I’ll say this right off the bat before I get into this review: this is nowhere near my first time at Loyal Coffee. It was my go-to spot for a while, and it was even the center of a class project I did last semester (shoutout to my interpretive methods class). I’ve bought a couple of bags of their coffee beans and spoken with the baristas there as well. That being said, I do still have mixed reviews of this spot, largely around the fact that a cold brew and avocado toast will cost you the same as your CC tuition. Roughly. But I’ll get into that later.
Location: 8.5/10
Located towards the southern end of downtown, if you’re on foot and coming from campus, Loyal is on the farther side of things. But if you’ve got two or four wheels to get you down there, I think it’s a perfect distance from campus, as you’ll also find yourself downtown and near a bunch of fun restaurants and shops. While I’m reluctant to say it’s one of the best coffee shop locations, it’s up there and deserves some points.
Vibe: 9.5/10
The vibe at Loyal Coffee can be seen in one of two ways: some I’ve talked to say that the place is trying to epitomize the hip, millennial, social coffee shop vibe, highlighted by baristas wearing fishermen beanies and a $15 avocado toast. Others feel that the slick wooden tables, plants and vast array of specialty coffee make it a fun place to do work and hang out. Given that I gave a 9.5/10 for vibe, one can assume I happen to be in the latter camp. If you want to meet up with a friend and hang out in a social, upbeat atmosphere, I’d say that Loyal Coffee is a great option.
Price: 1/10
As I’ve alluded to, the coffee and food here are comically expensive. $5 for a cortado hurts the heart, and almost $8 for a large “408” cold brew (whatever that means) should be grounds for a lawsuit. And the food options aren’t much better. $5.75 for a bowl of fruit that consists of strawberries, blackberries and bananas? If you want some practice for getting used to how the war might impact your grocery prices, eating at Loyal Coffee is sure to help.
Taste: 10/10
Anddddd with my rant on their prices out of the way, if you want great espresso, this is also the place to go. While it was hard to pull out my card and pay almost $6 for a pour-over coffee, it was absolutely delicious. And for the sake of good, thorough journalism (that’s what I’m going to tell myself, at least), I did buy the $12.50 avocado toast, and damn was it good. Maybe it was that I got to see the fresh sourdough rolls being sliced up in front of me, or merely that I was starving, but it hit harder than a late-night C-store run after a night out. If you’re in the mood to splurge, Loyal might be worth it.
Bottom Line
As I said at the start, I have very mixed opinions about Loyal Coffee. While their prices practically rule them out of becoming a go-to spot, they are in a great location, have a fun vibe and make great-tasting coffee. Give Loyal Coffee a try. But one might be enough.
Current Rankings
- Switchback Roasters: 35/40
- Story Coffee: 34.8/40
- Good Neighbors: 32/40
- Loyal Coffee: 29/40
- Frankly Coffee: 28.5/40