Tucked inside the Padre Hotel in downtown Bakersfield, Farmacy Cafe feels like a spot you won’t find unless you know where it is. I wasn’t expecting much from it, just a small cafe that serves coffee like a local coffee shop. It was actually way more than just a little local hometown coffee shop.

The first thing I noticed when I walked into the hotel was a restaurant. I had never been to the hotel before, so I learned I had to walk past it to get to the cafe. The cafe was really small, but it showed a lot of character. There was an old group of old men in the corner just hanging out and sipping coffee like it was a normal Tuesday. I went up to the cash register, and I wanted a white mocha, but she didn’t have it, so she told me about the secret menu that they had. I looked at it, and they had a churro latte, which sounded really good.

When they handed it to me, it looked simple, just a normal iced latte, but the smell gave it away. There was this warm cinnamon scent that immediately made it feel more special than a regular coffee. It had that churro flavor, like cinnamon sugar, but it wasn’t overpowering. It didn’t taste fake or syrupy in a bad way. Instead, it was smooth, slightly sweet, and balanced. You could still taste the espresso, which made it feel more like an actual coffee drink instead of just flavored milk. It tasted like a Starbucks coffee but better.

The pricing is very cheap compared to Starbucks, the coffee is like four  dollars for a medium coffee. When I saw the pricing, I was actually shocked and thought that they probably put that as a price and added on, but no. My churro latte was five dollars for a large drink, which a large drink is seven to eight dollars at Starbucks. A local coffee shop is finding ways to make things cheaper for its customers to come more often.

By the time I left, I realized it wasn’t just about trying a new drink. Farmacy Cafe ended up being one of those places I’d actually go back to, not just for the coffee but for the whole experience. The churro iced latte was easily the highlight, sweet but not too much, flavorful but still simple, and something that felt a little different without being overwhelming. I want to go try out the restaurant, which people say is good. The Hotel has honestly changed for the better and for the new generation of people to enjoy all over again.

Overall, it’s the kind of spot that sneaks up on you. You don’t go in expecting it to stand out, but it does anyway. The prices are definitely a big change from when you go to Starbucks, and they taste exactly the same. And if you’re looking for a drink that’s a little fun but still chill, the churro iced latte is definitely worth it.