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Caffeinated Enlightenment: A Gleaner Guide to Coffee Shops

Darragh Nolan | Staff Writer

Coffee, in my experience, is a lifeline for the soul and all of its relationships. By that, I mean I would not have a soul or relationships without coffee, because coffee makes me a grounded person. As coffee is my salvation, the coffee shop is my temple. In the absence of the campus Starbucks, the Rutgers-Camden community rallied together in mourning, but most of us went to local haunts to hold ourselves over until the reopening. And for some of us, Starbucks has never been the apex of the coffee shop, because given any other choice, Starbucks has a fast food quality to its service and management, and that’s not chill in comparison. The anatomy of the perfect coffee shop is made of coffee, coffee-related beverages (see: Frappuccinos, under Necessary Abomination), the baked goods and breakfast foods, atmosphere, internet access, background music, cuteness of baristas and patrons; some aspects being more important than others for every caffeinated connoisseur. With Agent Dale Cooper of Twin Peaks as my spiritual guide, I went to find the greatest cup of coffee, among other important things, to give you this scored guide to coffee shops.

Grooveground of Collingswood has been my go-to coffee shop since high school. I go with my oldest friends and bring my new friends because it’s informal, the baristas are cool, there’s good music and the café serves La Colombe brand coffee. Their outdoor Garden Bar has views of the garden center next door and comfortable furniture, hand-made by the owners with salvaged wood from the Philadelphia Naval Yard. They hang art from local artists and have musical guests almost every weekend. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this place is cool. On weekdays they have their rush at around 9 AM and 1 PM, and the cozy space can get cramped at those times. Le Bus supplies their bread and pastries including: croissants, bagels, muffins and scones, but they also prepare sandwiches in their kitchen, wraps, and my favorite- hummus plates. I try the flavored croissants every once in a while, but I’m always bummed out because they taste like the chemicals from the plastic wrapping. In the summer, when I’m not hooked up to intravenous iced coffee, I like to have their Sparkling Coolers: the Mojito, Pomegranate Chill and Citrus Mango flavors are divinely refreshing. They have all of the autumnal favorites too, including Pumpkin Spice and Peanut Buttercup Lattes. The drinks are appropriately priced, but the food is overpriced for the quality. However, I still think you’re cool, Grooveground..

The next place I visited was Espressit, farther down Haddon Avenue in Haddon Township. The warm pumpkin-colored walls make the small space cozy and happy. There were small café tables and large dining room tables, spatially accommodating any group. I took a seat and ordered an iced coffee, also from La Colombe, and their vegan Zucchini Almond Muffin. The muffin was so pretty inside the refrigerated glass case with all of its pastry friends; then they put it on a cute ceramic plate and I ate it in three bites because it was actually that delicious. I loved that their muffins, cookies, lunches and prepared smoothies are refrigerated; everything is fresh baked on premises, so it’s great to have that non-plastic taste (no offense, Grooveground, but take note). Their prices are fair, too. I rarely go to this shop, but I will definitely be back.

Jersey Java in Haddonfield really tested my chill-vibes and assumption that all coffee shops were as good as the last two. This place is the former Three Beans, alive before Wifi was a thing and legendary among regulars in the coffee shop scene. When Jersey Java opened, it had big mugs to fill. It still is always well populated inside the café and on the patio, but I’m turned off to its cuteness because every time I visit, the same things bum me out. My friend and I ordered hot coffee, served in mugs, and went to take a seat on a pretty leather couch. Everything was cool until we actually sat, and the couch swallowed us up and spat us out; it was so sunken in and slippery. Not unrecoverable though, so we eventually found the couch’s sweet spots and got into conversation. Second bummer occurred as both of the mugs leaked hot coffee from the bottom. My prior visits I’ve had coffee to go and the paper cups leaked so much as well! I’m not sensitive to leakage until I’m getting burned and losing coffee that I paid a lot for. They serve expensive but yummy cheesecake, so I’m going to give them snaps for that.

When I go to Philadelphia for any occasion, the trip starts, ends, or starts and ends with coffee at my favorite shops. I like Good Karma on 9th and Pine, Elixr on Sydenham, a side street off of Walnut between 15th and 16th streets and The Last Drop on 13th and Pine. Good Karma is chill, cute and spacious, so when it gets busy, it’s not over crowded. They have good vibes going with Buddha statues and abundant plant life, and I love that they stock up on yogurt, juices and their own bagels and sandwiches for the complete breakfast experience. Elixr is a coffee-experience; they are the pioneers of the next cool way to drip, flavor or ice and the new store’s interior architecture and design are creative ways of using an open floor space. If you take coffee preparation seriously, Elixr is the place to go. The Last Drop is my third favorite for coffee, but it’s my first place winner for Iced Mocha. Iced Mocha is chocolate syrup plus steamed milk plus espresso. It’s everything the Frappuccino wishes it was, but can’t be, because Iced Mocha is its mature older cousin and therefore, more refined. If you like Frappuccinos, which I do, just not the coffee flavored ones, your choice does not mean you are immature; this is just what I believe goes on in the self-governed world of coffee and coffee drinks. Coffee is a privilege I’m grateful for. I respect its mystical powers and I don’t drink decaf. If you treat this guide with respect, you can reach caffeinated Enlightenment too.