We all know how hard it is to focus on your homework while working at the kitchen table. Calculus becomes more emotionally damaging when your sticky siblings are playing piano and breathing loudly. Where else can we work on this form of cruel and unusual punishment? Coffee shops, duh! But you might ask, “KB, what are good coffee shops in Fort Collins?” I’m so glad you asked! Over the next few weeks, I’m taking one for the team and investigating eleven local coffee shops where you can study.
I will rate the shops on a scale of 1-10. They’ll be rated on service, menu variety, music, social and study potentials, and overall ambience. I have also noted (but not rated) factors like price, gluten-free/allergen-free options, location and parking lot, where they source their coffee, and their mission (if they have one).
To keep everything fair, I will order the same thing at every place: an iced caramel latte, a feature drink, and a sample of their black coffee. NOTE: I will have a rotating crew with me to help with the reviews.
I’ll be releasing reviews as I get them done as part of a series, so keep checking back!
For the first review, we’ve got The Crooked Cup at 147 West Oak Street in Fort Collins.
The Crooked Cup is located right off of Mason and Oak. It’s a cute little place that you might miss if you aren’t paying attention. You can park on the street right outside or at the public Mason parking lot. Their business hours are 7:00 am-4:00 pm on Monday-Saturday and 8:00 am-3:00 pm on Sundays. The price ranges $2.95 for a small drip coffee to $6.95 for a large specialty latte.
In terms of coffee, it’s pretty good. The black coffee starts off strong and has a pleasantly neutral aftertaste. Overall, the blend of coffee was smooth and good. Hear this with the knowledge that I like plain coffee, but it’s not everyone’s thing, so there’s that. The caramel latte was also really good. It was creamy, smooth, and you could tell that there was a caramel flavor while still having the coffee taste, which was great. The featured drink we got was a lavender fog black tea. The tea was a good strength, and the lavender wasn’t too overbearing. It was good! The note I have with the tea is that the lavender is infused into the foam on top, so once that’s gone, the lavender isn’t as strong.
When talking to the Crooked Cup employee Alison she told me that while she doesn’t know of an explicit mission statement, she knows that the owners want each customer to feel acknowledged and welcomed. And they did a great job with that! Alison told me that they get their coffee from Odeko Coffee, a distributor whose mission is to help small businesses succeed.
Final Scores:
Ambience 6/10 – The Crooked Cup is family-owned, and it definitely gives that vibe. It’s cozy in a familiar way and feels like you’re hanging out in your friend’s basement.
Service 9/10 -The service was great! The barista working when I went was very kind and helpful. She answered a lot of my questions and provided me with a free sample of their black coffee.
Variety 7/10 – There are many different kinds of coffee and drinks to choose from. They have a small smoothie menu with matcha on it, and different kinds of food options. They also have a good chai.
Study potential 8/10 – Good to Study. The shop gets busy between 9:30 am-10:30 am, so keep that in mind, but it’s a good place to study, except during the rush. In terms of social potential, I would give it a 3/10. All the seating is two-person tables except for the couches in the back, so if you do go there to socialize, it would be better as a date/bestie date spot rather than a bigger group.
On the day that I went, their wifi was being funky, so Alison couldn’t get the music to work, but usually, there is music playing.
As for allergy options, The Crooked Cup has gluten-free food options that Alison said were “actually really good” and your standard milk substitutions.
In all, the Crooked Cup was a really fun place to go to! I would give it an overall rating of 6.3/10 and I would definitely go again, and it is for sure better than the kitchen table.
