Tis Me Michelle

It’s been a while since I tried out a new coffee shop. I recently invested in a Nespresso machine, so I’m trying to stay caffeinated at home. But ya know, sometimes you just want that cozy coffee shop vibe. After I dropped my folks off at the airport, I simply Google’d to find a coffee shop around my work area on the way in. XO Coffee came up not too out of the way, plus I hadn’t heard of it before and figured why not.

My parents’ flight was rather early, so it was still on the early side when I stopped by. No complaints by me, because I had the place to myself to take a look over the menu and check out the space. They had some seasonal drinks which all sounded delicious. Since it’s Florida, and even though the weather has been delightfully cooler here and there lately, it’s still Florida. So I opted for the specialty cold brew, a Sticky Toffee ‘Figgy Pudding’ cold brew that is. I asked for it with lighter sweetness, and it was absolutely delightful. The barista was great, accommodating, and answered my questions.

While I was checking out the space, I couldn’t help but notice a room, I knew what it looked like but I couldn’t help but wonder. So my question to the barista was… What’s that room over there? And just like I thought, it was a tattoo shop. Apparently, the owner of the coffee shop is also a tattoo artist. So you can come by to get a coffee AND a tattoo. Now that is a vibe, and that is my vibe.

Honestly, I’m a bit sad cause it’s in the area where I used to live and if I was still there, I’d be a regular. There’s been so much new stuff being built down that way… Since I’ve left. I’m glad to see gems coming in there though. It felt like I lived in the middle of nowhere and I always met people somewhere, but I would totally have friends meet me at this spot if it was there when I lived there. Now that I know it’s there, I would totally stop by since it’s pretty close to my work. I just don’t know that I could get a tattoo pre-work, ya know. So I’ll definitely have to make a trip otherwise.

What a great random find for me! Clearly, I plan to go back again. I’d love to try out more seasonal offerings. Grab a cup of joe and maybe leave with a tattoo…

Update: I’ve been here a few more times for their coffee, not a tattoo (yet). I definitely was super hype about the concept, that it may have overshadowed the quality. At this point, I’ve gone back a handful of times and tried a few different seasonal drinks. It’s not bad by any means, but not my favorite. Some of the flavor ideas have sounded amazing, but I’ve been left a bit disappointed in the execution. I actually think that the first cold brew I got is still my favorite. So in the spirit of keeping it honest, I’ve updated my rating.

Rating: 6.8/10