Alternative Coffee Shops

Anything goes, all topics welcome!

Moderator: CameronBornAndBred

Post Reply
User avatar
Lavabe
PWing School Chancellor
Posts: 11122
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 8:02 pm
Location: Land of the Lost, Kentucky (pining for the fjords of Madagascar)

Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Lavabe » September 3rd, 2009, 3:42 pm

A lot of towns I have seen have coffee shops that are meant to compete with Starbuck's. For example, Atlanta has Caribou, Jittery Joe's, and a number of others. ~o)

What are the coffee shops in your town that best challenge the hegemony of Starbuck's? What makes them so good?
2014, 2011, and 2009 Lemur Loving CTN NASCAR Champ. No lasers were used to win these titles.
User avatar
TillyGalore
PWing School Professor
Posts: 4016
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 8:15 pm

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by TillyGalore » September 3rd, 2009, 3:46 pm

Lavabe wrote:A lot of towns I have seen have coffee shops that are meant to compete with Starbuck's. For example, Atlanta has Caribou, Jittery Joe's, and a number of others. ~o)

What are the coffee shops in your town that best challenge the hegemony of Starbuck's? What makes them so good?
A Seattle's Best something or other just opened in the cafe at the hospital. I'm pretty sure it burns a whole in my tummy just like starbuck's.

Raleigh seems to have the Caribous, probably Cary too. I haven't seen one in Durham, certainly not in north Durham.

Brueggers has the best coffee. They carry Green Mountain Roasters, I made it through senior year at university on Green Mountain Roasters. ~o) ~o) ~o) ~o) ~o) ~o) ~o) ~o)
I worship the Blue Devil!
Image
User avatar
wilson
PWing School Professor
Posts: 4683
Joined: April 28th, 2009, 4:33 pm
Location: Atlanta, GA

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by wilson » September 3rd, 2009, 3:55 pm

Lavabe wrote:A lot of towns I have seen have coffee shops that are meant to compete with Starbuck's. For example, Atlanta has Caribou, Jittery Joe's, and a number of others. ~o)

What are the coffee shops in your town that best challenge the hegemony of Starbuck's? What makes them so good?
I've been studying at Caribou a lot lately...free WiFi and free refills. Plus, the coffee is better than Starbuck's.
I like a lot of the local joints around here, too (Inman Perk and Dancing Goats come to mind), but most of those tend to be on the opposite end of town from where I now live.
I've never heard of Jittery Joe's. I try to avoid Starbuck's at all costs.
Image
User avatar
DukeUsul
PWing School Assistant Professor
PWing School Assistant Professor
Posts: 2390
Joined: April 14th, 2009, 9:30 am
Location: Back in the dirty Jerz
Contact:

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by DukeUsul » September 3rd, 2009, 3:56 pm

The best coffee shops in Durham are Bean Traders (Ninth St. and also Hwy 54) and Joe Van Gogh (Broad St.)

The best thing they have going for them over Starbucks is that their coffee doesn't taste like shit.
-- DukeUsul
User avatar
windsor
PWing School Professor
Posts: 4168
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 9:30 pm
Location: Hurricane Alley

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by windsor » September 3rd, 2009, 4:04 pm

My personal favorite is http://www.baycoastcoffeemarket.com
A local place, with a staff that actually knows something about coffee and tea!

~o) I could go for a cup of deep black joe
All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost.
weezie
Part Time Student at PWing school
Part Time Student at PWing school
Posts: 132
Joined: May 21st, 2009, 7:28 am

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by weezie » September 3rd, 2009, 5:24 pm

Juan Valdez in DC is fantastic.
User avatar
Rolvix
Graduate Student at PWing school
Graduate Student at PWing school
Posts: 1878
Joined: May 31st, 2009, 8:32 pm
Location: Leaving Durham -- off to Haiti

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Rolvix » September 3rd, 2009, 5:45 pm

I don't really drink coffee, but when we do (rarely) make a Starbucks stop for some reason or another I'll get a hot chocolate or a frappuccino. I almost never go in any other coffee shops.
Class of 2014
User avatar
bjornolf
PWing School Professor
Posts: 4686
Joined: April 13th, 2009, 1:11 pm
Location: Southbridge, VA

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by bjornolf » September 3rd, 2009, 6:16 pm

CellR wrote:I don't really drink coffee, but when we do (rarely) make a Starbucks stop for some reason or another I'll get a hot chocolate or a frappuccino. I almost never go in any other coffee shops.
Are you the most interesting teen in the world? I only ask cause that REALLY reminded of those commercials: "I don't always drink coffee, but when I do, I make it a Starbucks frappuccino. Stay thirsty, my friend."

%%-
@};- @};-
Qui invidet minor est...
Image Let's Go Duke! ImageImageImage
User avatar
Rolvix
Graduate Student at PWing school
Graduate Student at PWing school
Posts: 1878
Joined: May 31st, 2009, 8:32 pm
Location: Leaving Durham -- off to Haiti

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Rolvix » September 3rd, 2009, 6:27 pm

bjornolf wrote:
CellR wrote:I don't really drink coffee, but when we do (rarely) make a Starbucks stop for some reason or another I'll get a hot chocolate or a frappuccino. I almost never go in any other coffee shops.
Are you the most interesting teen in the world? I only ask cause that REALLY reminded of those commercials: "I don't always drink coffee, but when I do, I make it a Starbucks frappuccino. Stay thirsty, my friend."

%%-
Haha, I've never seen that commercial before :shock:
Class of 2014
User avatar
Rolvix
Graduate Student at PWing school
Graduate Student at PWing school
Posts: 1878
Joined: May 31st, 2009, 8:32 pm
Location: Leaving Durham -- off to Haiti

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Rolvix » September 3rd, 2009, 6:29 pm

CellR wrote:
bjornolf wrote:
CellR wrote:I don't really drink coffee, but when we do (rarely) make a Starbucks stop for some reason or another I'll get a hot chocolate or a frappuccino. I almost never go in any other coffee shops.
Are you the most interesting teen in the world? I only ask cause that REALLY reminded of those commercials: "I don't always drink coffee, but when I do, I make it a Starbucks frappuccino. Stay thirsty, my friend."

%%-
Haha, I've never seen that commercial before :shock:
Just kidding. I've seen that commercial like a million times.
I try my best. :roll:
Class of 2014
User avatar
Lavabe
PWing School Chancellor
Posts: 11122
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 8:02 pm
Location: Land of the Lost, Kentucky (pining for the fjords of Madagascar)

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Lavabe » September 3rd, 2009, 7:20 pm

wilson wrote:I've never heard of Jittery Joe's. I try to avoid Starbuck's at all costs.
Joe's has two locations in Alpharetta, and one in Kennesaw. They USED to have a downtown Atlanta location.

Caribou is reliable. There are so many good places in Atlanta.
2014, 2011, and 2009 Lemur Loving CTN NASCAR Champ. No lasers were used to win these titles.
User avatar
CathyCA
PWing School Chancellor
Posts: 11483
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 9:38 pm
Location: Greenville, North Carolina

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by CathyCA » September 3rd, 2009, 8:36 pm

I liked Peet's Coffee in California. Alas, there's no Peet's near

There's a Starbucks here, and like CellR, if I go, I usually grab a frappuccino or one of the seasonally flavored coffees.
“The invention of basketball was not an accident. It was developed to meet a need. Those boys simply would not play 'Drop the Handkerchief.'”

~ James Naismith
rockymtn devil
Part Time Student at PWing school
Part Time Student at PWing school
Posts: 476
Joined: April 10th, 2009, 8:23 pm

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by rockymtn devil » September 3rd, 2009, 9:51 pm

TillyGalore wrote: A Seattle's Best something or other just opened in the cafe at the hospital. I'm pretty sure it burns a whole in my tummy just like starbuck's.
Probably because it is Starbucks. Seattle's Best is their Trojan Horse :D
:ymbilly: vs. :ymhiro: Ken vs. Ryu. Classic.
User avatar
DukieInKansas
PWing School Endowed Professor
Posts: 6611
Joined: May 3rd, 2009, 11:48 pm
Location: Kansas - scientist's say it's flatter than a pancake - cross it on a bicycle and you won't agree.

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by DukieInKansas » September 4th, 2009, 1:44 pm

Lavabe wrote:
wilson wrote:I've never heard of Jittery Joe's. I try to avoid Starbuck's at all costs.
Joe's has two locations in Alpharetta, and one in Kennesaw. They USED to have a downtown Atlanta location.

Caribou is reliable. There are so many good places in Atlanta.
They sponsor a cycling team. Therefore, I would support them if they had a location in the KC area. However, I wouldn't be getting any coffee - chai no fat lattes for me. (I don't like the taste of coffee in anything.)

I go to Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard locally. (And have never tried their frozen custard - but must do so as they have one called Blue Devil.)
Life is good!
User avatar
captmojo
PWing School Endowed Professor
Posts: 5096
Joined: April 12th, 2009, 12:20 pm
Location: It's lonely out in space on such a timeless flight.

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by captmojo » September 7th, 2009, 9:18 pm

Mojo's Laboratory.
I serve 100% Columbian coffee every morn and all refills are free. It's good to the last...

When it comes right down to it, coffee is really a bean soup. Yes? Discuss.
"Backboards? Backboards? I'll show'em what to do with a f%#kin' backboard!"
User avatar
Lavabe
PWing School Chancellor
Posts: 11122
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 8:02 pm
Location: Land of the Lost, Kentucky (pining for the fjords of Madagascar)

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Lavabe » September 8th, 2009, 6:31 am

captmojo wrote:When it comes right down to it, coffee is really a bean soup. Yes? Discuss.
Or is it a stew? :D
2014, 2011, and 2009 Lemur Loving CTN NASCAR Champ. No lasers were used to win these titles.
User avatar
Miles
PWing School Associate Professor
PWing School Associate Professor
Posts: 3318
Joined: April 10th, 2009, 9:55 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC!!!
Contact:

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Miles » September 8th, 2009, 9:35 am

wilson wrote:
Lavabe wrote:A lot of towns I have seen have coffee shops that are meant to compete with Starbuck's. For example, Atlanta has Caribou, Jittery Joe's, and a number of others. ~o)

What are the coffee shops in your town that best challenge the hegemony of Starbuck's? What makes them so good?
I've been studying at Caribou a lot lately...free WiFi and free refills. Plus, the coffee is better than Starbuck's.
I like a lot of the local joints around here, too (Inman Perk and Dancing Goats come to mind), but most of those tend to be on the opposite end of town from where I now live.
I've never heard of Jittery Joe's. I try to avoid Starbuck's at all costs.
I head to Caribou once or twice a week to get out of the home office. WiFi is always solid and you can't beat free refills, plus they seem to always have really great special deals. Kelly and I are huge fans of their Mahogany roast.

For local roasters, I like Dilworth Coffee. They're a small Charlotte chain that always has great coffee to serve and in bulk. I'm down for supporting local business.
sMiles
User avatar
Lavabe
PWing School Chancellor
Posts: 11122
Joined: April 8th, 2009, 8:02 pm
Location: Land of the Lost, Kentucky (pining for the fjords of Madagascar)

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Lavabe » September 9th, 2009, 4:13 am

Miles wrote:I head to Caribou once or twice a week to get out of the home office. WiFi is always solid and you can't beat free refills, plus they seem to always have really great special deals. Kelly and I are huge fans of their Mahogany roast.
The French Toast muffins are hard to beat.

And the trivia question of the day discount is always fun.
2014, 2011, and 2009 Lemur Loving CTN NASCAR Champ. No lasers were used to win these titles.
User avatar
Miles
PWing School Associate Professor
PWing School Associate Professor
Posts: 3318
Joined: April 10th, 2009, 9:55 pm
Location: Charlotte, NC!!!
Contact:

Re: Alternative Coffee Shops

Post by Miles » September 9th, 2009, 11:06 am

Lavabe wrote:
Miles wrote:I head to Caribou once or twice a week to get out of the home office. WiFi is always solid and you can't beat free refills, plus they seem to always have really great special deals. Kelly and I are huge fans of their Mahogany roast.
The French Toast muffins are hard to beat.

And the trivia question of the day discount is always fun.
The French Toast muffins are deliciously evil! I have a hard time staying away from them.

I always forget about the trivia question until it's too late. Tomorrow, I will remember!
sMiles
Post Reply