Friday, July 15, 2016

The Super Sweet Sugar Mama Cafe in Frankfurt

Sugar Mama has secured itself a slot in my routine as a favorite place to go.  Its where, for some unknown reason, whenever I sit down to write, the words flow out of me and onto the paper before me.  So, Sugar Mama is my go-to spot on a free afternoon if I wish to make a significant dent in the writing of my fictional story project (but about that another time.  Separate topic ;-)).

However there are other reasons I continue going back to Sugar Mama.  Not just for the mystical powers this cozy cafe seems to have on my writing flow.  Going to Sugar Mama for a hot drink or something to munch on is like sinking into your favorite living room easy chair.  Its comfortable, cozy and inviting.


The cafe exudes charm and a sense of invitation among the mish mash of seemingly random styles of furniture that fill the space inside its main cafe space.  The space inside is sadly slightly cramped and does fill quickly, so one must rush here just before the peak times throughout the day or risk being left out for the chance at a comfy spot to sit.






The outside patio area, really just a section of the sidewalk, has also been scattered with tables and chairs of varying functionality and style. Shabby, sturdy back wooden chairs, wicker seats, hard backed plastic ones, even a rickety rocking chair.  The effect is something like organized chaos.  There are even couches out on the sidewalk which beckon one to sink into with a warm drink and sweet dish in hand.  The patio resembles a yard-sale taking place at the intersection of this part of the city.

Ah yes, the cafes one definitive drawback.  The cafe is plunked down right on the corner of a busy street intersection.  This can at times make for loud or distracting background diversion in the form of traffic, car horns and just a lot of activity.

While the servers do tend to vary slightly in demeanor, from slightly aloof and standoffish, to utterly warm, welcoming and helpful, the majority of them seem to fit the latter description.  Friendly, eager to please, accommodating and prompt.

While the cafe does serve savory items, the focus seems to be on the sweet stuff (hence their namesake), which is just fine by me.  Ive sampled a significant smattering of the goods and can offer some legit feedback in this arena.

The brownies rival American ones in their texture and richness (for those not in the know on this valid concern for sweet lovers, the issue being that certain American sweets versus their German comparisons-the German copies often come up short.  German brownies tend to be drier, less fudgy, not as rich and flavorful as their American counterparts).  The brownies with a buttery crumble sprinkled on top of them are particularly excellent.  Moist, rich and chocolatey, which pairs well with the grainy butter crumble on top.  Those really make the chocolate lover (and American dessert consoniuer ;-p) in my heart sing with enthusiasm. 

One of their sweet cheese swirled brownies.

The cake varieties (of which there are many), are always moist, usually towering with cream or frosting, stuffed with bright, fresh fruits, and just generally look appetizing and enticing.  Among my favorites: the carrot cake with a slathering of tangy cream cheese frosting on top.  Strawberry cheesecake, the fluffiness of the cheese balancing nicely with the light sweet tartness of the berries.  The chocolate mousse cake, light as air with a crumbly crust.  And finally their signature dessert, a berry fruit crumble (a side of vanilla ice cream optional) is excellent.




Served warm, the crumble itself is slightly sandy in texture, buttery and sweet.  It satisfies on a soul deep level.  This feels like a dessert to eat when holed up next to a roaring fire on the closing of a wintry day, or after a long afternoon of manual labor, a melt-in-your-mouth, richly satisfying, comforting ending to the strenuous day prior.

The cookies on offer are chewy, moist and delectable. Flavors are offered such as white chocolate cranberry with almonds, chocolate chip, double chocolate with smarties scattered on tops, and even a cookie topped with sesame seeds.

Savory offerings include thick slabs of half sandwiches stuffed with homey combinations such as apple bacon with corn, red pesto with veggies, or a come-hither, glistening-with-melted-cheese tuna melt.  They have a regular selection of quiches displayed each day, each one chalk full of different vegetable combinations.  My favorite was this past fall, a pumpkin, squash and goat cheese quiche.  Delicious.

The full size salads are monstrous.  Somewhat of a contradiction in regards to what people typically go for when ordering a salad.  But the salad portions are just massive.  A good value for your money, to be sure.  Topped off with vegetables and nut crumble, the combo is surprisingly tasty.  There are usually soup options offered daily.




The one downside to the menu: no gluten free (aside from the house crumble), nothing low in sugar and no dairy free offerings can be found on hand.  Everything is pretty calorie and sugar laden, which in all fairness one can expect when going to a cafe.  But still, in today's up-and-coming food trends in connection with all the recent strides in terms of gluten free eating, as well as people attempting to eat healthier in general, it would be nice if these had even just two or three dishes on hand that fell into these types of categories.

Sugar Mama offers the usual cafe beverages.  Coffee drinks, a wide selection of teas, other enticing warm beverages, even an alcohol menu.  The cafe becomes something of a combination cafe-bar come nightfall.  They frequently host artsy events here on weekend nights.

The prices are fair, though a recent overall increase in the prices is a slight bummer to all of us longtime devoted customers such as myself.

Overall, the vibe here is mish-mash cozy chic, inviting, living-room relaxed.  The sweets are well executed and fairly priced.  The savory selection of food is homey with a touch of rustic.  The drink menu, both warm and cold, alcoholic and non, is inclusive.  The servers as a whole are friendly, attentive and accommodating.


I would recommend Sugar Mama to anyone living in Frankfurt or even just here on a visit.  Its one of the better cafes in the city in terms of overall food quality, atmosphere and prices.

Sugar Mama Cafe is located a 5 minute walk from Konstablerwache Ubahn stop.  
The address is: Kurt-Schumacher Stasse 2.



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