Pictured above: The fall coffee flight at The Blend was full of adventure and flavor.
Courtesy of Adriana Reeves | The Crow’s Nest
By Adriana Reeves
Florida may not have the perfect cool, crisp fall weather, but we do have a few amazing St. Petersburg coffee shops that serve up a mean pumpkin spice latte (PSL).
Taking to the streets of downtown St. Petersburg, I was on a mission to find the best PSL the coffee-loving city has to offer. To keep the competition fair, I ordered an iced coffee with a dairy alternative at all locations.
The PSL is a classic. It’s caffeinated fall in a cup, what’s not to love? To earn a perfect rating, it will need to be bold, smooth and have the perfect balance of coffee and pumpkin.
With close proximity to campus, I chose The Blend, Paradeco Coffee Roasters and Driftwood Cafe as the perfect tasting locations.
The Blend: 3.5/5
2700 34th St. N
The moment I walked into the small coffee shop, I experienced a cozy atmosphere with kind employees and a delightful aroma of coffee. I recruited a friend to help me judge The Blend’s PSL and we opted for its fall coffee flight, which includes iced coffees flavored with caramel pecan, peach cobbler and pumpkin and cold brew with pumpkin cold foam, totaling $14 (plus a $1 upcharge for substituting coconut milk for regular milk). All the drinks were labeled, iced and served on a wooden board.
The iced pumpkin coffee was super flavorful and had the perfect balance of coffee and pumpkin flavor. It’s the perfect size to split with a friend and even create a fun, Instagrammable moment.
Overall, The Blend offered multiple options for the coffee flight, but none of them were stand-out drinks.
Paradeco Coffee Roasters: 2/5
111 Second Ave. NE, Suite 101
Paradeco Coffee Roasters is nestled off the busy streets of downtown St. Petersburg and feels like a step back in time to the 50s. The art deco theme, friendly staff, cute cups… everything was there – but the iced autumn spice was not.
I really wanted to like it.
It’s not that it was horrible, it just fell flat compared to other PSLs. It tasted more like plain coffee than the beloved fall flavor. It was $6.25 for a small plus $1 for oat milk. I have had other drinks from Paradeco and they were phenomenal, I just think their fall menu could use a little work. I wish I got more for the price that I paid.
Driftwood Cafe: 5/5
800 Second Ave. NE
Coffee with a view, anyone? Driftwood Cafe is located on the St. Petersburg Pier and offers 360-degree views of downtown St. Petersburg and the water. The coffee shop has a handful of seasonal drinks, including the PSL.
My small iced PSL with almond milk cost a whole $5.35, making it the cheapest drink out of all the places I visited. The drink was absolute perfection. It wasn’t too overpowering or sweet, but really captured the essence of fall.
Final Review
I am going to be bold and say Driftwood Cafe has the best PSL in St. Petersburg. When visiting the café, you get amazing views and a delicious drink for an unbeatable price. What more could you ask for?
Thank you for coming in and reviewing us! We will address your concerns with our team who builds these drinks together.
Tom – Co- Founder