Drink This Now: Latte at 1900 Barker

Latte at 1900 Barker // Photo by Aleah Gollier

The first local coffee shop I established as my go-to during my first year at KU was 1900 Barker on Mass. Their menu consists of specialty drinks and classics: filter coffee, house espresso, and decaf espresso. Each can be customized with homemade syrups and milk options. They also offer food options for breakfast and lunch for a more dedicated study sesh.

For this story, I ordered my classic—iced vanilla oat milk latte. This is a good baseline drink for me to compare to other shops because I know what I like, and there are a lot of ways to mess it up. The coffee can be too watery or too milky, too sweet or not sweet enough, too bitter or weak. But, I can confidently say that 1900 Barker passed the test and remains my old reliable for this school year.

The latte was smooth and rich, and the sweetness was just right. You could clearly taste the vanilla flavor without it being too syrupy. The espresso was not bitter but rather robust. Lastly, the oat milk was not too thick and somehow tasted fresher than other oat milk I’ve had in the past. It actually almost fooled me into thinking it was dairy.

1900 Barker on Mass // Photo by Aleah Gollier

For students or remote employees seeking a spot to work, this atmosphere is welcoming and homey, with plants everywhere and a chill folk music ambiance. The acoustics allow one to study quietly or respectfully chit-chat with a group of friends. 

1900 Barker has a strong reputation in the area, with cross-trained personnel making as much impact as the quality coffee beans. “We hire the best people and ensure proper training,” Chef and General Manager Jake Sloan says. “Our baristas learn to work the register, pull perfect shots, and steam milk correctly. We make all our syrups in-house, unlike other shops that use pre-made ones. We focus on using good coffee, proper brewing techniques, and high-quality milk.”

1900 Barker is located at both 816 Massachusetts Street and 1900 Barker Ave, Lawrence, KS 66046.