A while back, I did a post about Ibaraki's coffee, Saza coffee. Someone mentioned to me that even though Saza was good, I should talk about the Coffee Factory in Tsukuba. I was a little bit conflicted seeing as how the Coffee Factory isn't really an Ibaraki brand and didn't start here.
(Update: I made a huge mistake. The Coffee Factory is an Ibaraki original and did start here. Thanks to Jon Heese for pointing that out.) But the Coffee Factory does make excellent coffee and it is in a really nice area in Tsukuba. I also have been drinking their coffee way more lately. So here we go, let's talk about the Coffee Factory.
Coffee Factory
The Coffee Factory is located in the Doho Park area of Tsukuba. If you come by car, most people park at the Doho Park parking lot which you would have to pay for. The Coffee Factory does have free parking for your convenience. There is an elevated rocky parking lot across from the Coffee Factory, and there are a few spots available.
Very Nice Inside
When you walk inside, you are greeted by a bunch of drip coffee bags for sale, some snacks, and the staff waiting to take your order. The menu is on a chalk board above the counter. Once you order your coffee, you can drink it inside or you can have your coffee outside overlooking Doho Park. The outside seating is very limited though.
Menu
As I said, the menu is on a chalk board above the counter. Great news my fellow English speakers! The menu is in Japanese and English, so enjoy ordering with ease. If you are not sure what to order, I would suggest the coffee of the day. I have tried it quite a number of times and I have always been satisfied.
Menu Continued
The special menu is unfortunately not in English. Another unfortunate thing is, this is the summer special menu. I know it is February so the menu has changed but hey, you can look forward to trying these different drinks next summer.
The hot drinks section has hand dropped coffee, cafe latte, cafe mocha, chai, hot chocolate. The usual hot drinks. It seems like the Coffee Factory does serve liquor but during this time they weren't serving any. The most interesting part of the menu was the iced drinks section. It has all the hot drinks I talked about but iced. Then there is apple juice, strawberry milk and sparkling coffee. My wife saw the tropical sparkling coffee and that is what we decided on.
Tropical Sparkling Coffee
"What's that in the coffee?" You might be asking. It's a piece of pineapple. Does that go with coffee? Yes, unbelievably it does. The sparkling coffee tasted like soda coffee and it was extremely refreshing. The pineapple was a great added bonus which gave a more fruity flavor to the coffee. It felt like I was having a tropical drink from a far off tropical island which was perfect for that hot day. When you finish your coffee, you can fish out the coffee soaked pineapples, which taste delicious. I am definitely having this coffee again next summer.
Ice Coffee of the Day
Hot 本日のコーヒー Coffee of the Day
I have ordered the hot and cold coffee of the day from the Coffee Factory many times. All the times I have ordered it, I have never been disappointed. I never need to add sugar or cream because the coffee itself is amazing. It is coffee of the day so it changes depending on the day and season I believe. I have tried different roasts, Guatemala roast, a special roast from the Coffee Factory and others. I have loved all of them. The coffee of the day is a wonderful nectar from these coffee professionals that always puts a smile on my face. This is my go to order whenever I head to the Coffee Factory.
Cafe Latte
My wife ordered the cafe latte the last time we visited the Coffee Factory. It is always nice to get some pretty latte art when you order a latte. It was a tasty latte and my wife was happy sipping her latte while looking out at Doho Park. That being said, it isn't my favorite coffee there. I still stand by the coffee of the day.
Hot Dog
For my fellow Americans living in Ibaraki, if you are expecting an American hot dog, then you will be sorely disappointed. It is a Japanese style hot dog and the weiner is pretty slim. The hot dog "bun" is a thick bread that was really good. It was soft and warm with an outside crunch. I liked this hot dog but it isn't in my top five or anything.
The French Toast
If you come to the coffee factory with a big appetite, you will leave feeling hungry. A lot of the food items are small but I get it. It's a coffee place. The coffee is what's important here. The French toast is one of those small portions I mentioned but it isn't too bad. I was kind of bummed out by the size but it was a pretty decent piece (small piece) of French toast. I also thought that the surrounding raspberries were a good choice for this dish. This French toast goes really well with a strong coffee.
Whenever I head over to Doho Park, I always make it a point to grab some coffee from the Coffee Factory. If I head on over on a Sunday, I might be lucky enough to get a burger. That's right my fellow Ibarakians, you can grab a Hi-5 Burger on certain Sundays. If you check out the Coffee Factory's Instagram, they put a calendar showing when Hi-5 Burgers are available. You can have an amazing cup of coffee with a delicious burger on a Sunday afternoon. You're welcome.
If you are a coffee lover and want to enjoy a cup of coffee in a lovely part of Tsukuba, why not give the Coffee Factory a try. Who knows, you might see me there, enjoying the coffee of the day while staring out at the Doho Park pond.
Enjoy!
For more information on the Coffee Factory, check out their website:
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