(cruisincoffee.com) – Bellingham, Washington 

How I heard of this place: Graduating from High School in June of 1993, a few of came to find a new, local drive-thru as we left school and made our way home. I sampled it, but wasn’t quite sold. When I began working at Horizon Air, back in 1999, having just returned from two years of living abroad in South Africa, a Cruisin Coffee, drive-thru espresso stand opened up across the street. Occasional lunches were spent eating one of their fine, fresh-made turkey sandwiches and broccoli-cheddar soup at bar seating just outside, or enjoying a white chocolate, raspberry iced mocha, or my new, favorite espresso treat: the Cool Coffee Cream. As more and more Cruisin stands opened up throughout Whatcom and Skagit Counties, I continued to patron-ize their establishments.

Type of cuisine: Cruisin Coffee offers coffee, espresso, hard ice-cream milkshakes, Italian sodas, fruit smoothies, fresh custom made deli sandwiches, delicious hot soups, breakfast bagels, muffins and a whole lot more! Drive thru any of their twelve stands for fast, friendly service, 24 hours a day.

 

Ambiance: An outdoor, drive-thru establishment, one expects very little by way of size and amenities. Cruisin Coffee, however, delivers! Not only can cars and trucks drive thru two sides for quicker service, but baristas walk out to cars to take orders as you wait in line, making processing of your payment and speedy delivery the new black. Now, the red and white pagoda is noticeable a mile away! Bringing coffee and snacks to your (car) door quickly, conveniently, deliciously.

What I ordered: Similar to most recent occasions, I ordered a 16-ounce Cool Coffee Cream ($5), a scrumptious blend of espresso, chocolate, ice cream, and crushed ice. (The Peanut Butter version is also quite tasty!)

What I loved: The whole kaboodle! The thick, chocolate-y, espresso-y, tast-y concoction had my brother-in-law, sister and I going back for more, day after day after day…

Why I loved it: The flavors are always consistent (delicious), the service friendly, the stands conveniently located and the process efficient!

Cost: Average ($3-$6 per espresso beverage)