Coffee Shop Review: Spruce Street Espresso, Philadelphia PA

Spruce Street Espresso
1101 Spruce St
Philadelphia PA, 19107
Website: www.sprucestespresso.wordpress.com
Rating: 8.5 Beans

Spruce Street Espresso is fairly new to the coffee scene in Philadelphia, but do not let that fool you. Spruce St is a must visit. First of all they are brewing Counter Culture Coffee, which is known for great coffee that is earth friendly. Counter Culture recently won a Good Food Award for the second year in a row for their coffee in fact. Counter Culture is located in Durham NC, and it is nice to see that you can now get some here in Philly!

Back to the actual shop; Spruce Street actually has more seating outside than inside, which can be a downer, especially in the winter. If the weather is nice however, having the ability to sit outside is definitely a bonus. The menu is typical of a coffee shop, and their brewing methods are exemplary. You can order from the pour-over menu, which is always changing and if you are "just" looking for a cup of coffee, this is definitely the way to go. They also serve a great espresso, which is expected coming from a place with that in their name! I have never had any food at Spruce St, but from what I can see the selection all looked good.

Recently Spruce St has been in the news, with some expansion on the horizon, and with an award. Krups annually has a "Cup o' Joe" award, and in Philadelphia, Spruce St was the winner. The other news, came in the form of an expansion that will be happening soon. The space is located on the other side of the building on 1201 Spruce St that will be a much larger cafe, serving as a coffee shop and a BYO restaurant. The place will be called Odd Fellows Cafe, and it will be opening on January 28 of this year. I am really looking forward to trying this place out! One other thing to look out for, is that they will be offering coffee classes; where can I sign up?!? Having said all of that, I highly recommend this coffee shop, the baristas are intelligent, and friendly, the shop offers free wi-fi, and the coffee is fantastic!

Coffee Shop Review: Elixr Coffee, Philadelphia PA

Elixr Coffee
207 S. 15th St.

Philadelphia PA 19102
Website: http://elixrcoffee.com/Elixr_Coffee/Location_and_Hours.html
Rating: 8 Beans 

Elixr Coffee is a fairly new coffee shop in Philadelphia that does not disappoint. Walking into the shop you will notice a sort of urban chic feel to the place with some communal tables, and some stools to sit on. The menu may seem a little small, but what they lack in quantity does not dilute the quality of the coffee. They offer an ever changing pour over menu, and I highly recommend checking it out.

Elixr offers PT's Coffee from Topeka Kansas, which is a great single origin roaster, recognized as Roaster of the Year in 2009 by Roast Magazine. This brings me to the second most important aspect of a good coffee shop: friendly, knowledgeable baristas. The staff at Elixr are both, and every time I go there, the faces may change, but the baristas are always very helpful and prompt. One other highlight of Elixr is that the wi-fi is free and they do offer some delicious snacks.

Overall I would recommend this coffee shop to anyone interested in getting a good cup of coffee in center city Philadelphia. The atmosphere, the coffee and the staff make this place one of the best shops in town. As I read somewhere else, walking into Elixr feels like you are walking into an Ikea log cabin. One that knows how to pour a good cup I might add!

Coffee Shop Review: Dead River Coffee, Marquette MI

Dead River Coffee
119 West Baraga Avenue  Marquette, MI 49855
Website: http://deadrivercoffee.com/contact/
Rating: 9 Beans

Dead River Coffee is where I first learned the difference between coffee and real coffee. For those of you who do not understand the difference, stick around and I will fill you in. I went to college in Marquette, at Northern Michigan University, and while I was there Dead River became my home away from home. The coffee is roasted on site, the pastries are homemade, and the baristas are friendly and knowledgeable. They put love into each cup of coffee.

Walking into Dead River you will know that you are at the right place, it looks and feels like what a coffee shop should be. Ordering a cup of coffee here is not an ordinary task, you will come to understand what it means to have a good cup of coffee. They will explain to you the type of roast, where the coffee originated from, and when it was roasted. The barista will grind the coffee and then use a pour over method, that although it takes a while to make, leaves you craving for another cup. They do offer drip coffee for those of you in a hurry, but if you have some time, stick around, order a pastry and enjoy some real coffee!

Dead River has free wi-fi, plenty of seating and is located in downtown Marquette, close to Lake Superior. I have traveled all over the world, and to this day Dead River Coffee is still my favorite coffee shop. I recommend this place to anyone without hesitation, if you happen to find yourself in Marquette, stop by, you will not regret your decision.