I could have tried something new for lunch last week at Stone Cup Cafe, but I wanted one of my favorites: the chicken salad plate.
This delicious blend of flavors starts with chicken salad, made with diced breast meat, grapes, celery and mayonnaise. It’s served scooped on a bed of lettuce greens topped with dried cranberries, tomatoes, goat cheese and walnuts.
Unlike salads I’ve ordered at other restaurants, Stone Cup gives generous portions of even the premium ingredients – chicken salad, cranberries, walnuts. My choice of dressing is always balsamic vinaigrette, but they also offer blue cheese and ranch.
Although Stone Cup serves breakfast, lunch/light dinner items, the Frazier Avenue establishment may be best known as a coffeehouse and the array of drinks on the menu proves it. You’ll find several varieties of coffee – from drip to specialties such as Cubano espresso – as well as multiple teas, hot chocolates, smoothies, soft drinks, juices and beers. It’s a simple but varied menu.
THE SPACE
Located in the North Shore district, Stone Cup Cafe is easily accessible with plenty of parking in the back and on the street. Be warned, though, it’s metered parking.
The restaurant offers ample seating inside and out. The free Internet, coupled with the restaurant’s extensive coffee menu, has become the perfect place for college students and professionals alike to hang out, eat and drink.
It overlooks the scenic Tennessee River, an ideal location for a restaurant.
THE MENU
Coffee is the cafe’s specialty, so it follows that the place is open for breakfast.
Oatmeal, yogurt bowls and scrambled egg plates are among the choices, priced at $3.75 to $5.
You might be drawn to the fun-sounding Eggel, an egg and cheddar creation on a choice of bagel ($3.75). The Spicy Eggel also features hot sauce, red pepper flakes and tomato ($4.75). And there’s a Turkey Eggel ($5.75) and a Garden Eggel with cucumber, herb cream cheese, basil and tomato ($4).
You can also choose bagels or wheat toast ($2.50 and $2) with spreads of butter, cream cheese, herb cream cheese or peanut butter and jam. Muffins and scones are also on the menu.
The Salads, Sandwiches and Plates menu features a variety of foods from the Smoked Salmon Plate ($8.75) to a Parisian Panini ($7). You can also choose from grilled cheese ($4), hummus wrap ($6), chicken salad sandwich ($6.50) and a BLT ($6), among other options. Sandwiches and wraps are served with chips.
Every item on the menu is served throughout the day.
If you’re all about the drinks, the Barista Bar features espresso, a double shot for $2.25; Americano, a double shot of espresso in hot water, $2.50; Breve, a double shot of espresso and steamed cream, $3.95; cappuccino, $3.75; and latte, $3.75.
Cafe specialties include Caramel Macchiato ($4); Turtle Mocha, a double shot of espresso, Ghirardelli dark chocolate, hazelnut and caramel syrup ($4.30); Mocha Blanca ($4.10); Cubano ($4.30); and, my favorite, Jennifer’s Jolt, a double shot of espresso added to the drip coffee ($3.95). It’s named after Stone Cup Roasting Co. founder/owner Jennifer Stone, the founder and former owner of the restaurant.
Also on the beverage menu are Chai Latte, Dirty Chai, London Fog and hot tea, ranging from $1.85 to $3.75, hot chocolate priced at $2.50 to $3.75, and smoothies of many flavors costing $4.10 to $4.75.
And there’s beer: PBR, $2.10; Red Strip, $2.15; Strongbow, $2.30, and draft beer, $4.
THE SERVICE
It’s walk-up ordering, so sometimes there’s a line and sometimes there’s not. Regardless, once you’ve ordered, the food is out typically in no more than five minutes.
THE VERDICT
Because the Stone Cup Chicken Salad Plate is perfect, I have never ordered anything else on the menu. However, my friends have and I’ve never heard a complaint. The coffee is superb.
The atmosphere is relaxing and an ideal place to hang out by yourself or meet up with a group of people. You can’t beat the setting, and I’ve never met an employee who was less than friendly and accommodating. Will I go back? Absolutely.
Contact Karen Nazor Hill at khill@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.