I'm always on the prowl for new and awesome coffee places. Thank God I finally found one in Columbia. I am a sucker for unique coffee shops- the more local, the better. Well... as long as they serve banging' coffee. I've been sticking to ole' reliable Starbucks since the big move, as I hadn't found anywhere local that had caught my eye. A few weeks ago one of my classmates who has lived in the area for a while mentioned this place called Drip. I was in a rush that day, so I find it away in my "eh, maybe I'll end up there sometime" file of my brain.
The next week I was going stir crazy during fall break. I had a lot of work to do, but man did I need to get out of the house to get it done. So, I packed up my bag and decided to head out to Drip- it was the only local coffee place I've heard of, and I just wasn't feeling like sitting in the busy 'bux up the street.
Drip is located in the heart of Five Points, one of the more active neighborhoods of the city. They have a second location on Main Street that I'm planning on checking out soon. I had a little trouble finding it, as they're located in the middle of a giant row of shops. I embarrassingly walked passed it twice and then asked a girl where it was- which was of course right across the street from where I was standing. Whoops. Oh well- I'm still new in town, yeah?
Once I entered, I was hit with the wonderful smell of coffee and cooking. Didn't know this beforehand, but apparently they also serve awesome sandwiches and libations!
I was promptly greeted by one of the baristas, who quickly offered me an explanation of all their coffees they had available for the day. Being the dark-coffee junkie that I am, I quickly went with the darkest on the menu.
They brew each cup individually using a pour-over method, so it wasn't instant like at quick chains, but I wasn't in a hurry so I snagged a seat at the bar (next to one of my professors that I embarrassingly did not notice at first), and got to work. I had my coffee by the time I was set up and ready to crank it out.
The atmosphere was perfect for working. I truly work better with some noise, and I'm not easily distracted by people, so coffee shop studying is my jam. Most of the people in there were reading or typing away on their computers, so I was in great company. The front area is a bit crowded, but they have a room off to the side that has a number of tables for extra room to sprawl out.
People came and went, all the while with the friendly baristas chatting away with each guest- new or old.
Definitely a place I will be returning, soon. I've run into a few people who say their different espressos are to die for, and lord knows I need all the caffeine I can get this week. I'm ready for a break!