College Perk Coffeehouse

i know, im kicking it while its down but College Perk was kind of lame. Not that convenient, not that cheap, kind of clique-​ish for D&D dweebs who think bad guitar and trite lyrics are «deep» while trying to grow facial hair to varying degrees of success (dont forget the ponytail and wizard t-​shirts!). They should have pushed for better entertainment, but there was no quality control. Once the dominoes started to fall in the direction of outcast patrons, they completely isolated outsiders of their niche.

This is a very chill environment. Sometimes they have live local bands playing which really adds to it. I’m not a heavy coffee drinker, but I would love to come here just to relax — late night.
It seemed like I had always ran into friends there at random, so it is a popular place amongst my friends. It’s like dejavu for college all over again.
The parking lot… eerrr… not a big fan. but overall, I know I’ve frequented this place and hope to visit it again soon.

I miss the Perk. It was a very special place. I curse its closing every time I pull into Starbucks. I hope it reopens someday.

I should mention to you Unilocalers, that College Perk is not currently in service. I keep forgetting this, and arriving with only a «WE ARE CLOSED» sign to greet me. The website says something about an electrical fire, I suppose they will update it whenever become operational again.
(I’m not sure what sort of star rating I should give it… it’s closed so… one? But, I did enjoy it when it was open… Assuming the fire was out of their control, a consistent star rating with my previous review is probably the most fair.)

It’s very difficult for me to give this 2 stars because a year or two ago I would have definitely given it 5 stars.
I used to hang out at College Perk all the time because it used to be a comfortable coffee shop open almost ²⁴⁄₇ with lots of character and really good sandwiches. My first few years of college would not have been the same without it. Now this place is just really disappointing.
I miss the relaxed atmosphere and being able to order at the counter and go hang out and play games until they bring your food out to you. I miss ordering a huge plate filled with tons of corn chips, a Nature Boy Sean, and the little streaks of multicolored sauce that nobody could identify.
Now there are waitresses/​waiters that overcomplicate everything and that you have to tip now for doing almost the same thing they did before. The counter was changed into a bar which now stretches all the way across the room and makes the area feel way too cramped. The only way to walk to the other side of the coffeehouse now is to walk right through the area where bands set up for open-​mic nights. This is really annoying for the people trying to get through, the band, and the people trying to watch the band.
I tried to deal with these changes for a while, but after going through night after night of the rooms being too crowded and splitting the check and tip 9 ways becoming a hassle, we eventually decided that it really wasn’t College Perk anymore. Hanging out at home seemed more enjoyable.
The only thing keeping me from completely avoiding College Perk at that point was the good, reasonably priced food/​drinks and that every once in a while the atmosphere was still OK.
But then everything went even more downhill as soon as the name changed to «The Perk.»
I could have dealt with the annoying name change, but then some of the waiters/​waitresses started getting more creepy and/​or douchebaggy… like the ones who listen in on your conversations and then butt in with some comment that’s supposed to make you envy how cool their life is. Then the worst part was that they decided to COMPLETELY change the menu. All of the sandwiches I ordered there were gone and were replaced with ridiculously overpriced tapas. I admit the ones I tried tasted good, but I don’t like to pay $ 15 for something that won’t even fill me up. Tapas can be good, but they don’t belong in my College Perk. Who wants tapas at 3am on a Friday night when you’re lounging on a grungy couch trying to finish the Scrabble game you’ve been playing for 4 hours?
The last time I was there I ordered quesadillas and after a few bites I felt little pieces of something really hard. I spit the food out of my mouth and tried to figure out what I bit down on. I finally found a tiny piece of something clear and sharp. I tried to tell myself it was just a really hard salt crystal or something and attempted to finish my quesadilla. Of course 2 seconds later I bit into more little pieces and pulled the glass bits out of my mouth. I showed them to the waitress who didn’t seem to believe they were glass but apologized and asked me if I wanted something else instead. I ordered something else assuming it would be free or that I AT LEAST wouldn’t have to pay for the glass-​filled quesadillas, but of course when I got the bill I had to pay for both the quesadillas and the 2^nd dish I ordered. I haven’t been back since.
I miss the old days.

Good place to find a crappy seat, steal their free internet and have a few great cups of chai tea. Their food is good, too.
The environment has changed a bit since they added the bar, since it draws a completely different crowd than before. It’s a bit disappointing, but overall, I still like it.
The first Saturday of every month is Pagan Band Jam night. So avoid that if it’s not your thing. It’s not so much mine.

Had I written this review one or two years ago, it would have been glowing. Now I’m merely forgiving. I’m sorry, College Perk, but this has been a long time coming.
To begin, I believe they have started calling it simply, «The Perk,» or «Perk,» or something fashionably short. Either way, your earlier name was both witty and informative. This just sounds like drivel.
The acquisition of a liquor license has turned a once lovably scruffy crowd into a mildly drunk and sketchy crowd. While I certainly appreciate the option of ordering a Guinness, this is no pub.
The recent construction of a larger bar-​like table has made the space awkward, uncomfortable, and unwelcoming. A once prompt and courteous staff has now become slow, putting on an air of ultimately strained quirkiness that’s more off-​putting than endearing.
The food has taken a real nose-​dive. This has now become tapas-​like, meaning that they offer a small spectrum of decent, small, and overpriced dishes.
I know that College Perk has suffered some major setbacks over the years. I know that they’re a struggling small business, in a cruelly competitive environment. But I feel that they are ultimately alienating everyone but their core constituency.
I long for the return of the College Perk of yesteryear. In the meantime, it’s still a decent place to go for a more relaxed environment, to sit back, open a laptop, sip a Guinness, and meet some friendly faces.

College Perk is such a great coffehouse. The staff is very friendly and personable, the coffee is good, the food is good, and the atmosphere is great. It’s a very, very casual place. They also have live music sometimes, which I’ve never been for. I like to sit at the bar and order some tea… The main problem is getting in and out of the parking lot, because it’s on a very busy and odd corner of Route 1. Down with corporate coffee places! Up with College Perk!

I am half-​convinced that this place is the saving grace of cafes in the College Park area. If the zebra painted exterior doesn’t make you smile, you are one jaded person. Add the free Wi-​Fi (stop collecting those little cards from Caribou Coffee!), super friendly staff, and laid back atmosphere, you have a heck of a hang out place. Their bottomless mug of coffee is perfect for a coffee-​addict, but their tea selection is also pretty good (you get to control the strength since you get your own press). I also like that bands perform outside once in awhile and there are a mix of patrons here. I’ve only had breakfast here (eggs benedict good, blue corn pancakes not so good) so I can’t speak too much about the food. The one thing I am disappointed by is that you are pretty much forced to drive there, but I’m leaving my rating alone because you have to drive everywhere in CP and this place made my stay in CP somewhat more enjoyable.

College Perk opened up right when I moved out of town, and I hadn’t really had a chance to check it out since I moved back the area until recently. In my years at UMCP I mourned the demise of Planet X Coffeehouse and was increasingly dismayed at the number of chain places taking over downtown College Park (I maintain that CP never needed a Starbucks). The only thing that is no good about College Perk is the location – hardly walking distance from anything, although they do have ample parking.
The couple times I have been to College Perk I have not been disappointed. My husband and I stopped in recently at the end of a long drive home on Thanksgiving weekend and sampled some of the new tapas-​style menu. We shared the bruschette, the hummus plate, and the Angry Karl – all were delicious and the portions were generous for tapas. They’ve also got a full liquor license and free wi-​fi, and a great funky atmosphere and friendly, laid-​back staff. If I were still at UM, I think I’d live at this place.

I’m convinced that I make the best grilled cheese sandwiches EVER.
However, when I visited this coffeehouse and ordered the grilled cheese sandwich, I was blown away. Almost literally. No tomato, just cheese and bread and buttery goodness. Thank you, College Perk Coffeehouse, for successfully making the 2^nd best cheese sandwich I’ve ever had.
I had their coffee as well, and it was okay. I wouldn’t go there if you’re looking for a superior cup of coffee; however it is much better than starbucks. They also have a pretty impressive tea collection, when they’re not out of the good ones. The atmosphere of the house is crazy laid-​back… you can go there to meet up with friends, or you can go there to study (as long as there isn’t live music). There’s also free wifi, which I personally love. Basically, this place is an above average local hangout — it has dinner, coffee and alcohol. And it’s open late. Good times.

what a gem in the suburbia of college park, filled with chain restaurants up and down route 1. i discovered this place after missing the hourly bus and decided to walk two miles home. i heard rock music coming out of the bushes, and i peeked in, assuming it was a house party. lo and behold, a great little coffee house, and perkapalooza was going on. the crowd looked relaxed, and were having a great time enjoying the cool evening with fun music. unfortunately, when i got there, they were only serving alcoholic drinks (i don’t drink) and so i didn’t get to sit down and enjoy the great ambiance.

This coffeehouse is a rather odd but fun mix of people. I am not from the area, but I always go with a friend who is, and every time we go it seems like everyone stops to greet us — it’s surreal. Seems to have a very loyal customer base. It’s a nice friendly place to hang, although unlike a previous reviewer I was not impressed with their chai.
Their waitstaff is for the most part hit and miss, but the really awesome ones make up for the ones who are mediocre. They also have expresso vodka, which should be worth its weight in gold. It is AMAZING.

I have fond memories of this place. It opened toward the end of my college years, and it was a great place to go and live out the more hippie side of myself — yes, i wore branded clothes, was active in greek life, and competed ferociously for the highest SAT scores, but i did have a hippie side!
Everything there fit nicely into the theme — old couches and tables, random rooms with random trinkets, open-​mic nights featuring local aspiring singers and poets and writers (the same ones who skipped the econ exam that same day), a huge chalkboard featuring exotic teas and herbs, oh, and an adopted cat that either curls up to you or sits in a corner and stares at you.
i loved it. it was so unique and different from the rest of ghetto college park. i haven’t been back there in a while — glad to see that it finally got its liquor license years later :)

A very nice, cozy coffee shop. There’s the usual recipe of an eclectic assortment of old couches, books to borrow, and free WiFi. It’s mainly a UMd college crowd. The coffee is good – not Murky coffee, but good – and the Chai is exceptional.

Good food. Great tea. I don’t drink coffee anymore. They also have beer (sober and crazy here). Briefly, this place is really awesome. They are open all night on weekends (maybe also on weeknights, but I’m not sure). I discovered the open all nightness of College Perk this evening because I was one of the lucky 10,000 Montgomery County residents who lost power in the wake of the devastating tropical depression «Ernesto» that has been passing through the DC-​MD-​VA area all day today.
Here in the DC area, wInd+rain=power outages, a state of emergency (in Northern VA, really) and really bad drivers. But I digress…
So, I’m sitting here at College Perk, writing a review of it instead of getting the things done I came here to do. So, I’m not in a hurry. I am relaxed and comfortable and want to hang out… at a coffee house.
How cool is that? This place is great.

The best place around where you can chill with a cappuccino, have some dessert or a late night snack. I really like their Marsala Chai there, and one of the few places that offers good white tea. Their food is good and they have a decent bar stocked. One of the few places around the DC area that’s opened late at night (at least later than 8pm on a Saturday night) and the ambience is very indie/​emo-​ish.