Who Is the Better Coffee Place? Image taken from Google Images
By: Lexy Brandt
Have you ever been driving around the neighborhood looking for a nice coffee early in the morning, worried about picking a place that gives you a drink that tastes like crap? There are many good coffee places here in Tri-cities Washington but most of them are located in the small town of Pasco. This essay will explain the pros and cons of two coffee places, The Coffee Crush, and Blackbird Espresso, and explain which one is better to visit for cheap and fun drinks year-round. When looking at a new coffee shop a few things should be considered, price range, number of drinks and snacks offered, location, drinks size, and how busy the place usually gets.
Prices and Drink sizes
The Coffee Crush is a little coffee shop in Pasco, WA offering a variety of drinks that span from a normal latte with different flavors that can be added to a mangoneada. Their 24-ounce drinks have a price range of $3.25 to $8.00. The coffee selection seems to be pretty standard, your typical mocha, latte, americano, etc. But when you look further into their menu, you’ll see what they specialize in. They serve a wide array of drinks that include red bull but have fun twists within them, such as the blue mermaid drink, which is your standard red bull with blue raspberry, vanilla, and cream. Each of their “specialty Red Bull drinks” has real fruit included inside them. The fruit choices differ depending on the base of the drink, like the drink Pepino Loco represents a mangoneada but with red bull and consists of red bull, cucumber, chamoy, and tajin. The drink sizes are as follows, small (8-10 ounces), medium (12-14 ounces), large (20 ounces), and extra-large (24-32 ounces).
Blackbird Espresso is also located in Pasco, WA. They offer way more of a variety of menu items that include hot and cold drinks, energy drinks, different options for milks, desserts, muffins, and much more. Their prices range anywhere from $4.00 to $9.00. They sell your standard coffees, different types of hot teas such as Earl Grey, black tea, and green tea. To try and make accommodations for everyone, Blackbird Espresso offers seven different types of milk that can be added to any drink. These options include whole milk, non-fat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, oat milk, soy milk, and Hemp milk. Along with all the drink options to choose from, they offer a bunch of tasty snacks to have with your drinks, like cookies, granola bars, a raspberry jam bar, and a bagel egg and cheese sandwich. Their drink sizes vary from small to large, with the large being a 20-ounce drink.
Pros 
Image by The Coffee Crush on Facebook.com
The pros of going to The Coffee Crush is that they are affordable, have great owners who care about their work. It is a local shop that makes delicious and unique drinks, and their baristas provide amazing customer service. This lovely shop changes their menu a bit when the seasons change. This summer the new drinks are the Pearly Babe which is a white coffee, with mocha, vanilla, and a toasted marshmallow with coconut foam. The Wave Rider with creme brulee, amaretto, caramel, and Choco drizzle and a few more special drinks shown on their Instagram account 🩷𝕋𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕗𝕗𝕖𝕖 ℂ𝕣𝕦𝕤𝕙 𝕃𝕃ℂ 🩷 (@thecoffeecrushllc) • Instagram photos and videos
The pros of Blackbird Espresso are that their coffee beans are sourced from a nearby roasters, while the beans at the coffee crush are unknown and most likely sourced from Columbia. Blackbird is a small Latina owned shop, that makes affordable drinks that are both festive and fun. They, also like the coffee crush make drinks that match the seasons. The drinks are very refreshing like lotus energy drinks with cucumber guava and lemonade, as well as lotus energy drinks with watermelon and peach puree. Along with the orange Dreamsicle latte which can be hot or iced. Many customer reviews show the delicious and high-quality drinks they offer; they have friendly and efficient staff that are described as top notch by usual customers. The atmosphere is described as warm and welcoming by everyone who walks in, and the place serves as a community hub where locals of the tri cities like to gather. Their convenient location and service options make it a great place to stop by for a drink and a snack.
Cons
When there are pros to a place, there are always cons, and some of the cons for Blackbird Espresso are that there are limited dining options, they don’t offer big food items just small desserts that are finished in a few bites. Some of their drinks have extremely high prices that shouldn’t be worth that amount. Even though the customer gets the experience of sitting in a coffee place, there is no restroom and no wheelchair accessible seating inside. They have occasional issues with service or order accuracy; one customer had a negative experience with service and incorrect drink orders. Another review mentions potentially weak coffee. It can get extremely crowded at times, which causes a huge wait, and parking can become really difficult.
The cons at The Coffee Crush are a lot less than Blackbird Espresso, believe it or not. The main ones are that the drive-thru is frequently described as slow. The shop has been closed unexpectantly on multiple occasions, even when their social media said otherwise. The food options are limited, and they only offer unhealthy options for the ones they do offer. They don’t do table service, customers need to order ahead, and there are no specific brunch or lunch menus. On a higher note, The Coffee Crush is a trusted place of the Pasco Police Department, after having a fundraiser where the staff provided coffee alongside the policemen who were providing toys as part of their explorer post.
Charity involvement
Along with being a trusted institution, Blackbird Espresso is involved in charity work. They have held promotions where their customers can participate in a game, and if they don't win their participation would contribute to a to a charitable cause. For example, they have used a “balance a coin on the lemon” game where the failed attempts’ coins are donated to help orphaned and disabled children in Vietnam. Blackbird also has been known to give back to their community by doing giveaways and supporting fundraising efforts. While there isn’t specific information about them running fundraisers directly, they have engaged in activities that align with community involvement and promotional efforts. Examples of these giveaways include giving away a 450 Coles & Myer gift card, promoted on their Instagram. Blackbird sees itself as a “community serving its community”.
Comments
Post a Comment