By Breanna Hunczak
Reporter
Local coffee shops are hard to find, since Starbucks has cornered the market on coffee, but here in Bakersfield, we are lucky to have two amazing coffee shops downtown.
I can see why Café Smitten got its name, because as soon as you walk up, you are smitten with the location. Everything from the blue paint on the building to the patio and décor is visually appealing, but the parking lot is small and some parts are dirt. This does not stop the customers from flooding in, though.
The inside is just as charming as the outside, with wood, green plants and natural light. There is a window that opens up and creates a natural breeze in the restaurant. The owners pay attention to every detail, from their logo to the word “smitten” on the floor.
The atmosphere inside was calming and relaxing, but the coffee fell flat for me. I ordered an iced latte because they did not have a vanilla one. The cashier informed me to pour the syrup they offered in my coffee, and it would provide the sweetness I was looking for. Though I got a caffeine high, nothing could mask the bitter taste of the coffee.
While, I was a bit disappointed with my coffee, I found their food to be quite different. They took a classic PB&J and put a fun twist on it by substituting grape jelly for raspberry and putting coconut shavings on it. This was a great combination.
Overall, their customer service was impeccable, professional and inviting. They make you feel at home. They also offer a card, and if you buy nine drinks, the tenth will be free.
Dagny’s is located a few streets down, but I found this one a little harder to get to with all the one-way streets, but parking was not a hassle. The outside was plain and understated. The inside had a hipster vibe.
Upon entering Dagny’s, you see a mural on the wall of an octopus and a clock. As your gaze lowers, you begin to see different sizes and types of chairs along with a couch.The atmosphere seems to say, “Come in and make yourself comfortable. Everyone is family here.”
The quiet atmosphere is comforting and gives customers a feeling of belonging. Dagny’s hosts poetry readings and musicians most nights. This coffee shop is big on being a part of the community and promoting events within the community.
I ordered a vanilla latte, and this hits the spot, unlike the coffee at Café Smitten. They have three different sizes: tall, grande and supremeo. They sell many snack items, but only three actual food items. This was a bit disappointing, because nothing looked too appetizing. The menu sign was artsy and fun to look at with many choices of coffee, tea and syrup flavors on it.
Dagny’s had a great wraparound patio for views of downtown, plus some amazing street art across the street. While Cafe Smitten was amazing inside and out, the views of downtown were not as pleasant, but the patio did offer umbrellas to shade customers from the sun.
They both offered wine and beers, but Dagny’s definitely had a bigger selection of both, and even had some beers on draft.
Each downtown coffee shop has positives and negatives. I would definitely like to go and explore each of the menus better, but if I had a choice, I would choose Dagny’s coffee and Café Smitten’s food.
