I decided to embark on a little journey this week to find the best coffee shop for studying here in Harrisonburg. Coffee shops are my favorite place to study; I thrive off the smell of dark roast coffee and indie music playing quietly in the background. This week I stopped by three coffee shops in Harrisonburg to bring you this list to refer to next time you’re trying to decide where to go for a coffee-run-study-session!
1. Shenandoah Joe’s
I was so in love with my cappuccino from Shenandoah Joe’s that I forgot to look at the price (whoops). I believe it’s around $4 and holy moly – do you get your money’s worth. I got the biggest size they offered and had #NoRegrets.
I also really liked how I had the opportunity to choose the roast I wanted in my cappuccino. The staff was really helpful in explaining to me the different flavors of each roast and I was not disappointed.
Shenandoah Joe’s has a lot of space, and though they can definitely fill up, I wouldn’t necessarily say they’ve ever been super crowded. I’ve never had to wait more than 3-4 minutes for my coffee and have almost always been able to find a seat to do my work.
Overall, a very spacious, delicious, conveniently located place to knock out an essay. On your study breaks you can get a pizza from Benny’s. How amazing is that?
Pros: Punch cards, very spacious, lots of choices for roast/sizes, not crowded
Cons: Parking can be slim
2. Black Sheep Coffee
Located in the Ice House downtown, this hidden gem of a coffee shop is a great place for a quiet study sesh. I’ve never had to fight for a table or wait a long time for my cup of coffee, and the staff is very friendly. When I visited this week I got into a light hearted argument with two of the employees over the term “spresso” and if it’s a “popular term within the coffee community” (I agreed with the barista who had never heard of the word, it made for lots of laughs).
For $3.75 I got a cappuccino that, though delicious, felt rather tiny compared to Shenandoah Joe’s. It’s hard to be a fancy coffee drinker and a broke college student. Still, I really enjoyed my coffee and the atmosphere of the shop. It was quiet, not crowded, and the tunes were A++.
Pros: Punch cards, quiet, quick, not crowded
Cons: Expensive, lack of sizes to choose from
3. Greenberry’s
I made the mistake of going to Greenberry’s at 10am and had to wait in line for 15 minutes, then wait another 10 minutes for my cappuccino. I did not anticipate they would be so crowded!
As for my cappuccino…I paid $4 for…well…how do I put this…there was hardly any coffee; I essentially paid for two sips of espresso and a cup of milk foam.
I also could not find a table or the wifi password. I intended on writing this article while there but instead had to snap a quick shot of my coffee before booking it out of there.
Overall, not the most exciting coffee shop experience I wanted. It felt more like I was at Starbucks, and wouldn’t really recommend this place for studying unless you go in the evening. However they do have a huge menu and a drive-through, so if you’re looking for a place to grab lunch with friends or grab a coffee on the go, this place is for you.
Pros: large menu, drive through
Cons: No punch card, expensive, crowded