By Myrriah Gosset
Two coffee shops downtown offer an escape from the normal Starbucks experience that anyone can get. The two shops, Gallery Espresso (simply called Gallery by most customers) on Bull and Perry Streets and The Sentient Bean (also abbreviated as the Bean by customers) on 13 Park St. charge $1.25 for a regular cup of coffee, but they differ on the kinds of coffee they offer.
The Bean offers Fair Trade and more organic options for their beverages. They also have more vegan and vegetarian options as well.
Gallery offers a larger tea selection along with more traditional coffee house drinks such as the Breve, Macchiato and Turkish coffees.
The roast at each shop differs, as well as their House Blends. You can always request your preference at Gallery, while at the Bean you get to choose your roast.
Food
Gallery has more to offer in the dessert area of the menu, but they do offer a variety of salads and sandwiches as well. The Bean, just like their beverages, has a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian options and boasts a large organic menu.
The Bean also has a full kitchen with more items prepared to order rather then the ready-made options found at Gallery Espresso.
Gallery, however, does offer wine which they can serve with a cheese board made for two.
Atmosphere
The two shops offer somewhat similar atmosphere and décor. Gallery’s walls, adorned with local artwork, tends to change more often. Overstuffed couches and worn-in tables and chairs both offer cozy places to hang out or do work.
The Bean offers more community activities that include Open Mic Nights, stand up comedy and film screenings.
The locations for both shops are equally picturesque. Both have scenic views of Savannah, with Gallery Espresso located on Chippewa Square and the Bean at the end of Forsyth Park
The two coffee houses both have free Wi-Fi available.
Wrap up
While the two coffee houses have their differences both offer great service and great coffee. The choice is really made on the other options available at each shop and one’s personal preference. It should be noted that the Bean is cash only but they do have an ATM inside. Gallery has a $5 minimum on charge cards, so cash is preferred when only purchasing a cup of coffee.
For more information about each of these coffee houses you can check out their websites at:
