The debate of which coffee shop is best has been long-lasting, but at last it comes to an end. Judging Freeport Bakery, Chocolate Fish, Pete’s Coffee, and Espresso Metropolitan, we have finally been able to know the true coffee-champion.
To judge the cafes, we ordered a small, iced latte and the store’s best-selling pastry. We made no adjustments to the drink, so some of the drinks could have possibly been bettered if one were to make adjustments according to their taste. The coffee, the pastry, and the overall cost are rated on a scale of 1-5, with five being the best and one being the worst.
Freeport Bakery–Coffee: 3/5; Pastry: 2/5; Cost: 5/5
A small cafe very close to McClatchy, Freeport has good drinks and pastries for amazing prices. However, they have a 30 minute seating policy and are not opposed to kicking students out if they linger.
Their lattes cost $2.70, which was a very good price for a mediocre drink. Though the coffee was a good price, the taste just did not hit the mark. The milk taste overpowered the coffee and it really didn’t taste like coffee at all. It genuinely just tasted more like milk than it did a latte.
Their best-selling pastry was the cinnamon snail, costing $2.30, but due to personal biases of not liking cinnamon rolls, it was judged a little bit harder than the other pastries. However, for one who does like cinnamon, the snail is huge, and only costed $2.30.
Chocolate Fish–Coffee: 2/5; Pastry: 5/5; Cost: 3/5
Chocolate Fish has a nice, modern atmosphere. The ambiance was very relaxing, which is extremely good for a day of studying. Also, the coffee shop very much fitted a ‘Tumblr’ and bay windows with a view of Freeport Boulevard.
Their iced lattes cost a whole $4.65, which is more than our high school student wallets can afford. And, for costing that much, one would expect it to (at least) be extremely good. Instead, we found that the coffee tasted quite watered down and was made with too much milk.
The medium-sized blueberry muffin was delicious and, rightfully so, as it cost $3.10. It was moist and light, and it had a good amount of large blueberries in it.
Peet’s Coffee–Coffee: 4/5; Pastry: 4/5; Cost: 3/5
Peet’s Coffee is a long way from McClatchy. Located in Crocker Village, it’s a little too far to be going without a car for just a coffee and a pastry.
The coffee was amazing and costed $3.90. It was strong and not too milky, and it was the only coffee that we actually wanted to finish drinking. Though the cup size was smaller than the other cafes, the price was still worth it.
Peet’s best-selling pastry was the chocolate chunk cookie, which cost $2.50. While it was a bit expensive for a cookie, it was a good size and tasted wonderful. It was gooey and sweet, and every bit of a stereotypical grandma’s homemade cookie.
Espresso Metropolitan–Coffee: 2/5; Pastry: 3/5; Cost: 4/5
Espresso Metropolitan, better known as Metro, has an amazing atmosphere. A great study spot for many students, Metro is always warm and welcoming for those needing a place to go after school.
The coffee cost $3.35, which is a solid price, but it was incredibly bitter. This may appeal to somebody who likes strong coffee, but we are not those people. There was also not enough milk in the latte, which only emphasized the bitter taste.
Their best-selling pastries were the coffee cakes, and, out of personal preference, we chose the red velvet coffee cake. It cost $2.75, which is another pretty good price. It was moist and delicious, but it was also cold to the point of almost being rock hard.
Out of all of our options, we reached the decision that Peet’s Coffee is the best cafe, which is slightly upsetting, because we would rather support one of the local cafes than a chain. However, because of its mild prices, amazing coffee, and great cookies, it won our favor.
In smaller categories, the best cost goes to Freeport Bakery, the best drink goes to Peet’s Coffee, and the best pastry goes to Chocolate Fish.
Out of all of the cafes, however, Mia said that she would most likely go to Freeport, because she would rather spend less money, or to Metro, because she loves the atmosphere. Michael said that Peet’s Coffee was the best choice because of the power and balance of the coffee, but if one wanted a place closer, Metro was definitely the best choice.