REVIEW: Temple Coffee exceeds expectations

By Kate Lee,
Print Editor-in-Chief–

Although I always tell myself I’ll start saving money by resisting the daily urge to go buy a tea or coffee, I often look for any excuse to buy myself a tasty drink. So when I noticed a new coffee shop, Temple Coffee, had opened up in Davis, I justified buying a drink there with the fact that it seemed to be all the rage on my Instagram feed, and dragged my little sister downtown with me.

Located on the corner of G Street and 3rd Street, Temple Coffee’s big open windows let in a lot of light and reveal a sleek, modern interior. The outer walls are lined with bar-like tops and stools, and one long communal table complete with stools runs through the center of the room. It was fairly crowded, but didn’t take long to receive my order.

While the menu offers familiar options, like the classic vanilla latte, a few interesting things caught my eye, including a “nitrogen-infused” coffee drink and teas steamed in soy milk. After discussing all my options with the very friendly barista, I decided to order the Bliss: a peppermint tea with coconut milk and honey, steamed in soy milk. They also offered pastries, including several vegan, gluten-free and soy-free options.

The cashier was very patient with me when I couldn’t figure out how to use the tablet to pay. My tea came up to be about $5, and they gave it to me in a cute little ceramic teapot, on a tray with a matching tea cup.

They advised me to wait about five minutes for it to steep more before I poured it, so after taking my tray to a spot at the table, I went to wash my hands. The bathroom was very clean, which I always appreciate.

When I came back to sit down with my sister–who ordered the Enlightenment, a very similar drink but with green tea and no coconut milk–one of the first things I noticed was that the stools are way more comfortable than your average bar stool. That would probably be greatly appreciated if I ever decided to go spend hours there to do homework, which I noticed several customers around me doing. The only downside I’d see to using it as a study location is that the place didn’t seem to have any outlets around.

Since I had never had a tea steamed in soy milk before, I was curious to see if it would taste too milky, but was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked it. It was a nice, light tea, and although I could note a hint of honey, it definitely wasn’t too sweet. The tea cups are easy to hold and drink out of without spilling, and it was a perfect temperature–not too hot, not too cold.

My sister really enjoyed her tea as well. It was a little too herbal-tasting for my liking, but to be fair, I’ve also never been a fan of green teas. We both hope to come back soon as there are several other drinks on the menu we wanted to try, like the Mexican Mocha or the almond milk latte.

As much as I can tell myself, ‘I’ll stop spending $5 on drinks’ and ‘I’ll start making coffee at home,’ I know I’ll be coming back here. Its 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. hours mean I can stop by early mornings for a to-go caffeine boost on my way to class, or late nights when I’m up studying for a big test.