With the semester in full swing, studying can get tiring and boring—making coffee an essential. Whether it is to stay awake or romanticize your life a little bit more, there are a few quality spots around Lexington to find a fun little drink. The four spots up for evaluation are Tea House, Lexco, Starbucks, and Pronto (Haywood’s is good too, but it is not open regularly enough to get a full spot).
In fourth place is a popular spot: Lexington Coffee Shop. “Lexco” is on East Washington Street and is about a three-minute walk from quad. It has a dark academia aesthetic to it with a hint of creepiness. Lexco can be a good place to study since there is a quiet room in the back, but it is dark and the old portraits on the walls will stare into your soul. There are many different flavors and drink options. But I have only tried the iced coffee, lattes and macchiatos. Their flavors are a bit odd tasting, even the basics such as caramel. The only flavor at Lexco I enjoy is their pumpkin spice, so if you must go there, I would recommend an iced pumpkin spice latte with oat milk. I would also recommend their muffins. It is nice that they offer three different drink sizes, whereas Pronto and Tea House only offer one. While I know people who are die-hard Lexco fans, I am not one of them, which is why it gets last place.
Next in the ranking is Tea House. Tea House is an on-campus option located in the CGL. This is a great spot to do work and grab a coffee, chai, or matcha. The vibes are great for studying, especially if you get a booth or go up on the porch. The coffee can be inconsistent—sometimes it is great, but other times it is watery or bitter. I am not a huge fan of the cold brew, but iced lattes are generally a safe option. There are also not too many flavor options at CGL, but the shaken espresso is a hidden gem. All of this being said, the CGL is convenient because of its location and ability to swipe or flex the drink. Overall, Tea House is a solid choice if you want to stay on campus and need a pick-me-up before or after class.
The newest Lexington edition, Starbucks, gets second place. The Starbucks has been open for a little over two weeks now and is located on Lee-Jackson Highway, on the way to Walmart. A major downside is that it is not walking distance from campus, but it could possibly attract business from outside the universities as well. I have a car on campus, so this is not much of a problem for me, but I could see how this option could be less practical for students without a mode of transportation.
My three experiences at Starbucks have not been positive so far, considering it took 40 minutes for one drink, they did not take mobile orders, and they were out of any and all food. I understand they might have been dealing with more business than expected, so I will give them the grace to work some of the kinks out before making my final decision. However, I will admit it is nice to have the chain because I love a strawberry acai refresher or a cold brew to get me through class.
To settle the age-old rivalry between Lexco and Pronto, Pronto gets first place for me. Pronto is the other coffee shop in town, located on Main Street, a few minutes farther than Lexco, but totally worth the walk. It is an Italian-style coffee shop that also serves gelato. It has a light and airy aesthetic, the complete opposite of Lexco. There is natural lighting from the windows and booth and table seating. They offer many kinds of iced and hot coffees and a wide range of flavors. I have been a huge fan of their spiced brown sugar flavor recently. Their drinks are consistently good, with a perfect ratio of milk to coffee. Posting in Pronto to do homework is one of my favorite Lexington activities. The environment is just loud enough to provide background noise, but if I put my air-pods in I can also focus. I would highly recommend trying out Pronto and bringing a friend to either catch up or have a study session.
Each coffee shop has its advantages and disadvantages, though Pronto prevails as the best. It comes down to personal preference though, based on prioritization of price, location, or environment. Hopefully, the Starbucks addition will not take business away from the local coffee shops, because they are an important part of making Lexington the cute little town it is. I will continue to support the local businesses, while occasionally getting my Starbucks fix or swiping for coffee in Tea House for convenience. I am looking forward to seeing how the addition of Dunkin Donuts may change my rankings in the future.
