With the ability to cruise through a drive-through or summon Starbucks with Postmates, coffee is more convenient than ever. But sometimes good flavor is worth the drive, and Coffee & Cocoa is an example of that.
The catchy and memorable name has implanted this place in my mind for quite some time now (I'm a sucker for some good alliteration), so I was stoked to try it out.
Coffee & Cocoa is located in Cottonwood Heights, just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Wasatch Mountains, making for crazy-beautiful views. So if you ski or snowboard, make this place your next stop after hitting the slopes. (Do people really say "hitting the slopes"?) Cottonwood Heights isn't in my neck of the woods, but it was only about a 20-minute drive from my base down in the Valley, and a pleasant and scenic drive at that.
Upon walking in, I immediately adored the high ceilings, big windows and expansive seating area. Coffee & Cocoa has a modern and contemporary feel while still maintaining a cozy atmosphere, which can be a tough balance to strike. I can only imagine how homey it would feel in the winter, with snow falling outside and toasty drinks brewing inside.
Coffee & Cocoa has an expansive flavor menu (a MAJORLY important factor in my book), with entire sections for the fruity and sugar-free varieties of syrup. The vibe (cozy, hip, local) combined with the menu (fun flavor combinations) reminds me of The Coffee Shop in Riverton, another one of my favorites.
I knew I wanted to order something from the menu of monthly specials, which had peaked my interest from an aesthetically pleasing Instagram post.
While the Lavender Lemonade (far left) and Matcha Meadows (the pale green one) were tempting, I opted for the Salt Lake (third drink in from the left), an iced latte with white mocha and salted caramel.
Now, I'm not usually a caramel fan (at least that's what I always claim), but drinks with salted caramel have always been a success, and I just couldn't pass up the special with such a cute and highly localized name. However, I was still worried that I had ventured too far out of my comfort zone, especially since I was at a whole new place and I didn't know the ~vibe~ of the coffee yet. Would it be too sweet? Too weak? Should I have gotten an extra espresso shot? Should I have gotten less espresso? Oh no, does it have whipped cream?
Once they called out my drink, my thought spiral interrupted, and I was finally able to try it, I was not only satisfied, I was blown away. The combination of the caramel with white mocha made it sweet like a candy bar while still carrying a rich espresso taste. The espresso-to-everything-else ratio was perfect, something that often concerns me when ordering a 24 oz. latte, a relatively large size that has a possibility of being too milky.
The 24 oz. iced Salt Lake clocked in at $6.33, placing it in the pricier range, but for a strong and tasty latte of the largest size available, that's not unreasonable.
I wasn't hungry enough for a baked good, but there were a variety of treats that would make elevating your coffee run to a full breakfast very easy. I spotted hearty muffins and cookies in the display case and decadent breakfast sandwiches on the plates of fellow customers.
There was a steady stream of customers during my time there. The shop's Yelp reviews go back to 2015, giving me the impression that Coffee & Cocoa has been a Cottonwood Heights staple for quite some time. (Almost five years for a local coffee shop is pretty impressive.)
I can definitely count on making some return visits here, especially to check out next month's specials or enjoy the cozy atmosphere in the wintertime.
Address:
6556 South Big Cottonwood Canyon
Cottonwood Heights, UT 84121
Hours:
6:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Monday through Friday)
7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. (Saturday)
7:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. (Sunday)
(Source)
Perks:
-Cozy atmosphere
-Fun monthly specials
-Delicious iced lattes
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