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    Backstory Coffee Roasters

    4.7 (84 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm

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    Nicole G.

    Totally forgot how close I live to this spot! Backstory Coffee was the perfect little stop before heading to the MN Yacht Club Music Festival with my bestie. We rolled in a little before 1:00 PM and had no trouble finding easy street parking (huge win!). The vibe inside? Mixed. While the space was cute, relaxed and inviting, the service was... not so much. The guy at the front counter barely looked up from his screen, and let's just say, enthusiasm wasn't on the menu. Definitely not the warm welcome we hoped for and very unfortunate. BUT--shoutout to my bestie for treating us to a coffee date, because the drinks were solid. I had the piña colada cold brew, which was super sweet at first, but after a quick stir, it hit just right. My bestie went with the strawberries & cream cold brew and a matcha lemonade. Both were surprisingly good, but the matcha lemonade really stood out to me; so refreshing and unique. All in all, Backstory was a convenient and tasty pre-concert stop. If the service matched the drinks, this would've easily been a 5-star visit.

    Cappuccino
    Lauren H.

    Super friendly staff. Delicious lattes and the yummiest pastries! I highly recommend their seasonal danishes, and my daughter loves their coffee cake pastries. However, I came here because I had fallen in love with the sister stores Minneapolis and Bloomington. The store is cute, but not breathtakingly beautiful like her Minneapolis sister or as modern chic like her Bloomington sister. I know... it's not fair, but I was disappointed because the Backstory experience was SO different. They do have a large outdoor area that looks fun for the warmer months. On-Street parking was easy and plentiful in this neighborhood. WiFi was strong, so I was able to do some work while I sipped on my yummy latte.

    Stella Y.

    Even though it was a little cold the day I went, I loved the little outdoor patio area. I sat outside, just watching the cars go by as I enjoyed my coffee and chocolate croissant. Got a cold brew and iced latte. The coffee was pretty strong which I appreciated and wasn't bitter at all. The croissant was pretty good too but it was a tad on the dry side. Either way, it was really good with the coffee. I didn't get a chance to sit inside but it's a really cool vibe in there as well. A great place to chill and catch up with people.

    Gorgeous spot outside!
    Katie F.

    It was a beautiful day to hit up the coffee shop. Today's adventure was Backstory! I did have to drive around a little bit to find a parking spot, but it was mainly due to the nearby construction. Something to note if you visit soon. I enjoyed an iced caramel latte with salt on top. It was exactly what I was hoping for! My kiddos enjoyed their lemonades. I stole a sip, too, and was quite impressed with the flavor! Their space outside is gorgeous and perfect to enjoy a fall day with. I did wish the baristas were a little more welcoming, but it seemed like they were in the middle of dealing with something on the phone so I understand. Can't wait to be back. It was a relaxing experience!

    Treena C.

    Backstory is a great stop for coffee. This location actually roasts the coffee for both of their locations. They have a small indoor and outdoor seating and they are right across from a brew pub so you can go right from coffee to beer! Backstory roasts and sells their beans as well as various items like shirts and cups, etc. The one thing I want to call Backstory out for is their very friendly service. We had a couple of questions and the barista was happy to answer them and explain some things to us. After getting my cappuccino and taking a sip, I immediately went back and bought the Legend beans so I can have them at home. A must stop for coffee!

    Greg W.

    Had to wait around the area so stopped in to get some work done and grab an espresso. It's a really small shop so the seating is dependent on if you can/want to use the patio. There are only 4 tables inside and they fill up quick. The service was pretty good and it's got a "hip" atmosphere. It's pretty neat that they've got all their beans and roaster in the back of the shop. They've got some local pastries, tea, and in-house roasted coffee. I grabbed an espresso and drip coffee this time. They both tasted pretty bitter and I'm not sure if that was a result of the roast or the temp on the brew. It was "ok" but not my favorite. Overall I don't think I'd work here again. There aren't a lot of "craft" roasters in the area so would stop by again if I lived/worked in the area.

    Iced Salted Maple Latte w Oatmilk, Tiramisu Cold Brew, Orange Cranberry Danish
    Victoria L.

    This café is stunning when you first walk in. Super open and spacious with lots of seating. However, if you come in during a rush, prepare to wait a while for both seats and service. I visited around noon and it was pretty packed. My friend and I waited for a seat for about 15 minutes. They have paper menus that you can browse while waiting which helped move the ordering queue a little faster. They also have cute merchandise for sale as well. The drinks and pastry we got were delicious and worth the wait. This is a great place to sit and work if you get there early.

    Kate G.

    A cute coffee shop tucked away in a quaint area. Stopped here on our way out of Minneapolis. The baristas were very nice and helpful when we ordered. I tried some sort of matcha, blueberry/lemon latte and wow it was so good. Almost had a subtle fruit loop flavor!

    Latte and bagel pastry
    Jeff S.

    I love stumbling upon the hidden gems of the world. This is one of those. Outstanding Latte and exceptional pasties. A cool vibe inside and out. This is a lovely place to drink really good in-house roasted coffee and be delighted by a creative bite. Highly Recommended the coffee cake and the everything bagel pastry.

    Foam art was altered after the first sip... coffee cake was a bit crunchy on top (which I liked) and so delicious .
    Sarah G.

    So glad we accidentally stopped at this divine gem on our way to see the sites in St Paul. It's right on the corner with plenty of parking on the street in front. The place is clean, trendy and obviously a lot of others think so, too. I ordered a vanilla latte and my SO ordered the Mocha. The foam "art" was gorgeous! Of course it gets altered after the first sip... but the additional attention to detail was appreciated. Decided to enjoy some coffee cake which was a bit crunchy on top (and which I liked) and soo delicious. Very filling. My SO loved the soft blueberry muffin packed with sweet blueberries. It was also large. Went back to the counter to get packaged coffee to go. Most coffees seemed to be mostly "single origin" but with the help of the individual at the counter(manager) who gave me an espresso cup sample of what i was buying, I chose the chocolate Narrator for a gift for my kiddo. It was nice to see that there was a huge machine (coffee roaster) inside but unfortunately they weren't roasting that day. St Paul was a great place to visit.

    Turtle loose leaf tea and decaf beans :)
    Makenzie P.

    Backstory has the BEST beans!!! Such a great spot, so we stop every time we are in town visiting family to grab some beans and drinks. We hit up the Bloomington location near closing time on our way back to Madison and barista (Nikki) was so kind to make me a decaf oat miel! It was delish and we scored some decaf beans as well. The interior of the shop is modern yet cozy- great vibes all around! Also grabbed the Turtle tea blend and I can't wait to try :)

    Patio seating
    Ava C.

    My friend and I biked to Bootstrap Coffee Roasters on a Sunday around noon. When we got there, I realized the indoor part of the coffee shop was closed off. I lily, it was a nice day out and we were able to sit outside but I would have been very upset had it none been a nice day out. My friend and I both ordered the maple syrup coffee. It sounded really great on the menu, like a fun, sweet coffee. When we got the coffee it was a tad bitter for the both of us and we got some extra cream. This made the coffee PERFECT! We were able to enjoy the nice day and our coffees

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    Ask the Community - Backstory Coffee Roasters

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