In Their Own Words: Favorite Iowa City coffee shops

“I was walking alone one day, and it was super cold outside, so I came in here ... I really like that we’re in a loft area, and there’s a window that looks out, and they have really good chai lattes. I think it was one that I found and I was comfortable in. It’s a pretty quiet level up here, too. And it smells like books. So, that’s why I’m here.”

“I’m meeting with a friend to work on a homework assignment, and our original plan was Prairie Lights, but that doesn’t open until 10. So, we picked here, but I would have probably picked here first, but it’s usually kind of hard to find seats. I like the coffee here, so I decided to give it a try after Prairie Lights wasn’t open.”

“First of all, it’s the closest one to my class at 9:30 and the weather is terrible. Second of all, food-wise — for breakfast food — I prefer Cortado over the other coffee shops. I think it has the best food out of any coffee shop in Iowa City. I like that it’s a local business, too. The staff is really friendly; so is the owner.”

“Every Tuesday my friend, Sarah, and I get coffee here at 12:30. It has really great chicken salad sandwiches here. This is just generally a pretty relaxed vibe, and the owner of this coffee shop is like the cutest woman ever, and I just think she’s so nice, and everybody who works here is incredibly nice and makes you feel like a person.”

“I like the chaos in here; I listen to heavy music, so I just kind of like the energy, the vibe in here.”