Whether you’re a caffeine connoisseur or a casual consumer, most of us can agree coffee plays a vital role in our lives. Its importance in the lives of college students brings us to the logical question: where’s the best coffee in Clemson? In order to answer this, as well as fuel my own coffee addiction, I’ve set out to review any and every coffee shop in search of the best coffee shop Clemson and the surrounding area has to offer.
First up on the list is a new addition to Downtown Clemson, Delish Sisters! Located on the first floor of The Shepherd Hotel, Delish Sisters is a breakfast and lunch restaurant founded by sisters Kate and Rebecca Lund in 2014 in South Africa. Growing from catering events to publishing their own cookbook, “The Delish Sisters” launched their USA branch this summer with their first restaurant in our very own town of Clemson.
Our first of three categories we’ll be looking at to score Delish Sisters is, in simplest terms, vibes. Vibes covers all the environmental bases, including customer service, sociable atmosphere and comfortability studying.
Many things go into the quality of a cafe’s vibe, but one thing I can say about Delish Sisters is that they do almost all of them right. Stepping into the cafe is a breath of fresh air against the sometimes stagnant downtown scene.
The combination of wood finish, tile and greenery felt classy without being gaudy. As busy as it was, it never felt cramped, only lively.
Customer service was pleasant and fast, but the cherry on top was their dishes and plating. South African designs and dishes unify any meal you get, completing the whole atmosphere.
Overall, I can give Delish Sisters no less than five out of five on vibes.
Vibes and coffee are good and all, but what brings cafes to the next level is their food. Now, Delish Sisters offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch options, with a dinner menu and hours on the way. For the purposes of this review, I’m just looking at some of the pastries.
I was able to try their signature chocolate chunk and caramel brownie, which was a tad cool upon delivery. The taste was fine, but being less gooey than expected worked less in its favor.
However, their lemon meringue pie was intoxicating. Before I knew it, the entire treat was gone from my plate. Lemon meringue is a classic, and Delish Sisters do it justice and then some.
But, nothing compared to their blueberry white chocolate muffin. As a lifetime blueberry-muffin-lover, and with much deliberation, I can confidently say this was the best blueberry muffin I’ve ever had. Each element of the muffin brought something of equal value to the mouth, and in unison they performed phenomenally.
As much praise as I could give that muffin, overall their pastries average out to a four out of five.
Last, but certainly not least, the coffee. During my visit I ordered a hot hazelnut latte, a personal favorite of mine. The mug it came in was absolutely adorable. Aesthetically, a beautiful drink.
The texture of the latte was spot on, and the espresso was also pulled well, not too acidic, but not burnt. The flavoring itself I can’t say I was a particular fan of, and the same was true for a friend’s iced vanilla latte I grabbed a sip of. With the small selections of flavorings they had, I would’ve hoped they would be more consistently impressive.
The coffee by its lonesome was alright. But I found myself distracted by the rest of what Delish Sisters had to offer. The coffee paired well with the pastries I was able to try. It was a great accent piece to the eating experience, and I believe that works in Delish Sisters’ favor.
Overall, I enjoyed the coffee, but can’t say it stands out above anything else I’ve tried in the past, earning it a three out of five.
If you have the time between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m., I would highly recommend going to Delish Sisters. Between their incredible pastries, their magnificent atmosphere and some pretty good coffee, they are an incredible addition to the Clemson scene, and I can’t wait to see them continue to thrive!
