Hidden behind a few trees right across the Stone Avenue train station lies the new coffee shop Cafecito Bakery, located at 703 W. Hillgrove Ave. I consider myself a coffee enthusiast; I have a large iced coffee at Dunkin or a caramel macchiato from Starbucks almost every day.  However, I am open to trying new coffee to keep me wired for post school studying.

I walked in and- to my surprise- a quaint and comfortable environment surrounded me. Although the bakery was small, with only a few tables and a couch, it fit for a great study space. If you want a place to catch up with a friend, I would not recommend the quiet atmosphere that it entails. However, if you need a calm place to study, it is perfectly suitable.

I ordered a hot caramel macchiato: the perfect fall drink. The 16 oz. medium cup was only $3.50 versus the Starbuck’s price of $4.45 for the same size. So, I saved a dollar for a coffee that I enjoyed more. The caramel was smoothly mixed into the drink, and I was enjoying the benefits of caffeine without the painful sour taste. The fluffy and sweet whipped cream topped the coffee to enrich the flavor and take away the coffee’s bitterness. The 16 oz. was also enough to sustain alertness for up to seven hours. I do not recommend drinking this much coffee if you do not need the benefits of caffeine. Instead, you could order any of the 12 oz. for a reasonable price.

The menu had the classic coffee drinks: espresso, cappuccino, latte, Americano, mocha, and macchiato. These also come with the option of hazelnut, caramel, white chocolate, and dark chocolate flavors. What stuck out to me though was a variety of shakes they offered, including pecan, rainbow, cafecito, brownie, cinnamon and strawberry. This menu may seem different, and is like no other coffee shop I have seen.

Their bakery was full of slices of different cakes, donuts and pastries. I tried an Oreo covered chocolate donut with vanilla glazed frosting for $1.69. Yes, this may sound unhealthy, but it was well worth the calories. The frosting complemented the chocolate so perfectly, and the Oreo tied it all together. It also had no indication of fading out. In all, I only spent $5.60 for what felt like a sustaining meal.

I recommend at least giving it a try if you are a coffee lover because I will for sure be going back soon. It is only a few blocks away from school, and is a good pick me up for any time of the day.