Coffee: one of the core food groups of a typical college student.

In a town like State College where there are multiple options to choose from, Vibe Coffee Co. has opened its doors as an alternative to traditional staples like Starbucks, Dunkin’, Webster’s, and more.

Located at the base of The Graduate on South Atherton Street, Vibe Coffee Co. is finally open. Some of our most caffeinated staffers ventured over to see what the new shop is serving up.

Emma Kappel: Grilled Stickie Latte

During my time at Penn State, I’ve considered how brilliant the idea of a coffee shop inspired by Happy Valley classics would be. Nittany Lion Nitro Cold Brew, White Out Mocha, Coach Franklin Frappuccino, Sweet Caroline Chai? I mean, come on.

So, when I saw the Grilled Sticky Latte on Vibe’s menu, my mind was already set. I ordered a 20 oz iced Grilled Sticky Latte with oat milk. The kind barista coaxed me into oat milk after she had complimented my newly thrifted jeans, and I just couldn’t say no to the expensive nut milk, plus an added tip.

The initial glance of the drink is good — a little dark in color for a signature latte, but the douse of cinnamon on top was a cute homage to the State College delicacy. I’m not sure if I like the drink, which probably means I don’t.

But at the same time, I’m willing to try it again. I can’t exactly tell if they gave me whole milk or oat milk, considering oat milk has a pretty strong taste in lattes. This is a syrup-heavy drink with pumps of caramel and cinnamon dolce. When I eventually get around to the taste of the espresso, it’s good. All in all, with its convenient location on west Beaver, kind employees, and small business charm, I can say that the Vibe is worth a try.

Colleen Nersten: Iced Pumpkin Spice Latte

I was impressed with my visit to Vibe Coffee Co. As a former Graddy Daddy resident, I appreciate Vibe putting the west side of Atherton on the map. It’s a convenient location to grab coffee before class for everyone living on West Beaver. The employees were extremely friendly and even remembered the names of people who’ve come in earlier this week. Customer service that good sets this place apart from other places in State College.

The coffee shop isn’t particularly large, but the owners maximized the space with bar seating lining the windows, and I can see myself doing work there in the future. The drink itself had a strong pumpkin flavor, which is a good thing in my book. Hot PSLs are always better than iced PSLs, so iced was a weird choice on my part. But, the flavors were really good, and it wasn’t overly sweetened. I’m looking forward to going back and trying simpler drinks to really see what the beans are all about.

Ryan Parsons: Coffee

I’m a big fan of this place! I just got a coffee, and it was pretty good. I’m usually a big asshole and a coffee snob, but I was a fan of their batch brew. I wish I ordered something fancier (the menu had lots of good-looking stuff on it), but I was in a bit of a rush and just went with a classic black bean juice.

The baristas were very friendly and chatted with me about their coffee and asked me about my day, which honestly isn’t very common at some coffee shops. I live close by, so I’ll be back soon for sure.

Charles Reinert: Vanilla Iced Latte

I used to be a huge coffee drinker, but these days, I’ve tried to adopt a healthier lifestyle and drink solely water (along with the occasional adult beverage). However, this new place may have me get back on the coffee train. I’m a resident of the Graduate, and having this in the lobby is both super convenient and super tempting each time I leave for class.

The iced coffee I got was super tasty and strong, just the way I like it. Plus, the interior of the place was super nice and so was the staff. Bonus points to Vibe Coffee Co. for playing Frank Sinatra. I will definitely be coming back again in the future.