When I first started school at Texas Tech, I was looking for a good coffee shop to study and spend…read moremy time at. For a while, whenever I asked for recommendations, I was always told J&B Coffee. I went there for the first time in 2022 believing they would be the coffee that saved me and truly show me what West Texas coffee roasters and brewers have to offer. Oh buddy, I was wrong.
I want to start by saying the atmosphere of J&B is incredible. Inside feels like a time capsule to the early 2000s coffee craze with their beverage menu written on a chalkboard, the brick and wood decor, the massive windows bringing natural light into the building, and the space being large and welcoming. There are a few areas to choose from at J&B which include the busy and social front space, the back room for focus and quiet, the upstairs conference room for group meetings, and the outdoor wrap around seating that is typically shaded for a nice afternoon chat. The staff is always very friendly especially with how slammed J&B seems to be on a frequent basis with a line usually reaching the door. Their aesthetic is extremely welcoming. It is like a mistrusting hug. A false sense of comfort before you actually get your beverages.
Regardless of getting an espresso based beverage hot or iced, I think it is the worst coffee in Lubbock. I have gotten grounds in my coffee, burnt beans, and straight up unfinishable beverages from J&B, and it is disappointing every time.
Last time I went, I tried the Sopapilla Latte which was their September Cause Drink featuring horchata powder, honey, and cinnamon, and it just did not do it for me again. My girlfriend and I went back to see if anything had improved, but our verdict remained the same which was not good.
I was an officer in an organization at Tech and during our meetings one officer always suggested J&B. We would go biweekly and their beverages became so unbearable to me that I started exclusively ordering London Fogs to avoid espresso. They started recognizing me for ordering London Fogs frequently.
Their pastries are usually pretty good. I have had banana nut bread and blueberry muffins from there that are excellent. They also have a kitchen where they serve sandwiches and other items that people seem to enjoy. I have not tried a meal there.
My girlfriend told me she had to stop going to J&B because the smell was so putrid to her. She described it as a coffee smell that was not aromatic and warm but comparable to a coffee left on the counter with creamer in it until it reaches its lukewarm state of tragic existence. You could leave J&B in the evening and sometimes the glorious smell of cow dookie blowing in the wind like Bob Dylan would be comparable to being inside. It is like visiting that one buddy who swears he is not addicted to the broccoli and you throw your clothes in the washer and pray the smell leaves your cotton tees.
I do like that they are open pretty late compared to the other heavy hitters in Lubbock. I was working on my graduate thesis and needed to get out of the house after many hours at the library, so I opted for J&B. It worked for that experience, but I ordered a tea.
Another plus is their massive cork bulletin board which makes J&B a perfect hub for finding events in the community, clubs and organizations for the hoards of college kids stepping inside every week, and more like piano lessons or people needing someone to join a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. They also host a lot of events from live music to trivia and comedy shows which is also pretty awesome.
After this last visit, I finished my latte and found remaining grounds in my coffee. It was disappointing because their space deserves love for being a perfect hub of productivity, but they do not have the product to back it up.
A lot of people I know do not go to J&B as their personal choice. Someone else always suggests it for a group project or meeting, and then you find out they only come for the J&B Arnold Palmer which leaves you choosing between the most mediocre espresso drink of your life. A triple bogey.
I want to love J&B more, I really do, but it continues to haunt the residents of Lubbock and the students of Texas Tech. It welcomes you with a beautiful atmosphere then reveals itself to be a heel with its evil all along coffee. A wolf in sheep's clothing. A wolf in an apron, maybe?
RIYL: Torturing your partners in a group project but loving a good atmosphere.
