What's a Coffee Commentary?Subject: Java's Brewin
Location visited: Philadelphia, PA
(Market St between 11th & 12th)
Free WiFi ? :
Rating: 2+ [see key]
Philly is always nice during the day, especially in late spring/early summer. There are not too many tourists, children are still making field trips to the Old City area, and people are still in that happy attitude that lingers after winter's end and the real summer heat begins.
Just the other day I was out showing a good friend of mine from out of town around Old City, taking him to see all the history and novelties of the central Philly area. We stopped in the Reading Terminal Market to eat lunch and also grabbed a bleh, tremendously overpriced cookie at 4th St Cookie Co (you could make a better cookie with pre-made batter and save $2!) and on our way south, we went through the old Reading Terminal area and stumbled upon a new (to my eyes) coffee joint tucked to the side of the main entrance, Java's Brewin.
The place had a real take-out feel to it, with little sit down area and only to-go cups. The decor was hackneyed at best and boring at worst. The shop is actually a franchise out of Boston that is slowly expanding, with this recent addition in Philly.
They offer several single origin coffees, with a dark roast Sumatran and a light roast Columbian on tap when I visited. I had the Columbian which had a nice balanced taste, but nothing really spectacular about the flavor.
The espresso was horrible, with a horribly pulled shot that resembled nothing close to a good shot. That on top of not having ceramic cups (only paper!), the doubleshot I ordered tasted like charred sorrow. They serve Tazo tea, a boring so-so option.
Aside from their stellar location right on Market St next to the corporate coffee giants of Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks, Java's Brewin makes a sad attempt at an alternative to either. They seem to be yet another chain that seems to speak the language of specialty coffee, but in reality can only fake the lingo.
