The Secret Coffee House

By Brie Roche-Lilliott, staff writer

An excellent coffee shop that hasn\’t been commercialized or bombarded with people, but actually serves a great cup of joe.

Take a trip past Bella Terra and just on the other side lays a little place called Old World Village, a faux German community that hides a treasure known as Cobantigua (pronounced Co-ban-tea-gwah) Coffee. Their products live up to their motto and standard- “For the coffee connoisseur.”

What Cobantigua has that many coffee houses don\’t is a mellow, interesting environment. Movie theater seats, old film posters, and racks of magazines and newspapers serve to differentiate from the wood chair and metal tables of other shops. With plenty of indoor seating, and a comfortable, shaded outdoor patio, there are plenty of places to sit small or large groups.

Their food and drinks don\’t disappoint either. Their menu of coffee drinks is as extensive as Starbucks\’, but is of better quality, and their tea variety far surpasses them. Fresh baked cookies, muffins, scones, and other pastries, as well as packaged snacks, granola, and fruit are available as well. With a chai tea latte to die for, Cobantigua remains my preference for affordable, tasty treats.

How about making a difference with each drink you buy? Their coffees not only taste great, but also help our environment, workers, and our communities. Their statement says their coffee contributes to three causes: economic equality, social responsibility, and ecological integrity. Clearly, their values lay not only in providing a healthy, excellent cup of coffee, but also in supporting those who provide us with those resources along the way so YOU can feel better with each cup you buy.

Rather than feeling like another unidentified member in the mass of Coffee Bean customers, Cobantigua has a more personal feel. Only one-person works the counter at a time, so while you wait for your drink, small talk and conversation is common. They\’re always glad and willing to give suggestions or refills.

To accompany their warm, cozy interior, the second Wednesday of every month a “riff raff jazz band” comes to play too. It\’s a great tradition you won\’t find at other coffee shops, and it only adds to the relaxing mood of the store. They\’ve even been known to let local bands, musicians, poets, and high school students come perform on their outdoor patio frequently.

So before you jump into your car to pick up a McCafe or Venti who-knows-what, take a trip to Cobantigua for perhaps a Palmier, an iced tea, or a pleasant conversation with the employees. You can find out more on their webite, http://www.cobantigua.com/index.html. Cobantigua is a wonderful, family-owned coffee house that deserves its fair share of the constant coffee competition.