Oops. That’s how some of the best adventures start out, right? This ‘oops’ wasn’t my fault. Google Maps struggles to keep pace with the rapid changes in the coffee industry. See, I was heading north on Route 25 in Maryland after leaving Veloccino. There was another cafe (apparently) only a few miles up the road, built into a general store. Some of that was true.

There are, in fact, two general stores across the street from one another. Well, kind of. One is focused on antiques, and the other on immediate necessities, although both cater to both. It’s confusing. This post will be about the one I thought was the main coffee purveyor. Though, as we’ll see in a minute, both have coffee, albeit in different forms.

Both are located in the tiny town of Whitehouse. It consists of exactly one intersection. Despite this, it’s oddly charming. There’s a gadget repair shop on one side of the road. There are a few old barns and lovely farms. Then, there are the two apparent general stores, which are somewhat less general than you might think.

My initial plan was to head to Falls Road General Store. Well, there’s a building here, but it’s something entirely different. This is The Tin Rabbit. It’s an antique shop and gift store with room after room of items from yesteryear. Following a grand opening in March, they’ve rapidly expanded into the space formerly held by the general store. They also sell coffee…but not brewed. An entire row of exotic brew sits atop a shelf next to a curio cabinet. The coffee came from Vashon Island Coffee Roasters in Washington State. A whiff was as much as I got. It’s not for sale by the cup…yet. The woman behind the counter told me that something special was on the horizon: coffee tastings.

Needless to say, I reassured her that I’d return for that little treat. I checked their Facebook page, and they just recently planned their first flea market for this Saturday. That’s getting pretty close to ‘festival’ territory, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see The Tin Rabbit out and about at events in the area. She was really nice about letting me in on where else to get coffee around here. As it turns out, the general store is right across the street. What did I find there? You’ll just have to wait and see. Until then, stay caffeinated.

the logo…

the curio shop…

the coffee…