Our friends a Concentrate have just rolled out a new video guide to Ypsilanti’s cafes.
So, which of the four is your favorite, and why?
And, because I like to be provocative after having a glass of red wine, why do you think it is that Ypsi cafe culture seems to be growing faster than Ann Arbor’s?
[Thanks to our friends Amanda and Bee for sending along the link.]
20 Comments
And this is just an aside, but why is Murph drinking coffee in every video the folks from Concentrate shoot in Ypsi?
“So, which of the four is your favorite, and why?”
Avoiding those kind of questions is exactly why I only have one child.
Affordable rent and no Starbucks within walking distance is a great combination.
As a mom who is always dragging a gaggle of small children around, I have to go with Bombadill’s. It’s next to the library and Peter and co. are very friendly to the kidlets. oh, and they also love to scarf down the affordable and tasty scones.
Ugly Mug – best artisan coffee, best place for art students, coffee snobs, anarchists, bloggers and others that like strong bean water.
Beezy’s – great coffee without so much snobbery. they don’t roast their own beans, but they serve Intelligentsia from Chicago, which is one of the best roasters around. best food of the bunch. good for hipster families and pretty much everyone else that appreciates quality food.
Luwak – the only one of the bunch in Depot Town. the only one that serves ice cream. the food is good substantial American deli fare. it’s a homey neighborhood place. good for friends and families. Not a place for coffee snobs, except for the days when they’re brewing luwak droppings, but it’s got a lot going for it.
Bombadill’s – nothing fancy coffee-wise, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. good location with friendly service. the more corporate of the bunch. a good place for a business meeting.
They’re all different, and none of them are bad. We’re fortunate.
My favorite is the BP on Washtenaw next to Murray’s. The bullet proof glass is so scratched that that cashier can’t see what size coffee you have.
So, I click on the video which takes me to YouTube. I usually like to watch videos within the YouTube interface in case I want to check out any related videos or other videos from that submitter.
The first video, I kid you not… The first video in the “Related Videos” box is entitled thusly: “Hot Gays” submitted by “GayboyHot19”. (If I could figure out how to insert a screen grab here, I would.)
And THAT, my friends, is why Ypsi cafe culture is growing.
Attempting to rank them or decide which one is my favorite would be like trying to walk by the bus stop without seeing a police car….not happening. I would have like to scene Priomo Coffee in the clip as well though.
Since our office is downtown, I frequent Beezy’s and Bombadill’s the most. I don’t just visit for coffee I also visit for lunch! If I’m meeting someone for a business lunch I usually do Bombadill’s but I’ve been mixing that up as well.
I honestly visit each Beezy’s and Bombadill’s at least 3 times a week each. One of my favorite things about Ypsi are the cafes!
p.s. emYOU! The Magazine Janauary edition has a coupon to Bombadill’s! (sorry, shameless shameless plug… http://www.emyouthemagazine.com)
Ypsilanti does too have a Starbucks that I bet does more business than all those other places combined!
I like them all and go to them all. But the shining sweet baristas (I miss you, Heather!!!) are so wonderful at Bombadill’s. So I’d have to go with them as my tops. But I am growing to love Beezy’s (and she’s so sustainable–she takes the bus!), plus their food is outstanding. And Luwak is such a great hideaway that I often stop there, and often meet my grown daughter there. But I don’t tend to go to the Ugly Mug much — tho, since they gave away coffee at the Corner Brewery Farmer’s Mkt before Thanksgiving, I like them more. Honestly, tho, they are dismissive of people with grey hair. Sad.
mark “And this is just an aside, but why is Murph drinking coffee in every video the folks from Concentrate shoot in Ypsi?”
I was wondering that myself. What EXACTLY are we paying him for as City Planner, other than for his remarkable patronage of Ypsilanti coffeehouses? I applaud Murph for his dedication to the Ypsi business community, which is a rare and beautiful characteristic among recent occupants of his position. However, if I need to stop by and see him, I would hope that he is occasionally in the office! Murph, what’s your cell number?
…on second thought, maybe Murph is on to something. After all, the 4th floor of the Ypsi City Hall has all the positive and joyful character of a mildewed mausoleum. Perhaps it would be better for our City Planner to have plenty of fresh air – as an aid to digestion and clear-thinking (both important characteristics in a City employee….
Now if we could only get Ed Koryzno and a couple of longtime City Council members to do the same thing….
This and the favorite drinking spots thread really drive home the fact that I’ve turned into an old grandma who does all his mood altering poison beverage consumption in the relatively inexpensive quiet of his own home.
While the Ugly Mug is my favorite, and the one I default going to, I think I’m very fortunate to be within a five to ten minute walk of all four of these, and that I enjoy going to all of them.
After Speedway and Amoco coffee, I’d have to go with Beezys and then the Ugly Mug. Ever notice how the decaf roaster at the Ugly Mug always “just broke”? Its been what, like nine months now? Hmmmm.
In defense of Murph and his coffee drinking…
I didn’t mean to suggest that Murph was always out, living it up in coffee shops, when he should be at his desk, doing the work of the city. Anyone that knows Murph, knows damned well that he puts in considerably more than 40 hours week. I know that most of you from Ypsi know that, but I felt compelled to respond to the insinuation made by our friend the Designated Republican. Murph could drink coffee two hours a day – hell, he could go see a movie every afternoon – and he’d still be putting in more hours than he’s paid for.
And, I didn’t know there was a Starbucks in the Student Center. I guess we’re lucky they built it on the other side of campus.
Oops. I’m sorry, Murph. I didn’t mean to insinuate anything untoward. I’m a fan of our current City Planner, and I appreciate the fact that he is out and about in the community – especially that he takes the time to get to know the local businesses. It should be part of the job description, but I’m not sure how “regular coffeeshop crawls” could be included without making other folks in City Hall jealous.
The Starbucks on campus must be a part of Eastern’s ongoing soul and nutrient free dining program.
Ugly Mug has the best coffee by far. Beezys has the best food. All of the coffee shops are awesome, though. I like going to all of them quite a lot.
Ugly Mug.
When I first started drinking coffee in Ypsi, my favorite places were Vinyl Joe’s and the place that Ugly Mug used to be (I can’t remember the name, I’m only getting “Cross Street Station.”)
Man, I miss Ypsi. Somebody just called me with the news that the Elbow and TC’s were both gone. True?
The Elbow is still around.
I hear that they’re trying to sell TCs and keep it open.
And I believe the Ugly Mug was the Mud House previously.