Roadmap CoffeeWorks - Roastery, Tasting Room and Drive Thru — Restaurant in Lexington

We were in the middle of a long drive back to Georgia, and I was on the lookout for the next Sheetz off I-81. Fortunately, I saw a sign advertising this place, and decided what the heck?

I was impressed the second I walked in the door. In fact, before I walked in, as the outdoor seating looked very tranquil. If we had more time, we would probably have stayed a while.

This is a place to go if you actually care about coffee. I consider myself a connoisseur, so I was so excited to see the variety, and all the neat coffee gadgets they had for sale.

The baristas working that day were friendly. I got one of their premade chicken salad croissant sandwiches on the fly, and man, that was tasty.

My only regret is that I came at the wrong time. Because we were on a time schedule, albeit loose, but still wanted to get home, I went for what was on tap, or the drip coffee du jour. It was a dark roast, which personally I don't like dark roasts. They have this blend called Blue Ridge, which looked extremely delicious. I decided to go with an Americano with what selection they had and called it a day. That turned out pretty well actually, because the aftertaste was on point.

Sorry for the novel of a review, folks. I just love finds like these, and I enjoy...

I was super excited to start an overnight hike with a coffee flight from Roadmap - a bucket list item (I came from an hour away). When I tried to order they informed me that they weren’t serving flights because their sink was broken and they were unable to clean the mugs. I saw some disposable espresso/short coffee cups so I asked if I could just do a few short coffees instead. I was told “no, because there would be no way to ring it in.” I settled for a cup of the Blue Ridge Mountain blend and a consolation pastry which was pretty tasty. I left dissappointed nonetheless.

The interior is attractive - reminded me of a visitor center you’d see on a parkway. There was also a viewing window into the gigantic coffee brewery. The staff were pleasant enough but they were not very interactive. While I sat and drank my coffee a friendly gentleman came in to order and kept trying to make conversation about the antique espresso machine on display; but alas - the baristas only responded with smiles and one word answers. Sorry dude.

Anyhoo, I might try again if I’m ever...

The owner/ brewer/ roaster seems like an amazing guy! His knowledge of coffee- from source to cup- is impressive and really made the experience for me. He was able to bring out flavors and notes in the coffee I've never experienced before but to hear someone describe what you can expect really took things up a notch. I'm used to the chain coffee shops and this was truly a treat.

The building itself has a very cool vibe! Everything is clean, minimal but nice decor, and inviting. There's a small self guided tour that gives the customer insight on how the final cup comes together. There's no options for cup sizes and the cup of nitro cold brew that I had was a small and equal in price to a large from most other places but it tasted amazing. I told the owner, and I'm repeating it here, that the cup was without a doubt the most coffee tasting coffee I've ever had. I'm certain this is the first time I've actually tasted coffee, if that makes any sense.

This place is about 45 mins from where I live but I will absolutely be back. Wish I had...