210 E Main St, Brevard, NC, 28712

There are beach people and there are mountain people. My husband and I are definitely mountain people. However, I've always wanted to take a beach vacation ... in Tahiti. I've dreamt of THE super ideal tropical getaway. I know you know what I'm talking about. The one where you lay out at the beach all day grazing on fresh fruit and sleep in a hut with glass floors over crystal clear water. Well... We looked into tickets to Bora Bora and a two night stay in such a 'hut' and realized that it would cost about as much as a small car. So, we returned to what we know: Air Bnb and a trip into nature.

After a canoe trip on the French Broad River, we drove to the closest town and landed at Quotations Coffee Cafe.

Quotations Coffee Cafe is on the main street of this adorable village-style town. I'm fairly certain it's the only independent coffee shop in Brevard. It's certainly true to its name! First thing I noticed was the Cheryl Strayed quote when we walked in.

I ordered a cappuccino. Big surprise! This place is not geared toward the coffee aficionado, but more of your mainstream public. Standard espresso based drinks with flavor options. Quotations Coffee serves Counter Culture Coffee. I can't mention Counter Culture coffee without telling you about it!

THE LOWDOWN: Counter Culture Coffee

In 1995, two dudes got together and decided to sell coffee. In 1997, it was headquartered in Durham, NC under the name Sanctuary Coffee, a bird-friendly coffee line that sold beans that were grown in the shade. You might not be surprised that these 'shade grown' beans were the first of its kind. As soon as 'certified organic' became a thing in 2002, they got the organic seal and in 2003 created the Counter Culture Coffee vision: a dedication to real environment, social and fiscal responsibility. Oh -- and cutting edge coffee.

What's the big deal? They deal in direct trade. What's this mean? It's a step beyond fair-trade. It means they KNOW the growers, they ensure growers get at market costs and they deal with them directly. The Counter Culture bonus: they work WITH the growers to achieve environment sustainability. What's the other big deal? They do this WHILE constantly pursuing the improvement of their bean quality. A win for the environment and for your taste buds.

Counter Culture now sells whole-sale beans to coffee shop-owners and retailers all over the US. It's especially common to spot their beans in stores and shops along the East Coast.

Quotations whips up smoothies and food typical of a cafe (think sandwiches, salads and such). Worth mentioning is that they also serve ice-cream. I didn't try any of their food, so can't speak of its quality.

In an effort to look clean and put together, I think this cafe may have lost some of the independent charm we love so much. The signs and seating gave off more of a commercial feel that I wasn't expecting in this small town. I really enjoyed the plaid seating and antique tables in the back. I only wish it was more dispersed throughout!

PSSST: If you live in Brevard and are looking for an area to host meetings, Quotations has you covered! I noticed there is a large room in the back that looked available for booking.