Monomyth Coffee — Restaurant in Lubbock

The Monomyth in Lubbock Texas:

Nowadays I find myself in the Yee-Haw part of the state. That means that the coffee can double as paint thinner, and the coffee shops are designed off of prisons. Recently however, I had the chance to see Don Giovanni in Lubbock Texas, where the person who played Don Octavio stole the show. He then took me to The Monomyth.

Not only was the shop not a prison, but the coffee didn't come with its own chemical code. While that is all well and good, it invites something different to fill the gap, hipsters, and hipsters they were. Styled beards, flannel shirts, flared mustaches, light leather boots, jeans, and man buns. I felt as if I was behind enemy lines and it was difficult for me to get my bearings. I'm not fluent in hipster, but I can hold a conversion, so I was confident in my ability to order.

"Should I do drip or bar"

"We have a single origin Honduras on Bar" which caused Don Octavio's eyes to shoot out lasers and him to rip off his shirt revealing the Honduran Flag tatted on his chest. At least that's how I imagine he felt as a Honduras native.

"Sounds good, I'll have a latte"

He corrected me, "You'll have a cap"

And a cappuccino I had. It was what I wanted, I just didn't know. A near perfect barista experience where they can size me up and correct my order based on what they know they have and what they think I want. As for the drink itself, the milk was over steamed with visible bubbles, and while there was foam art, it would have benefited from a slower initial pour. However, the espresso did a hard carry. The sweetness melded with the sour to make a thoroughly enjoyable drink. If I were to go again I would get just the espresso, the milk only took away from what I can surmise to be the unyielding power...

I am just reviewing the coffee. I have never been to the actual café. It was an early morning in Lubbock, and I was preparing to do one of the hardest things I've ever had to do - move my child into a dorm 5 hours away from home, and leave her there. We were staying in a VRBO that we'd rented for the secure garage space, and in all the worrying about taking care of what my daughter needed, I'd forgotten to pack my favorite coffee with all it's little fancy dressings. I rummaged through the kitchen in the rental to find typical grocery store coffee....and then an almost empty white bag with red lettering. Something about chocolate and berry...yadda yadda. I opened the bag and it smelled pretty good so I decided to give it a shot. I set the coffee pot to brew then got ready. I came back to the finished pot, and poured myself a cup. Now, I typically drink my coffee with lots of milk and sweetener... anything to cut through the sharp, acidic bite. I had nothing but a packet of Splenda to work with. I added the packet, clinked the spoon around the cup a few times to dissolve the sweetener, and braced myself for the first bitter jolt...but it wasn't bitter - it was SMOOTH! The smoothest coffee I had ever had - was this really coffee? I didn't need creamer. And the flavors that came through - chocolaty, fruity deliciousness, I probably could have left out the sweetener. It was such a pleasant surprise, I grabbed the bag and committed the name to memory, "Monomyth: Champions' Blend." I vowed to order some as soon as the craziness of the dorm move in had passed and my regular life resumed. To the folks at Monomyth, thanks for making a product that was there for me when I'd forgotten to be there for myself. I'll have to visit the cafe the next time...

Best Independent Coffee Shop according to USA Today

Monomyth Roasters was ranked as the best independent coffee shop within the United States in one of the newspapers I don’t really read so I decided to give them a try. Turns out they’re local to the Lubbock area and only a 15 minute walk east on Broadway from Memorial Circle at Texas Tech.

Going in, I was appreciative of their advice when it came to finding something full bodied but also light enough on the palate so I’d want to drink multiple cups. They recommended the El Nevado de Huila, a Colombian varietal blend harvested in the Southwestern volcanic soil of the country.

The Panela is very front heavy but reminds me of a Pan Dulce from San Antonio. The peanut butter isn’t as noticeable but it rounds out the Panela so it’s not overpowering. The back of the throat is hit with the acidic sweetness that’s not astringent and very enjoyable.

I used the James Hoffman ratio of 1/18 with my Aeropress and used water just off the boil. I don’t have a gooseneck kettle but I have gotten better at controlling the flow with a standard measuring cup. This is one of the few cups I’ve made where I haven’t wanted to add any cream. Overall...