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Ok. So I’m a bit of a coffee snob. I’m not looking for flavors of oak, cranberry or youth in my coffee, but I like it at a certain temperature, strength and flavors. I generally go for latte, the occasional espresso and NEVER add flavors. Bad coffee goes with me like a tooth ache. I’ll complain about it all day. Airports coffee shops are rarely good. Notable exception: PDX. Button press espresso machines have only slightly better batting average than airport coffee. Coffee “barista” (using this term very loosely here) who who’s main skill is to press a button to make the coffee are not at fault being constrained by, well, the sever lack of soul in the coffee. Having said all that, Harvest & Grounds manages to score 3 stars having everything stacked against them. They are in an airport, with an espresso machine with buttons for the size of the servicing, operated by an attendant who clearly had better days. Their saving grace is the time of the day and the lack of alternatives. Way to go!! The 12 oz latte I’ve ordered was too hot, weak and boring. But let me tell you 3 out of 5 times I’ll be getting it. They also have pastries and water, as wall as cups of instant oats. If you happen to visit Boise airport and need of coffee, stroll down to the lower level of C terminals to find Harvest & Grounds.

Harvest & Grounds – Menu with Prices – McNamara Terminal, near Gate C15, Worldgateway Pl, Detroit

So happy to find a spot in the airport serving Mighty Good coffee and Avalon pastries!! For an airport cafe, Harvest & Grounds is really fantastic. Prices are not too bad for an airport, about $1 more than the original locations, and compared with the Zingerman’s baked goods at Plum Market in Terminal A I think they’re extremely reasonable – cold brew is $4, scones are $4.25, cookies are $2.50, and the brioche is slightly over $5. Of the baked goods I think the scones are the best option; I like the chocolate cherry the most, followed by the cinnamon, but the lemon blueberry is also quite good (the lemon flavor isn’t that strong). They’re really buttery and not dry or tough at all. The cookies are ok but not as good as the scones; they’re the thin crispier kind and I found them too sweet. I don’t think the sweet brioche is very good. The coffee is the best in the airport in my opinion. The cold brew tastes good and is not too strong (which is nice before a flight). I liked the Black and Tan (cold brew and chocolate milk, $4.50) – not too sweet! There are also cold sandwiches in the $10-ish range, but I haven’t tried any. Service has been extremely friendly both times I’ve been here, and the location at the entrance of Terminal C is super convenient, so I’ll be stopping by whenever I’m at this airport.

Roots Roasting – Menu with Prices – 1552 St Clair Ave, St Paul

On this hot, humid morning on the 243rd birthday of this nation, being without espresso-grind coffee to make my own at home, and being too soon to consume some of the cold-press coffee I started last night, and after calling to make sure they’re open, I walked the few blocks to Roots to try their cold-press coffee and get some beans ground for espresso in the upcoming days. I’ve stopped at Roots a few times since they opened in order to get some coffee beans ground, a request which they’ve cheerfully obliged each and every time (unlike a Spyhouse). I’ve found that I get a superb grind at a coffee shop vs. doing it myself at a grinder at a grocery store. That Braun electric bean grinder just does NOT cut it (unintended pun). This morning I was cheerfully greeted by Zoe, the woman who pleasantly answered the phone when I called. There were only a few people in the shop and it felt very calm to be in there with the music playing quietly. The owner was busy at the back of the work area doing some coffee-related task, and he looked up to acknowledge me and observe his shop front. I felt “seen”. I asked for “light ice” in my cold-press coffee so that I didn’t get a cup full of it, and declined a plastic lid. The 12-oz. plastic cup of cold-press coffee cost $3.75. Today, they served a blending of Brazilian and some other sourced coffee. It was flavorful and smooth. After a few sips, I decided I wanted a little sweeter flavor and asked about the light brown liquid inside the bottle on the counter by their cream carafe. Zoe said it was simple syrup made with “raw” sugar. Rhonda G. would REALLY appreciate this amenity! The two tips-of-the-bottle I poured were the perfect amount of sweetener in my coffee. Zoe accepted my beans and ground them to the fine espresso texture I requested and I know it’ll be perfect – as it’s been in the past – for my stovetop espresso either tomorrow or a few days from now – it depends on the outcome of the cold press currently “brewing” in my refrigerator (my first time making it, and made with beans poorly ground in the home grinder). I’m thankful for the location of this wonderful coffee roasters shop and will return again and again.

Coffea Roasterie and Espresso Bar – Menu with Prices – 500 S Highline Pl Suite 110, Sioux Falls

Since it’s fall the wife wanted her dose of pumpkin spice latte. We ended up at Coffea where I got the French press and wifey got Coffea’s version of Pumpkin spice latte- the Charlie Brown. The drinks took a while to be made but were well worth the wait. The French press came in a fancy looking beaker and was well made. Ditto with the pumpkin spice latte, very well made, not too sweet and with perfectly done latte art. All in all a wonderful option when you’re looking to splurge a little compared to the usual takeout coffee.

Gateway Park at Worcester Polytechnic Institute – Menu with Prices – 60 Prescott St, Worcester

I understand if a place is bad once or twice. However, this place manages to be consistently terrible. The only reason I am giving it two stars instead of one is that it has a very interesting coffee vending machine and the concept of a self pickup and payment café has merit. I have, for lack of other options, been to this location several times. I have even gone there a few times for the experience, given how uniquely bad it is! They never have napkins, forks, spoons or knifes in stock! How are you supposed to eat the food there without utensils? Forget about getting your receipt after paying. Out of curiosity, I pressed the print receipt button once and it just proceeded with exiting ignoring my command. Ever since, I have consistently tried getting my receipt to no avail. To top it off they have a totem for gathering customer feedback. Don’t get your hopes up, it is only 4 buttons to express your dissatisfaction. Given how consistently I have seen people pressing the sad face (as I myself have) and nothing has changed, I can only assume the buttons are there just for stress relief rather than actual data gathering. The food options are also quite limited and overall unhealthy. If they fix the aforementioned problems I will write a revised review.

Great Harvest Bread Co. – Menu with Prices – 1623 S Fry Rd, Katy

Great Harvest is a nice little home grown place that makes fantastic bread and serves great coffee / pastries / cookies. I love the coconut walnut bread and the salted caramel cookies. There is seating for maybe 20 or so. Quaint place, very friendly staff and excellent bread. The coffee was on point as well (I had a large vanilla latte with 2 extra shots of espresso). My friend always gets the Texas pecan coffee, which is great. A nice alternative to the big chain coffee houses.

Amateur Coffee – Menu with Prices – 3913 Cuming St, Omaha

I love this coffee shop. I first stopped here in March with my grandma and mom. We were out and about because they came to look at a house I was lookong at buying. They helped me decide to go for it over some fantastic lattes. I got the seasonal pistachio latte which was DELICIOUS. My mom ordered the rose and cardamom and my grandma got lavender. All of them were deliciously creamy thanks to the oatmilk. My mom is allergic to milk and I avoid dairy so we were both thrilled that they use milk alternatives. It was our first time trying oatmilk and I’m HOOKED. When I’m not at Amateur, I make my own from scratch. My current favorite latte flavor is the maple but I’ve also tried the rose and cardamom and it’s got a lovely floral note to it that complements the coffee. Speaking of which, they fresh grind the coffee beans and make the espresso with each latte. That’s probably what makes it so good. They also serve vegan pastries from Sweet Magnolia’s bakery. I’ve had the blackberry scone and the lemon lavender scone, both of which were delicious. I definitely need to go to Sweet Magnolia’s next!!

Indaba Coffee – Menu with Prices – 518 W Riverside Ave, Spokane

Indaba Coffee serves amazing coffee and has created a welcoming space for everyone. They roast their own coffee out of their Nettleton location so everything is fresh and flavorful. I like their High Drive espresso blend, which is on bar at each of their locations. They also have some interesting single origins. Drink wise, I always go for their Butterscotch latte. I’m hooked, it’s not overly sweet but the caramel butteryness mixes well with their espresso. Also their cold brew growler is a great deal! The concentrate is no joke and lasts this caffeine addict a few days at least. Chocolatey and smooth. So good.

Liberty Coffee Menu with Prices 7800 S 1st St, Austin

Dont fly by South 1st/Ditmar without stopping for Liberty Press coffee at TheThicket Food Park. After the introduction of Liberty Press coffee to my palette, my coffee tastes are more robust. The friendly owners, Hayden and Alex are there EVERY MORNING, EVERYDAY serving coffee and breakfast pastries. Friendly service, great coffee. Consistency and quality is key here. We’ve enjoyed the Vanilla Iced Latte with almond milk, the Young Gheezy, and Black Eye. I recommended all three. Order your coffee under shaded seated covering . Also, great place to grab a coffee and let your kids run off their energy in the shaded playscape. Came here on a Sunday morning and there was a steady flow of patrons stopping in on foot as well as vehicle. Plenty of parking. Plenty of pleasant hellos. There must be something in that coffee ;).

Mac Lab | Bakery & Cafe – Menu with Prices – 2131 Pleasant Hill Rd #135, Duluth

I make sure to go to Mac Lab every time I’m in Duluth. They have a large variety of flavors and it’s difficult to pick which ones to get even though I get a dozen! My favorites are the coffee and earl grey, but their fruitier flavors are delicious as well. Unfortunately, these macarons don’t hold very well. I’ve had macarons from places like ‘Lette and Laduree that would put in the fridge the same day and would taste just as good for the next few days; however, Mac Lab’s macarons start tasting stale the same day I got it even if it’s been in the fridge. I wish they held for longer because it’s hard to finish 12 macarons in one sitting. All but one of my 12 were stale ? We had time to spare so we decided to try a latte. We decided to go with the Mac Lab Special Latte, which has hazelnut and vanilla. It was so good, but definitely on the sweeter side for those who don’t like that in their coffee! The decor is simple and clean, nothing out of the ordinary. They also play nice, calming music. I would come here again just for the latte and the environment. There’s free wifi, so it’s a great place to study!

Press Coffee Bar Belmont – Menu with Prices – 732 Watervliet Ave, Dayton

Press Coffee Bar in Belmont is a second location for the very well established Press on Wayne Ave. Aesthetically the shop is gorgeous. One of the most aesthetically pleasing coffee shops I’ve seen in any city. The front is all large glass windows flooding the room with natural light. Once inside, visually there is a minimal black and white color palette with only one color throughout the store — neon orange on the microfiber cloths. The ceilings are very high and the seating is pretty communal. The space is welcoming and energizing. Service is friendly, knowledgable, and thoughtful. The attention to detail is on another level, and it reminds me of why Press is so enjoyable. Before I came and hung out for a bit, I never would have guessed that reviewing Press’s second location would start off without pour overs. At any other third wavy coffee shop, you might be surprised to look at the menu and not see pour overs… but at Press it made me curious. Instead of pour overs at this location, they offer a very very high quality batch brew. Coming from someone who always gets pour overs over batch brew (drip coffee) anywhere else because freshness is so important to me. Press has done some wizardry here to be able to offer an incredibly fresh batch brew. The batch is different in the mornings and the afternoons. The Ethiopia Hambela one afternoon of opening week was top notch. One cool idea: they’ve come up with an uncommon cup size — the small is 7 oz which turns out to be the perfect size for that late afternoon to early evening visit where you don’t want a big cup of coffee. The standard array of espresso drinks are offered as well. The gibraltar glasses are really nice. There is no wifi at this location. They aspire to keep this focus and for you to have a conversation with your neighbor instead. (The downtown location will continue to have wifi.) As with the other Press location all of the coffee is self-roasted by Wood Burl.

Status Dough – Menu with Prices – 418 S Gay St STE 101, Knoxville

A+ staff and super cute spot located right in downtown Knoxville! It was super easy to find street parking on a week morning and I enjoyed walking around with my coffee, exploring. They use Intelligentsia as their espresso roast, which I prefer over the other smaller coffee chains like La Colombe. On road trips I always try to scout out the best donuts, and I’m truly a sucker for quality old-fashioneds. When I saw Status dough had a variety of old-fashioned flavors AND good espresso, I immediately routed there. I got the coffee and chocolate covered old-fashioneds. Of the two, I’d recommend the coffee one more as it’s more dense in flavor and texture. The chocolate one was weirdly lacking flavor, the donut cake was pretty dry, and I couldn’t get through half of it. Wasn’t worth the calories. They offer vegan donuts here and a variety of milk alternatives, including oat. It’s a small place but the front area has enough seats for a couple small groups. They have cake donuts and original doughy donuts. If I came back I’d probably try the buttermilk old fashioned as it looked a lot more flavorful. If you like doughy donuts all I can tell you is they looked really fluffy and almost too perfect to eat – so maybe this place would be great for trying those! Check their menu online in advance before visiting to see what seasonal flavors they have in shop.

Bruncheonette – Menu with Prices – 1011 W Broadway Ave, Spokane

his is completely not their fault at all but they do not know how to do a French press. My thoughts on this are that if you’re going to offer this on the menu then at least know a tiny bit about coffee. The server put way too little actual coffee in the French press so no matter how long it brewing it was still light brown water. The purpose of the French press is to be able to control how long and how strong the coffee would be. This is very different from regular drip coffee. She argued with me saying that I didn’t order the correct roast. I just asked to exchange it for drip coffee then ended up getting coffee later on down the street. Again, just learn how to do a French press if you’re going to offer it in a restaurant. Lastly, and this is my biggest complaint, they force a service charge on the bill that is separate from the tip you’re expected to leave. They claim that this is for the entire staff but then you’re expected to leave a tip on top of that which you end up leaving about 30 or 35% when all is said and done. I did leave a tip on top of that but I left feeling underwhelmed and disappointed in the whole experience and a lot more broke than when I walked in. Save your money!!!!