Why I started Spots
I love hitting the road, exploring new cities and states, and trying the spots I find along the way. Some are the places everyone’s already talking about. Others are tucked away on a side street, easy to drive right past. Over the years that’s added up to hundreds of different spots and thousands of different stops.
Spots Travel Guide is where I share the ones worth the trip. My goal is simple: recognize the places doing it right, send some new business to the ones that deserve more attention, and celebrate the spots that take care of their customers and give you an experience worth sharing. Big city or small town, packed or overlooked: if it’s worth the stop, it’s worth telling people about.
How I review a spot
The quality of the coffee or food matters most, but the whole experience counts. I look at every spot the same five ways:
- Food & drinkIs it genuinely good and worth the price?
- ProcessHow it works from walking in to walking out: ordering, the wait, pickup.
- SeatingCan you find a seat, and do you want to stay in it?
- AtmosphereDesign, music, light: the vibe.
- ServiceAre the people kind, quick and helpful?
My promise
Far too many times I’ve pulled up a spot sitting at nearly five stars online, only to walk in and be blown away by just how mediocre the whole experience is. A star rating doesn’t tell you much about the food, the wait, the seats or the people behind the counter.
So every spot here gets the same honest look, scored on the same five things. When a place nails it, I’ll tell you exactly why. When something misses, I’ll do my best to explain what I feel could have been better. That way you’ll know what you’re walking into before you ever make the trip.
Honest. Specific. Consistent.
Say hi
Is there a spot you’d like to see featured? Use the contact page to send me a message. You can also find me on Instagram at @spotstravel.guide, where new spots show up first.