Muslim-owned cafes bring new late-night life to West County, St. Charles

Last updated: May 30, 2024 6:56 pm

2 Min Read

A group of hijab-wearing women chat animatedly in the back corner of the cafe while sipping Adeni chai out of clear glass cups. Couples push tables together near the entry, so they can sit together and share bites of freshly baked honeycomb bread and Biscoff cheesecake.

Nearly every seat inside the bustling cafe is filled, with packs of young people milling about outside.

It’s 11 p.m. on historic Main Street in St. Charles, and Mocha Point Coffee is hopping. The specialty is Yemeni coffee and chai, along with unique desserts like the pistachio tres leches.

Unlike typical late-night hotspots such as bars or clubs, there’s no alcohol served and no dancefloor. This new coffee shop is one of three Muslim-owned cafes bringing unexpected late-night options to St. Charles and West St. Louis counties.

The vibes are notably chill. These are places to hang out with friends, drink chai, indulge in a sweet treat, smoke some hookah, and be reminded of a culture and place those left behind to come to this country.

Dalia Al-Sagr, 20, is back home in Maryland Heights from studying in college in Minnesota. She is sitting in Mocha Point with her younger sister, Amani, 15, and their mom, Jenny. They’ve already been here a few times before, even though it opened just last month.

“I love seeing every background and culture here,” Dalia said. The crowd inside has people from Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. Her family is Palestinian.