Tazza Mia

I was pretty excited when they opened this location at Rivercenter. We have a Starbucks nearby, but I love to see a more local option. I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but they make a great hot cocoa and today I noticed they have a frozen yogurt bar!

The real problem about this Tazza Mia isn’t the store, which is actually great, but instead getting to the store, which isn’t a problem if you work in one of the many industrial and office buildings surrounding it, but it’s an epic journey of pain and suffering when you’re there for a meeting with someone who works in one of the many industrial and office buildings surrounding it.
I had a meeting with a guy who worked in Covington, so I thought since the Tazza Mia downtown was one of my go-​to spots to meet with people, this would be a nice substitution. Only trying to drive down into the area was a nightmare — busses coming at you from all angles, one way street nonsense and tons of people just dashing out into the street to cross it. Seriously idiots, I don’t know if you know this, but cars? They will hit you.
Once I got there, though, I was even more annoyed. There was no parking except for the giant lot across the street. I did two drivethroughs looking for a meter, and could not find one. At this point I was running late, so I paid $ 3 for two hours of parking. Not really big in the long-​run, however I was only going to be there for about half an hour and at worstthat would have cost me .75 cents in a meter. Again, not a huge complaint, but annoying all the same.
I ran across the street to the shop, which is located on the bottom floor of a monsterously tall building. There is a beautiful patio outside with tables and chairs and it’s perfect for buisnesspeople watching as you enjoy your coffee. I saw a funny old man with a cane do just that.
The store was just what I wanted, actually. Quiet, peaceful and a little bit funky (they kept switching from playing Michael Jackson to what sounded like the Batman soundtrack … and I kind of loved it). You could order your regular blend of Tazza teas and coffees (which are always great) and then I think I saw someone making a salad over by the right of the counter. That was a new one to me.
In the adjoining room to the coffee bar were tons of tables to sit and do work. The only real issue I had was the Internet kept cutting out and eventually I had to use my USB connection. Not cool, but oh well.
I’m conflicted about this review, but I think I have to give it three stars, because this is not a location I want to come back to — simply for the mess of driving. If it was in a better part of Covington, you bet I’m there. And for the businessmen in the area, fantastic! But for your everyday you and I, it’s just not practical. Sorry Tazza, I still love your downtown one more than anything.

Seeing a Tazza Mia van perusing aroung the «Nati» is a frequent experience. One which has sparked many conversations… with myself. «Self. What is this Tazza Mia place? Is it a distibutor? Is it a coffee shop?. We should check this out some time.» So, you can imagine after several sightings, me, myself and I got tired of having this extremely redundant conversation and decided to do some reconnaissance.
I was worried at first. I am still looking for a place to fill the void from my favorite coffee shop/​work space closing. The «coffee shop» dating scene was getting old. So many teas and coffees have courted me, but the perfect match had yet to be found. I was hoping this would be it. It was lunch time, so this would be the true test. Would it be too loud to make calls, too busy to focus or would the menu offerings be too lame for my picky palette? Sigh. so many factors to consider. Well folks, Tazza Mia scored high on this inspectors rate card.
The gentleman behind the counter was so very patient and helpful with all of my questions. They had so many choices of teas and coffees to choose from. I opted for the Peach Green Tea. So good! I had already eaten, but I couldn’t help but eye the beautiful Create Your Own Salad bar. I filed, saved-​as that bit of info for the next Tazza Mia visit. The wi-​fi connection remained an uninterrupted stream of world wide web connectivity. The comfy chairs in the back of the store facilitated a constructive calling, productive emailing, ergonomic environment. I was very pleased. As I left, I thanked the kind gentleman behind the counter and stamped all items of concern with gold stars that I so conventiently carry in my back pocket for such occassions.
The only recommendation I can make to anyone venturing out this tea haven is to pack some quarters for parking. With all the businesses and on-​street residential parking, finding space for your vehicle is a but of a hassle. The 30 minute meters right outside the Tazza Mia doors are your best choice.

AWESOME. A local shop with locally roasted beans, trained and artistic baristas who are NICE and personable, REALLY good lunch food — sandwiches and custom-​built salads which is SO great ($ 7.50 for a sandwich/​chips/​16oz fountain drink), and a nice environment to sit in. Baristas steam the milk until it’s nice and creamy, and it makes for an amazing latte. The espresso roast is VERY nutty but smooth, and the nuttiness is enhanced by some of the flavors you could put in it (I really noticed it with the white chocolate). I prefer a plain latte for this reason and love it.
This location also offers specials early in the morning for the early birds.
My only complaint would be parking — they’re in the convention center area so there’s only 5 street parking spots which are usually taken by some convention-​goer, in which case garage parking is the only option and that means I skip it. (I don’t see it being worth it to pay another $.50-​$ 1.00 to walk inside for 5 minutes or less.)