If you are like any sleep-deprived or chronically-tired high schooler you know that caffeine is really the only thing that can provide an adequate boost and zap of energy. If you’re anything like me, you have taken this caffeine gift and turned it into an obsession and have become somewhat of a self-proclaimed connoisseur. I love Starbucks as much, or probably more than, the next girl but I have to say, in terms of coffee it is not the best, just one of the few options in suburbia. When I heard about a new cafe opening up in our area I was all into it, and I have to say I was not disappointed in the slightest.
The Black Lion Cafe is located in the Travilah Shopping center next to Cava. It is run by an Ethiopian family who has more than five generations of every part of the coffee process such as growing, harvesting, roasting and brewing, and has taken these skills and brought them to the Rockville area. “Our objectives is to introduce Black Lion Cafe to the community, to provide a place for people to go and spend a good time with friends and family. A quiet place to work, a convenient location. We provide a unique and authentic taste of Ethiopian Coffee,” The Black Lion Cafe website says.
I may be a serial coffee drinker, but I am not so well versed that I know the origins of the coffee bean, or the difference in roasting styles from Ethiopia to Brazil, however I do know that this coffee is irrefutably good.
Black Lion offers all the choices of any coffee shop from lattes to frappuccinos to smoothies to regular drip coffee, as well as an assortment of fresh-baked pastries like cinnamon twists to accompany your java. What sets this cafe apart from the rest is the fact that it is not a franchise, meaning no crazy lines, unique decor and a cozy ambiance.
The fact that it is family-run also contributes to the warm atmosphere the cafe is going for, because after only a few visits they know your name and order. That’s pretty remarkable compared to Starbuck’s lame attempt at spelling names.
The only complaint of the newly opened cafe is that they do not have enough tea options.Their main sell is coffee, not tea, so if you’re in the mood for tea maybe hit up Kung Fu Tea instead.

Rachel Clair

Managing Editor