With some time to kill before volleyball today, with the internet in the hotel room not working, with my daughter having saved half of her Jimmy John’s sandwich for me, I remembered one important thing I forgot: coffee.
The lobby of the Westin is equipped with a quite sizable Starbucks, as far as hotel lobbies go. But with a 10 and 12 deep line of customers, and that time to kill in a new city, I ambled out in search of a fresh coffee spot. Enter Grant Park Coffeehouse at 8 Park Place North East. A supposed 11 minute walk from the hotel that felt like 5, I found myself nearing the campus of Georgia State University, infused into the downtown. And sort of living up to what I suppose is its namesake, just past Woodruff Park stood Grant Park Coffeehouse.
Inside are tables to spread out with a laptop and books (if, say, you’re in college), and look — even free WiFi. The coffeehouse was busy with sit down and in-and-out traffic, but I was able to find a seat quick enough. Mellow pop music played in the background. The counter staff was attentive and fast. Ant it’s name – that harkens to the coffee shop’s original location off Grant Park, several twists and turns away in Atlanta.
Grant Park Coffeehouse features a full food menu to take you through lunch, and of course an array of espresso-based coffee mainstays, plus frappes and smoothies.
But I showed up for coffee. Their house drip brew comes in medium or dark roast, and for me, dark roast it was. Dark. Rich. Hot. When you do the basics right, it’s a good harbinger, and Grant Park does good coffee. 4.5 stars out of 5. For a short, pleasant walk in downtown Atlanta and a dark, smooth cup of coffee, as well as a bite if you’re hungry, try Grant Park Coffeehouse.
Grant park Coffeehouse is located at at 8 Park Place NE, in Downtown Atlanta. For more information check out their webpage at https://grantparkcoffeehouse.com
Jason James Barry is an author and award-winning essayist and journalist. His travel and restaurant reviews appear in TorqueNutDriver.com and Great Pacific Review’s calinfluence.com features section.
