I can talk at length about my Honda Civic — its reliability, its value, its sleek but subtle design. But I’d be hard-pressed to elaborate on anything beyond my car’s surface level. I’m not a car person — never was and, most likely, never will be. Despite radiating Honda energy, I personally don’t see cars as anything more than a means of getting from Point A to Point B — plain and simple.
But while out driving to get from Point A to Point B, Circuit Cafe in Historic East End has often caught my eye. More often than not, the lot is empty. The cafe is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon for its headline Cars & Coffee gathering.
I’ve long debated attending. As a place to showcase vehicles and be among like-minded car enthusiasts, I felt like I’d have no chance of fitting in. But having seen photos of their specialty frappés, I let my curiosity win — reputation be darned.
On a particularly idyllic Saturday morning (I truly lucked out with the weather, even though I’m pretty sure the gathering is rain or shine), I pulled into the lot around 11. The event was winding down at that point, but there were still plenty of cars (and motorcycles!) on display in the lot. Still timid, I did an abysmal parking job on the farthest corner of the lot, near an unassuming Lexus, whose presence put me slightly at ease.
As I made my way to the cafe, a small stand in the lot’s center, I curiously peeked into the open hoods of cars on display. What exactly I was looking at, I couldn’t say, but a neon green Honda personally struck my fancy.
Apart from its coffee menu, Circuit Cafe also sells donuts from Peace, Love and Little Donuts and biscuits and gravy, but the donuts were gone by the time I got there, and I questioned how well biscuits and gravy would pair with a frappé.
I went with a s’mores “Formula Frapp.” While they made my drink, I mentioned my apprehension to the barista. They shared that it’s actually a common sentiment; people feel like they need a “cool” car to even enter the lot. But they emphasized that’s not the point of the gathering — it’s the coffee and connection that come first.
After grabbing a few free car-themed stickers from the counter, I took my drink outside to a cluster of picnic tables and a giant Connect Four. I was the only loner there — everyone else stood talking in groups. Engines revved as folks peeled out, often causing the people around me to knowingly chuckle, and, as particularly noteworthy cars happened to drive by without stopping, I noticed many heads turning.
The frappé was excellent, complete with graham cracker pieces blended in. The frozen drink was perfect for the weather, and despite the generous helpings of chocolate syrup and whipped cream, it steered clear (hehe) of being too sweet.
Empowered by my delicious coffee, and perhaps clutching it like a security blanket, I found myself gingerly approaching a few clusters of people surrounding the vehicles that remained. I wasn’t certain what was on display, but I was curious to find out. One individual introduced me to their Fiat Abarth, and I stood among a group as another person showed off their Kawasaki motorcycle.
Numerous folks I chatted with told me they’ve been attending the event in all its iterations for years, some for a decade or more (the current Circuit Cafe was preceded by Ta’bogo Cafe). One person I met occasionally makes the nine-hour drive back after moving to Philadelphia just to attend. While the crowd was still pretty substantial during my visit in the last hour of the event, I learned that it was an unusually low turnout. Oftentimes, people vie for parking spots all down the length of the road.
I pretty much admitted my Honda Civic woes to everyone I encountered. The response was always the same: the car itself doesn’t really matter! One individual recounted the day when a “Frankenstein” Toyota Corolla with parts from all kinds of manufacturers parked next to a Lamborghini. The former stole the show.
“The vibe here is different than some car shows,” Tony, who holds a tall to-go cup of black coffee, explains to me. “People bring projects. They bring clunkers. They bring exotics. It’s just a really neat cross-section.”
”My favorite part about this place is you don’t feel judged,” Rey explains, a Cinnamon Toast Crunch frappé in hand. “People ask you ‘What is your car?’ and they’re genuinely excited.”
“ As long as you bring something that you care about, then people will like it,” Zach adds.
I arrived at Cars & Coffee extremely apprehensive. I’ll brave anything for good coffee, but I still dreaded weird stares and cold shoulders. And while I didn’t leave having been transformed into a car person myself, I was pretty amazed at how welcoming and open every self-proclaimed car person I spoke to was.
As I pulled out of the lot, it clicked — it’s not the car you journey in. Here, it really is all about the destination.
Cincinnati Cars & Coffee takes place every Saturday and Sunday morning, unless otherwise noted, from 8 a.m. to noon. More info: facebook.com/circuitcafecincy.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s May 28 print edition.
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 10, 2025.