One of my favorite things to do when I am feeling swamped by school is to go try out a new coffee shop where I can do my homework. Although Common Grounds is always a lovely place to do work, sometimes it’s nice to get off campus for a bit. Therefore, I decided to review two coffee spots that I tried this weekend. I want to share what I’ve learned so that others can also find a nice spot to drink coffee, and maybe do homework. I wouldn’t say that I’m a complete coffee snob or expert, but I have worked at a cafe in the past and do really enjoy drinking coffee, so I think I have some idea of good coffee.
The first coffee shop that I visited was Chestnut Ridge Coffee Roasters, LLC. Tucked into the basement of the Liberty Street Mercantile building, they are “specialty coffee roasters in historic downtown Harrisonburg,” according to their website. They offer different coffees roasted in-house that are sourced mainly from Latin America. They have a pretty simple menu of drinks and some pastries, and not too much going on behind the bar either, both of which I feel are good signs for a coffee shop. It’s better to do a few things really well than a lot of things just ok. This is a good place to go if you enjoy coffee a lot and enjoy seeing where it is roasted, since the roaster is visible behind the bar. The coffee is very good, and the barista made my plain latte very well with a nice little leaf made in latte art. I would definitely say it’s one of the best lattes that I’ve had in Harrisonburg.
There isn’t a huge amount of room to sit and do homework there, and since they were closing soon, I didn’t stick around, but there are some couches and tables to do so if that’s what you want. I would definitely recommend checking them out the next time you’re out and about downtown (but check the hours beforehand, they close pretty early).
The second coffee shop I decided to check out is Drifters Cafe, which is also located downtown. Ironically, I realized when I got there that they buy all their coffee from Chestnut Ridge, so it’s somewhat harder to compare them. That being said, Drifters has diversified much more than Chestnut Ridge. They offer a pretty broad selection of sandwiches, ice cream, and pastries in addition to their drinks, which are also significantly more varied. These include smoothies, a seasonal energy line of fruity drinks, and a variety of coffee as well. The adage that I mentioned earlier definitely applies here, since the plain hot latte I got was not made as well as at Chestnut Ridge, and also wasn’t completely filled for some reason. That being said, the iced latte I tried was pretty good. Drifters has plenty of seating for homework, and the s’mores cookie I got was very tasty. I can’t speak on the rest of the food, but there was a wide selection of sandwiches that at least looked good. The cafe has an open and clean vibe that works well for homework, and plays solid cafe music – Noah Kahan and suchlike mostly.
If you are downtown and looking for a coffee shop to do homework in, you could definitely do worse than Drifters Cafe, but I have enjoyed other spots like Broad Porch or Black Sheep similarly or more. Price-wise, these places are pretty comparable to Common Grounds. Not crazy amounts of money for either cafe, although Chestnut Ridge might be a bit pricier. If you’re a big fan of good coffee, Chestnut Ridge is perfect for you. However, if you’re less interested in coffee and more interested in food and different drink options, then Drifters Cafe is perfect.