First week of school first week of school!

To get into the school spirit, I am going to review a classic college coffee shop, Georgetown’s very own Midnight Mug.

Located in one of the ugliest libraries in America, the Midnight Mug is a student run coffee shop open until 2:00 AM Sunday - Wednesday, 12:00 AM on Thursday, and 6:00 PM on Friday and Saturday (during the academic year). I don't know what it is about this city, but every college campus in D.C. must have decided to build libraries in 1965 with a complete lack of funding. Take a look:

Georgetown University Library

Now they don't show that on the brochures.

American University's library isn't any better:

American University Library

And what about George Washington University:

George Washington University Library

Ick.

Although, the Library of Congress certainly makes up for what the universities' libraries lack:

Library of Congress: Exterior

Library of Congress: Interior

If those university libraries were an accurate representation of D.C. architecture I would leave this city immediately. Luckily, here in the nation's capital we are privileged to live alongside some of the world's finest architecture. Let's take a peek:

NOW BACK TO THE COFFEE!

Where were we before my architecture tangent? Oh yeah. The Midnight Mug. Located in Georgetown University's ugly library.

Midnight Mug: Exterior

Midnight Mug: Interior

As an AU alum, you might think I am being a little bias with this post, especially after praising AU's Dav last week, but I take my coffee credentials seriously. I am giving the coffee a bad review because their coffee tastes like dirt.

The coffee shop itself is fine, a few worn in couches, nice student atmosphere, an easy place to study and socialize, but there are very few times I am given a cup of coffee and actually can't drink it. When I went to the Midnight Mug to visit a friend who worked there she made me a latte and said I must try their salt bagels. So I did! The nice thing about the Midnight Mug is that they have a wide and varied selection of sandwiches, bagels, and baked goods so you can have something to get rid of that disgusting coffee taste in your mouth.

After getting my drink I sat down to study and sip. I sipped, and I spat. It was gross. Flavorless. I shouldn't say flavorless actually, it had quite a strong flavor, just not of coffee. It tasted like dirt was ground along with the coffee beans and then burnt to a crisp, brewed, and served.

I felt bad. My good friend brewed this up just for me, and I couldn't stand it. (I hope she doesn't read this post). I  gave it to another girl I was with to see if it was just me or if it was really that awful. She could barley swallow the drink. Case in point.

Little by little the two of us, giggling as girls do, poured the latte into the trash to make it look like we were enjoying it, as to not offend our friend. When the latte was "gone" we went to get iced coffees thinking they can't possibly be worse.

We were right. They were not worse, but equally as revolting.

I'm not sure what it is that makes the coffee there so terrible, by my suggestion to the incoming students is to travel a mile up the road to AU's Dav and get a real cup of coffee.

And to show a little respect for a wonderful school, they do have some exquisite architecture:

...Just not the library (which was supposed to be a modern design based on the building pictured above).