The Screaming Bean (3700 Churchville Road) and Coffee Coffee (located in The Festival) are very similar coffee shops, but which one comes ahead? I set out to answer this over the weekend.  

At The Screaming Bean, I got a hot chocolate that was $4.50 and a bagel that was $2.65. The hot chocolate wasn’t that hot, and I didn’t get much out of it. The bagel was fine; I can’t remember much about it. My sister got a sandwich that she didn’t seem blown away by. Where The Screaming Bean really started to lose me was the ambiance; it was just kind of loud and felt like I was in a cafeteria. It was a real mood killer.  

I went to Coffee Coffee with my friend, and he got a doppio espresso shot, and I got a cold brew. The cold brew kind of just tasted like water or tea, but the espresso was one of the grossest things I’ve drunk in a while. My friend didn’t finish it, so he gave it to me, but I just physically couldn’t do it. The ambiance of Coffee Coffee was better because there were fewer people there, and it was quieter. I could actually talk to my friend, and they played nice piano music which was calming. A few days later, I went back to try something new. I got a quiche, and it was wonderful. I would recommend avoiding the drinks and just getting the quiche.  

Overall, I would say that Coffee Coffee beat The Screaming Bean pretty soundly and would recommend Coffee Coffee more.