Bean There, Drank That

Drinks from Cowboy Coffee (The Puma Prensa / Henry Miller and Nora Sitton)

By Henry Miller and Nora Sitton, Staff Writers

As many people know, coffee is something that some people can't live without. Whether you need it to stay up and finish an assignment or to wake you up in the morning, it's the caffeine source that the majority of working adults and teens rely on. 

Like the helpful journalists they are, Nora Sitton and Henry Miller set out on a mission to compare two of Santa Rosa's coffee shops. Under intense scrutiny, they tasted and rated several products from two of our local coffee shops: The Coffee RX and Cowboy Coffee.

The first thing that popped out to Miller and Sitton at their first location, The Coffee RX, was the confusing and misleading entrance. On Google Maps, they had noted that it was located within the Providence Hospital Family Care Center on Montgomery Drive, but they had trouble finding parking as it was located inside of an entrance that was next to a roundabout drop off area. 

As they entered the shop, it wasn't what they were expecting, as it was tucked away in the corner of a larger area and there was sparse seating. This is around the time when they realized that this was meant for a quick cup of coffee while visiting family in the hospital as it was situated in the family care building.

The workers greeted them with care and gladly took their order, which consisted of a chai latte, an iced mocha latte, a brownie, and a sausage eggel. Since they were the only people there, the two workers quickly made their order.

Sitton noticed that the Chai latte had a "spice-y" taste, with strong flavors of cinnamon and nutmeg which was a nice touch. Miller's Mocha had a nice, dark brown color, but the taste was too artificially sweetened. Sitton's brownie had a bizarre taste and texture. Miller's sausage eggel was made on a delicious, crispy croissant and had tasty, salty sausage, but the texture of the eggs was off-putting. Overall, the food and drinks weren't all that impressive, but Sitton remarked that it was "a nice spot for patients' families and workers in the hospital" who might be looking for a quick meal or beverage.

Making their way over to Cowboy Coffee, they were impressed with the Halloween theme that the shop had on display, and the decorative setup especially considering the fact that it had only recently been established. 

As it was across from Santa Rosa High School as well as the Santa Rosa Junior College, it was refreshing to see a pop of youth and color which was a shock after their previous visit. The man at the kiosk was young and approached them with enthusiasm as they ordered their drinks and food which included another iced mocha, a special drink--the Pumpkin Patch-- and a very large chocolate chip cookie to share.

While ordering they observed the array of special drinks and pastries for the fall season, all with cute names and descriptions. These included the cookie dough cold brew and spring forward matcha as well as the pumpkin patch that was ordered by Sitton.

After their order was finished, which happened quite quickly, they sat down in a nicely decorated booth inside of the shop, which wasn’t the most comfortable, but still a nice touch. Sitton remarked that the Pumpkin Patch drink tasted great, but the pumpkin flavor wasn’t as strong as she would prefer and if it was more pronounced it would balance the coffee and tie the drink together. Miller's mocha tasted very sweet and chocolatey but still had a strong coffee taste, which was a great balance. They both agreed that the cookie was delicious with a nice crisp yet chewy texture, but could have been a little sweeter because it left behind a strange, tangy aftertaste.

Next time you need a pick-me-up, here are two places to consider depending on your style. Happy sipping!

Coffee grading chart (The Puma Prensa / Nora Sitton and Henry Miller)