On the first day of Spring Break, the warm breeze and newfound freedom put me in the mood to explore. After a bit of wandering through Westport, I ended up on the north end of Pennsylvania Avenue and came across Westport Coffee House.
From the outside, the shop had an endearing, hole-in-the-wall appeal — weathered brick, dark blue window frames and a neon sign promising, “Gourmet Coffee, Cafe and Jazz.” My hour-long stay in the shop proved it to be a quirky, delicious and worthwhile hangout.
Inside was warm and eclectic. The counter and cabinets were made of dark woods coated in posters for stand-up shows and local bands and strung with multi-colored twinkly lights. To the left, a blackboard gave handwritten descriptions of gyros, burgers and paninis. Above the counter, another board showed the wide range of teas, espressos and other drinks.
After surveying both menus, along with a glass case stuffed with bottles of juice and beer, tins of yogurt and oversized pastries, I selected a Snickers espresso. While my drink was being served, I took the time to survey the rest of the coffee shop.
There was a lot to take in. Gritty photography of Caribbean villages was framed and hung on the walls. To the side of the counter was a door covered in violet curtains led to the upstairs theatre where jazz bands performed on Mondays and Tuesdays. On the weekends, the stage is turned over to local stand-up comedians.
Outside in the shop, a collection of old video games caught my attention. In one corner was a pinball machine; next to a massive jukebox, there was a multi-player Galaga game. I was most excited about the well-worn Ms. Pacman table in the middle of the shop.
My espresso was handed to me in a massive white mug, filled so that the froth nearly overflowed onto my hand. I took my first sip as I settled in at the Ms. Pacman table and was immediately hooked.
The espresso tasted strongly of peanut butter and chocolate, with hardly any hint of coffee in it. It was thick and rich, giving me a bit of a stomach ache after downing a medium sized mug. The creamy flavor made it worth it, especially when I began to feel the espresso kicking in.
To burn off some of my extra energy, I took a few turns on the Pacman game. I came nowhere close to beating the high score, but it was still good fun.
That’s a good way to describe Westport Coffee House — good fun. It’s not a great place to study, with all of the distractions scattered about. It is, however, a perfect place to spend time with friends, play some games and enjoy a quality cup of coffee.
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