Whatever You Do, Don’t Go to Cafe Gato Rojo!

Remember when we told you not to go to the Barker Cafe because the drinks were too yummy and the baristas were too nice? Well, I now have another place to add to the list of cute cafes and study spots for gatekeeping. So stop reading and pay attention to your lecture because trust me, you definitely don’t want to know about yet another cozy, student-run spot to spend your Board Plus.

Well, good. Now that nobody is actually reading, what cafe am I referring to, you ask? Here’s the tl;dr.

The What and The Where:

Cafe Gato Rojo is a good vibes-only, student-run, board plus-taking cafe nestled into the basement of Lehman Hall (the mysterious and scary graduate school building at the corner of the Yard). It finally reopened its doors this semester for the first time post-pandemic and It. Is. Glorious.

The Whys:

Why does its name translate to “red cat”? I don’t know. But I’m inclined to think it’s a reference to our beloved yard cat Remy. And I guess “red cat” was an easier translation than “tabby.”

Why is this cafe a Flyby Blog fave deserving of this whole article? A few reasons.

1. They don’t charge for non-dairy milk. That’s right. For all the lactose intolerant folks who have come to terms with dropping an extra 70 cents for almond milk in exchange for a day without stomach problems, fear no more. Cafe Gato Rajo feels your pain. They will not charge you for your beloved dairy milk substitute.

2. As a student-run blog with a loyal following, we at Flyby appreciate signature branding. And as a student-run coffee shop with a loyal following, Cafe Gato Rojo delivers on signature branding with their quirky branded mugs and merch for sale.

3. If you subscribe to our newsletter, you’ll know that we at Flyby also love free stuff. Make note that Cafe Gato Rojo gives out punch cards to all their loyal fans. 10 visits and you’ve got a free drink. Don’t lie to me and yourself. You know it won’t take more than ten days for you to get there.

The When:

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The How:

How are the good vibes consistently maintained in this space? As not a curator but a visitor in this liminal space, I cannot ever know for sure. But as I sit here right now, I can theorize that it’s the combination of the soft lighting, wall art from local artists, friendly baristas, audible but not distracting music volume, squishy armchairs, and most importantly, lots of OUTLETS. Charged laptops make for happy students.

So yeah. I’m definitely not studying in this cafe three out of five days a week and I hope to NOT see many of you there.