Wow, how long is has been since I’ve posted! No, I’m not running out of coffeehouses and bags of beans (may I never). Spring and late winter is just always busy for me, helping to get things ready for summer at the house, buying mountains of bird seed for my grandmother, planning for vacation with the parents, paying all of my bills a month or two in advance so I don’t have a tsunami hit me in the fall. Ah, but that’s boring. You came here for a review, and today I went out to bag one in the form of a new cafe in my own backyard that I just learned about. It’s called Brew Cumberland’s Best, and I hope you can guess the location.

Actually the location gave me deja vu. I knew I’d been here before, but I hadn’t been *here* before. This same building has been multiple coffeehouses for multiple owners over the long course of its existence. This particular iteration sprang up apparently two and a half years ago. Yes, it’s been that long since I’ve been in New Cumberland. Blame the closing of The Why’re on that. Anyone over 30 will know what I mean. Well, any hippie.

Anyhow, the cafe bills itself as “Not Just Coffee”. It lives up to that quite handily with its assortment of pastries and such, and although I didn’t have time for breakfast, the place did have that lovely bready smell. I elected, as I usually do, to go with the house blend. It was a Guatemala coffee, and if you know anything about Guatemalan roasts, they tend to be softer, less powerful, but more nuanced than the bolder varieties like Columbian. This particular Guatemalan was the archetype of that; very balanced, with a flavor that you kind of had to search for, but was tasty when you found it. That’s what most people like in a breakfast blend, and cudos to them for providing it well!

As for the atmosphere, I’d say “artsy” fits best here. Definitely a bohemian vibe,  it keeps its distance from cutesy-hipsterdom and stays wonderfully mellow. Must be the distance from Midtown.  If the space was a bit larger, this would have been a lovely place for one of the poetry readings that I regularly attend in Harrisburg. It’s a bit dark, with plenty of hardwood accents, but in a cozy sort of way, and I could see it especially being a warm gathering place during wintertime. Another cool feature is their drive-through window. I’m glad that finally a place that’s not Dunkin-Donuts is doing this.

So yeah, it’s great to be back out there chugging coffee, and I’m glad to have started here in New Cumberland; a place I’ve neglected for far too long. Keep reading, because next month I’ll be reviewing a coffeehouse that I’ve wanted to visit for a very long time. I’ll give you a hint; think fin de siecle revolution. Until next time, stay caffeinated.

the outside…

artsy…

cozy…

yes, they do drive through…