Critique of the Week – Coffee Pod and Simple Foods

Causing caffeine cravings throughout the valley. Photo by Trent Bates/UVU review

Hot cocoa practically flows out of the tap here in the Valley. Fruit punch prospers. Foamy root beer flourishes. Looking to get a little crazy? I hear six packs of Mountain Dew and other slightly caffeinated, non-alcoholic beverages are readily available at any of your local grocery stores with no I.D. required for purchase. But where can you go to get your java on? Utah County is not necessarily known for being the Café Central of the World, much less the state. When it comes to coffee shops, residents have never really had many options. They still don’t, but they have had one more option ever since Provo’s Coffee Pod and Simple Foods opened in the fall of 2008.

Located at 426 W. 1230 N., Coffee Pod is a haven for those seeking a hot cup of joe and somewhere to hang out. Coffee Pod’s motto is “More than just a coffee shop,” which makes perfect sense at a place where one can surf the Internet, buy locally made crafts, trade in an old book for a new book, and eat a bowl of mac and cheese. Want to have a party at the Pod? Call them and they will accommodate.

If you’re feeling especially moody and “writerly,” go ahead and order your black coffee and stay in the corner composing highly abstract poetry in that Moleskine notebook. If you’re feeling more adventurous, try one of Coffee Pod’s many unique drinks, such as the Mexi Mocha (espresso, milk, and mexichocolate) and Almond Joy (coconut almond mocha). For a slightly smaller buzz, sip on your choice of tea. Don’t want to break the Word of Wisdom? You don’t have to. Coffee Pod offers Italian and cream sodas along with, yes, the beloved hot chocolate.

I’ve tried it before, but apparently you can’t survive on coffee alone. Turns out your body needs food to survive. Coffee Pod’s food menu is impressive for a locally owned coffee shop. I am used to most coffee shops in the area offering muffins and biscottis as their only source of sustenance. Coffee Pod also offers muffins and biscottis, but they also have a plethora of other options. Baked potatoes, pot pies, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and cupcakes are just a few of the items on their menu. The prices aren’t incredibly low for the food, but the fact that much of it is organic and natural makes up for it.

Bottom line: If you want to expand your coffee shop horizons and eat a bowl of soup while you’re at it, head over to the Coffee Pod and Simple Foods for your java fix and more. And there you have it. The Coffee Pod in a nutshell.

Coffee Pod and Simple Foods
426 W. 1230 N. Provo
Open Mon.-Sat. 5:30 a.m. – 9 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.