If you’re like me, then you drink coffee like it’s water. While your friends are at a bar sipping on skinny margaritas getting groped by gross 30-year-old men, you’re at a cute and quiet coffee shop, sipping on a tuxedo mocha, looking at that hot hipster guy in glasses reading poetry. You’ve been to Starbucks more times this quarter than you’ve been to your physics class, but you are starting to realize Starbucks is the McDonalds of coffee: convenient and everywhere, but not up to par for your high-end and experienced taste buds.
I am an employee of Starbucks, and apparently a traitor.
You need real coffee, real hipsters (not the phony kind who go to Starbucks) and a real coffee-shoppe vibe (notice how I spelled “shop” with a “pe” at the end, because that’s how the cool coffee places spell it). Well, my dear, you are in luck, because being the coffee addict I am, I have traveled around San Luis Obispo County looking for the best coffee shops. I’ve gotten wired sampling coffee from each shop, just for you guys. I sat down in each seat, gone to every bathroom, and stared creepily at coffee-shoppe-hipster men, all in the name of coffee. Here it is ladies, the top five coffee shoppes in San Luis Obispo:
1. The Steaming Bean, Shell Beach
This, I have to say, was one of my favorites. Parking was easy, which is a very big factor when it comes to coffee shops. I didn’t have to drive around and scream at people who don’t know how to drive for 20 minutes. I simply pulled up to my parking spot, which had a fantastic view of the Pacific Ocean, and walked into the cute cottage.
It was homey and had cute little diner booths along the wall with a quaint bookshelf and hardwood floors. The smell of coffee overwhelmed my senses, and I was smitten.
The employees were as homey as the atmosphere. They laughed and joked around with their customers. I felt welcome.
I stared up at the menu, in the mood for something that would satisfy my never-ending sweet tooth. They had an assortment of unusual drinks such as “Milky Way,” “Snickers,” “Grasshopper;” and the list went on. So naturally, I asked about every single drink on the menu. The barista patiently described each drink in excruciating detail. (If you are reading this, kind Steaming Bean Barista, thank you for your patience). The best of all the drinks was the Vanilla Bean Latte which, in the barista’s words, is “just an extremely, extremely good vanilla latte.”
Why get an ordinary vanilla latte when you can get an “extremely, extremely good vanilla bean latte” while admiring the ocean?
2. Bello Mundo Cafe, downtown San Luis Obispo
Oh, how I love taking such a pure, underground thing and making it commercialized to the world.
This coffee shop(pe), for lack of a better word, is the “danks.” The coffee is to. die. for. It’s real coffee, believe it or not. The friendly staff will make your coffee with special care. An interesting conversation with the staff is always guaranteed. While you are enjoying your amazing coffee, you can nibble on homemade quiche and admire the vast array of artwork on the walls.
Bello Mundo is definitely a place to sit down, read and overstay your welcome.
3. Linnaea’s Café, downtown San Luis Obispo
I’m sure you have all heard of it. It’s the perfect place to set up your laptop, sip on a mocha and inhale a piece of pie or 10. If you can’t find a seat inside, there is a beautiful patio filled with lush greenery and chirping birds. You won’t feel like you’re downtown.
Inside, there is an old piano free to be played by anyone (unless you don’t know how to play. Then, just, no.)
Linnaea’s has a relaxing, zen vibe that will put you in the right mindset to study for your midterms, and you will get a delicious coffee out of it!
4. Kreuzberg, downtown San Luis Obispo
Three words: Beer, coffee, and food.
5. Scout, downtown San Luis Obispo
This place is new, so I was a bit iffy about it. I like the idea of old, homey coffee shops. Though this place still has the smell of new paint lingering in the air, the coffee and pastries are incredible. They make their own almond milk (umm, what?) and their own pastries. Their latte art is super fancy (and delicious).
Scout is right next store to Linnaea’s. So maybe after you stop by Linnaea’s for a mocha and a slice or 10 of pie, stop by Scout to try another almond milk mocha and a few dozen muffins.
6. Top Dog Coffee Bar, Morro Bay
Top Dog, where burning the coffee beans is considered a sin. Not only does this coffee shop have amazing, unburnt coffee, but also a tasty selection of breakfast burritos. Breakfast is served all day and pairs beautifully with their dark chocolate mocha.
It was a cold winter day when I first stepped foot into Top Dog. I had just spent the day swimming in the freezing ocean, and was looking for something to warm me up. Hot chocolate was the first thing that came to mind, naturally.
Top Dog was like an angel sent from the heavens above. The warm, lodge-like ambiance made me feel like I was in a cute cabin in the mountains. Perfect.
People inside were gathered around the tables, laughing at each others’ jokes, forgetting about the worries of their long work days. Others were students working on their laptops, sipping on their cups of Joe.
Nikki Young, a Top Dog Barista, warmly welcomed me with a smile. I felt at home. She suggested the dark hot chocolate, and even poured me a bit of their delicious coffee for a pick-me-up. She went on to tell me about their amazing burritos.
“These burritos are to die for,” she explained. It was. That burrito is just one reason out of many to keep me coming back for more.
Well, there you have it. These are just six out of many amazing coffee shops in San Luis Obispo. As a collegiette, you must know how to stay focused, and coffee is the only answer.