If you want a place to sit, chill and do homework while drinking an amazing coffee or energy drink, Barista’s Daily Grind coffee shop is the perfect place to be. It is a small coffee shop on 1502 2nd Ave with indoor and outdoor seating and an older but fancy vibe.
Barista’s Daily Grind coffee shop on 2nd Ave is Kearney’s second location and it opened in 2017. It is a popular coffee shop where many students enjoy getting work done or just grabbing a latte with their friends and chatting.
When I came to UNK in the fall of 2022, I had no clue what Barista’s Daily Grind was. There is nothing like it in my hometown of Waverly. I never really paid much attention to the shop but always heard great things about their drinks.
One day during finals week, I had a lot of work to catch up on and needed a coffee. I decided to give Barista’s Daily Grind a try. The welcoming and positive environment immediately made me grow a strong liking for this place.
I remember getting a medium iced white mocha and sitting at a wooden corner table next to a huge window that let in natural light. They play music through their speakers, but it is at just the right volume so it does not become distracting if you are working on homework or studying.
Now, Barista’s is my favorite spot to go when I need to get things done and want a good drink. I try and get something new each time I go because I like trying new things. My favorite thing that I get repeatedly is their sunrise energy drink.
This time I wanted to try a new drink called The Mermaid. I was intrigued by the title and was told it had similar ingredients to their sunrise drink. It consists of Red Bull, orange juice and blue raspberry syrup.
They offer two sizes of drinks, a small or a medium. Usually, I would go for a small when trying something new, but I went for a medium. You also have the option of regular Red Bull or sugar-free, and I decided to go with the regular.
I was very happy with my choice of drink and decided that this would be my new go-to. If you like Red Bull, you’ll like this one. The blue raspberry syrup mixed with the orange juice gives it the perfect amount of sweetness without being too overpowering.
Even though this drink is pretty sugary and caffeinated, it didn’t give me that jittery feeling that some other energy drinks do. Even with the medium size, it was just the right amount.
As a regular energy drink consumer, I would put this at the top of my list and rate it 5/5 Loper stars. Before you mix it all, the color is a beautiful yellow fading into a greenish-blue ombre. It is very aesthetically pleasing and tastes just as good as it looks.