Coffee Shops in Howard County

I need coffee so badly that I'm a terrible person to ask for recommendations.

I love my morning coffee -- the jolt of caffeine and the ritual of unscrewing my thermos as my work day begins. But that means that I'm not the best customer for Howard County's coffee shops. I'm not a latte guy. I'm 30 miles away most weekdays. And I'm cheap enough to brew my own thermos rather than spend $2 on a cup each morning.

That said, I really like the coffee that I have bought on a tour of coffee shops from Rte 40 to Rte 216, including Java Grande and Bean Hollow in Ellicott City, Mad City, Lakeside and Riverside in Columbia, and Sidamo Coffee & Tea in Fulton. When we ran out of the Pele Plantation beans that we carried home from Hawaii, I went out looking for a Starbucks alternative. Strong flavor, but not bitter, I told each shop. I bought whatever each shop recommend, and I liked them all.

Bulgogi Panini at Riverside Coffee in Columbia

Let's start with the pickle. It's a pretty good pickle -- sour like a New York deli, which is exactly what you need with a Korean-Italian sandwich.

Korean-Italian sandwich? Of course, we're talking about the bulgogi panini -- the Riverside coffee shop's contribution to the fusion flavors that make me love America. Bulgogi panini. It's an inspired idea.

A pretty good roll, split and filled with Korean barbecued beef, lettuce, and a few slices of melted cheese. The right amount of cheese. Mostly, the sandwich tastes like bulgogi, and that makes for a pretty good lunch at Riverside. On the afternoon when I stopped, they only had the regular beef. Next time, I'll try the spicy pork because the sandwich could have taken a shot of Korean pepper paste.

Riverside is a nice coffee shop with tables, a few big leather chairs and free wifi (according to this Yelp review that says you should ask about wifi when you order). I'm working on a coffee shop overview, but the truth is that I'm a coffee addict who likes almost everything. Utterly unable to differentiate.

Riverside roasts its own beans, and the owner has been cool enough to wave me away when I ordered a half pound of beans that had been roasted a week before. Definitely ask for the freshest beans. So far, I have enjoyed everything. They serve pastries, plus standard sandwiches and a small Korean menu that goes along with the bulgogi panini.

If you want to try a bulgogi panini at home, I would recommend that you get baguettes at Bon Fresco and takeout bulgogi meat at Lotte. If you visit Riverside, definitely check out the rest of that shopping center -- including beer and Southwestern at Frisco Grill, sushi at Hanamura, Asian at Noodles Corner, and beer and pizza at Pub Dog.

Riverside Coffee

8865 Stanford Blvd
Columbia, MD 20723

410-312-0004

NEAR: This is in the same shopping center as Frisco Grille, Hanamura, Pub Dog and Noodles Corner. From the north, take Rte 175 and turn south on Dobbin Road at the intersection with a Chik-fil-A on the corner. The shopping center is on the left after the second light. From the south, take Snowden River Parkway and turn left on McGaw Road at the light with Apple Ford. Turn right at the light with Dobbin, then look for the shopping center on the right.