What: Local Coffee Cafe

Where: Provo, Utah 

When: Many visits between Jan 2020 and April 2023

The short version:

Peace on Earth is a local standby for a reason. Plenty of cute seating paired with good coffee brews and alcoholic options make it worth a visit any time of day. While quality often falters during peak busy hours, it still pulls ahead of its competitors Java Junkie and Rugged Grounds in consistency.

The long version:

Peace on Earth passes Coffee 101 with flying colors while faltering on its 102 advanced coursework. The drip coffee, espresso shots, and cold brew are consistently the best in town, but you’ll likely be disappointed with anything outside of that. Trying to order a pour over or a french press will result in immediate negotiations with most baristas here. They are busy enough often enough that they will resist the more time consuming brew methods. And when you finally get your order, you’ll be disappointed with the low quality for how much you paid ($6 for a bad pour over and $10 for a french press last I went).

On the topic of busyness, Peace on Earth also serves a full food menu which visibly grinds the kitchen to a halt whenever someone orders from it. As for the quality of the food, I can’t recommend it when some of Provo’s best lunch spots are on the same block (I highly recommend K’s Kitchen, two doors down). Additionally, when the place gets really busy, the first thing to give is cleanliness. On a Friday evening you can see the day’s buildup of grime on the espresso nozzles and you will taste that filth when you get your latte.

But most times of the day Peace on Earth is still the clear recommendation for espresso and drip coffee in Provo. Consistent quality and good seating are enough to cover for occasional slip-ups and overpriced specialty brews.