Espesso Royale Cafe
Best Coffee Shop

Six Espresso Royale Cafes. Two Amer's Mediteranian Delis. Two Sweetwater cafes. Rendezvous. Ambrosia. Ten Starbucks. As a college student in Ann Arbor, you're never far from a coffee shop.

Ann Arbor seems to breed coffee houses. Patrons can frequent the mainstream Starbucks or the indie Ambrosia or they can settle for a compromise - a coffee shop that doesn't make them feel like part of the establishment but that also doesn't make them feel overdressed wearing khakis and a polo.

Espresso Royale is a happy medium between the coffee shops Ann Arbor has to offer. Without being a suffocating chain or pretenses of being a cultural hub, ERC has a welcoming atmosphere.

Unlike a few campus coffee shops, the clientele isn't homogenous - you're almost as likely to see your professor there as you are to see your classmate.

It's found in two campus locations: State Street near Nickel's Arcade and South University Avenue near the entrance to the Diag. There are also two on Main Street and three others on the outskirts of town. While six locations might seem like a lot, when you consider that there are nearly twice as many Starbucks in town, it seems like a rarity.

In each location, tables near the large front windows provide the perfect opportunity for people-watching while slowly sipping a cup of the house blend. Or if work needs to be done, patrons can go downstairs where it's quiet at the South University location or toward the back at the State Street location, where the rows of outlets are a welcome relief from the ruthless search for a table where you can plug in your laptop.

Also, the campus spots offer free wireless Internet, a big selling point over say, Starbucks, where access to the web via T-Mobile costs $9.99 for a day.

Espresso Royale first opened on the West Coast in 1987 and soon spread to college towns in seven different states. The cafe on State Street was the first Espresso Royale to open in Ann Arbor. In 2004, the second ERC near campus opened on South University.

The South University cafe, while slightly smaller, still presents the same friendly ambience for customers, as well as the same product selection. If you're looking for a meal that's heartier than just pastries and coffee, the parfait at ERC is better than it is anywhere else on campus.

College students are often so busy with school that they have little time to think of anything else. During finals week, it's important to have a relaxed atmosphere that's not as suffocating as the Grad or the Ugli but where you can still get work done. And while it's a chain, it's a chain with heart.

- Emily Barton