There are two more recently established coffee shops in the Five Corners area. Read below for a breakdown of each shop, a sampling of their items, and our personal favorites.

Boxcar:

Even at 10am on a Thursday, the bakery was bustling. The room was full of individuals and families coming in to grab breakfast or sit down for a bite to eat. The community feeling was bolstered by the food drive box by the drink station. Silver snowflakes hanging from the ceiling gave a little seasonal flair to the bright, airy, modern interior. No music played, but the hum of people blurred into a background noise while we chatted at a table. And if the noise is too much for you, there were also people working at the counters along the wall with headphones on. Walking up to the bakery counter, we could see people baking in the back, with trays on trays of baked goods stacked on racks. The people ahead of us chatted with the employees, and regulars seemed to be a typical sight. 

Baked Good Profile: Banana Chocolate Hazelnut Scone 

The worst thing a scone can be is dry and flavorless. Boxcar’s scone was the opposite. The crumb was almost cakey, while still being crumbly enough to feel like a scone. The outside was crisp and encrusted with chunky sparkling sugar, providing a great contrast to the soft inside. The chopped hazelnuts added another dimension of texture, although their flavor did not stand out compared to the chocolate and banana. The banana flavor was warm and tasted just like classic banana bread, and the chocolate was rich but not to the point of making it feel like dessert.

Baked Good Profile: Cinnamon Twist

The cinnamon twist caught my eye as soon as I looked at the array of treats at the counter. On the flavor factor, it deserved a 4 out of 5. It was buttery and cinnamony, but personally, more cinnamon sugar isn’t a bad thing. As far as texture, even better! 4.5 out of ten, flaky on the outside, soft in the middle, but a little messy. Totally worth getting crumbs on your pants.

Drink Profile: Chai Latte

The latte had a good balance between the flavor of black tea and the spices. The tea flavor was a little bit fruity, which was a nice complement to the spices.

Drink Profile: Mocha

Here, I ordered the first of three mocha lattes I drank that day. The flavor was there and mocha-y, this I highly appreciated, however, as a cold coffee drinker typically, I was hoping for an iced version. I appreciated this drink further due to its temperature, my tongue was scarred but grateful. Overall, the drink was delicious and I would give it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Nomad:

Nomad is the smallest of the three bakeries, and it is the quietest.  It was bright and colorful, with art on the walls and homemade holiday decorations made with marshmallows and popcorn strung along the windows and hanging above a table.  The shop was also closing early, at 1pm, due to staffing issues. Maybe because of this, the pastry case was the smallest of the three shops. Mellow yet upbeat music filled the room, and plants softened the bright colors. Very cheery and calm. If you’re looking for a quiet place to work, this is the place for you.

Baked Good Profile: Cream Cheese Danish

The cream cheese frosting was lightly orange-flavored, adding a freshness to the decadence of this

 danish. The pastry was crisp on the outside, with a strong buttery flavor. The inside was mostly hollow, with a traditional danish filling on the bottom. It was the kind of food that you need to take apart to eat. The frosting looked beautiful, but it was a little too much for me. Sandwiching the frosting between the pastry made for an ideal eating experience.

Baked Good Profile: Chocolate Croissant

What’s better than a croissant? A croissant with chocolate… maybe? So, of course, I had to order one. It was super crumbly and delicious. The texture was a 5/5, and the flavor I would place as a 4/5, overall a 4.5/5. 

Drink Profile: Iced Chai Latte

This drink was not too sweet, and had a much stronger spice flavor than tea flavor. I really liked it, but it did not have quite as much tea flavor as I was expecting. It is an ideal drink for someone venturing into the world of tea.

Drink Profile: Iced Mocha

This drink was not the most mocha-y by any means, but luckily every shop had a bar of sweeteners and milks. With some sweetener added in, it was a super enjoyable drink, just not what I expected. Nomad’s mocha gets bonus points because of the iced option. 

Nest:

The Nest is more bohemian than the other two coffee shops. It seems like something you would find in Burlington rather than Five Corners. Eclectic art and old license plates cover the walls, and a large table in the center of the shop conjures images of lively conversations. Conversations certainly were happening around the shop, with a group of students clustered in the small room branching off from the main shop and two college students chatting on the couch near the front window. There was a slightly musty smell in the air, but it fit with the bookish vibe. If you want to work on schoolwork, the open wifi is a bonus.

Baked Good Profile: Banana Bread

The banana bread, like many of the other foods at The Nest, 

other than their signature egg treat, is a classic. It was moist, lightly spiced, and reminiscent of cozy mornings at home. If you ever need to grab something to eat on the way to school, the packaging is helpful.

Baked Good Profile: Chocolate Croissant

To be more accurate in my comparisons, another chocolate croissant was grabbed. I must say, it was a smidgen better than the one eaten at Nomad, however, it was comparable. Much like Nomad, I thought the chocolate in the middle was slightly too much, but it was delectable nonetheless. It was soft but had a nice flake to the exterior and felt warm in my soul.

Drink Profile: Chai Latte

The latte had a nice layer of foam on top. It had the strongest tea flavor, which verged on bitterness, and it lacked the spiciness that I look for in a chai latte. 

Drink Profile: Mocha

I almost burned my mouth, but coffee is not without its risks. It was an enjoyable drink overall but not as flavorful as Boxcar. The drink did carry on that homey feeling and paired nicely with the baked good.

Let’s compare:

Anna:

Favorite food: For a great regular baked good with a twist, Boxcar Bakery is my favorite. For a more decadent treat, I loved the danish from Nomad. All three shops had good food, but be aware that only Boxcar lists their food prices on the tags. 

Favorite drink: My favorite chai latte was Boxcar’s, because it was the best all-around latte.

Favorite ambience: The Nest was my favorite location. The volume straddled the line between too quiet and too loud to sit down and have a conversation, and the variety of seating arrangements made it feel cozy. 

Overall favorite: Boxcar Bakery was my overall favorite. While all three shops have their own quirks that make them the best for different people or different situations, Boxcar Bakery is the place I will go whenever I want something sweet. 

Ella:

Favorite food: I thought all of the food was amazing across the board. Much like Anna, I really appreciated that prices were on the foods at Boxcar. This might be a tie between the cinnamon twist from Boxcar, the chocolate croissant from Nest, and the cream cheese danish from Nomad.

Favorite drink: My favorite coffee was from Boxcar. I ordered a mocha at all three and Boxcar had the best flavor. However, Nomad had an iced version, and as someone who is typically a cold coffee drinker, I appreciated that.

Favorite ambience: This one I have ranked. If I were to decorate, my style goes along with that of Boxcar, and I like how light and modern it is there. 

Overall favorite: Overall, my favorite shop has to be Boxcar Bakery. Between well put-together decor, a wide food range, tall ceilings, good flavors, and priced goods of moderate cost, it takes the cake.