I feel like every college student has to go to a coffee shop to do homework at some point in their college career. Maybe it鈥檚 just a Cairn culture thing, because I鈥檝e seen students in tons of local coffee shops grinding out homework or meeting one-on-one with a friend. And of course, I鈥檝e spotted the more-than-friends-but-still-just-talking couples frequent coffee shops for the occasional casual date.
In any case, you get the point: Cairn students love coffee shops. But to my surprise, I鈥檝e discovered that there鈥檚 no consensus among the student body on which one is the best in the area. I鈥檓 happy to tell you I鈥檝e done a lot of research, made a vlog (coming soon!), and written this blog to tell you about the top five most popular local coffee shops. I dragged along a fellow Cairn student to help me discover the best coffee shop based on the criteria of drink, food, and aesthetic. The best possible overall score is a 30. I think you鈥檒l be surprised by our discoveries.听
Johnson Hall (Hulmeville, PA): White Chocolate Raspberry Latte + Berries and Cream Crepe
DRINK: 7
FOOD: 8.5
AESTHETIC: 7.5
OVERALL: 22.5/30
Johnson Hall is only two miles from campus and by far one of the most frequented. We tried the white chocolate raspberry latte, a popular drink my other friends have recommended, too, and I thought it was pretty good. It tasted just like it sounds, so if you鈥檙e into white chocolate and raspberries, you won鈥檛 be disappointed at Johnson. But the real star of the show was the berries and cream crepe. It was covered in whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries. I鈥檓 salivating as I write this. I鈥檝e tried other pastries and drinks from Johnson for other one-on-ones, and I鈥檝e always loved them. My only complaint is that Johnson can get a little noisy, but that鈥檚 because there鈥檚 a lot of people who love that coffee shop. I almost always run into other Cairn students.
The Coffee Room (Newtown, PA): The Dirty Turtle + Homemade Brown Sugar Pop Tart
DRINK: 9
FOOD: 7
AESTHETIC: 8
OVERALL: 24/30
I am so obsessed with the Dirty Turtle drink at The Coffee Room that I returned within the next couple days to order another one. The Dirty Turtle is a creamy iced drink with chocolate milk, salted caramel, and espresso. I also tried a homemade brown sugar pop tart, and thought the pastry was delicious. The Coffee Room has plenty of places to sit down and work individually or with a group. Their window seats are my favorite because Newtown itself is enchanting with its book and record exchange store just down the road. I love doing homework in this coffee shop. The only downside is that their coffee is a little more expensive compared to others. But I think the Dirty Turtle is worth $7 (with a tip). For special occasions.
Langhorne Coffee House (Langhorne, PA):听Monkey Blended + Timberjack Sandwich听
DRINK: 8
FOOD: 8
AESTHETIC: 6
OVERALL: 22/30
Langhorne Coffee House was totally not what I expected. It had the vibe of a diner, with tables set up for people to eat meals rather than do homework. We tried the Monkey Blended cold brew and Timberjack sandwiches, both fan favorites. The cold brew was to die for: a sweet, thick blend of chocolate, banana, and coffee. And the Timberjack sandwich was delicious, too, a combination of Sriracha, sausage, egg, and cheese, with hints of sweet maple syrup. I鈥檇 consider coming back for a one-on-one meal, but definitely will not be returning to do homework.
Pretty Bird (Yardley, PA):听Lavender Latte + Blueberry Lemon Scone
DRINK: 7.5
FOOD: 7.5
AESTHETIC: 9
OVERALL: 24/30
I鈥檓 a little in love with Pretty Bird. There鈥檚 plenty of high tops, white marble countertops, and window seats to sit and do homework. The zesty blueberry lemon scone and the hot lavender latte we ordered were mouthwatering. I felt like I was drinking an essential oil. Okay, that sounds gross, but the flavor was so strongly yet somehow so delicately lavender. I don鈥檛 know how they did it. But I鈥檓 coming back for more. It鈥檚 100% worth the 14-minute drive. And apparently, the store transforms into a vegetarian restaurant at night, which would be a worthwhile investigation.
Calm Waters (Bristol, PA):听Vanilla Iced Latte + Breakfast Sandwich听
DRINK: 6
FOOD: 4.5
AESTHETIC: 8
OVERALL: 18.5/30
听
听
听
听
听
听
听
听
I have to admit, I was a little disappointed with our experience at Calm Waters. It鈥檚 a cute coffee shop, and has nice window seats and wooden table tops. I thought the vanilla iced latte was alright (but I was hoping for something sweeter). Unfortunately, I didn’t like the breakfast sandwich. I don鈥檛 know what sauce they slapped onto that sandwich, but it definitely didn鈥檛 complement the Canadian bacon and eggs. We took two bites before tossing it.听听
In all fairness, I have heard praise for Calm Waters鈥� coffee from other students. One of my friends, after hearing my experience, recommended their Ethiopian blend. I definitely will never order their breakfast sandwich again, but we thought we could see ourselves returning to do homework.
I hope this article was helpful for you. There鈥檚 definitely a lot of nearby options to choose from to get work done. Watch the vlog we made for a full inside scoop! If you鈥檙e local to the area and have more expertise to share, feel free to write comments below. I know my experience doesn鈥檛 speak for everyone else鈥檚.
