If you're like me, then you love coffee! It's 8 a.m. and I just woke up? Coffee. It's 3 in the afternoon and I'm bored? Coffee. I'm watching some TV before bed? Decaf coffee. Whether I am sipping on it alone, or sitting around with family and friends, it's a great drink of choice. But the real question here is, where do you get your coffee from? When I am not making a pot at home, I try to go out and buy any kind of coffee drink from somewhere (even when my parents say I should save my money). Are you a local, small coffee shop kind of person, or a common known drink chain like our beloved Starbucks person? It is all based on personal preference and no one is wrong on what they choose.
I personally enjoy a mix of both. If I don't feel like going out of my way to find somewhere new, then I head over to my nearest Starbucks, which in San Diego, is around every corner, and order whatever my latest favorite drink is. But I enjoy nothing more than finding a cute, new, local coffee shop and sipping on a fun new drink while catching up with friends or enjoying quiet time by myself. I have found many great spots through my love of all things coffee. A few of my favorites right now are Bugsy's Coffee in La Mesa, Pannikin Tea & Coffee in La Jolla, Coffee Slingers Roasters in Oklahoma City and Heavenly Grind in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Each place has a homey and cozy ambiance that provides a great environment for homework, conversation or any occasion. Heavenly Grind, which I mentioned above, is actually just a drive thru booth where you get coffee from. That does not stop them from serving amazing quality coffee from some pretty genuine people! Something that attracts me to local coffee shops the most though is whether or not they put designs in their hot drink (how girly of me, I know). Once I see that they do, in fact, put leaves and hearts in my drink, I am sold! Now all I have to do is see if the drink tastes as good as it looks!
This is from Coffee Slingers Roasters in Oklahoma City. Pretty, right? The aesthetic was real here. The best thing, to me, about local coffee shops vs. Starbucks is the taste of the coffee. I always feel like my coffee from a random shop tastes so much more fresh and natural than it does from a chain store like Starbucks. I feel like they take more risks with their drinks and give them their own unique taste and spin. Now don't get me wrong, I probably love Starbucks just as much as the next person, but if I could choose to be adventurous anytime I wanted coffee and try somewhere new, you can bet I will do so. Next time you get that crazy coffee craving like I do, try out some of these shops that are my favorite or go out and search for one yourself! I can guarantee you will not be let down!
