Chestnut Hill Café
Part of moving into a new environment includes learning the different routes it takes to drive to where I need to be. Part of my job includes traveling to different locations outside of our downtown office. In the fall, I found myself passing the same café every morning on my way to work. After two months, I no longer needed to take this route to work, thus I no longer had a reason to pass Chestnut Hill Café. Last week, I found myself in the area for an unrelated work event and realized that I was again passing this cute. Thus, I decided to give Chestnut Hill a try!
The only emoji fitting for Chestnut Hill Café is, in fact, a “🌰.” This week, I ordered a large mocha with regular milk. These are my thoughts on a 1-5 🌰 scale.
COST: 🌰🌰🌰🌰🌰
The goal is always to find a good mocha latte for under $6, and Chestnut Hill Café has just that! My large mocha was only $4.78.
SERVICE: 🌰🌰🌰
The service did not feel as personable as it could have. When I placed my order, I felt a bit rushed, but when my drink was eventually delivered to my table, the server was very kind. This café was very busy, even at 11 am on a Sunday, so I attribute the service I received to what I can imagine is busy staff during a peak business hour.
TASTE: 🌰🌰🌰
This drink tasted more like a hot chocolate with a smidge of espresso rather than an espresso-based drink with mocha syrup. That being said, it was not a terrible cup of coffee. I would come here more so if I was in the area, rather than seeking it out for a cup of coffee.
VIBES: 🌰🌰🌰
The vibes here were mixed. Chestnut Hill Café presents itself through its seating selection, open book collection, and conveniently placed outlets as an environment to work and read. However, if you are looking for a quiet café to do so, this is not the place for you. In a comforting sense, there were lots of different types of people present; from friends having a conversation over a cup of joe to families enjoying a Sunday brunch. There were also several individuals, just like me, scattered with laptops out, grinding away at their screens. After an hour went by and the lunch rush dispersed, you could finally hear the great selection of modern music. Something about typing away to The Weeknd just puts my soul in a great mood. I think if I were to return, it would be when the café is not as busy.
ALLERGIC REACTION: 🌰🌰🌰🌰 none!
I may not have had an allergic reaction to my drink (wahoo), but I also did not feel safe ordering food, hence my rating of four 🌰s for this café. There are some pre-packed bars and chips that I can look at if I was really in a bind, but when it comes to made-to-order food, I don’t think Chestnut Hill Café is the place for me. I am always wary of places that serve everything bagels, as a singular poppy or sesame seed could land on my plate and send me straight to the emergency room. In this moment, I was reminded of my allergen girl motto (that I need to continue practicing), always bring a snack! The prep area for sandwiches, salads, and other menu items is also in plain sight of patrons, and my nerves were not eased by the sights I was seeing. It wasn’t anything that concerned me enough to leave without ordering my mocha. I just did not witness a lot of care or concern regarding cross-contamination when employees were preparing the food for other patrons.
always bring a snack
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always bring a snack 〰️
Chestnut Hill Café
532 W Chestnut St, Lancaster, PA 17603
Large Mocha
My goal with the Happy Beans Blog is to continue trying new coffee shops as an excuse to explore Lancaster County. One could argue as long as I am comfortable at a café the vibes should be great, when judging the vibes of an establishment, I often consider whether or not I would return when I have a book to read or work to do - not just a blog post to write. Using this metric, I’m not sure if I would return to the Chestnut Hill Café, especially during the time of day where I would be inclined to purchase a meal. However, since this café is located near places that I now tend to frequent, I am open to reconsidering the initial notions I have set. Who knows, maybe Chestnut Hill Café will return to Happy Beans with a change in ratings; hopefully for the better.
