The Neighbors coffeehouse

The Neighbors coffee house is in Brandon on Holly Blvd, right as you come into town off of Rice street.
info: 204 E Holly Blvd, Brandon, SD‎ - (605) 582-7979
I've been here a couple of times.
First impressions, wow... it's a little dark in here :). There's some nice funky booths, a fireplace (I've never seen it lit), and a corner with a couch and big chair across from it. I'd love to always go over here but I feel bad about doing it unless I'm with a few other people because it's so perfectly set up for people to talk.
Coffee is delicious. I particularly love the Highland Grog.
The to-go cup is totally sweet. One of my friends took it home and hung it from her ceiling, she thinks we should collect them and make party lights. If you're staying you can pick your mug. There are several choices. I like thick mugs with cool designs and was able to find the perfect one. One disadvantage of liking thick clay mugs is that your coffee cools as soon as it is poured into the cup, they have cleverly solved this problem by putting their mugs on some kind of heater.
Manzibar got a really yummy frozen drink there (why, in the middle of winter he would want one is not my problem).
I think it would be good for the overall decor if they painted the wall sconces a lighter color than the walls. The windows are so big and let in so much light I think they could really do a lot of fun stuff with the lighting dynamics.
Love the decor. The bathroom was kind of amusing, it's a unisex bathroom, it is very un-institutional, they even had some funky antique stuff there too.
I bring my laptop in, so I don't know whether or not they have WiFi.
Bottom Line: Good stuff, go there if you're in Brandon and have time.
I'll add pictures later

Banzibar

Caribou Coffee, Minnesota and 28th St.

K, so, Manzibar here, and I went to the Caribou Coffee on 28th and Minnesota last night. After about an hour of just hanging w/friends in the private party room (w00t), I went and bought a medium Macchiato w/another shot of espresso. $3.31, so pretty good for a bunch of caffeine. However, as soon as I got the cup, it felt strangely light. I opened the top and, to my surprise, there was about an inch and a half of coffee missing. I mean, I understand a centimeter or so because of foam, but 1.5 inches? Come on, now...
Anyway, so I went back to the counter and asked for the to top it off w/coffee. They were completely cool w/it and there wasn't any extra charge. However, it may have been a mistake to ask them to do that, because I consented to having them top it off w/regular roast coffee. Or maybe it was a bad pot...Anyway, point is, the coffee was pretty bad, and I felt sick afterwards and had trouble keeping down my cookies...
So, moral of the story:
Buy Flavored Coffee
The Most Classic Guitar of All Time:
Gibson SG w/Ebony Finish

Manzibar reporting for some serious coffeeness

Coffee...
It runs the world...

But yeah, I haven't been to the Benson Rd. Black Sheep, but Banzibar doesn't really help my expectations...=\.

Anyway (I'm not sure if this still holds true, as this planning convo went on a while ago), I'm gonna
cover mostly different flavors of mochas and report them here...while throwing in proly a pic of a guitar or two alongside...=D

ex: Gibson Les Paul Silverburst Edition

The New Black Sheep Coffee

So, we've finally started this blog. Which we've talked about starting ever since a day of the celebration of birth of a local friend. Since that day when we pulled out the phone book and yellow-paged the names and addresses of local coffee-shops. We've visited many, but we're going start with our most recent stop -- the new Black Sheep coffee on Benson Rd.

Black Sheep Coffee (on Benson)

Initial Impressions: Let me start by saying that I had very, very high expectations given how much I love the original Black Sheep located on 11th street.
I walk in, the place has two people sitting at a table and one of them gets up to serve me. Ok... it's a little empty but it's 6 o'clock on a Thursday night.

Coffee: I order my small light roast coffee (from Ethiopia btw). $1.35 price is right. I'm a little confused about where I can get my cream and lid. I find it... in the opposite direction from the enticing leather couch. I start pouring my cream a dribble comes out. The container is empty. I feel a flash of irritation, "Dude there are two workers here--I understand it's slow but you should at least fill the cream and sweep up the leaves (that have been tracked in and make the place look untidy) before you sit down to chat.
Sit down on the couch. Mmm comfy. I try the coffee. Umm. Ew. I don't know if it's burned or what but it's not good stuff. Whatever. I'll read til Sanzibar comes.

Decor: I think this place is actually set up to be more of a cafe--at least more than the other black sheep (they have sandwiches too but they're a roasting place). The chairs and tables are set up to be used more for eating than just sipping coffee.
Anyway, I like the art on the walls. Definitely modern but very colorful and warm and not offensive or completely random. I think it would be pretty bland w/o the art. Cool stuff.

-Banzibar

A few words from Sanzibar: Cute little place. I never come on this side of town. The 'open' sign really put a rotten taste in my mouth before I walked in. It flashed, etc, and it wasn't too welcoming, too bribing. So anyway I walk up to the counter and ordered my small dark Colombian roast, quite delicious and the perfect temperature. I had no trouble finding the cream because, well, I didn't want any. I join Banzibar on the comfy leather couch, very very comfy, and also noticed the nice artwork. I took some sips from my paper cup but the lid didn't fit properly so it dribbled out everytime I tried to take a drink... that was annoying. But pretty good experience overall, though I am more impressed and attracted to the originality of the original Black Sheep.
I forgot to check out the bathrooms, darn. Update on that some other time!


A place to check out on your own coffee drinking rounds. Coffee and service quality will vary, which is unfortunate, but the good cups are worth it.


Manzibar will have to visit sometime.