"When Babu first opened, the entire town lined up like they were waiting for Taylor Swift tickets sold by the Pope. I refused. I don’t stand in line longer than 15 minutes unless I’m being handed immortality or a free mortgage. Today, post yoga and spiritually fragile, I walked past and saw NO LINE. The ancestors whispered, “It is time.” I entered. I asked for their finest elixir and received the house cardamom latte and the turkey–fig–brie sandwich. The sandwich? Illegal. Emotionally destabilizing. I took one bite and felt my chakras crack open like pistachios. My skin cleared. My WiFi got faster. The state of my soul upgraded to Premium. The cardamom latte? A warm, spiced apology for every disappointment I’ve ever faced(except that one girl in 9th grade) . If you grew up in Asia/Middle East, you know cardamom in coffee is not a luxury — it’s a constitutional right. I quit breastfeeding early because my mother didn’t season properly. Babu redeemed her. Now. A quick note: They asked for my name. I said Tarek. They wrote Darek. I guess I looked white-washed enough to earn a silent promotion. At this point, I’d like to formally request the matching interest rates, job callbacks, and HOA leniency of my fellow Dereks. If you’re gonna anglicize me , please follow through. The staff? Ridiculously kind. They treated me like a baby squirrel learning to trust again. The aesthetic? Imagine The Flintstones got into craft coffee and minimalism. I entered a man. I exited a rebranded prophet named Darek."

"I stopped into Café Babu for an iced coffee and a pastry. I got one of their specialty iced coffees with brown sugar, and it was really good. I’m glad that it wasn’t cold brew like most places have these days and it said it was a sweet, traditional iced coffee. I also got a chocolate chocolate croissant that they were willing to heat up for me. It was really delicious. The inside space is a lot smaller than I expected, but it definitely gives off vibes of Tulum. They were playing techno house, electronic music, which also complimented the vibe. Unfortunately there wasn’t any tables available inside and almost all of the tables outside were also filled with people working. Seems like a really cool neighborhood coffee shop for those that live in the area. Street parking was available but was limited. There was a lot of staff working inside, maybe almost too many people."

"I must say the decor was spectacular. I ordered an Americano with Vanilla Cold Foam. It was sweet than expected and the foam wouldn’t mix with the coffee all that well. All in all it was still a nice experience."

"What a unique coffee shop . The decor and ambiance really make you feel like you’ve stepped into the Middle East . Great vibes . I love their mugs they serve the coffee in . We tried a flat white and the no bs latte ( it has brown sugar and star anise ) great flavor and the espresso was nice and strong . If you’re in Nashville you have to stop by !"

"such a beautiful coffee shop! great experience with awesome service and delicious coffee. however it was $30 for a $12 sandwich and 2 16oz iced lattes before tip. pretty expensive, even for third wave!"