3.5/5, rounding up for good service and solid coffee. I tried out Campus Grounds about two weeks ago. They are super recently opened inside Straight to Ale. Seems like a trend lately to open coffee shops inside breweries, I guess to keep some income flowing during daylight hours. As a coffee drinker but not a beer drinker, I can't say I'm mad.
If you enter through the standard STA entrance, you will see a counter to your left with a menu propped against it and a friendly barista awaiting you. For now, the menu is somewhat limited to coffeeshop classics like americanos and whatnot. However, they do have some flavorings like caramel and vanilla if you like sweet and froufrou coffee like I do. They also have some breakfast options, such as muffins and stuffed breakfast tater tots.
The barista was super friendly and welcoming! The vibe was nice though of course more brewery than coffeeshop (to include hoppy smells). It was relatively quiet inside all things considered and the natural light would be a boon to anyone looking to work or study.
I ordered a double chocolate muffin and an iced latte with caramel flavor. My order was made promptly. While I was waiting, I tried a sip of their hibiscus agua frescas that were in sample cups on the counter. It wasn't really for me but the color was pretty!
The coffee was the highlight! Even though I'm more of a speciality drink girly (think carefully designed lattes with lots of flavor combos), my simple iced caramel latte was strong, smooth, and not overly sweet or bitter. I was afraid I wouldn't like it as I'm usually not huge on a latte + one basic flavor shot, but this was good! Right ratio of ice too.
The muffin was not so hot. Quite literally. The edges were very warm but the middle was still quite cold. I'm guessing it took a trip in the microwave, which like, fine, but the uneven heating was not super pleasant. It also wound up drying the muffin up pretty severely. The muffin was enormous -- good portion for the price -- but I wound up pitching most of it because it was mostly cold, dry, and a little low on flavor.
I don't want to end on a sour note because I would come back here. Definitely give their coffee a try! Maybe something more freshly made (I hear they're doing breakfast tacos from the STA kitchen now) would better suit your hunger needs. I enjoyed my visit overall! read more