Maglianero: A Coffee Lover's Bliss

I was never much of a coffee drinker until this past summer when I worked as a camp counselor and was surrounded by screaming seven year olds from six a.m until 10 p.m. After a few days of that, I was forced to start drinking multiple cups of coffee everyday just to have enough energy to face the little tyrants. (Side Note-there may have been one day when I finished an entire pot of coffee by myself in less than an hour, but that’s besides the point)  Needless to say, I am now hooked on coffee.  And although I am a new coffee drinker, I am not a stranger to the coffee shops of Burlington.  I’ve spent hours in Muddy’s, Uncommon, New Moon (technically not a coffee shop, but they do have some good coffee), and Starbucks doing homework, catching up with friends, getting caught up in a good book, and simply enjoying the ambiance that they hold.  Recently, a friend invited me to do homework at a place called Maglianero.  Now, being a bit of a Burlington coffee shop expert, I was shocked that I had never heard of this place before.  I grabbed my mug and set off on an adventure to the mystical place that supposedly existed somewhere in Burlington.

Maglianero is located way down on Maple Street, right near the waterfront (the actual entrance is located around the back of building).  From the outside, it doesn’t look like there is much inside, but upon entry, it is a weirdly industrial heaven.  The inside is incredibly spacious and scattered with two large tables that seat around eight people, a few bar height tables, multiple three person tables, and a couple of cozy couches to curl up on.  Now, normally I wouldn’t go into much detail about the tables except that if any of you have been to Muddy’s or Uncommon on a Saturday, you know how impossible it is to find a table.  Since Maglianero is a bit off the beaten path, I had no trouble finding an open table that also had a plug for my computer.  Score!

Now, let’s get to the coffee.  They have a fairly large menu that includes all of the basics (coffee, lattés, cappuccinos, espressos, etc.) but then they also have a “specials” section that contains drinks that the baristas invented themselves.  I chose to get a simple mocha, while my friend got “The Pedestrian,” a drink from the specials menu that had cayenne and maple in it (an interesting combination that was surprisingly really good).  Each drink set us back about $4, the same price as just about any Starbucks drink.  Their coffee is all roasted in Waterbury, VT, where the owner of the roasting company knows the farmers who he is buying the coffee beans from.  So you’re spending $4 to support a local business and a farm-direct relationship, not to mention having an awesome place to waste a few hours.   (Also, the barista made a cool leaf design in the foam on my mocha and I think latte art is so freaking cool.)

The other amazing thing about this place is that it is really bike friend. Like REALLY bike friendly.  There is a bike ramp that leads from Maple Street down to the café entrance and there are bike racks in front, out back, AND INSIDE the café.  There’s also a shower located in one of their bathrooms so that commuters can always smell nice and clean.

Some other perks about Maglianero include: free WiFi, they sell Garuka Bars, they allow dogs, and they have special nights when their skate ramp is open to the public.  Yes, you heard right.  The back of the coffee shop is occupied by a few skate ramps.  I’m still a bit confused as to why they are there, but they add character and make the place just that much more interesting.  

Maglianero is a coffee shop that I am now starting to frequent and would recommend to any and all coffee drinkers in Burlington.  I love that it’s a bit quieter than the Church Street crowd and I know that I’ll get a good cup of joe AND I’ll have a plug for my computer.  What more could a caffeine addicted college student want?

Maglianero is located at 47 Maple Street and is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 until 6 and on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 until 6 .