Let me guess…you run on coffee? You wake up in the morning and the first thing you think of is coffee? It’s the middle of a weekday and what are you thinking about? Probably not your math test… it’s most likely coffee. If this is you, you’ll need to know about these coffee shops in order to survive in South County. You can’t just drive to Marylou’s in North Kingstown during your two hour gap…even though they do have some fabulous coffee flavors. Here’s where to get groovy with the best grinds without straying too far from campus.
The best coffee shops to get work done: TLC & Fuel
It may come as a surprise to some of you, but TLC Coffee Roasters and Fuel are owned by the same person! Once you visit both shops you might start to see the many similarities between them. TLC is conveniently located two minutes from URI, just turn right off of Plains Road and it will be on your left! Fuel is on Boston Neck Road just slightly after passing Bonnet Shores. It is Directly across from Meldgie’s and Brickley’s.
TLC and Fuel offer a whopping 21 iced coffees on tap daily. It is self-serve and super simple! You make the coffee how you like it and there are so many flavors that you will never get bored. TLC is perfect for sitting down and completing the three hours of homework you have because it has a bunch of long and small tables perfect for studying. There is a fairly large dining area that’s great for working by yourself or with a big group.
The best part is that you’ll never run out of coffee!
Best coffee shop to get coffee and lunch: Brewed Awakenings
When you enter Brewed Awakenings you will instantly become flustered by its unusually large dining room. When you think of the perfect coffee shop a quaint, cute and tight-knit room might come to mind…well that’s not the case with Brewed Awakenings. And the dining room isn’t the only big thing in Brewed Awakenings, check out their menu! Not only do they have a bunch of iced coffee flavors, hot coffee options, iced tea, hot tea and frozen blends, but they also have a ton of great food too! Besides the usual breakfast sandwiches, Brewed Awakenings offers lunch sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads.
The closest Brewed to URI is in the South County Commons, located across from Trattoria Romana/Shogun. It is a great place to meet up with a friend for brunch!
Best coffee shop with a view: Java Madness
Java Madness is located off of Route One on Salt Pond Road. It overlooks the beautiful Stone Cove Marina in Wakefield. Java Madness offers hot and iced coffee, espresso drinks, pastries and simple foods. They offer breakfast, lunch and even feature musicians and artists in the shop!
It is the perfect place to just sit with a cup of coffee and unwind from your busy day. You can watch the sunset, the boats come in and the seagulls dip into the water for food!
Best coffee shop to get an açaí bowl: Cool Beans Cafe
Cool Beans Cafe is a hipster cafe with words and drawings written in chalk all over the walls. It also has fantastic açaí bowls… and who doesn’t love those? They are delicious and nutritious! Cool Beans Cafe offers a variety of iced and hot coffees, espresso drinks, smoothies, and teas. Besides açaí bowls, they also serve pastries, avocado toast, oatmeal, paninis, and salads.
Their most famous item is the Sambazon açaí berry purée blended with frozen banana, strawberry and vanilla almond milk with granola, seasonal berries and coconut shavings on top! You can also ask for other ingredients in your açaí bowl such as peanut butter, spinach, cacao nibs, flax, chia mix, pepita seeds, hemp protein and gluten-free granola.
Cool Beans Cafe is located right by Narragansett beach across from Trio. It is the perfect place to stop by on your way home after a long day on campus.
Now you have no more excuses to buy Dunkin Donuts everyday from the emporium or the union. Go treat yourself to a freshly brewed cup of coffee… you deserve it!