Coffee is always a great idea after spending hours on the road. There’s just something about drinking a hot cup of coffee that can instantly boost your mood and help keep you alert behind the wheel, especially during the rainy season. And if you happen to be road-tripping around Bataan and can’t decide where to go next, a new dining spot provides an easy answer —Why Not Coffee?
We visited this aesthetic coffee shop in Balanga during a recent Lakbay Norte media road trip to Bataan organized by the NLEX Corporation. While several branches of the coffee chain exist around Metro Manila and other areas, the Bataan branch only opened in August 2023.
Memorable name aside, Why Not Coffee’s ambiance will appeal to modern café hoppers. It offered us a welcome respite after a day of nonstop rain. As you step inside, you immediately feel welcomed by the modern coffee house aesthetic. The airy interiors, wooden details, warm lighting, and cozy nooks make the space warm and inviting. Live green plants and framed black-and-white photos on the wall add some interest to the neutral walls. A few sockets were a bonus for those who needed to recharge phones.
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Why Not Coffee serves various coffee-based drinks like frappes, iced coffee, and hot coffee. Specialty frappes and iced coffee cost P180 or less, including bestsellers Java Chip, Caramel Frappe, Caramel Macchiato, Tiramisu Latte, Sea Salt Latte, and Biscoff Latte. I ordered my usual go-to Spanish Latte, which tasted rich, creamy, and extra comforting on a rainy day.
They also offer non-coffee-based drinks like Grapefruit Iced Tea, Strawberry Latte, Taro Latte, Matcha Latte, and Caramel Pop Milkshakes, to name a few.
Aside from beverages, Why Not Coffee also offers a wide selection of burgers, sandwiches, pasta, appetizers, entrees, salads, waffles, desserts and all-day breakfast meals. The cafe could easily be a pit stop for brunch, lunch or early dinner. With its extensive menu, it's not just an afterthought for drinks or quick snacks.
Having just come from a heavy lunch in another restaurant, our group regretted not having the appetite yet to give justice to the cafe’s tempting offerings, though I managed to take a few bites to sample them.
The Grilled Cheese Sandwich served with a bit of tomato soup hit the spot. The Chicken Wings Platter was well-received by others in our group. We also got to sample their Creamy Truffle Mushroom Pasta, Gambaretti, and Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken, which we found flavorful and reasonably priced at P350 and below.
Other bestsellers on their menu, which I hope to try next visit, include Truffle Burger, Ube Waffle with W.N.C. Chicken, Wild Mushroom Toast, Bacon and Mango Grilled Cheese, and Parmesan Fries. They also serve all-day breakfast dishes like Sirloin Beef Tapa, Smoked Bacon, Burger Steak, and W.N.C. Pork Chop with Fried Rice for those who want full rice meals. Burgers are priced from P290 to P340, while all-day breakfast rice meals range from P270 to P440.
Overall, Why Not Coffee is a pleasant pit stop in Bataan for families and friends to hang out, with its cozy interiors, quality food, friendly service, and clean restrooms (a must for road trips.)
The cafe is on the ground floor of a commercial building right along the provincial highway, so it’s easily accessible. The building’s complex also has a spacious parking area for cars and other vehicles, making it a convenient pit stop for road trippers coming from or heading back to Manila. The cafe is pet-friendly so you can bring your fur babies along on your next drive.
Why Not Coffee, JBY Modern World Corporation Building, Roman Superhighway, Balanga, Bataan. The cafe is open daily from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm.
More photos of Why Not Coffee in Balanga Bataan:
