Hit 500 different coffee shops in 3 years and the one that mattered most was a gas station counter in Ohio

I walked into a Circle K expecting burnt brown water, but the barista handed me a pour-over made with beans from a local roaster and I realized I had been judging spots by their signs instead of their people, has anyone else found hidden gems in the most unlikely places?

2 comments

2 Comments

kaih361mo ago

Oh man, that Circle K story hits so close to home. I had a similar thing happen at a Shell station outside of Des Moines, Iowa of all places. Was driving through on a road trip and needed caffeine so bad I was literally shaking, and the guy behind the counter brewed me a single cup using this weird little ceramic dripper he had stashed under the register. Told me he orders green beans from a farm his cousin works at in Guatemala and roasts them in his garage. Best cup of coffee I've had in my life, no joke. It's wild how a place with no sign or fancy equipment can totally outperform all those aesthetic hipster cafes. I think what matters more than the location is just someone who actually cares about what they're doing.

ellis.susan1mo ago

Oh, well that's not quite what happened to me, but I get the feeling. I stopped at a Love's in Indiana once and the coffee was so bad I checked the date on the pot. It was from the day before. But I did find a really good biscuit there, so I guess it balances out. That guy roasting beans in his garage is a whole different level of dedication though. Makes you wonder how many more of those guys are hiding behind gas station counters across the country.