Lestat’s on Park

Historically, Lestat’s on Park has been a very popular destination spot for college students to get late night work done as the cafe used to be permanently open around the clock. Post lockdown, the cafe still has impressive open hours and is one of the few cafes that stay open into the night hours.

You’ll likely find parking without too much trouble about 1-2 blocks down into the residential area of University Heights. The area has a lot of cool restaurants and bars to check out after your work session as well.

The interior of Lestat’s is pretty rough to say the least. I genuinely don’t think this place has been cleaned in years. Dust covers pretty much everything, and the outlets for charging your laptop I feel like are a fire hazard because they’re just covered in dirt. The floors are cement, the walls are damaged, and the windows don’t know what it feels like to have Windex sprayed on them. To put it simply, this place is filthy and they haven’t done anything to change that reality in years. It is nice to see local art displayed on the walls available for purchase, and the wall decor is a mix-up from what you’d expect from your typical cafe.

One of the biggest issues with this cafe is the lack of air conditioning. Air conditioning does not work in the main part of the cafe, only in the back room so if you’re not able to get a spot in the front – you will be uncomfortable during the summer months. To give you an idea, the barista was covered in sweat (and I mean covered) while she was helping me at the counter.

The cafe is mainly made up of wooden tables paired with wooden chairs. Uncomfortable, but at least you’re given back support. They also have a couch that I’ve never seen anyone sit on because it looks like you’ll catch multiple skin diseases from coming into contact with it. They also have thrones? Outdoor seating is also available and usually occupied by smokers.

Lestat’s does have good offerings as it relates to food and drinks. Their cold brew is one of the best I’ve had, and they’ve got a lengthy menu covering espresso drinks, smoothies, sandwiches, and more. Internet here is generally reliable and fast; you’ll find many other patrons are also here to work off their laptops.

Outlet access is abundant with pretty much every table having close access to one. There’s no music throughout the cafe which is nice for limiting distraction. You’ll actually find that the back room is dead silent which can be nice for those looking to really get into focus mode. There are two bathrooms for one person at a time so you might find yourself in a line depending on the time of day.

In reality, if Lestat’s put some effort into the cafe’s cleanliness – this would be an easy spot to call an ideal place to work.