Starbucks Coffee (University) Avg. 6.8

Walking in, it's your standard typical Starbucks. Everything is cookie-cutter fabulous and exactly as it would be at some other location over 1K miles away.

The equipment is the ever-depressing Saeco Verisimo 440 Superautomatic.

The drip coffee is in the last ten minutes of however long the timer was set for.

Drink ordered:

Double Short Cappuccino (that's 8oz.)

The attendant begins by frothing the milk. I can hear the pitcher being raised and lowered, creating large bubbles rather than the desireably sweet silky microfroth found in high quality establishments.

Upon finish, the milk pitcher is tapped against the counter to break up the larger bubbles, and swirled to help incorporate the froth back into the milk mixture. Both are a good sign.

The espresso shot is pulled by pressing a button. the shot is a bit quick, and blonds very early on.

The milk is then poured into the cup by holding back the froth with a spoon, and then spooning on the froth once the cup is a little over half full.

This practice, for a cappuccino, is against quality standards in general, as well as Starbucks standards for drink preparation.

Still, the result is not the worst thing I have ever tasted in Lubbock.

The espresso is thin and weak, with a dominant roasty flavor lacking in complexity and origin flavors.

The froth, while not very good, is some of the best I've seen in Lubbock.

All in all, The cappuccino is drinkable, if not a little enjoyable.

It's not what I would consider to be high quality, but it's not necessarily bad. I would put this somewhere between mediocre to good.

Final score
6.8 out of 10

Brother Martin's Coffee Haus (2615 19th St.) Avg. 0

Located in the Lutheran Student Center across the street from Texas Tech University.

The room adjacent to the "coffee bar" is fairly comfortable, with high tables and chairs, and a relaxing atmosphere.

The coffee bar itself appears to be a transformed establishment kitchen. A 1-group Rio machine, and a Rio flat-burr commercial grinder. The true manufacturers of the respective machines is anyone's guess.

Drink ordered:

Double Cappuccino

The doser was full of ground (who knows when) Daybreak coffee (not a good sign).

The filterbasket was well under-dosed and not tamped at all, meaning extremely week coffee (I dare not call it espresso).

I shrug it off, as I have become quite accustomed to below-average coffee from most establishments in Lubbock.

The milk is steaming, and I listen as I hear it pushed far beyond the point of scalding.

With less foam than my companion's latte (very very little, if any), burned milk, and possibly the weakest excuse for espresso I have ever tasted, this was one of the worst cappuccinos I believe I have ever tasted.

Served in a 12oz. to-go cup. There was no ceramic cup in sight.

Grind per shot: no
Tamped: no
Shot time: NA
Milk froth: terrible(hardly existent)

Overall score: 0 out of 10

Don't waste your time.