October 10, 2016
Hannah Harvey
If you’re anything like me, drinking at least five cups of coffee a day is normal.
But sometimes, Starbucks doesn’t cut it, and you need to avoid the pumpkin spice latte. Downtown Colorado Springs is home to a few local coffee shops that offer a hip, urban vibe with delicious local brews and house made pastries.
Loyal Coffee, located on 408 S. Nevada Ave., celebrated its official grand opening on Oct. 1. The coffee shop, owned and managed by local baristas, had their soft opening in Sept. 12, and business is already booming.
Breakfast, brunch, sandwiches and, of course, coffee are served at the new shop. Items rang from $3-$6, depending on what you get.
For the following three items I ordered, I spent a total of $10.55. It was well worth every penny.
Coffee
Rate: 5/5
I don’t like a lot of additions in my coffee; usually, I skip the creamer and add in only two packets of sugar. Sometimes this backfires on me, and the bitterness of the brew ruins my pretentious coffee-tasting experience. But this was not the case with the house brew at Loyal Coffee.
I ordered a coffee to go, costing $3. The coffee was not too bitter, but also, not too sweet. This offered the perfect balance for my sleepy taste buds. The brew was locally roasted and branded with the official Loyal Coffee stamp.
Donut
Rate: 4.5/5
Donuts are always a good idea, and Loyal Coffee’s house-made squares of delight only serve as evidence to this statement. The donut tasted like a sweet biscuit and had an airy, fluffy texture.
The icing, a sweet, vanilla glaze, paired with the donut well, but at times was almost too sweet.
These are already the perfect treat for the fall weather, but ordering one of these pastries and curling up with a cup of coffee on a winter’s day will be lovely once it starts to snow.
If you’re looking for a sweet way to start the day before your dreaded exams, this will definitely help as a pick-me-up.
Ham and Cheese Croissant
Rate: 4/5
I decided to pick up a ham and cheese croissant, an item I imagine will be popular once the lunchtime rush starts rolling around.
The croissant was sizeable; if you’re only looking for a snack, this may not be the item for you.
The croissant itself was warm, flaky and not too buttery. Sometimes croissants can be overpowered by their buttery glaze, but this one wasn’t. The flavor and flaky texture worked well with its diced ham and melted Swiss cheese fillings, which were delicious in and of themselves.
The only negative to the croissant was the ham. I would have preferred for there to be more, and for the ham to not be diced, but aside from this, it was an excellent way to start the morning.