Cups

Fantastic locally owned and operated coffeehouse. All of the Cups coffeehouses in the Jackson area are wonderful.

I moved to Jackson about a month ago to do research for my dissertation and like many graduate students, I am versed in all things coffee shop. After researching the few coffee shops in the city, I decided to check out Cups because it has a number of rave reviews. I’m generally skeptical of such reviews of coffee shops because they usually reference over-​mixed and over-​sweetened drinks and not the other qualities that make for a great coffee shop (i.e. caring/​knowledgeable baristas, seating, ambiance, # of outlets, etc.). This morning I visited Cups on Lakeland Drive. I was immediately appreciative of the number of seating options and electrical outlets at this location. However, my main concern was the coffee. I tend to judge coffee shops the way I judge cooks. If you can cook a good egg over-​easy/​medium then there’s hope for you. In the same vein, if you can make a good Americano, then I’m a fan.
I have learned (through trial and error) that when ordering Americanos I should inquire about the size of the mugs used, lest I end up with a severely watered down drink. Good thing I did so at Cups, because the deep mugs they use would have no doubt resulted in my drinking a tea-​like coffee substance. Even after instructing the barista to make my drink half full with water, it was still over watered and lacking in depth of flavor. Over-​watered Americanos (the bane of my graduate student existence) are the coffee equivalent of Chicago deep-​dish pizza; both make a mess of classic dishes. I followed my weak Americano with a cup of drip coffee. The beans were floral in flavor, a flavor profile am not a fan of. This was no fault of Cups. I just prefer earth tones when it comes to my coffee.
The saving grace for this place was the seating and the large amounts of natural light that beams throughout. Even with my critiques of the place, I can see myself visiting again. However, next time I’ll be more explicit about my choice of beans.

I’ve been here twice and both times my Blondie Lattes have been very good and the barista’s have been friendly and efficient. I am already a big fan of the Cups in Clinton and now I can add this Lakeland location to my list of favorite coffeehouses.

I went there yesterday and I love this quaint little place. I got the chocolate/​caramel frappé with espresso. Plus I got the monster cookie which has M&Ms, chocolate chunks with oatmeal in it. Also it didn’t cost alot either.

Good coffee. Great central place to meet
is also a perfect place for a first-​date!

Good coffee but during my last couple of visits the baristas have not been very friendly. I almost feel bad for ordering and making them work. I’ll keep coming back (when I’m in town) for the coffee though.

I absolutely love this Cups location. The only negative is the wifi isn’t always perfect. Now that that’s out of the way– this place is awesome. I came here mostly when it was under management of the previous manager, but even now, it’s still awesome. This location just gives off a comforting low-​key vibe and there’s the back room for when you’re with a group and want to be somewhat isolated. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. And, of course, I love them even more because they take the EatJXN card for the free upsize. I’m a huge fan of the granita with all it’s icy creamy goodness.

I am a fan of Cups but this location is one I don’t visit often. I came in to do some work and the wifi didn’t work and the barista wasn’t friendly.

I stopped by here last month with my wife for a late morning coffee. The inside of this place looks much like you would expect from any coffee place with soothing colors and smaller tables. The barrista that we had seemed to be a really nice guy and I ordered a large Americano from him. He took his time (in a good way) making the drink while leveling out the coffee in the portafilter. I thought that my Americano was good. It had a nice flavor and no bitterness at all but it was not as strong as I would have liked.
The bottom line for me is that I would stop by here again in the future. I enjoyed the friendliness of the barrista and while the coffee wasn’t as strong as I would have liked it did have some good flavor to it.

A nice coffee and teas shop. Since I don’t drink coffee I had the London Fog tea, it was heavenly. I had never had this before but now I am craving another so I will have to find places where I live to get my fix.

I’ve never felt particularly close to cups, for whatever reason. This store is no different. The coffee is good, the prices are OK, the people are nice, but again, I just have never really felt a connection. Of course, you may wonder what feeling a connection has to do with a rating/​review, but I find that important in my coffee selection. I admit I’m mostly a coffee snob, but I’d rather settle for subpar coffee and something that felt right. I’m going to give them four stars though because I think it is hard for them in Jackson and the staff is generally nice.