With finals just around the corner, most students are hitting the books and upping the caffeine intake. Are you jonesin’ for more than just your average cup of joe? Then let On the Menu take your mind off your tests and head on over to these local coffee houses, where you’ll find coffee, tea and possibly even a new favorite study spot.
Tutti Fruiti
Tuttini
10 E. Carrillo St.
(805) 963-8404
Price: Under $10
Open for breakfast and lunch, Tuttini is just off State Street, making it a perfect spot to stop and sip while downtown.
Owner Susan Sullivan said the eatery is popular for breakfast, with its varied menu and homemade dishes.
“We have different kinds of eggs and omelets and breakfast burritos and waffles,” Sullivan said. “The most popular is the 2+2+2, which is two waffles, two bacon [strips] and two eggs any style.”
The cafe is small but comfortable, and Sullivan said it is often frequented by individuals who want to do some work.
“It’s an easy place to be,” she said. “It’s a small, locally owned business. It’s a comfortable place to be; a lot of people come in to work on their computers. We only seat about 12 or 15.”
Sullivan also said Tuttini has many options for a tasty coffee indulgence, whether one prefers espresso or drip coffee.
“We all have all different kinds of coffee drinks,” she said. “During December we’re featuring a homemade white chocolate mocha. We don’t use any mixes – it’s all homemade. We have some really special drip coffees, and most are organic and fair traded.”
Additionally, Sullivan said the cafe serves many caffeinated and herbal teas, which can offer just as much kick for those who do not like coffee.
“We have 20 teas on the menu as well,” she said. “Most of those are also organic and fair traded. Our apricot arabesque and Maghreb mint [teas] are also very popular. Yerba maté is also very popular.”
Tuttini is open for breakfast and lunch from 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Sunday brunch.
Baking up a Storm
Anna’s Bakery
7018 Camino Real Marketplace Dr.
(805) 968-5590
Price: Under $10
Located in the Camino Real Marketplace, Anna’s Bakery is a perfect place to stop and grab a morning coffee and pastry. With all baked goods made on site daily, any croissant connoisseur or donut devotee will find something delicious.
Business partner Deborah Weber said the cafe features a variety of pastries.
“We have chocolate croissants, fantastic donuts, breakfast burritos, muffins – everything is baked on the premises,” she said. “My favorite is the glazed donut.”
The bakery serves fresh-roasted coffee, she said, from a locally based company.
“We have Caribbean Coffee, they’re a local roaster, and they’re in Santa Barbara,” she said. “We do drip coffee and espressos.”
Weber also said that freshness is foremost at the bakery.
“If [customers] want the freshest coffee that’s not trucked in from out of state, baked goods that are not trucked in from L.A.,” she said. “If they want good fresh things this is the place to come. The [pastries] are made every day, baked fresh every day, the coffee is roasted in town – it’s roasted two days before we’re getting it. Freshness – it’s what we’ve got going for us.”
Anna’s Bakery is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.
Sinfully Good
Vices & Spices
3558 State St.
(805) 687-7196
Price: Under $10
With the holiday season around the corner, shopping for presents has jumped to the forefront of many people’s minds. Vice & Spices is a perfect place for a coffee break that also features gifts for many friends on your list.
Buyer Laurel Bowling, who purchases the items for the eatery, said the cafe is first and foremost a coffee house, with coffee and tea available for purchase by the glass as well as by the pound.
“I think we have the best selection of tea in Santa Barbara,” Bowling said. “And maybe coffee as well.”
With 45 different kinds of tea available by the cup, including some rare white and green teas, she said, Vices & Spices is a perfect place to try something new.
Bowling also said that the cafe just received its shipment of 100 percent Kona coffee, which they only have for six weeks a year.
“We also have the owner’s home-grown Kona, which is a specialty item,” she said. “[It is in stock] now, during the holiday season. It’s being served in house as well as by the pound. It is roasted here in Santa Barbara so it’s really fresh. And it’s organic.”
While stopping for a warm drink, customers can browse the wide range of gifts. Bowling said the store sells a wide range of products, including candles, chocolates, jewelry, greeting cards, home accessories, as well as coffee and tea by the pound.
“We are known for our gifts,” she said. “A little something for everyone.”
Vices & Spices is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Roasting On An Open Fire
Santa Barbara Roasting Company
321 Motor Way
(805) 962-0320
Price: Under $10
Just seconds from downtown in a shopping center at the intersection of State and Gutierrez Streets is Santa Barbara Roasting Company, a local coffee house that was also the first coffee roaster in the county.
Sales Manager Joseph Crosby said that the shops roasts its coffee daily and features 60 different varietals. He also said that the shop recently received an award from the Santa Barbara Independent.
“We were recently voted best blended drink in the Santa Barbara area in the Independent,” Crosby said. “So our blended mochas are award-winning. And that’s our own blend as well, we don’t use someone else’s powder.”
He said his personal favorite, however, is the shop’s specialty cappuccino, which he said is due in part to the quality and time taken in making the drink.
“My personal favorite is the double Milano cappuccino,” he said. “We make a great cappuccino. Excellent foam – it’s so important. We don’t use the Supermatic [espresso machine]. It’s not a push button espresso machine – we pull our own shots, we steam our own milk.”
In preparation for finals, Crosby said the cafe will offer a student discount at the Motor Way location.
“[We will have a] 10 percent student discount from Dec. 1 until Dec. 15 with student ID,” he said.
He said the downtown coffee house is a great place for students to come and prepare for finals.
“Our Gutierrez location is a great place [to study],” he said. “We’re open to 9 o’clock, so we’re open relatively late. … We also have free wi-fi.”
Santa Barbara Roasting Company is open from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays.
You Gotta Have Mojo Babe
Mojo Coffee
7127 Hollister Ave.
(805) 571-7070
Price: Under $10
Conveniently located next to Albertson’s in Goleta, Mojo Coffee is a comfortable, inviting place to crack open the textbook while enjoying some delicious drinks. Currently, the coffee shop is festively decorated for the holiday season.
Owner Chris Martin said the baristas at Mojo Coffee can make just about any drink to order.
“We have good drip, we have good espresso,” Martin said. “Because we’re not corporate, we can basically make anything a customer wants. If they want a customized drink, we can do that. We have a lot of coffee alternatives as well – yerba maté and teas.”
Martin said he purposely opened the shop to cater to student clientele and offer them an alternative to the Isla Vista party scene.
“I do have a steady clientele that’s student-based,” he said. “My intention was to open up a place for students to get out of I.V. … and offer them a choice. Everyone wants a choice. I wanted to open a coffee shop that is very student-friendly and that’s why we’re open until midnight.”
Martin said his favorite drink is the Black and White Mocha, made with Ghirardelli white and dark chocolate. Additionally, he said the cafe’s signature drink is the Mojo Royale, which is a hazelnut latte with optional whip cream. Martin also said chai tea drinks are ordered often.
“We have vanilla and spice chai,” he said. “A drink that has become very popular with students is the Dirty Chai, which is espresso added to chai.”
Mojo Coffee is open from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and 7 a.m. to midnight Sundays.
Whether you’re in search of a double espresso to continue the late night cramming or a soothing cup of tea after an afternoon out, these local coffeehouses are sure to cure that caffeine craving.
