As a working full-time college student, I tend to need caffeine to get through my long days on campus, and my go to since I was in seventh grade has been Starbucks. I would even go as far as calling myself a Starbucks connoisseur considering I have been to about 98 percent of the Starbucks locations in El Paso, ranging from the far west side to the far east side.
Imagine my excitement to learn I would be in walking distance of not one, but three different Starbucks locations when enrolling at the university. With this being my fifth and final year at UTEP, I have formed some opinions on which location is the best on campus.
The most hidden Starbucks on campus is the best one and coffee lovers should not let its location keep them from giving it a chance. The Starbucks located in the Chemistry and Computer Science Building (CCSB) is the only Starbucks on campus where all the baristas are certified and is also the only certified Starbucks location.
The CCSB Starbucks is also the only location you can visit on campus to buy their seasonal cups or seasonal coffee grounds, gift cards or merchandise. This location has the full menu available to customers, wonderful baristas that will give you recommendations if you are undecided and is the only location that lets you use your Starbucks app to receive points via Starbucks’ rewards program.
Having the full selection when it comes to the menu means having access to their full food menu and being able to explore not only the regular menu, but the “secret” menu that true Starbucks enthusiasts know so well. There are plenty of tips and tricks for getting a cheaper coffee, crazy combinations that make up unique flavors of drinks and more.
The second location on my list happens to be the Starbucks located inside of the library. One of the major reasons for it coming in second is because of how busy it always is. It is convenient because it is in the library, however, that is what tends to make it busier than the other two locations. The library is one of, if not the most popular places to hang out between classes and study. Because of this, there have been times where this location has run out of coffee for the day or students must skip their coffee because the long line will make them late to other commitments.
The Starbucks located in the Union is probably the first one that everyone hears about, however, this one is my least favorite. Spending most of my time on campus in the Union is what makes it so hard to have it last on my list.
While the most convenient in terms of location, the fact that they split their location with Jamba Juice impacts the quality of the drinks at times. The ice they use in the drinks is different, and their menu is extremely limited, which is also a big factor in why it ranks last on my list. However, a perk of this location is that they offer different food items that you would not find at a local Starbucks.
If you are a fellow coffee lover, put the locations to the test and tell me what you think on our Instagram @UTEP_Prospector.
Emily Autumn Velasquez is the editor-in-chief and may be reached at [email protected]; @byemilyautumn on Instagram; @emilyautumn20 on Twitter.
