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    Alternative Grounds Caffe

    4.7 (34 reviews)
    ModerateCafes
    Closed Closed

    Alternative Grounds Caffe Photos

    ALTERNATIVE GROUNDS CAFFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Alternative Grounds Caffe

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    Baked goods
    Julie B.

    This is a Charmingly cozy café, set in a historic building, with friendly service. Generous tasty portions, and unique homemade baked goods are its claim to fame. As I savored my wise choice of the steak & cheese hoagie, the tantalizing smell of bacon urged me to order more. It's a shame the limited space in my stomach had to veto that desire. The grilled cheese and tomato soup choice was traditional comfort food at its best, my daughter enjoyed it. My husband spiced it up with a chipotle chicken wrap and said it was great. But the cookies for dessert were the star of the show for me. Warm, chewy, and absolutely delicious. We had to get more to take home!

    Hazelnut caramel frappe
    Monica K.

    The first time I stopped in here, my friend and I happened to show up (unknowingly) 7 minutes before closing; we were greeted by friendly faces happy to serve us. Yes, since they were still open this shouldn't be a big deal, but I've definitely been to places where they either closed early or were less than happy to see you walk in so close to closing time. I didn't want to leave a review on just this experience, so I waited until we visited again about a week ago. We had a group of 4 people who got food and drinks. Everyone was pleased with their orders, which included avocado toast, a roast beef sandwich and a white chocolate latte. I had a steak breakfast wrap loaded with steak, veggies, eggs and Gouda cheese. It was so good! I also had a hazelnut caramel frappe which was not too sweet and quite tasty. The restaurant (bathroom included) was nicely decorated and clean. I will definitely be back! I also noticed they have a decent amount of vegan options and had old coffee grounds and egg shells for people to take for their compost... This is something that I have never seen before and it is awesome to reduce waste and help others out!

    Menu
    Debra W.

    Stopped on my way through to grab a coffee and was very pleasantly surprised buy how beautiful the interior is and how affordable drinks are! I grabbed a skinny caramel macchiato-- which was tasty! I'll be back for sure

    Best cake
    Marcus J.

    Man I went to a wedding at which Ian made the cake. It was a lemon raspberry cake and oh boy let me tell you, I have never tasted such a delicious wedding cake. The lemon cake was so subtly dense, with a perfect combination of flavoring and texture. As for the cream, it was so flavorful and smooth, it almost melts in your mouth bursting with flavor. Now once you mix that burst of flavor with the subtly dense cake, that's when you find out what a heavenly wedding cake tastes like.

    Vegan menu

    Great lunch spot with a dedicated vegan menu. The vegan portabella panini was delicious as was the chocolate chip cookie (most of the bakery items are vegan too!!).

    Baked goods display and order/pay counter.
    John P.

    Coffee is perfect, sandwiches are super yummy and the entire decor has been very tastefully done. Tons of history in the building and they have additional rooms for larger groups (reunion, anniversary, etc). Owner gave me a quick tour and they also do weddings with a photography studio right next door. The young ladies next to me also gave a big thumbs up on their smoothies.

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    2 years ago

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    2 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Delicious food, perfect lattes and desserts to die for. This is a wonderful caffe with pleasant staff and an old town feel!

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    i never write reviews but this place is AMAZING. great food, great drinks, great atmosphere. definitely my go-to from now on!

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    5 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    16 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Awesome! They have remodeled and expanded! Great food and drinks. Cozy atmosphere. Coffee house/cafe vibe. Great hidden gem!

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    11 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Alternative Grounds Caffe

    Review Highlights - Alternative Grounds Caffe

    Great find for breakfast while cruising the Erie Canal.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    People searched for Cafes 163 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Shirt Factory - Breakfast tacos (eggs, arugula, cheddar, sriracha mayo)

    Shirt Factory

    4.2(67 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $

    Excellent experience - we came for brunch on a Sunday and made an 11:00 reservation. We were seated…read moreright away, but be aware there is not table service. You order your food and drinks up at the bar/counter area and then they bring the drinks and food to your table when it's ready. This did not matter to us, it was just as wonderful of an experience. The only thing I think would've been nice was to have a carafe of water & glasses on the tables. Other than that, didn't matter! The vibe was cozy, the music was a little bit odd for a Sunday brunch I think like soft jazz or something would've matched the vibe better but it was still enjoyable! The food was absolutely incredible & so were the drinks!! It was hard to not order the whole menu quite honestly. I would definitely come back here in a heartbeat. The staff were all incredibly kind! Parking was easy (though it was busy), there is a large lot. Definitely need to make reservations in advance for Sunday brunch!

    I wanted to be wowed based on the other reviews I had read. Unfortunately, that experience was far…read morefrom the reality. Yes, it's a cute, creative concept architecturally, but the lighting was too dark for Sunday noontime. And the food and especially brunch fare were nothing special. Carb heavy and very few healthy options, although plenty of exotic drinks. Why not just be a bar and not try to be a coffee bar/cafe? Coffee was decent but not outstanding. Nothing but plain bagels available and my scrambled egg looked like something out of a Dr. Seuss story. Oh well, I did a taste test and found it WAS actually edible. My friend enjoyed her Korean Bowl, so that made the trip a success. The bathroom is the true test of quality in any culinary establishment. Fancy hand soap, Very clean, but no toilet paper or paper towels. I had to ask.

    Photos
    Shirt Factory - Interior

    Interior

    Shirt Factory - Breakfast quesadilla.

    Breakfast quesadilla.

    Shirt Factory - Bloody Mary (regular version). They offer a "loaded" version which has a lot more toppings for 7 bucks more.

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    Bloody Mary (regular version). They offer a "loaded" version which has a lot more toppings for 7 bucks more.

    Alternative Grounds Caffe - cafes - Updated June 2026

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