes and pies, and they’re delicious. The coffee is good too. That said, there are two things that feel like misses: 1. They serve you in a mug, but no spoon (which really blows my mind). They have wooden sticks. Good thing I always have my own spoon! 2. They expect a tip, but you’re essentially doing the work yourself…you walk in, order at the counter, wait while they prepare it, then carry it to your table. I don’t mind doing that at all, but I won’t tip in that setup. I will be back!