Custom House Coffee, Middletown, RI

Custom House Coffee is located on Route 138A in Middletown, RI, a road commonly used when traveling to Newport. It is located in one of the many strip malls along the road and is tucked between a pizza restaurant and a thrift shop. There is a Dunkin Donuts four plazas down the road. 

Custom House offers both indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoors there was a small patio with six tables, and indoors there was a bar-like area against the front windows to sit at, as well as another half dozen tables in the back. Outside there was one couple, and inside there were 8 customers, 7 of which were women.

 After browsing the menu and several display cases for a few minutes, I ordered a small, light roast coffee. The food, which consisted of gourmet sandwiches, salads, quiches, fruit, desserts, and snacks, looked fresh and delicious, but was a bit pricey (for a college student). As I sat down, I was pleased to see a "book swap" in the corner, where you could borrow a book to read for free while you were in the shop. My coffee was strong, but delicious!

As I drank my coffee and flipped through a local newspaper, I overheard the man behind me talking to the Barista about the quality of the coffee they brew at Custom House. As she began explaining to him that Custom House was not only a coffee shop, but also a roastery, I turned around in my chair and joined their conversation. She explained that they roast all the coffee that they serve right there, coffee which is from countries such as Kenya, Jamaica, Ethiopia, and Peru. Not only can you buy a cup of coffee from any one of these countries, but you can also purchase coffee beans by the pound or half pound (see above picture). Custom House also has a free coffee tasting from 1pm to 3pm every Saturday!

Not only will I definitely return to Custom House because of the quality of the coffee, but I also hope to be able to attend one of the coffee tastings someday!

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