"Mr. Ibaraki Eats, I have no time to stop at a coffee shop, sit down, and drink my coffee. I got places to be and people to meet." Don't worry, I have you covered. I have two places for you that are take-out only. They are both in central Ibaraki and they are both delicious.
Goodday In Coffee
Goodday In Coffee, or GIC, is located in the Nakane area of Hitachinaka city. It is a small order window attached to the owner's house. There is parking in front of the house and also a small parking area close by. If you come by bike, you can park your bike on the left side of GIC.
I went to GIC last week. I was on my way to Ajigaura Beach and decided to stop by and grab some coffee.
The Menu
Sorry, everyone, the menu is in Japanese only. But not to worry, let's put my translation skills to the test. The coffee section of the menu has; drip coffee, americano, cafe latte, and cappuccino. The tea section has; fruits tea with honey, and cass tea. The kid's section has; children's milk coffee, apple juice, and milk. Finally, the bottom of the menu has the special of the month. This beauty caught my eye and I had to order it.
Cafe Latte with Vanilla Ice Cream and Almond Butter
Coffee, vanilla ice cream, and almond butter. What a delicious-sounding mixture. This special drink is only available for the month of August so I was very lucky I visited when I did. You can order any coffee with ice cream and almond butter so I went with a cafe latte. I first sipped the cafe latte and I was very happy with my choice. Not too strong and not too light. Quite a nice iced cafe latte for a hot summer day. Then I got a spoon full of ice cream and almond butter and dipped it in the coffee. I then slurped that up. You know those cartoons that have fireworks in their eyes whenever they try something extraordinary? I am pretty sure that is what happened to me. This drink was beyond amazing. The almond butter is from Almond Tree Shaker based in Ajigaura (will be posting about them later). They make amazing almond butter and mix that with ice cream and you have an amazing treat. But mix that with coffee, and you have a drink that only a genius like GIC can think of.
I happily had my amazing drink while speaking with the owner of GIC. Even though GIC is a take-out place only, you can drink your coffee by the order window. The owner also sells coffee beans at an amazingly low price. I plan on going back to GIC and getting some beans to take home. Plus, I need to have that magnificent drink again before August is over.
Coffee A Go Go
"Hey Mr. Ibaraki Eats, I can't drive all the way to Hitachinaka." Don't worry, I have one more place for you in Mito. That same day, after my adventure in Ajigaura Beach, I was driving around Mito when I saw a small shop called Coffee A Go Go.
Go Go is located in the Motoyoshidacho area of Mito close to the Indian restaurant Yeti Cafe. I walked into Go Go and was immediately hit by an amazing smell of different coffee beans.
Coffee Beans for Sale
Wow, there were a lot of different coffee beans for sale. The inside of Go Go looked like a nice place to have a cup of coffee. I was surprised that it was a take-out place only because there was a table and bench area.
I first checked out the menu. The menu had three things; cold coffee, hot coffee, and kakigori (shaved ice). I ordered the cold coffee and asked if I could sit in what looked like the indoor dining area. I was told that I couldn't. Only people who ordered kakigori can sit there. Ok, weird but Ok.
Cold Brew Lagoon Blue
I was given my coffee and left Go Go.
I got in my car and took a sip. I was shocked by how good this coffee was. I really wasn't expecting much, but this coffee was great. It was a very strong coffee but very smooth going down. Just the way I like my cold brew coffees. The beans were called Lagoon Blue and I think they were from Tokyo, but not 100% sure about that. I liked this coffee so much that I almost bought a bag of Lagoon Blue beans. In the end, I decided against it and headed toward my next destination.
Both of these take-out-only coffee places have great coffee and I would like to visit both again. Go Go has a lot of beans to choose from, but GIC has way more options on its menu. I also like GIC's very easygoing and friendly atmosphere. Talking to the owner by the order window reminded me of my hometown and it was really nice. Go Go wanted me to buy my coffee and be on my way. Which is fine but a little pushy.
Either way, I hope to visit these places again soon. But I am going to visit GIC first. I need to get my hands on that coffee ice cream almond butter drink before it is gone for the summer.
So if you are in the mood for a cup of coffee and need to get it to go, why not try out GIC or Coffee A Go Go? Who knows, you might see me there, probably next week orderin g that amazing coffee ice cream almond butter drink, and having those fireworks in my eyes.
Enjoy!
For more information on GIC, check out their Instagram page:
For more information on Coffee A Go Go, check out their website:
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