Campus provides assortment of coffee

College is a time to explore many things: identity, clubs and organizations, different philosophies or Los Angeles. Though USC is a great place to explore these things, it’s also a great place to explore something even more important, especially to college students: coffee. Every student has his or her favorite coffee stop, and many are found around campus.

Ground Zero Performance Café

This student-run coffee shop, located behind Marks Tower and Trojan Hall, is a campus favorite. Ground Zero Performance Café is everything people would want their college coffee shop to be, with open mic nights, slam poetry, band nights and comedy by night. It’s also a great place to relax or study by day. In addition, Ground Zero has a unique menu, the most popular items being the milkshakes, which feature many awesome combinations, including the Funfetti Cake Shake, which actually tastes just like Funfetti cake mix, Everything But the Girl Scout, which tastes like Thin Mints, and the very popular Five-Dollar Shake, which is a mix of peanut butter cups and oreos. The shakes are a must, but Ground Zero also has a variety of hot and cold beverages that’ll keep anyone wired, like the All-Nighter, which features two shots of espresso, chai, vanilla and steamed milk. Plus, it has the cheapest coffee on campus at $1.50 for hot or iced, but pro-tip: bring a reusable cup, and the cup of coffee is only $1.25.

The Café at Annenberg

The newest coffee shop on campus, The Café provides a unique experience reminiscent of a European coffee shop. Featuring the fresh grounds of illy beans, along with macarons, pastries and gelato, The Cafe has a fresh menu full of different espresso drinks that can’t be found anywhere else on campus. It also boasts of a killer menu of sandwiches, soups and salads, like the roasted chicken salad that will always be better than a Seeds salad, or the three cheese panini. Since The Cafe is fairly new, the line is never too long, so it’s definitely a great choice.

Literatea

For those that are not into coffee, don’t panic. Literatea, located behind Doheny Library, while still serving coffee, has a stellar menu of fine teas, from black to green and herbal to oolong. It also offers delicious iced tea lemonade drinks, as well as tea lattes, and other snacks and pastries. It has a cozy aesthetic that’s perfect for curling up with a book and studying, and it also has pots of tea available to share with friends either inside or outside in the courtyard, which may or may not feel like Hogwarts.

Nature’s Brew

While technically not on the USC campus, Nature’s Brew makes this list because USC students are always around. The small cafe, located on Union Avenue off of Hoover, is a great spot for well-made coffee and pastries. Everything is made fresh, from the juices and smoothies to the tasty vegan cookies, and the sandwiches and salads are always delicious. On occasion there’s live music or even comedy, usually put on by USC students, which never disappoint.

Nékter at Shop Café

Nestled in Roski, Nékter offers something that no other coffee shop on campus does: In addition to menu items such as smoothies, juice and cold brew coffee and a variety of other coffee drinks, makes Nékter an excellent stop with a fruity twist. It also offers some scrumptious pastries. However, if you’re stopping by and ordering an açaí bowl or smoothie, be sure to have a lot of time to kill or order ahead with Tapingo. Otherwise, the line might take up to 20 minutes.

Law School Cafe

Hidden in the basement of the law school, the Law School Cafe is a gem. With a full menu of food and drinks, it’s the only place on campus to serve boba with milk tea or thai tea. It also has an awesome menu of salads, sandwiches and rice bowls — a delicious salmon and avocado rice bowl only costs $8, which beats Campus Center any day. That and the fact that there’s cozy indoor and outdoor seating, makes this place one to visit. Plus, there’s never a line.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Be warned, the Coffee Bean can be a hit or miss place on campus. During busy hours, the drinks can sometimes be subpar, but when there’s no line and the time is put into the drinks, they usually get it right. Coffee Bean has three different locations on campus: one in the School of Cinematic Arts, one in Campus Center, as well as a cart in the old Annenberg building. The SCA Coffee Bean is definitely the top location, with beautiful outdoor seating in the SCA courtyard, providing a great view of the fountain and amazing architecture.

Tutor Hall Cafe

Tutor Hall Cafe, at Ronald Tutor Hall in Viterbi, has an excellent variety of food, from Indian cuisine to a banh mi sandwich. It’s an awesome place to grab some ramen or a sandwich with friends, as there’s indoor and outdoor seating and also a coffee bar with a variety of drinks. However, the coffee drinks here are pretty standard, with normal lattes, iced coffees and teas. Though not the best place for those who desire a specialty latte, it’s still a great environment.

Popovich Cafe

Popovich Cafe is a cozy shop inside Popovich Hall near the business school. Grab a great panini, salad, soup or even some Jamba Juice, and then order a nice cup of joe. Similar to Tutor Hall Cafe, the coffee drinks here are also pretty standard, so don’t expect an extensive menu.

Trojan Grounds

While Trojan Grounds aka the Starbucks aka Trogro, conveniently located next to Leavey Library and many of the freshman dorms, can be filled with memories of late night coffee runs, there is always a line out the door. Sorry, but Tapingo won’t help here since sometimes that has a 20 minute wait if not more. The best times to go are before 8 a.m. and after 6 p.m. to grab wide varieties of snacks, sandwiches and coffee … Even at 3 a.m.