Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Sunday 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Tucked behind the shop fronts of Yale Avenue, Nick’s serves as a hideaway for students searching for a break from campus without going too far.

The dark, intimate seating area and spacious patio attract both students and Claremont locals to study, play chess, visit with friends or just enjoy a mug of coffee.

Nick’s offers the basic coffee house menu—lattes, cappuccinos, mochas and hot tea.

But beyond that, the choices don’t go very far. They offer a small selection of snacks including bagels, baked goods and chips, but an impressive variety of bottled drinks.

Drinks are available to-go or for in-house seating, so anyone hesitant to drink hot beverages out of a thin paper cup will be just fine.

Coffee prices were steeper than other places— $1.52 for a small, $1.84 for a large. Other drinks were in the $2-$4 range.

It’s not uncommon to find Nick’s busy on any night of the week. This contributes to the intimacy of Nick’s atmosphere, as well as the slightly unkempt furnishing.

This quality, however, creates a slightly diminished ambience when business is slow.

Many are attracted to Nick’s for the live music featured four nights a week on the small indoor stage.

The Citrus Jazz Band plays on most Sunday nights. And Nick’s house band, Hoove and Cloove, plays a jazzy instrumental set every Wednesday.

Anyone looking to be the next big thing? Stop by every Monday and Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Nick’s offers open mic night, so just mosey on over and strut your stuff.

Overall, Nick’s philosophy can be described by the message scrawled out on the side of the espresso machine: “Friends don’t let friends go to Starbucks.”

I give it three stars out of four.

Starbucks
203 Yale Ave.
(909) 625-2332

Hours: Monday – Sunday 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Let’s be honest. Starbucks is everywhere. If you’re not buying their inexplicably tasty bottled drinks or ground coffee in local outlets, you’re drinking at their stores, which seem to pop up daily. But is it really better than the cozy, friendly local coffee house?

When it comes to atmosphere, Starbucks lacks. Claremont’s Starbucks has an atmosphere like that of a fast-food restaurant—bright lighting, a small, uncomfortable seating area and small patio. As soon as the store gets busy, the line gets long, the service gets rushed and the orders take longer and longer to fill.

When it comes to the actual drinks, however, Starbucks does offer a more appealing and better-tasting menu. You have to admit, it’s a successful chain for a reason. Aside from traditional coffee drinks, they offer cider, flavored teas, frappuccinos and smoothie-like fruit drinks.

Prices on most drinks range from $2-$4, and a cup of coffee is actually less expensive than Nick’s—$1.40 for a small, $1.70 for a large.

Starbucks also offers an expansive variety of baked goods, including muffins, scones, cakes, biscotti and low-fat options. They’re obviously not fresh-baked, however, which lowers the appeal.

Starbucks offers an atmosphere much different than that of a local coffee house. But if you’re looking for a tasty drink, it can be the place to go.

I give Starbucks three out of four stars.

The Motley
1030 Columbia Ave.
(909) 607-3967

Hours: Monday – Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. to midnight
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday noon to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday noon to 5:00 p.m., 8:00 p.m. to midnight

As the only coffeehouse of the Claremont colleges, the Motley coffeehouse on the Scripps campus offers a relaxing place to go on campus and an opportunity for student employment.

Anyone looking for a productive academic environment will surely appreciate the Motley’s atmosphere. The small tables are often crowded with students reading, helping each other out with assignments or working on laptops. But if the Motley is your study break and not your study time, there are plenty of board games to play or publications to read.The menu at the Motley, while not exactly inspired, is satisfying. They offer the normal hot beverage fare, as well as blended and iced options for most drinks. They also offer an extensive selection of bottled juice and soda drinks, including smoothies.

As a student-run establishment, it’s obvious that the Motley acknowledges the college-student budget. Most drinks range from $2-$3, and straight coffee is cheapest here—only $0.90 for a small and $1.30 for a large.

Drinks here are also available to-go or in-house. For hungry studiers, the Motley offers a menu of chocolate, candy bars, chips, bagels and yogurt.

Like Nick’s, an incentive for Motley customers is the live music, featured Sunday and Thursday nights from 10:00 p.m. to midnight, including open mic nights.

Another attractive feature is the plush chairs and couches lining the walls of the seating area, making the location extremely conducive to post-cramming relax sessions. Outdoor seating in the courtyard of the Mallott Commons building also offers a tranquil working (or visiting) environment.

The Motley is definitely an integral part of the 5-C community. Not only does it house a part of the local art and music scene, but it also holds meetings for campus organizations and is available for rent outside of business hours for any group looking for a meeting place.

Overall, the Motley embodies many of the good things about both Nick’s and Starbucks, including the comfortable atmosphere, the selection of drinks and the chance to hear live music.

I give the Motley four stars out of four.