- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Uncommon Grounds
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Restaurants Food Bakeries Coffee & Tea, Restaurants, Bakeries [Edit]
127 Hoffman StSaugatuck, MI 49453
(269) 857-3333
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 6:30 am - 9 pm
Fri 6:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 7 am - 10 pm
Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dessert, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Hipster
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
52 reviews for Uncommon Grounds
Review Highlights
"...have a great sampling of baked goods (the scones are to die..."
(in 7 reviews)
"They roast their own beans in-house so the coffee is fresh..."
(in 3 reviews)
"...job roasting coffee -- much of it organic and fair trade."
(in 3 reviews)
Loading...
52 reviews in English
-
Review from Kimberly J.
Hales Corners, WI
1/7/2012
I'm a coffee snob. I fully admit to being hyper critical about this fact, this place is good. VERY good. On site roasting and careful attention to detail make with place a major win win. I go here every chance I get when I'm there.
Parking in the summertime in saugatuck is mind numbingly painful. Take the shuttle, walk here, take the chain link ferry...anything to avoid the dreaded parking.
Scrumptious other treats await you here... Get a cupcake..with sprinkles! our house favorite is vanilla. But the sea salt Carmel is mine. Mmm mmm mmm
The egg bakes are tasty amd warm. Served with a side.
Lines can be really really really long. Be patient and be nice to the staff. Uber dog and kid friendly, -
Review from Pam S.
Detroit, MI
11/25/2011
Great coffee roasted on site, fresh baked goods also done in-house, service doesn't kiss your butt but they get the order right, and fun music. If you get a drink to stay, they still serve it in *real* mugs or glasses!
Apparently they actually go down to South America themselves to work with small, independent coffee farmers. While sitting at a table, sometimes the line would get long but the ladies that work there seem to bust through it fairly quickly. And really, the wait is worth it. I don't get to Saugatuck often but will try to come by again when I'm around. -
Review from Matthew L.
Champaign, IL
10/15/2011
FREAKY good coffee.
Busy. Hip. MUST-DO-LIST.
Ginger shortbread tasted like my grandma's. -
Review from Anj F.
Detroit, MI
1/25/2012
Best coffee!! I can honestly say this is about the best coffee I've had, anywhere! I got the french press cup of coffee and it hit the spot. I also tried the blueberry strudel muffin and it was pretty good, the coffee defiantly took center stage, though.
-
Review from David R.
Grand Rapids, MI
1/16/2012
Great place for coffee. If you are in Saugatuck and need a good cup of joe...this is it!
-
Review from Aurore L.
8/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love my city life, you know but sometimes when I get away from it all and find little gems like this one - I think that maybe....
Uncommon Grounds is an institution. Their coffee is distributed in many places in Chicago, and rightly so because it is DAMN delicious. I didn't get any pastries this time because we were about to have dinner but the mocha chocolate pecan muffin, the brownie on a stick and the chocolate banana cheesecake were calling my name.
.....Aurore.......
(and believe it or not - they were saying it just right. Pastries are highly trained in French, that is a prerequisite)
I chose a regular iced latte and my sweetie opted for a French Guyana iced moka (with cayenne). And since we had the most beautiful Michigan night we opted to sip our drinks in the cute little garden in the back, complete with herbs, wild tomato plants, an enclosed little retreat where dogs are not allowed and adorable chairs. I spent a dreamy 40-minute or so just enjoying life and wishing for many more. Without the Internet but you can do it with it: it's free.Listed in: South-West Michigan
-
Review from Jessie D.
St Paul, MN
7/7/2011
I went here on the fourth of July for the first time ever, and was completely impressed. There was a line out the door and onto the sidewalk, but we managed to get in, order, and get out a lot faster than I would have expected.
I noticed that along with soy milk, they also offered an almond milk option. How nice! There's also an array of delicious looking breakfast/lunch foods on their menu, along with freshly squeezed juices and of course specialty drinks.
Such a cute place, I'd love to go here sometime when it's not completely packed and get a table to enjoy some coffee and read a book. (They have free WiFi, too.)
I would make a day trip back to Saugatuck just to go to this place. It's not one you want to pass by! -
Review from C L.
New York, NY
11/3/2011
This is a fantastic little coffee shop. Usually when someone says "charming" or "not like Starbucks" I think of old furniture and hipsters. This place is charming and it has no hipsters. It is clean, cute and wi-fi enabled. They offer a variety of teas, cookies and cakes. I also grabbed a healthy and tasty "stuffed sandwich" containing turkey, cherries and sweet potato. I was only in Saugatuck for 3 days and hadn't planned on spending much time at the shop, but once I got there I decided to stay the afternoon.
-
Review from Casey A.
6/25/2011
A tiny bit busy but I had a delicious caramel latte w light whip.. Sister decided to wait a couple minutes for a French pressed cup o Joe, she loved.. Mama had a cappuccino, she liked not loved.
4-stars for bad flow once you're inside and for being out of the cupcakes that I wanted in the first place (salted caramel)!
Oh and 4-stars for the muffin (oatmeal/rhubarb) we brought back for my dad for being $3+.. yikes! -
Review from Allison G.
Chicago, IL
7/9/2011
The coffee is not only delicious, but it's a beautiful little spot.
Uncommon Grounds is in downtown Saugatuck, MI. Be prepared to wait in line for your coffee. But it's fresh and delicious. There is plenty of outdoor seating, including a beautiful garden in the back, with pretty flowers and fresh herbs growing. This is a dog-friendly coffeeshop. It's pleasant to sip coffee and relax in the garden. -
Review from Iris h.
Chicago, IL
5/15/2011
Friendly and unpretentious staff who seem genuinely interested (but not overly so) in the customers, who know the area and who I found interesting to boot.
Nice, airy space.
Clean coffee, easy on the palate - a delight.
Free wifi to any and all -- customer or not. But hey, buy a lil somethin', ya know? Is good. -
Review from Troy H.
Cincinnati, OH
9/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great small coffee shop. Makes baked goods on premise.
-
Review from Joseph S.
Cypress, CA
Cool little coffee house. Good selection of coffee/espresso drinks as well as various dessert pastries. Staff is ok...not rude not overly friendly although one of the main owners/managers is really friendly and social which was nice. He is in is 30's-40's. They had live music on Sunday night. Various tables/chairs for party of one or groups up to 6. I hung out and just read and enjoyed my cappuccino. Very relaxing vibe overall.
-
Review from dawn v.
Bloomfield Township, MI
7/22/2011
Don't look for other coffee places in town because there are none.
This is the only true coffee house in Saugatuck.
And for the non-coffee drinker, try the ginger fizz or fresh made iced teas.
They also serve food but we never get around to eating here.. Looks good though and homemade! -
Review from Sarah F.
6/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice little coffee shop. Super busy in the morning! We order breakfast to go, the oatmeal was delicious, nothing too spectacular. The tea was fabulous! Great place for breakfast!
-
Review from Annette J.
Dearborn Heights, MI
7/29/2010 6 Check-ins Here
Wow! What a great spot! Been coming to Saugatuck for weekend vacations for about 5 years now and Uncommon Grounds is a place we stop many times during the course of the weekend. The coffee is divine and the fact that it's organic and free trade makes it even better. Just this past weekend I discovered the greatness that is the Milli Vanilli. Oh man! So good! (Although I get mine with sugar free vanilla for a little less guilt factor).
The baked goods there are really delicious and they bake them right on sight (literally on sight--you can see the mixers going through a glass partition in the seating area). The space is cozy with lots of seating and local artist's work on the walls. There's lovely garden seating in the back and a nice porch with a few tables as well. A huge bookshelf with reading material and games for patrons to enjoy is also a bonus. Many an afternoon has been spent on the porch playing heated games of Scrabble! The wifi is free which makes life a lot easier when you're traveling and need to catch up on emails.
The staff is so friendly and fun and the music played is pretty fun. I wish I was able to get out there more often to take advantage of this place on a daily basis! I would definitely become a coffee junkie if all coffee I had was as good as Uncommon Grounds!Listed in: Saugatuck Spots, Coffee Klatch, Wifi Wonderlands
-
Review from Deborah E.
Chicago, IL
7/11/2010
Congratulations, Saugatuckians! I hope you realize how lucky you are to have such a fabulous coffee house in your midst - not only cozy, comfortable and serving fantastic coffees and delicious homemade food items but staying OPEN till 10 and 11 pm.
We here in Mayor DaleyLand can barely find any coffee house open past 6/7/8 pm. If I sound frustrated and jealous, well, I AM. ;-)
We tried the Brazil Poco Fundo (Fair Trade/Organic) - "medium acidity: subtle: fruity" - and it was wonderful and exactly what we needed.
We also munched on a walnut cranberry orange scone and the crustless "Easy Bake" - eggs, cheddar, broccoli, kind of like a frittata. Both were excellent, however, my personal favorite (and something I cannot stop thinking about!) was the mocha chocolate pecan muffin. Ooooo la la! Heart palpitations galore! Please continue making this treat till I can make it back.
Overall, great atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, fabulous coffee!
Note to the uninitiated: please peruse their website detailing their partnership coffee program with farms in El Salvador and Honduras, and also their belief in "only roasting in small batches." Kudos to you, Uncommon Grounds! -
Review from Renee M.
Covington, KY
8/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Garden terrace in the back. Great outdoors seating! Took forever to get our simple order. Staff wasn't very friendly.
-
Review from M b.
Fennville, MI
7/17/2011
It rocks. It's not super special or different, but it's well located away from sort of the major hub-bub of the tourist scene in the summer but fun people watching sometimes and inside/outside seating and good coffee. Prices a little high but nothing out of control, and they have a walk up window if you're walking your dog and want to buy a java without having to tie up the pooch etc. Good place. Nice vibe.
-
Review from Daphne L.
2/16/2010
This is my favorite coffee house and wish I lived in Saugatuck so I could go as often as I wanted to. They roast their own beans in-house so the coffee is fresh and oh-so flavorful. They always have a great sampling of baked goods (the scones are to die for!)
I love the whole vibe; it's a small house and so cozy and comfortable, and the staff are so nice & helpful-just really amazing people. They have great artwork for sale, book recommendations, newspapers...it's just a great spot that I love and always make my first stop in Saugatuck. -
Review from alison m.
Los Angeles, CA
6/15/2011
the manual drip was the best coffee of my life. really. and the food's amazing, too (asiago scone, spinach pie, quiche). loved this place and the people who came in for their daily fix. big big fan of saugatuckers.
the ones behind the counter were really awesome, too. if you're anywhere near saugatuck, make a stop here! -
Review from Becky M.
Chicago, IL
7/21/2008
This is a great place-especially if you're a Starbuck's addict stuck in a town with no chain establishments of any kind (a great thing in my opinion.) They laughed when I accidentally ordered my drink "tall" instead of small.
The coffee was great! They have a TON of options and creative coffee drinks. Also-smoothies, juices blends and a small breakfast, lunch, snack menu.Listed in: When in Saugatuck-Douglas...
-
Review from Heather A.
Holland, MI
5/14/2009
I positively adore this establishment. Their roasted coffee is divine and spoiled me from any other brand. Their light cafe offerings are wonderful.
The staff is excellent and their atmosphere is kind and inviting. -
Review from Kayla S.
South Haven, MI
5/12/2008
This is the best place to get any sort of coffee. They also have wonderfull hot chocolate and the best smoothies. The desserts are really rich and even have vegitarian snacks. The staff is great and if you need a place to slow down after a day of shopping this is the place.
There is endless things (all good) to say about this place. And sitting outside and watching all the people go by is great too! -
Review from Nick S.
8/2/2009
As far as coffee houses go, Uncommon Ground is quality. I expect fresh coffee to taste good anywhere I go. What makes a coffee shop good is its personality. It's very chill and lot of places to sit. Very relaxing outdoor patio.
What's worth noting is the juice bar and free wifi. -
Review from Gabrielle S.
La Grange Park, IL
8/10/2009
I am writing this review based ONLY on going for desert one evening.
Homemade cheesecake was phenomonal. Light and dense and fresh all at once. A cupcake with frosting was pretty good too.
Have had very good muffins and egg bakes here in the past as well. -
Review from Francois B.
Chicago, IL
5/26/2009
Only had a cup of the brew of the day (Ethiopian) and my wife one coconut-something-else-it's-candy-not-coffee drink. She loved hers, I thought mine was ok, definitely not even close to Intelligentsia in Chicago.
The place itself was really nice with decent-sized tables (could be used for studying), outdoor seating, newspapers and magazines, but only one toilet (which was constantly busy so cannot be reviewed here, apologies).
Would definitely go back if in the area.
EDIT: Just received a note through Yelp from the owner, doing a great job of explaining why the brew hadn't been the best and apologising for it. Totally worth of an extra star! -
Review from Nate M.
San Francisco, CA
6/15/2010
I stopped in unexpectedly a week or so ago. I meant to only get a quick shot of espresso and use the restroom but I ended up getting organic carrot juice and the mac n cheese. Both were amazing.
Besides the food, the service we really good too. I didn't catch her name but a dark-haired alternative chick behind that helped me was super friendly.
If I am ever in the area again, I will be stopping back. -
Review from Justin D.
Chicago, IL
3/29/2010 3 photos
Stopped in late Sunday morning for some breakfast and brunch. The café seemed busy with students working, families and young people chatting. Breakfast menu is limited and I opted for the breakfast sandwich (scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, green peppers, Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese: cooked casserole-style) between a multi-grain English muffin.
Coffee selections and creations are impressive! Try the French Guiana (espresso, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and whipped cream), smoothy (strawberry, banana, yogurt and granola mix of corn flakes and almonds).
Patio-seating and proximity to the waterfront make this space ideal! -
Review from Anoni M.
Chicago, IL
8/30/2009
Not-to-sweet nor bitter mocha (it was freakin 60 degrees in the middle of August!) Quaint describes the merchant area of Saugatuck as well as this shop. A Probat roaster ominously stares at you while you order your drink.
Very nice outdoor patio, tucked among colorful trees, bushes and the requisite insects.
But where's the free cup of coffee with buying a bag of beans? Is it me? -
Review from Bradley W.
Flint, MI
7/15/2010
We stumbled across Uncommon Grounds the first night of our weekend in Saugatuck and were so pleased we returned the second night.
The staff was friendly and efficient, they whipped up coffee drinks for our group of 10 quickly and expertly, and everyone was pleased. -
Review from Jared C.
Ann Arbor, MI
9/19/2011
Good coffee, in fact the best in town. Actually, its really the only place in town, but its still very good.
-
Review from Dee B.
8/30/2010
With its location a block off the main drag and a block from the water, and with its huge patio that is nicely shaded by large trees, Uncommon Grounds looks like a fantastic place to hang out. Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to do that. However, I was incredibly excited to find out that drinks here can be made her with your choice of cow's milk, soy milk, rice milk, almond milk or half & half. If you substitute any of the last four for the first one, you'll pay extra, but until now I had not seen rice of almond milk as an option at any other coffee shop. Awesome! My iced mocha was thusly expensive (I'm a fan of almond milk) and a bit too chocolate-y for my taste, but it overall it was good and I was very glad to support such a great local business. Their baked goods all looked amazing, and I was sad that I'd already had dessert.
-
Review from Kyle P.
Sanford, FL
7/16/2011
What a great spot and a real treasure for a small town like Saugatuck. The coffee is top quality (they roast it themselves) and utilize fair-trade purchasing practices. There's always a great selection of homemade baked goods (check out the Raisin Bran muffins!) as well as a daily Egg Bake (the Mushroom and Artichoke was awesome!). The staff is usually really nice and the owner is always around checking on things which is why they're probably so successful.
-
Review from M S.
Saginaw, MI
9/3/2011
Great coffee, extremely slow service..but more importantly, they have some of the rudest, most obnoxious customers I've ever come across. My husband and I visited the establishment for the first time today. As we entered the room, we stood and looked up at the menu. I then hear a woman, next to me, yell in my ear, "WE'RE IN LINE"!!...I replied, "Excuse me, I was just looking at the menu". I'm surprised that an establishment like this would put up with behavior like that. I guess I should've brought my mace. This is one coffeehouse that left a bitter taste in my mouth...no pun intended.
-
Review from Julia S.
Ann Arbor, MI
10/3/2010 1 Check-in Here
The salted caramel cupcakes go on my list of favorite all-time desserts. Good coffee. Nice people. Sweet snacks.
-
Review from Kristin S.
Western Springs, IL
7/14/2010
Great little hip coffee shop. I had brewed coffee and a latte. Both were great. I also ate there several times. The hummus plate is a good healthy option. Tasty hummus. Ate whole grain bagels, those were good. Had the porridge, which was quinoa and apricots and honey. Pretty good. Egg sandwich--- egg whites, spinach, feta, roasted red peppers on whole grain english muffin--- this was DELICIOUS. But the very best, very best thing was the FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE To die for. I had to get it 2 nights in a row.... Only one bit of caution for Uncommon Grounds. Do not order food if it is busy. It takes FOREVER!!! But this place is great. Dog friendly on the porch and nice garden out back!
-
Review from Penny S.
Updated - 3/25/2009
Kenya brewing update: when I first opened the bag, I noticed the beans seemed a little light in color. Something I'd expect from a Costa Rica for example, not a hearty, earthy little African bean. It brewed very similar to a Central American. Light, almost too light for me, and future brewings will require at least one extra scoop if not two. It doesn't taste like a Kenya, really. I should have picked up the Ethiopia Yergacheffe instead. Disappointed. Ah well.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
3/23/2009
I was so charmed and taken by Uncommon Grounds that as I sat thoughtfully chewing my slightly… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jonathan F.
Deerfield, IL
7/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Great selection and the real deal roastery/coffeehouse. Each order is well-prepared and sometimes that means a little more slowly than what some folks are used to. They also have the very funny "5-minute latte parking" spot. Amazing teas, too. Try the Peace Blend.
-
Review from Ande H.
Carmel, IN
8/27/2008
Just when you think you've had the best coffee Uncommon Grounds shows up. I had the Sugar Daddy = Latte with Caramel, Hazelnut & Whipped Cream. After my first sip I felt my eyes rolling back into my head. That just sounds so wrong ... but it was oh so right. Hubby had some chilled drink that had ginger in it. VERY TASTY. We were both so glad we stopped by to grab a drink, walk about town, and venture down to the water. Thank you UG for making our trip to Saugatuck a memorable one. We'll be back.
