Waves Coffee House

Sometimes going on food adventures is a lot of hard work. Having to travel to different places all over the city... planning the bus route, finding parking space if I'm driving, or even accounting for the hours of operation for the food place I go to. There are mainly fast food and chain restaurants in my neighbourhood at the moment, so I've always wished for more locally owned food places nearby. That's when a new coffee place recently opened up near mine and CJ's house - called Waves Coffee House (wavescoffee.com). It is located in South Edmonton down Rabbit Hill Road, just before you exit onto the Anthony Henday. 

Last Saturday, I went over to CJ's house after work to hang out for a bit. We both wanted to grab a snack, so we decided to go to Waves Coffee House. It was nice outside, with only a mild wind. So instead of driving there, we walked! I love the fact that this place is within walking distance from CJ's house. 

The interior.

We walked in to find ourselves in a bright, open space. The inside is actually quite big for a cafe, but that's not a bad thing at all. There's also a decent number of seating in Waves - both couches and tables with chairs. I loved the light fixtures above the front counter, and the round shape of the menu display on the wall added a unique touch. This place definitely makes a great hang out spot. 

Inside their display case, they had a variety of pastries as well as some sandwiches and wraps that could be toasted. I wanted something sweet, so I chose a Triple Chocolate Brownie. CJ also got a brownie, but he chose the Dutch Brownie instead (though I'm not too sure if I got the name right). For drinks, I decided to get a Blended Beverage - specifically, a Mocha Frappe with milk chocolate topped with whipped cream. CJ got an Iced Chocolate with milk chocolate, which is one of their Iced Beverages. CJ paid around $15 for everything (unfortunately, I don't remember the individual price of each item!). 

Our drinks and brownies.

We decided to sit next to the window on some single couches. I really wanted to try my Mocha Frappe, but I obviously had to take a couple pictures first! 

Mocha Frappe.

The Mocha Frappe consists of Belgian chocolate blended with espresso and ice cream. I got milk chocolate blended into my drink, but you can also choose from dark or white chocolate. I also had a nice dollop of whipped cream on top. The taste of my drink wasn't too sweet at all - in fact, I would say that the flavour stayed true to the real taste of all the ingredients the drink is made of. Don't expect the overly sugary goodness like what Starbucks or Second Cup offers. 

One thing that I liked about our beverages were the words written on the side of the cup. It says, "The movement of the hand to say hello" / "A gesture to welcome a friend" / "An act that creates a sense of connection" - these are all definitions of the word "wave". Waves is a place where we can make connections with our friends and make good conversation. Very neat story behind their name. 

I asked CJ how he liked his Iced Chocolate beverage... and I don't think he was in love with the taste. The Iced Chocolate is made up of melted Belgian milk chocolate served over cold milk and ice. He told me it was like drinking a cold version of a hot chocolate. After a sip of his drink, I have to agree with him. 

Triple Chocolate Brownie (left) and Dutch Brownie (right).

After trying our drinks, it was time to eat the brownies. They tasted like any ordinary brownie, nothing mind blowing. A good amount of sweetness. The Triple Chocolate Brownie and Dutch Brownie had chocolate chips and nuts, respectively, baked inside of them as well. I always appreciate that extra crunch to add texture to the pastry. I'm pretty sure these brownies weren't made in house though... most likely made elsewhere and ordered in. Second Cup probably orders the same types of pastries as well. Interesting. 

CJ and I both liked this place. We even started talking about how we'd start running in the morning and plan our route so that we'd end up at Waves. I definitely want to come back here to try more of their Blended Beverages. If you're more into having a simple cup of coffee, Waves uses 100% Specialty Grade coffee beans that are fully washed and sun dried. 

Waves Coffee House is an awesome place to go if you're looking for a quick coffee fix (they also have a drive thru!) or a cool hang out spot with a relaxing atmosphere. There are a lot of Waves locations in British Columbia and Calgary, but only two in Edmonton. I'd love to see more of Waves throughout my city (it is a coffee chain after all). Can't wait to come back here!