As I continue to hurtle toward the ranks of the elderly, I am constantly looking for a mom and pop coffee shop that gives me my caffeine fix in the morning. Last week, we got invited out to Cardinal Coffee, and when I saw that they had 24 oz buckets of coffee, I was immediately hooked. I also love that this is a family owned business doing things the right way.
Price 💲💲 out of 5
Cardinal Coffee has prices in line with what you find at any coffee shop. The difference is the quality is going to be better than the chain coffee shops. You never have to wonder if they are going to miss on a latte or if the iced coffee is going to taste burned. Every drink is made to order, and they have so many flavor options to choose from. A hot or iced drink will only set you back $4 or $5, which is more than reasonable for the high-quality coffee.
Ambience 🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳🧑🍳 out of 5
Cardinal Coffee is just a stand-alone truck right now, with a permanent location outside of Simply Divine, one of the coolest interior decor stores around. While that can be a bit inconvenient when the weather is terrible, it is really fun to be able to sit outside and sip coffee in warm weather, and then step inside Simply Divine to do some shopping (and meet the three adorable shop kitties!)
Drinks 🍷🍷🍷🍷 out of 5
Let’s get down to the drinks. 99% of the time, I get iced coffee, but the temperature was so cold that I actually opted for one of their winter special items, the Sugar Cookie Latte. They absolutely nailed the flavor on this, and they also accommodated my request for oat milk as a substitute. I also appreciate that it wasn’t served to me scalding hot to where I burn my entire mouth, which is a major reason why I never opt for hot coffee drinks. This was the perfect drink for a cold January day.
Of course, we had to get the 24 ounce bucket latte, and while some may think this is a gimmick, it is a high quality coffee drink that really allows the flavors to stand out. Again, you can get it with a wide assortment of flavors which makes a go to if you need a nice jolt of caffeine to get through the winter.
Lastly, our videographer Aleksi got his patented matcha latte, and as a matcha connoisseur, consider his stamp of approval gospel. It was creamy with those earthy undertones from a good matcha, but it did not taste like you were licking the grass. I also thought the color was so vibrant, and you can tell that they use good locally sourced matcha.
Experience ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5
We had so much fun going out to Cardinal Coffee. They are so friendly, and I love how they are a family run business with multiple members of the family contributing. I also love how accommodating they are to all the different tastes of people, with dairy free options, seasonal specialties, and a ton of different flavors to choose from. They even offer non-coffee drinks such as tea and hot chocolate for those that still want to feel all warm inside but don’t like the taste of coffee. This will definitely be a routine stop for me when I’m in Martinsburg!