The arrival of the Little Dog is but the latest change in the landscape of the Brunswick coffeeshop scene, which has been expanding quickly for a little over a year now. I offer this survey of locales to get your latte fix in our fair town. For price comparison, I have collected the tag on a latte of approximately 12 ounces, single shot, at each location.
Bohemian Coffeehouse
About a year ago, Bohemian, the undisputed king of Brunswick coffeeshops, moved a couple hundred yards closer to the college to an old bank building in the Hannaford parking lot and got a shout out in Outside magazine. This is the coolest of the bean dealers, with that funky lizard symbol and merchandise including an un-PC shirt that reads, "I bought a kilo of Colombian at the Bohemian Coffeehouse." The drinks are good and so are the prices. Bohemian is an excellent place to chat with friends, study, or read. One of these activities is really necessary because Bohemian's only downfall is that they serve the drinks so hot you can't sip them in the first 10 minutes without burning yourself. Latte: $2.25
Little Dog
Brunswick's latest (see the Foodie's review for more) is the most comparable to Bohemian, a nice place to sit down, drink, and read, with a further downtown location. The drink menu is more limited than Bohemian's, but what they serve is good and prices are comparable. Definitely the hottest new place in town. $2.25
Wild Oats Bakery
Yes, Wild Oats has a coffee bar, but honestly, people come here for the food, not the coffee. Still, if you want a coffee with your scrumptious lunch, Wild Oats can do it for you. The highlight of the Wild Oats coffee experience is its pastries, which unsurprisingly hold an edge over everyone else's. Latte: $2.50.
The Udder Place
Located on Pleasant Street in a strange, thin, purple building between McDonald's and Amoco, this drive-thru only coffeeshop is another new entry to the scene. The Udder Place has a fine coffee shop in Portland and expanded their company to Brunswick last fall. The menu is extensive, including smoothies, munchies, and bagels, and the strangest espresso concoctions in town?my favorite is Udder Chaos, a cup of white chocolate mocha with chocolate-covered beans on top. The Udder Place gives off even more of a hippie vibe than Bohemian, and the service is friendly. It is only open on weekdays and until 5:00 p.m., but will expand to weekends later this year. Latte: $2.50.
Starbucks
Last summer, the former Denny's in Cook's Corner was converted into a Subway, a Coldstone Creamery, and a Starbucks with drive-thru, meaning that Starbucks fans no longer have to drive to Freeport for their overpriced sweet drinks. The Brunswick Starbucks, far quieter than Bohemian and featuring more armchairs, is a nice place to read, but the hot drinks, opposite of Bohemian, are served too cold. In my last visit I learned that Starbucks will be opening another location in Topsham next month. Hey, more Maine jobs. Latte: $2.65.