While being a college student I begun to spot out the best coffee/tea shops to hangout with friends, study, or read a book. A few different things could go into finding your favorite coffee or tea shop. This could include the atmosphere, the price, or the quality of drinks.
In this post I will talk about my top 3 Coffee/Tea spots in Cedar Falls rating them on:
- Atmosphere
- Price
- Quality of the items
3. Sidecar Coffee
Sidecar is a top spot for my friends and I to go to. There are three in Cedar Falls with one of them being on the hill. The hill is a close spot to campus with fun bars and restaurants. It is within a 1-15min walk from campus depending on where you are. This gives Sidecar a huge customer segment and allows my friends and I a spot to quickly visit or stay at for awhile.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere is welcoming and vibrant. You will almost always find someone studying in there if that is what you are also looking to do. I have seen many group meetings there because it is not an extremely quiet spot so don’t worry to much on not wanting to disrupt the studiers. When I go with friends I choose the one on the hill for a more lively feel but I have also studied there and never had a problem focusing. People are respectful and everyone is there for a fun drink.
Price
From going to other coffee shops this one averages about the same price wise. I usually pay around 5-7 for a drink when I visit there though you can always find something a little cheaper or even something more expensive depending on what you are looking for.
Quality
I find the quality to be pretty high for sidecar. They use their own coffee brand and the specialty coffees on the menu are amazing. What you ask for is what you are getting with Sidecar. They make sure they include each flavoring listed and they make sure you are going to taste that especially in their speciality drinks. With that being said I would argue that their non coffee drinks are not as high of quality compared. The matcha and chai are not my personal favorites and with me being more of a tea drinker that is important to note.
Overall Sidecar is an amazing option for a fun drink.
- Atmosphere – 9
- Price – 9
- Quality – 8
2. Reader’s Cup
Reader’s Cup is one of Cedar Falls newest coffee shops and it already has impressed me. It is located on main street which is the place to go for sit down restaurants and shopping small businesses. Reader’s cup is partnered with The Nook bookstore. The Nook opened about a year ago and seemed to just take off. Everyone I talk to loves The Nook. Everyone I have took there also are always so impressed. It is such a cozy and welcoming shop that when I heard they were opening the coffee shop within the same store I knew the vibes would match.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere at The Reader’s Cup is exactly how the picture looks. Cozy and Charming. With the mix of the winter vibes, the books, and the small business feel you are enchanted into a safe and welcoming place when you visit The Reader’s Cup. The coffee shop is through an open walkway from the bookstore which helps separate the two without cutting off the vibes. There is a decent amount of seating and an upstairs with even more. I recently studied here and though there were a lot of conversations going on around me I still felt safe and comfortable to study.
Price
The prices seemed about average as well. Something that caught my attention was the teas. They had teas from Tea Cellar that were cheaper than the coffee drinks. I personally got
the tea because of the cheaper option and it was well made. They have an ice cream corner as well and though I didn’t get any ice cream the prices seemed average about 3 dollars for one scoop and 6 for two.
Quality
The quality of the drinks were overall great. The tea I got wasn’t my favorite due to getting iced. The flavors were amazing but the ice watered it down so when I go back I will definitely try it hot. I have only been to The Reader’s Cup once due to them just opening so I can’t comment too much on the quality of the products but I do know they use products from other small businesses so if you enjoy those places but want a different vibe I would definitely recommend trying it at The Reader’s Cup.
It’s the fact that I only visited once and was obsessed.
Atmosphere – 10
Price – 10
Quality – 9
1. Tea Cellar
Tea Cellar was one of the first spots I went while in college that I just completely enjoyed. I may be biased because I am more of a tea drinker but most people who visit also get the same feel I do. From atmosphere to price and even quality it tops many other places for me. Located right next to main street giving us college students another close option to go for any occasion.
Atmosphere
The atmosphere at Tea Cellar I can best explain as bright and enjoyable. It is an open concept with featured items by the front door, counter to order in the middle, and their teas and tea items you can purchase on the other side. The fun lights and decorative menu board really draw my attention and I am always impressed with whoever is writing on the board because the handwriting and design is wow. You can order a tea pot and pick your favorite saucer and tea cup. This is located next to the main counter. For me seeing the cute tea cups and knowing you get to look through them and chose your favorite is always so fun and enjoyable.
Price
The pricing at Tea Cellar is the best out of my top three options. This may be due to mainly selling tea so that gives them an advantage on
pricing as I have noticed that it can often be cheaper. You can get a pot of tea for one person for 3.50 which is a great price especially because you can fill your tea cup at least 2-3 times. The lattes seem to be closer to average but you have a variety of options.
Quality
The quality of teas at Tea Cellar are excellent. They serve their own tea and of course that is their speciality so their latte options like the brewed tea latte or chai lattes are also high quality. They have one of my favorite Chai’s and I have tried a lot. If you are looking for some great quality standard tea or a variation of fun teas you should check this place out.
The Tea Cellar is a great option and what is better than grabbing some high quality tea.
Atmosphere – 10
Price – 10
Quality – 10
Here are my top three Coffee/Tea spots in Cedar Falls. Now I want to know yours! Leave some of your favorite coffee or tea spots to visit in Cedar Falls in the comments!
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Can’t wait to check out The Readers Cup next time I’m in Cedar Falls! Looks so cute!
It’s awesome!
I’ve never tried the Reader’s Cup but it looks super cute! Can you read the books in the store for free or do you have to buy them?
It’s a really cool spot! You could always grab a book to start or bring your own!