Although choosing where to grab a cup of coffee may seem like an innocuous decision, true enjoyers know that the quality of one’s cup of joe could make or break the morning.
Obviously, the dorm-brewed coffee from a $20 Mr. Coffee machine will always be the best, most affordable option, but when you decide to treat yourself to a little extra caffeine kick, where’s the best place to go in Martin?
The Hangar: 6/10
This little coffee shop on campus claims to be an official Starbucks location, but I have my doubts. Mostly because, unlike other Starbucks locations, the Hangar’s coffee is actually palatable.
When it comes to the simple pleasure of a vanilla latte, they cannot be beaten. The convenience of this location cannot be understated either, and it is an even bigger plus given how crazy the weather can be around campus.
However, the convenience can also be a curse: just try to get coffee here during a high school or middle school tour day. The horde of pre-pubescent teens is both unyielding and unbreakable; you will walk away empty-handed.
As an extra special challenge, try to predict what menu item they will be out of that day.
Vantage Coffee: 9/10
Not just one of the best coffee shops in Martin, but probably one of the best coffee shops I’ve been to.
If I had to summarize why I like it, I’d just have to say it has good vibes. The baristas are nice, the coffee is excellent, and it’s reasonably priced. What else do you want me to say?
Unfortunately, the parking lot fills up fast, and if you want to get there from campus on foot, you have to walk through a couple of parking lots and get some weird looks along the way. Also, I know the lo-fi Spotify playlist makes for a better studying environment, but I miss when they used to play old episodes of Spongebob on the TV.
It’s absolutely diabolical that Vantage is one of only two places I can get one of the greatest lattes, a Kev. (What does Kev even mean?)
Higher Ground: 8/10
If you like Vantage, you’ll probably like Higher Ground as well. Since it’s in a much more visible spot, it also tends to be the busier of the two sister shops, so carve out a little extra time in case it’s busy.
First-time visitors will also be thrown off by the fact that it’s literally inside a grocery store. Chilling in the bread aisle while waiting for your coffee is a surprisingly common occurrence.
Higher Ground also tends to have more seasonal-flavored lattes and a greater drink selection overall, including some awesome non-coffee stuff. The apple pie-spiced cider and feel-better tea are worth the trip alone.
It isn’t a dealbreaker for me, but also be aware there’s a 50/50 chance your hot latte may be closer to lukewarm. I don’t know why, and I don’t mention it to the barista because I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.
McDonald’s: 3/10
It’s McDonald’s coffee. You’re not ordering it for the quality or taste; you’re ordering it because it’s less than $2.
Martin Coffee House: 7/10
No place has divided the public psyche of Martin, Tennessee, quite like Martin Coffee House, but since this is a coffee review and not an expose on business practices and marketing strategies, I will leave it at that.
If you go in blind, or at least with an open mind, you are in for a darn good cup of coffee. This is one of the few places I would recommend getting your coffee black or with as little sugar and cream as possible; the roast is good enough by itself.
Where they lose me a bit is in their lattes. The menu itself has no flavors listed under each latte, and many of the names themselves offer no hints. (Try to guess what’s in an “Oh Canada!” or a “Twilight Delight”) It’s gotten much better, but there was also a stint of time where I could order the same latte the same way three different times and pay a different price each time.
The worst occasion was the infamous $9 medium Butterbeer latte I ordered- no alternative milk, no extra shot of espresso, and that price didn’t even include my tip. Was I peeved? Yes. Was it a fantastic-tasting drink otherwise? Also, yes.
