A Stop in Nashville | Mini Review for Drugstore Coffee
With 24 hrs to decide, we had to pick a quick stop in Nashville for coffee! This is the one we chose..
Finding a Good Coffee Shop in Nashville
There are two types of coffee blogs we write here: those planned and the impromptu run-ins we have with hidden gems. Probably half of the blogs on this journey have come from unplanned stops. With that being said, when you’re on the cusp of a hub like Nashville, you do a little studying.
We had 24hrs to decide on a coffee shop in this great American city and the studying was extensive. There are so many restaurants and they are mixed in with dozens of places to get coffee! There were several we would like to go back for that were a bit off the beaten path but for this one we chose something a little more mainstream. We knew we were going to be going through downtown for a breif glimpse and this was a shop conveniently a street or two over from Broadway, the only street we absolutley HAD to drive down. This was a breif stop so this will be a mini blog — we didn’t stick around for long enough nor did we order in our normal pattern of trying something crazy on the menu. BUT it’s Nashville so it is 100% worth sharing!
The Area
Drugstore coffee is located in the beautiful Noelle hotel, just around the corner from one of the many family friendly streets that were overflowing with people enjoying the scenery. It is in front of two decorated alleys that still had some Christmas decorations at the time of our visit — I am not super familiar with Nashville but overall it seemed like a sweet place! The Noelle itself is home to a boutique and a restaurant as well as Drugstore — and it was all absolutely stunning! We enjoyed the hype around it and the sense of ambiance when you enter is on point.
The People
Judging by their impeccable social media I was expecting Drug Store to be bigger. It was very small with little seating and a long bar for coffee, which makes sense judging that it was in a hotel. The bar was split from a charming cafe area and the overall graduer of the hotel was there which definitely elevated the experience. The atmosphere itself was great but don’t let the social media deceive you, it is very small!
Regardless, the people working were super nice and had recommendations for latte flavors. After being in St Louis for the weekend it was relieving to finally have some southern hospitality again! As far as atmosphere and people go, I wouldn’t go here to sit and work because of so much going on around it but it is such a charming place to stop in.
The Coffee/food
I rarely give sub par reviews of lattes themselves but I have to say their latte was slightly sub par. The espresso had a good flavor but it was masked behind a lot of sugar. Our barista’s favorite was pistachio and white chocolate so it was probably my bad — I just wish they wouldn’t dilute that amazing espresso so much! I didn’t ask but it looked like they get their beans roasted locally and they were amazing. Being a stickler for good espresso without all of the sugar to mask it, however, I think they need to let the espresso shine!
Regardless, if you’re a sweet treat fan, this is your place. We didn’t partake in any of the pastries but they had a good bit and they looked absolutely perfect! For the sake of my readers I wish I had gotten something. If I was staying in the Noelle, I would have 100% have factored this into my choice and I probably would have lingered longer for a morning coffee and breakfast. They have hospitality down, I can’t imagine how the occupants there felt! It is definitely worth the extra minutes before packing up.
Overview
Overall I would give this shop a solid 4/5. I think they could have done more with the espresso and to make the shop more of an attraction itself it could have its own door. Nevertheless, I think the service was amazing, the atmosphere was great, and they really couldn’t have had better marketing. It is hard to know what to expect especially among all of the coffee shops that appear in a Nashville search but Drugstore had a unique take that I appreciated so I am glad we went!
The Noelle and all of her friends are worth a visit or a stay at if you are in Nashville, that is what I would say just from my brief visit! A black coffee and pastry in the morning before shopping down the strip sounds like a great morning to me. That is all we can say for a mini blog but you better believe we are planning a girls trip!
