Summer Moon Coffee: A Review
By Ian Thompson on Sunday, October 15, 2023
Recently, a new coffee shop has been popping up around the Greenville area. In this review, I document my first experience and give my opinion on whether this coffee shop is truly all it is cracked up to be.
Recently, a new coffee shop has been popping up around the Greenville, South Carolina area. This Texas-based chain has made its way to the State with its first location (and the location I visited) in the Five Forks area of Simpsonville.
Now, before I begin, I love a good coffee shop. Being a current Clemson student, I have spent many hours at a good coffee shop. In my opinion, the local, the better. So, when I first heard of this new coffee concept, I was intrigued but disappointed to hear that it was, in fact, a chain restaurant. However, this cooler October day (and finally one of the first hints of Fall weather) felt like a perfect day to try their "Autumn Moon Latte" they have been heavily advertising.
📎 My Review
First walking in, I noticed a distinct smell, one typically not associated with a coffee shop. Sure, I could smell the coffee ever-so-subtly in the background. Still, the first smell to hit your nose is the overwhelming smoky smell attributed to their wood-fired roasting process that I have been told they perform in-store. The odor wasn't particularly offensive; however, it did leave a "burnt coffee"-square smell on my palate. Upon leaving the store, I carried with me this wood-fired smell on my clothes.
Seating was plentiful in this location, and there were many patrons. Though there was a plethora of seating, my friend and I were worried we may be unable to find a seat. The decor and atmosphere was very welcoming and "homey". The color palate chosen for the painting, brickwork, and furniture felt very rustic yet modern.
Summer Moon Menu with Calories
Typically, my go-to order is a vanilla latte when going to a new coffee shop. However, I ordered an Iced Autumn Moon Latte this time, which paired well with the fall-like weather outside.
Moon Milk
Summer Moon's ordering process is complex and confusing for first-timers. Not only can you choose what size latte you want, but you also get to choose how much "moon milk" you'd like in your drink. Moon milk is Summer Moon's proprietary sweet cream they place in lattes. When ordering, the default is a "half moon" with about 40% Moon Milk, 40% skim milk and 20% espresso. This concoction yields a whopping 430 calories (almost double what is in a Grande Vanilla Latte from Starbucks). The Full Moon variant of this drink (80% moon milk and 20% espresso) would give you an astonishing 750 calories per drink.
This probably isn't the best for a review, but I was neither impressed or offended by my coffee. It was pretty basic. Sure, the Moon Milk was all its cracked up to be: super sweet and super enjoyable. The coffee was not as offensive as the burnt smell made it seem. It was simply a regular, overly sweet latte. It was exactly what Summer Moon said it was going to be.
📎 Conclusion
My Order
So the question remains: would I recommend this place? Absolutely. There is certainly no harm in trying this place out. Now, would I go again? Probably not for a while.
The Moon Milk and fire-roasted coffee are gimmicky at best and I don't know if it's a drinking experience I want to have every time I have a coffee.
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