A Visit to Passenger Coffee in Lancaster, PA

By Withthegrains @WithTheGrains

If you're spending any time in Lancaster, PA, be sure to visit Passenger Coffee for a cup of expertly roasted coffee in a minimal space with historical bones.

I was brainstorming ways to describe how much the Rustbelt Farmer and I value coffee. I could talk about our assortment of tools, or the way coffee has inspired our travels, or my metrics for judging a new coffee shop, but then I realized, that was all too flowery and emotional. The best way to demonstrate our love of good coffee was his response to a family member's request to pick up K-cups for our lake house weekend ...

"Tell Jena I'll buy k-cups the day monkeys fly out of my butt. We'll take our gang of French presses."

... which is to say, we kinda picky, but there is one coffee roaster that consistently and thoroughly quiets our inner critics: Passenger Coffee. I've been regularly buying Passenger Coffee for over a year now, and I often joke that it has ruined all other coffees for me, so when I found myself on a trip to Lancaster, PA, one of my first stops was the brick-and-mortar.

If you've seen my apartment tour, you know I veer heavily toward the maximalist side of design, but Passenger Coffee's flagship shop had so many fine details. The minimalism becomes such a calming backdrop to sit and enjoy a thoughtfully prepared cup of coffee. Plus, tufted leather always gets me. I'm into it. Such close proximity to Amish woodworkers must surely have its perks when designing a space. There was carefully detailed furniture in every nook and cranny of the downtown area.

And the cherry on top was a buttery biscuit served with a slab of Amish butter and peach jam. If I lived in Lancaster, this would be my standing order.

So if you find yourself in Lancaster, be sure to start your day with a visit to Passenger Coffee. It's conveniently close to the Central Market and other downtown shops. Grab a cup, stroll and take in the historical facades. I'll be sharing more from my trip in a subsequent post, so stay tuned.

Cheers,

P.S: I'm not the only K-cup hater. Here's a measly 11 reasons to dislike them.