With Jack Frost, Santa Claus, and Frosty the Snowman making their way to Muncie, I found myself craving a cup of hot chocolate no matter where I walked on campus. Whether I was studying in Bracken Library or taking the bus home after a long day, I found myself yearning for a warm cup of hot chocolate. Here are five places where you could get hot chocolate near campus so you know where to get fuel for finals or for gearing up to wrap presents.
The Cup
A short walk behind the Foundational Sciences building and you will find yourself in what most Ball State students know as “The Village.” The Village hosts restaurants, stores, and most specifically for this review: The Cup, a local coffee shop. The hot chocolate was $3.50. They use milk and a chocolate powder to create their version of the drink. This drink doesn’t feature whip cream on top, but the baristas frothed the milk so nicely that whip cream wasn’t needed to have a soft top. They also used an environmentally friendly sleeve and a decorative cup – which is always a plus in my book! I rate this cup 2.5/5.
Bookmark Cafe
If you’re a student, you might find yourself in the Bracken Library a lot this month. With final tests and projects in full swing, you might need some encouragement to get through it all. Head down to the BookMark Cafe, where a hot chocolate will cost you $2.95. They use milk and syrup to create their version of the drink. To my delight, they use whip cream. They also use a chocolate drizzle on top of the whip cream. Although it didn’t stay hot as long as the other drinks, the ornamental chocolate drizzle and usage of whip cream made up for it. It is a very rich-tasting chocolate. They also use an environmentally friendly sleeve. I rate this cup 3.5/5.
Starbucks
With a large fanbase and two locations on campus, it felt necessary to include Starbucks in this review. I tested the Starbucks at North Dining, rather than the location in the Student Center. Unlike the other drinks so far, this drink stayed at a consistent temperature throughout the entire drinking process. Although it wasn’t an extremely rich chocolate, it felt like I was sipping on a melted chocolate bar for $3.73. There was also no whip cream, making it a very smooth drink. If you’re looking to sit and enjoy the drink while working on homework or reading a book, it might be better to indulge in another place’s drink, as I drank it fairly quickly. I rate this cup ⅗.
Jack’s Donuts
Another bakery located behind campus, Jack’s Donuts is nestled within the strip of restaurants and shops in the Village. They use milk and a chocolate sauce, and this hot cocoa will cost you $2.75. One of the best features of Jack’s is the loft above the main floor featuring funky furniture and artwork. Although the hot cocoa used a chocolate sauce, I felt like I couldn’t actually taste a rich chocolate from the cup. I would like to add that the donut I got from Jack’s Donuts was delicious. Consider stopping at The Cup for a hot chocolate and then Jack’s Donuts for a donut to pair. I rate this cup ⅖.
Concannon’s Bakery
I wanted to venture a little further from campus for the last cup in this review, and that ended up being the right decision. This hot chocolate is made with milk and a chocolate sauce. This drink cost $3.21 with tax. It was frothed to the perfect temperature, and it stayed that way the entire time I drank it. Although there was no whip cream, I think that was a good thing in the case of this cup, as it might have been overpowering with the chocolate sauce. This cup was the best overall: taste, temperature and overall qualities. The only reason it gets a ⅘ is the lack of sleeve across the cup.
Images: Tori Smith
