Coffee is one of the most important things in a girl's life; well this girl's anyway. When a girl (or guy) is looking for a good coffee shop or café, more than just the coffee is important; the baristas, atmosphere and food choices are of the utmost importance too.
Well the coffee is probably the most important given that a caffeine hit is the major reason for going to a café, but when you can find all the other ingredients, it makes the experience even better. Luckily for the three Rush cafés in Wollongong, which offer not only superb coffee but the whole café package. With two cafés located at the University of Wollongong campus (one at each end, for extra convenience) and the brand new and exciting central Wollongong location, Rush is there to serve all of Wollongong's caffeine related needs.
Coffees are reasonably priced, starting at $3.10 for a small and only $4.00 for a decent sized large, but the drink range doesn't stop there - freshly made iced teas are priced from $3.50 and an array of hot teas priced at $3.00. If you are lucky, they may even have a wild and wacky concept drink on the menu - past customer favourites being the London Fog (earl grey tea bag, vanilla syrup and frothed milk) and Mint Slice (mint tea bag topped with delicious hot chocolate). The coffees are all good sizes and for extra motivation, Rush offers a loyalty card with every eighth coffee free; now you can't go wrong with free coffees. The only downside with the drinks menu is the hot chocolate, some people love it, others not so much, so it appears its purely personal taste on this one.
To complement the delicious range of hot and cold beverages available, both Rush cafés situated at the university also offer a yummy selection of cakes and muffins to cater for those with both sweet and savoury cravings. Banana bread, chocolate muffins and caramel slice to mention a few will satisfy a sugar craving without breaking the bank at $3.50. Savoury treats are similarly well priced, with the only exception being the teeny tiny $3 sandwiches which even though quite tasty for that price can be missed.
Rush in Wollongong itself offers all the goodies of the other two cafés and a selection of freshly made toasted sandwiches that are only $6.50 or $8 when paired with a small coffee. With a beautiful outdoor area and table service, the newest Rush café is definitely the complete package with their extra food offerings and excellent coffees.
With food and caffeine (plus all other beverage needs) covered, baristas and atmosphere are all that is still needed and all three cafés offer awesome customer service and decent atmosphere. The mix of guy and girl baristas work fast to get you that much needed coffee and seem to know just how friendly to be. It is a rare skill to make a customer feel valued in the small amount of time it takes to make a standard coffee but these baristas seem to have it pretty down pat with hordes of regular customers who keep coming back again and again. They must be doing it right.
Good coffee and food plus good people, times three cafes, equals an awesome coffee experience wherever you are in Wollongong.
