The ultimate ranking of coffee shops around BU

Choosing the perfect place to catch up with an old friend over coffee can be intimidating when there are so many coffee spots on campus.

Thankfully we have you covered with this guide which covers East, West, and Central campus.

We rated each joint in terms of coffee, food, atmosphere, and price.

Bruegger’s Bagels, East Campus

• Coffee: Pretty good if you’re someone who goes for a lighter roast coffee with a less bitter taste. Very similar to Dunkin Donuts. If you like your coffee sweet, their French Toast blend is a must-try.
• Food: Though limited in variety (it is a bagel shop) the bagels here are perfectly cooked – chewy with the right amount of firmness – and they come in a huge array of flavors. Better yet, try one of the bagel sandwiches for a unique and satisfying breakfast. They also have bagel burgers and an assortment of sandwiches and salads.
• Atmosphere: Very chill. Not super decadent. Can be somewhat noisy depending on the time of the day. More of a place to get breakfast or brunch with a friend than to study.
• Price: Reasonable. Not fast-food chain prices, but not fancy expensive coffee shop prices either.
• Must-try: The Southwestern Bagel Sandwich with Chipotle sauce, bacon, cheddar, peppers, and red onion. Or if you want to go even spicier, the Siracha egg sandwich.

Starbucks, East, West, and Central

• Coffee: The espresso beverages and blended drinks are much more popular than regular coffee. Their regular coffee has a strong, somewhat bitter flavor and packs a lot of caffeine – good for late night studying sessions. Frappucinos, Mochas, and Lattes in an assortment of flavors are to die for, with new flavor pairings coming out every few months to match the seasons, and a secret drinks menu for those in-the-know.
• Food: Most people go to Starbucks for coffee, but if you want to pair your drink with a pastry there’s always an assortment. The food here is pretty average. If you have a sweet tooth, it’s often very sugary.
• Atmosphere: Each Starbucks on campus is different, but they do share a common theme of always being very crowded. You’ll often  find a lot of students studying and busy professionals rushing in to get their caffeine fix. If you can find a seat, it’s an alright place to study or meet with friends. The decor is kind of drab but the music is always good.
• Price: Their drinks are a bit on the pricey side, but at almost all of the on-campus Starbucks you can pay with dining or convenience points, which is a plus.
• Must-try: Starbucks is coming out with a new drink this spring that apparently tastes and looks like Butterbeer from Harry Potter. Definitely a must-have!

Dunkin Donuts, West Campus , Kenmore, South Campus

• Coffee: You either hate Dunkin and love Starbucks, or love Starbucks and hate Dunkin. I, personally, am a Dunkin girl. If you like a light roast with subtle sweet flavor, then Dunkin is for you. If you prefer a dark roast and less sweet coffee, go with Starbucks. The best part of Dunkin Donuts coffee are all the new flavor swirl flavors – caramel and hazlenut are particularly good, but be careful how much you ask for, because they can be very, very sweet.
• Food: Typical fast food. Not the best quality, but if you are craving a donut or a greasy post-hangover egg sandwich, there is nowhere better to go.
• Atmosphere: Mostly the type of place where you just go in and out, as you’re rushing to class. Basic fast food design, not somewhere I would want to hang around or study in, but I have seen students doing it. The up side is that there’s always empty tables if you do decide to sit down, because most people don’t.
• Price: If you’re on a budget, Dunkin has got your back. Most affordable coffee shop on this list.
• Must-try: Seasonal flavor swirls, like the sugar cookie flavor swirl around the holidays or the Baskin Robbin’s ice cream flavor swirls in the summer. The Irish Cream flavor swirl that’s available throughout March is awesome! Add a flavor swirl to your regular coffee or your latte.

Pavement Coffeehouse, Central Campus

• Coffee: Excellent organic fair trade coffee. Very upscale flavors and coffee is roasted in house. Depending on the type of brew, you will taste subtle hints of fruits, cocoa, cinnamon, etc. in your brew. Amazing coffee overall, with wonderful espresso drinks. Just a bit on the too-strong side for someone like me who likes a very light brew, but everyone else I know is in love. I usually go for one of their espresso based drinks for something sweeter.
• Food: The bakery foods are to die for – home made various breads, muffins, and scones are available every morning, but you have to get them fast before they sell out! There are also vegan pastries available. The bagels are sometimes too hard for my taste, I wish they were a bit more chewy. Sometimes they feel somewhat stale, and I vastly prefer the pastries to the bagels. Though if you do get a bagel, try the new Cinnamon-Fig Cream Cheese – the spicy sweet flavor is surprisingly delightful.
• Atmosphere: A ++! Amazing artwork, showcasing local artists, and a relaxing, indie-hipster vibe make this the perfect place to chill with friends. There are very cozy couches and little corners that are perfect for studying too. Pavement puts on a monthly comedy night as well.
• Price:  Rather expensive, but worth it.
• Must-try: Spanish Latte. Like a latte but better – made with sweetened condensed milk for an extra rich flavor.

Blue State Coffee, West Campus

• Coffee: With coffee imported straight from Nicaragua, Sumatra, and Costa Rica, you can’t go wrong. Their signature blend, True Blue, contains hints of ripe red fruits and chocolate, and starts off with a strong flavor but has subtle hints of sweetness throughout. Make sure to ask what the specific brews of the day are. I’m dying to try their Liberty roast – a light roast with hints of chocolate, cherry, and lemon. Coffee-and-Espresso flavored drinks are varied and always delicious.
• Food: All the food at Blue State is proudly local, sustainable, and organic. All meat is hormone and antibiotic free, produce and cheese are locally sourced and eggs are free range. Aside from looking incredibly delicious, all the food tastes amazing as well, and they offer a wide range of deli sandwiches and various specials and baked goods made from scratch. A ++
• Atmosphere: This would be the kind of coffee shop I would take someone on a coffee date. It has an upbeat atmosphere, cheerful staff, and a good local vibe, featuring different local charities and events on different display boards in the restaurant. The signature color is, of course, blue.
• Price : A bit on the higher end, but worth it for the incredible quality of and effort put into the food and drinks.
• Must-try: Awesome egg sandwiches, thanks to the fact that they are all local and organic. Can’t get fresher.

Refuge, West Campus/Allston

• Coffee: Flavorful Equal Exchange coffee in many different roasts with varied specialty drinks throughout different seasons. Fun fact? They also serve locally brewed beer, which is a pretty rare occurrence at a coffee shop.
• Food: With a wide array of breakfast dishes,sandwiches, and comfort foods, this is an ideal place to go for munchies any time of the day. Breakfast is served all day.
• Atmosphere: Definitely fits in perfectly with the Allston locale. A grungy, chill, hipster vibe basically throbs from this place. The wooden decor and various posters and pamphlets for local musicians and artists adds to its charm. Local artists perform here on the regular.  The cafe/ restaurant also functions as a mini art gallery showcasing unique artists, the tunes the store plays in the background (when they’re not showcasing local artists) is awesome, and you can even get free adult coloring pages to enjoy while you have your coffee and food. Probably not ideal for studying, but ideal for hanging out and having a relaxing time.
• Price: Not bad for the type of place it is. You can get a meal and coffee for around $8-$10.
• Must-try: Their Almond Joy Latte is to die for.

Einstein Bro’s Bagels, Central Campus

• Coffee: Average, pretty similar to Dunkin Donut’s with a bit more flavor and various blends. The vanilla-hazelnut blend is my favorite. Most of the coffee is very light and subtle.
• Food: The name says it all. If you like bagels, this is the place to go. They have a ton of flavors and are a convenient spot to grab a bagel while running to class. The power-protein bagel makes a delicious, healthy alternative. Some sandwiches are also available, as well as a creative concoction called a bagel-dog, a bagel wrapped hot dog.
• Atmosphere: The chances of finding a spot to sit in Einstein’s are slim to none, and it is not open on the weekends. If you are lucky enough to find a seat, many people are always in and out and it is always loud. I would definitely not recommend it as a place to hang around – but it’s good if you need to just grab food and rush off somewhere.
• Price: The coffee is a little expensive for what it is but you get a lot. The food is very reasonably priced. As a bonus, convenience and dining points are accepted.
• Must-try: The annual pumpkin bagel that comes out in the fall is delicious.