The Quest of the Perfect Coffee Shop: Part 2

Common Ground

location of common ground.

Hot Chocolate Ranking: N/A

Actually, I haven’t tried it. Shocker!

Coffee Ranking: 5 (Chai Tea Lattes)

I love the coffee here! It’s really delicious and they have really good iced coffee (which I’m usually not a huge fan of). It’s also from Maryland, which I think is really cool.

Coffee Art Ranking: 3 (Natural)

They don’t have any special designs,  but that’s okay because it tastes so good!

Sweets Ranking: 4 (Do They Know the Muffin Man?)

Really, really good muffins.

Snack Ranking: 5 (Full Refrigerator)

They have absolutely amazing bagels. And soups. And sandwiches.

Cost Ranking: 4 (Nickel Pincher)

The coffee prices are not bad for a coffee shop (and the food is reasonably priced too).

Distance Ranking: 2.5 (Walking Distance)

Common Ground is on the Avenue in Hampden, so it’s definitely a little bit of a walk. I would say it’s not the best location to pick up coffee before class everyday, but it’s definitely a nice play to get coffee on a lazy Saturday.

Atmosphere: 4.5 (Hipster Paradise)

This place is the greatest. I am huge fan of hipster watching (it’s like people watching with hipsters) and this cafe in Hampden (a very hipster neighborhood) in Baltimore is perfect. Everyone in the cafe is different. The only problem is that the cafe is very small, making it sometimes difficult to find a seat. It also doesn’t have wifi, so it’s not the perfect place to study, but I love it! They actually have a bumper sticker in the store that says, “Friends don’t let friends drink Starbucks.”

One World 

coffee shop area of one world. thanks purna for the picture!

Hot Chocolate Ranking: N/A

Actually, I haven’t tried this one either.

Coffee Ranking: 5 (Chai Tea Lattes)

I love the coffee here! This is where I tried chai tea lattes and fell in love.

Coffee Art Ranking: 4 (Presentation)

I love that they serve the coffee in giant glass beer mugs.

Sweets Ranking: 4 

Really, really good cupcakes. I didn’t even realize they were vegan.

Snack Ranking: 4

Great nachos. Great salads and wraps. Great omelets. So-so falafel though :(.Definitely get the chili!

Cost Ranking: 3 (Pretty Penny)

Distance Ranking: 3 (Not too far)

It’s right by the lacrosse field (aka it’s really close for the freshman, but not so much for sophomores).  I love to walk, so it doesn’t bother me.

Atmosphere: 4

It’s a really nice place. Half is set up like a coffee shop and half is set up like a restaurant. They have really comfy benches with pillows.

Teavolve

Cup of Tea

Hot Chocolate Ranking: 5 (Godiva-Level)

So good. I had their hot chocolate with mint and it was amazing! So good.

Tea Coffee Ranking: 5 (Fit for Kate Middleton)

The tea here is amazing. They have so many different types of tea. http://www.teavolve.com/loose_leaf_tea.html.

Sweets Ranking: N/A

Snack Ranking: 5.5 (Perfect Lunch/Dinner/Snack/Brunch Location)

Teavolve has the best food. My favorite: the grown-up grilled cheese (feta, fresh mozzarella, goat cheese, extra virgin olive oil). The brie and apple is also very delicious.

Cost Ranking: 3 (Pretty Penny)

It’s not the cheapest, but the food is really good. Plus, they let you sit there for hours (even if you’ve only ordered a cup of tea).

Distance Ranking: 1 (Two shuttle buses away)

Teavolve is not close to campus. It’s in Harbor East (which is east of the Inner Harbor…). It’s a little bit of a hike, but if you spend the day or the afternoon there, it’s a great place to go.

Atmosphere: 5 (Study, Eat, Listen to Music, Repeat)

 Teavolve is definitely one of my favorite places in Baltimore. The staff there is awesome. They’ll tell you facts about tea. You can order a cup of loose leaf tea for a 1.75 (and they’ll even refill the water for you) or order a pot and get this awesome tea pot. They have live music on the weekends- and it’s really good. The view is also really awesome; they have giant windows that overlook the harbor. A Baltimore must-see!

views from teavolve.