The Drink: Iced Mocha
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 coffee cups
I moved down to the Tampa area about a year ago and I’m just now getting out and starting to explore the area’s coffee shops. Next on my list was Barnie’s Coffee And Tea.
It’s not exactly a local coffee shop, it’s more of a regional chain with 21 locations in Florida, another half dozen across the United States and sixteen more internationally. I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing a lot more of Barnie’s across the country.
The drinks are delicious. I went with my Florida summer standard, an iced mocha. It had a dark roast taste that really made the espresso stand out. The mocha was a rick, dark and expensive tasting mocha. It reminded me one of those gourmet chocolates that come around during Christmas. It was above average and one of the best iced mochas that I’ve had in a while.
But it was more than just delicious drinks. The atmosphere was a mix of a coffee house and a restaurant. The barista was dressed formally in a dress shirt and pants, but very friendly and talkative. I could see relaxing here and enjoying coffee with some friends or just running in for a quick caffeine fix on the way to work.
The place was also extremely clean. I went to Barnie’s on the weekend, so it was slow, but it was completely spotless.
They had a large selection of whole beans for sale with everything from flavored to single origin to decaf. A couple of the highlights were their French Vanilla and 100% Kona. They also had all sorts of loose teas, if you’re into that sort of thing. There was a decent size collection of coffee accessories with everything from syrups, to coffee mugs to coffee makers.
If you see a Barnie’s Coffee And Tea, I’d recommend stopping in. I know I’ll be making regular appearances at the one near me.
The one I stopped at was Courtyard @ Countryside, 2518 State Rd 580 in Clearwater, Florida.
For more information check out their website at Barnie’s Coffee And Tea.
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