Like most UCI students, I find studying countless hours on campus to be exhausting. And like many students, I am addicted to coffee. Coffee perks up my mood at any time— even when I have to study for a crucial midterm with my chicken-scratch written notes and impossible-to-understand textbook. As awesome as the idea of carrying my apartment’s coffee maker around campus sounds, I have to resort to buying coffee on campus to give me a quick caffeine fix. Since the endless line at the Starbucks on campus is infamous, I go to Java City.
Located in the heart of the Engineering area and near Donald Bren Hall, Java City is a great choice for people on the other side of campus who don’t want to walk 15 minutes to get to Starbucks. Unlike most coffee places, Java City is outdoors. Lucky for UCI students, the perfect, almost all-year Mediterranean breeze is great for sitting around outside. Java City is perfect for solo studying to hanging out with friends between classes. Unlike most coffee places, Java City never gets too loud. Since it is outdoors, there is more room to move around and it does not feel as stuffy as other coffee joints.
Newbies to Java City: Don’t be afraid to ask about the menu because they are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their selection. If I ever need help ordering, the employees are more than welcome to suggest their personal favorites to me.
Java City’s menu is your basic coffee kiosk menu—ranging from specialty coffees/teas to sandwiches and pastries. To save money, I usually order the iced coffee, which is a great deal at $1.89 for a medium size. The iced coffee is smooth and does not have a bitter taste. I still need to adjust it to my personal liking—lots of milk, a pack of sugar and a sprinkle of cinnamon—to get me going for the rest of the day. If I feel like a splurge, I order the White Chocolate Mocha or the Cinnamon Roll Latte. Both are delicious and worth the splurge at around $3-$4 per drink. Another one of the specialties are their Javalanche, which is an iced blended drink and similar to a Starbuck’s frappuccino. One can choose between many types of Javalanches, such as Mocha, White Mocha, Caramel along with many others. My favorite is the Cookies ‘n’ Cream one, because it is like an Oreo milkshake.
For those non-Coffee lovers, Java City offers an assortment of teas and smoothies. The smoothies run about $4 but are worth the price. The fruit smoothies are refreshing for a day of walking around campus. My favorite is the Tropical one because it blends a whole bunch of fruits together and makes me forget about that horrible 8 a.m. midterm.
Do not forget to ask for a stamp card on your visit. For every ten drinks you buy, you get one free. How great is that?