When people mention the Pennsylvania State University, their minds travel to a few places: Football, Old Main, The Arboretum, and The Berkey Creamery. The last of these staples of our esteemed college is known for its delectable ice cream that is home-made right next door to where it is sold. However, the Creamery offers much more than just ice cream; it offers a world of beverage options for coffee enthusiasts.

I’ve been to the creamery more times in my lifetime than I can count on my fingers and toes, yet never indulged in their coffee options, until today. With a myriad of options, including vanilla bean coffee, hazlenut sticky bun, blueberry scone, Mexican brew, and their house blend, the Creamery has something perfect for every tastebud. I tasted their house blend, and it was smooth, rich, and flavorful, just as black coffee should be. In addition, a small coffee was about $2.00, so very affordable for college students.

While the coffee itself is high on my list for students to try, there are multiple downsides when it comes to the location and atmosphere. As the Berkey Creamery is located near the East living district, it is out of the way for any students who do not live there. Both off-campus and other on-campus students have quite the walk to the Creamery, therefore making it a less appealing option for students if they want a quick pick-me-up on the way to class. In addition, it is not surrounded by academic buildings like some of the other on-campus coffee shops, like Panera or EDGE, and therefore is not on the class route for the majority of students, again making it the less ideal stop-and-go option.

Well, if it isn’t an excellent grab-and-go coffee shop, then it must at least have a satisfactory dining area for students to sit and study or socialize, right? Wrong. Socialize, yes, but that is about all one can get out of the Creamery’s sitting area. It is quite the busy place, no matter the time of day, and is mostly a stop for ice cream treats with family and friends, so it is not the best choice for a study session. In addition, it does not meet the idealized, aesthetic “coffee shop” appeal that many students look for when finding a cafe to study in, and therefore lacks behind some of the other places I have reviewed. One upside, however, is that there is an outdoor seating area, which is a great option as a place to do homework with a cup of coffee on sunny, warm days.

Following the disadvantages of the location and study aesthetic, there are not as many options for add-ins as some of the other shops on campus. I had only noticed a machine to add creamer to the coffee, but did not see any options for adding oatmilk or almondmilk, two very on-the-rise and highly demanded coffee add-ins. Furthermore, for the students who choose to drink tea over coffee, there are a few options, but not as many as coffee shops such as Webster’s Bookstore Cafe, which I reviewed earlier this year.

In conclusion, while the Creamery will always hold a special place in my heart and has quite the amazing ice cream and coffee, I would not finalize it as very high on my list of coffee shops in State College. I would recommend trying the coffee at least once while on an ice cream run with friends, or maybe getting it with a friend for a study break. For me, personally, the Creamery will remain a tasty ice cream shop.