As Emory University students bundled up and attempted to stay warm inside during brief snow showers last weekend, an opportunity arose for us brave editors to venture out into the cold and seek something that our community sorely lacks: a definitive ranking of all coffee options on campus.
For a school that barely enrolls 16,000 students, Emory boasts an impressive excess of coffee shops, with many going underutilized by the student body. By our count, at least 10 coffee options call our campus home, and yet, students continue to flock to the nearest Kaldi’s instead of exploring more exciting options.
Calling on our General Education Requirement math and science classes, we evaluated each coffee option based on three factors: overall quality and taste of coffee, location ambience and menu variety. To make our study uber-scientific, we ordered the same sample at each shop: a hot latte with almond milk, no flavors added.
Next time you crave a coffee fix, reject the urge to buy your umpteenth Kaldi’s iced matcha or, god forbid, pay Starbucks a visit — instead, visit one of these top recommendations for campus caffeine addicts.
Dancing Goats – 8/10
Tucked away on the second floor of the Rollins Public School of Health, it is easy to forget that Dancing Goats exists as an option for coffee on campus — but this should not be the case. Dancing Goats, which sells Kaldi’s Coffee following a merger between the two companies, offers a calming, well-lit and comfortable space to sit and sip on your drink of choice. As I indulged in the almond milk latte, I found it to be one of the best I tasted across campus, with the almond milk providing a slight sweetness that balanced the coffee’s light bitterness. In addition to drinks, the menu offers fresh pastries, sandwiches and quiches — all hearty study session pick-me-ups.
When surrounded by masses of diligent graduate students and researchers, it is easier to enter a focused workflow at the mellow Dancing Goats than at the bustling Kaldi’s. I found myself getting lost in time in the cafe while drafting my senior thesis chapters, despite having many more coffee shops to sample that day. Emory students from all schools should swing by Dancing Goats more often, especially if they seek solitude from the center of campus.
- Madeline Shapiro, Executive Editor
Summit Coffee Emory Village – 8/10
I would like to preface this review by setting an essential scene. My best friend’s childhood bedroom was a place of fantasy and absolute wonder — candy flowed from the drawers, a white tulle canopy encased her bed and the walls were a comforting, yet equally striking, mint green. As such, when I enter Summit Coffee at Emory Village, where the dishware, walls and menu all reflect this peculiar shade of blue-green, I feel at ease in its familiarity.
Irrespective of my childhood nostalgia, Summit Coffee is an excellent choice for students looking for a lively place to chat with friends and enjoy an average cup of joe. My almond milk latte was a bit acidic, unexpectedly clinging to the tongue, but nonetheless a perfectly solid drink. The menu also boasted creative seasonal offerings like the “Snow Day” — a vanilla iced coffee topped with blueberry cold foam. In addition, the pastry case houses at least one vegan option. It really is the simple pleasures.
- Catherine Goodman, Managing Editor
Costa Coffee, Goizueta Business School — 7.5/10
As a personal rule, I try to avoid the Goizueta Business School — too much networking going on for my post-graduation unemployment to handle. But still, I would return to the pearly gates of business student heaven just to grab another drink from Costa Coffee. The shop’s signature burgundy to-go cup warmed my hands as I braved the cold walk back across campus and tasted the balanced almond milk latte. Slightly sweet and nutty but not overpoweringly so, my drink was the perfect beginning to a chilly January day.
Like the pressed suits and smart briefcases of its frequent customers, the shop’s decor is clean and uncomplicated — while the cafe lacks the homey vibe of Kaldi’s Coffee at The Depot, its simplicity makes it a strong option for a midday study session. Compared to other cafes on campus, I must praise Costa Coffee for its plethora of seating, both indoor and outdoor. On warm days, students can even take their drinks to the lawn, a seating option that earns the location points. The menu is simple but satisfying for an on-the-go college student with plenty of vegan options as well. So, maybe you will catch me at Costa Coffee — I will not stay for long, only enough time to secure one of the best cups of coffee on campus.
- Ellie Fivas, Editor-in-Chief
Golden Drops Cafe, Michael C. Carlos Museum — 7.5/10
I had high hopes for the Golden Drops Cafe tucked on the top floor of the Michael C. Carlos Museum. Most students do not venture up the marble stairs of the museum often enough to be frequent customers of the shop, making it a chill spot to sip and study in peace.
Alas, this cafe’s hours made it difficult to visit on a whim. There is limited information about the shop online, mirroring its hidden location on campus. Open only Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Golden Drops Cafe does not allow for a morning coffee run or a late afternoon study session. However, the coffee is worth navigating these perilous straits for — the El Salvadoran brew is far and away better quality than other campus options. Their menu is coffee-forward, but still boasts several spectacular food items, including their guava empanadas. Golden Drops has the potential of being my top pick on campus with their quaint shopfront and excellent coffee, but I, like many Emory students, lack the patience to deal with their sometimes inconvenient hours.
- Ellie Fivas, Editor-in-Chief
Kaldi’s Coffee in the Emory Student Center – 7/10
During my first few months at Emory, I did not even know a second Kaldi’s existed in the Emory Student Center (ESC). But once I discovered it, the ESC Kaldi’s quickly became one of my favorite study spots.
The high-top window tables offer a great view of the campus canopy, and the lime green walls and decorations brighten the frequent overcast weekdays. The menu, although lacking a student body favorite – the Kaldi’s egg bagel – is still robust and offers tasty lunch options, including açai bowls or smoothies. However, the almond milk latte I ordered was disappointing. Its taste was a bit too sharp for my liking. So, while the ESC Kaldi’s ranks highly in terms of its cheerful ambiance and menu variety, perhaps look elsewhere on campus if you consider yourself a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur.
- Madeline Shapiro, Executive Editor
Kaldi’s Coffee at The Depot — 6.5/10
A prime option for any Emory student with time to kill waiting for an open table, Kaldi’s Coffee at The Depot shines in our review less for its coffee quality and more for the lovely ambience the shop carries. Any cafe is bound to be busy, but The Depot loses a point for how crowded it gets during peak hours. My latte was a good attempt at a chic indie drink, but ultimately it was too bitter and lacked the richness that any good coffee drinker seeks in a standard latte.
The Depot’s menu rivals that of all other campus coffee shops, both in variety and food quality. Dare I say, the best reason to frequent this coffee shop is for a change of pace in lunch options from the good but unvarying menus of Cox Hall. While I reviewed the shop in freezing weather, I recalled how pleasant the sun felt on my face as I studied outside on The Depot’s patio seating last fall, enjoying a slice of chocolate chip banana bread. Even on the morning I visited The Depot, students huddled over laptops in comfortable leather booths and waited out the cold over OK cups of coffee, but an even better atmosphere.
- Ellie Fivas, Editor-in-Chief
Starbucks, Emory Bookstore — 5/10
While this ranking may come as a surprise to some Starbucks fanatics, I am staunchly opposed to choosing this coffee option over Emory’s many other caffeinated gems. Sure, Starbucks rises above some subpar coffee shops, but ultimately, you pay for a copy-and-paste latte that you can find in nearly any city across the world. I challenge you to breach your comfort zone and get out of the monotonous Starbucks coffee routine.
In all fairness, the Starbucks latte was OK. While the almond milk was oddly sweet — almost cereal-like — the espresso’s flavor was clean, smooth and inoffensive. It was a cup of coffee you could drink every day for the rest of your life without complaining, but also without much satisfaction. The menu variety was the same as all nationwide Starbucks, and though I will not deny enjoying a chocolate croissant from time to time, its unchanging offerings encourage me to look elsewhere. In terms of ambience, all the shop’s chairs were filled with community members, creating a buzzing environment. So, while it may please some to study in Emory’s Starbucks, you might struggle finding a spot to do so.
- Ellie Fivas, Editor-in-Chief
Banjo Coffee Company – 5/10
To call Banjo Coffee on the first floor of the Robert W. Woodruff Library a coffee shop is an insult to coffee shops everywhere. However, if you do not mind the low hum of the grab ‘n’ go refrigerator or the assortment of medicine for sale at the register, you can actually procure a decent cup of coffee— or in this case, a decent almond milk latte. With a nice layer of foam and a light flavor, the latte hit all the necessary requirements.
Banjo suffers from a severe lack of atmosphere, but not a lack of options. Unlike many other places on campus, Banjo offers an array of food items: blueberry bagels, caramel coffee cake and house-pressed paninis, to name a few. However, it is hard to hold the joint responsible for its lackluster appeal — I do not think the library’s first floor casts anyone in a kind light.
- Catherine Goodman, Managing Editor
Dobbs Common Table – 5/10
What is not to love about Dobbs Common Table (DCT) coffee? Some might say the incredibly bitter taste, which is true, but there is also something comforting about going up to the self-service machines with the white mug and pouring in as much steaming brew as you want — something you cannot do at coffee shops on campus. And, you can come back for as many mugs as you like and splash as much milk as you need from the nearby fridge to tone the bitterness down.
As a senior, I had not been to the DCT for months before this scientific endeavor. However, grabbing some coffee at the DCT with friends while listening to 2000s pop music blare and eating a plate of hash browns and bacon healed my jaded upperclassman soul. What the DCT coffee lacks in quality, it makes up for in nostalgia. It may not be great coffee, but if you need a little caffeine ahead of a long day, the DCT continues to do the trick.
- Madeline Shapiro, Executive Editor
Honolulu Coffee – 4/10
Following the recent renovations, Cox Hall is a sleek, convenient place to grab a midday meal on campus, but Honolulu Coffee is not the place to go for coffee and a quick bite. The menu is limited mainly to a few stale egg sandwiches and the same açai bowls available at the ESC Kaldi’s. My almond milk latte had an acrid taste, making me even less sympathetic toward Honolulu’s drink options.
When Cox Hall is quiet and somewhat deserted, the ambiance of Honolulu Coffee is peaceful. But during the weekday rush of the frenzied lunch hour, Cox Hall is the place to avoid if you want to meet someone for coffee or coast through assignments. Consider checking out other coffee shops if you crave a latte, but if all stores on campus are closed, Honolulu Coffee certainly makes for a decent back-up.
- Madeline Shapiro, Executive Editor
Ellie Fivas (she/her) (26C) is from Cleveland, Tenn., and is majoring in political science and history on the pre-law track. When she is not working for the Wheel, she works in prison education, leads a human rights club and works at the Emory Writing Center. In her free time, you can find her reading trashy romances and The New York Times, basking on the Quadrangle and doing crossword puzzles.
Catherine Goodman (26C) is the Managing Editor of Arts & Life and Editorial Board. She is a double major in English and Art History. She plans to pursue arts and culture journalism, with a special interest in criticism and feature writing. When she isn't listening to music or writing her column, you can find her baking specialty cakes or playing with her dog, Apollo.
Madeline Shapiro (she/her) (26C) is from Stamford, Conn., majoring in creative writing and classic civilizations. She manages the Wheel’s opinion section. Outside of the Wheel, Shapiro can be found playing low-stakes games of soccer, spending time outdoors and watching as many Premier League games as possible.
