Vadnais Heights finally got its own 7 Brew and the insane lines have been a regular sight along County Road E. The specialty coffee shop is drive-thru only, and the line has been wrapping around the lot since day one. The surrounding traffic has been a bit chaotic as the neighborhood adjusts. For the best experience, one should either show up at the opening or block off some time, because a 30-45 minute wait on a busy afternoon is completely normal. That said, the staff handle the rush well. Their upbeat, quick and genuinely happy attitude goes a long way with customers who have been sitting in line for half an hour.

The menu is massive. There are all kinds of flavored energy drinks, teas, lattes, smoothies and specialty drinks in what feels like endless combinations. It can be a little overwhelming at first, but having time to browse while waiting in line actually helps. Drinks generally cost roughly $6 for a small, $7 for a medium and $8 for a large. For my visit, I went with two drinks that had been on my radar, the blue raspberry energy drink and the cookie butter breve.

Starting with the blue raspberry energy drink, it is exactly what it sounds like, no more, no less. The flavor is straightforward blue raspberry, the kind anyone would recognize immediately. It is not trying to be anything fancy or complex, and that is fine. What it does deliver is a solid caffeine kick. I felt it pretty quickly after finishing it, which is really the whole point of an energy drink. 7 Brew does not appeal specifically to the coffee-shop experience or offer something unique. In terms of quick, easy, and convenient beverages, however, it more than meets the need. It is best to think of it as a little step up from a gas station energy drink, just with a long drive-thru followed by a friendly face.

The cookie butter breve, on the other hand, was the real highlight of the visit. A breve is made with half-and-half instead of regular milk, so it is naturally richer and creamier than the average latte and the cookie butter flavor plays into that really well. It is sweet, noticeably sweet, but what saves it from being one-dimensional is that the coffee still comes through underneath. There is a slight bitter edge to it that balances out the sweetness, asserting its status as coffee and not just a dessert. It is indulgent without being overwhelming, and it is the kind of drink that explains why people would wait 40 minutes in a drive-thru line.

Overall, 7 Brew Vadnais Heights is a welcome addition to the area. It is not a place to go to sit down and decompress. 7 Brew is purely drive-thru, intended to be in-and-out. Once the opening chaos dies down and the lines normalize, it will be a convenient and solid spot for a morning pick-me-up or an afternoon treat. Just maybe avoid it on Sunday afternoons for now.