For most college students, caffeine is integral to survival — unless you rely on pure willpower.
Given how little time we have after our assignments, extracurriculars, jobs and whatnot, it’s no wonder we flock to the same two on-campus sources to get our fix.
We expect to wait for more than a few minutes at these fast food chains, but we end up waiting for an unbearable 10, 20 or even 30 minutes — especially in the Tim Horton’s line.
Ever since I stopped treating coffee as a necessity and started treating it like a delicacy I indulge in once a week, it’s changed the way I taste coffee. Rather than waiting 20 minutes in the Tim Horton’s line, I decided to allocate that time to commuting to cafés around Buffalo.
A cup of coffee is more than just a caffeine fix or a metric for our sanity, so I’ve compiled a brief list of local places that have helped keep the novelty of coffee alive. All of these cafés are accessible through the NFTA Metro that starts at South Campus:
1. Overwinter Coffee — 15 minutes from North Campus
When I tasted Overwinter’s coffee for the first time, it was over for the rest of Buffalo.
I got my usual order of an iced oat milk latte and vanilla syrup (which I add sometimes), and it was the smoothest cup of coffee I’ve ever tasted. As someone who substitutes oat milk, I was wary of how the thick texture of the oat overwhelms the rest of the beverage, but at Overwinter, the thickness isn’t apparent at all. It is well blended with the coffee, and the syrup contains the perfect amount of sweetness.
Overwinter is almost always consistent, so if your day is contingent on a good cup of coffee, then Overwinter is your best bet. It will taste just like the first time you tried it.
2. Five Points Bakery — 20 minutes from South Campus
Five Points is also quite consistent with their coffee, and the oat latte here has a much creamier blend. It has the kind of taste that makes you say, “Yup, coffee is supposed to taste like that.” Sipping from the glass in your hand in a brick, rustic café is much better than watered down coffee on a sterile table in Capen. You can fully trust Five Points with jumpstarting your morning.
3. Butter Block — 20 minutes from South Campus
Rarely do I ever indulge in a caramel-flavored coffee. I’m usually disappointed by the artificial taste of the jug-pumped, mass-produced syrup that most shops use.
Butter Block is different. They craft their syrups in-house, making them irresistible as a complement to an order of plain coffee. The caramel in particular tastes the truest with its rich, not sugary, sweetness — something that mass-produced syrups lack.
Butter Block doesn’t just sell coffee infused with caramel; the bakery boasts delicious and unique French-method pastries that will make your day extra special.
4. Tipico Coffee — 15 minutes from North Campus
If you’re feeling exploratory, dive into Tipico’s syrup selection, which ranges from orange spice to peppermint mocha. Tipico also has seasonal drinks with spring drinks, including a Spring Soda made of matcha, house coconut milk, strawberry and nutmeg vanilla syrups with soda water. The seasonal cold brew is spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon. If you’re an oat milk drinker, the thickness of the oat does linger in your mouth after a sip. Otherwise, Tipico is the perfect place to experiment with a combination of flavors.
5. Jam Parkside — 10 minutes from North Campus
Jam Parkside serves coffee that is brewed from Tipico, so Jam is especially compelling if you’re looking for the closest café to both North and South Campus. It’s a convenient yet much better option than on-campus cafés.
Aside from the coffee, their egg and cheese sandwich is phenomenal — and arguably more deserving of attention than the beverages. The egg is so plump and fluffy that the texture takes you aback.
Tenzin Wodhean is the senior arts editor and can be reached at tenzin.wodhean@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
