When I returned to campus for the school year, I decided to journey down Main Street, meaning to buy some fudge from the sweet shop to satisfy my cravings. At first, I was crushed to discover that the store I loved was no longer open, but its sign had been replaced by a modern, bright green logo of a new store: Uptown Coffee.
My first thoughts were immediate; I don’t drink coffee. However, upon entering the shop, it is easy to see that whether or not you are a coffee drinker doesn’t matter at Uptown Coffee. The small establishment has been completely redefined and refurbished to suit its modern and very city-like appeal. Its design is centered on quaint tables and an ordering bar, similar to any coffee shop. Lining the walls are the simplistic black and white prints of local landmarks—these seem typical, but perhaps they’ll adjust since the shop has just recently opened.
There are so many options, and I cannot stress this enough. Gourmet coffee may not be the right phrase for Uptown, perhaps specialty coffee suits it best. Uptown Coffee offers the traditional styles like iced and hot coffee, but they sell steamers, hot chocolate, smoothies, cappuccino and other options. Not to mention, they have coffee flavors I didn’t even know existed (in a word: Snickers). The steamers and hot chocolates, for those who don’t like coffee, have their own selection of amazing flavors.
Food options may appear typical, but these flavorings and styles are equally as creative as the drinks. Once again, there are so many choices with many fresh ingredients for their salads and soups. I know this place will do well in Farmville because it has so much diversity on its menu. Uptown Coffee differs from the other coffee stores around Farmville because of its atmosphere and menu choices. They have affordable prices, but with better options compared to other commercialized businesses.
I decided to order a sandwich—The Virginian—and a strawberry smoothie, since it was too humid outside for a steamer. The order came to the table almost immediately, probably within five minutes of sitting down. And the place was packed with lunch goers! Being smaller- sized myself, the sandwich was a good size to share andwas just enough for each person. Buttery, toasted bread stuffed with wonderful flavors of ham and crisp lettuce made
the (assumedly) farmer’s market tomato combination sit perfectly. The sauce was a combination of dark mustard and other flavors, not too spicy but the right amount of flavor fireworks.
The smoothie, however, was a little disappointing. I thought that with the variety their drink selections, the smoothie would be killer. Perhaps it was the first week kinks still being sorted, but I wouldn’t go to Uptown Coffee just to order the smoothie. It had a nice flavor, but was watered down probably with too much ice and not enough fruits and juices.
My rating overall for Uptown Coffee is that I cannot wait to go back, especially in the colder months. It may seem like a bit of a walk for students, but it is well worth it when I can get just about any flavor combination my heart desires. The café is perfect for hunkering down and studying and would be a great choice for a meeting place, even for interviews. Despite the not-so-impressive smoothie, I still give Uptown Coffee five stars for its speedy service, wonderful sandwiches, and of course their seemingly-endless drink selections.
