Colin's new-ish space is inside of The Daily Growler (RIP Golden Bear plaza). It was an entirely different experience than when I had last been a customer years ago. The iced banana bread latte was amazing (not too sweet) and service was so friendly and cheerful. It got my morning off to a great start. They don't serve the breakfast sandwiches anymore, but they do have a few types of breakfast pastries and toasted bagels. I am glad I gave it another try and wish I had returned much earlier. read more

Colin's Coffee - Banana bread latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Specifically came here for their February special, the cherry mocha! It did not disappoint! Colin's functions out of the Daily Growler in UA. Lots of parking available in the plaza. The staff was so kind, worked quickly and were easy to chat with. I enjoy their large menu with specialty lattes, and the staff said you can always ask for old specials if you really loved something. I also like the option to text your order in on your way. Definitely a cute spot and I'll be returning soon! read more

Colin's Coffee - Menu Feb 2025 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Great spot with great coffee! The iced caramel macchiato was perfect- I ordered it as is and it wasn't too sweet. The use a cold brew concentrate instead of espresso, which I was skeptical of but it tasted really good! Service was excellent, the people were so kind and helpful. I also got the everything bagel and cream cheese- very good as well. They don't serve the breakfast egg sandwich anymore like some of the old reviews state, just an fyi. Can't wait to go back! read more

Great news Colin's Coffee fans, the shop reopened inside of the Upper Arlington Daily Growler. The shop serves coffee until 12 PM each day. The new location lacks some of the character of the Golden Bear shop, but makes up for it with a bigger interior and more seating. There is plenty of parking in the new location. I ordered the Buckeye Madness Mocha. The drink was quickly prepared. I opted for white mocha in place of the traditional mocha. The white chocolate flavor was great. I am excited Colin's is back in business and I will be a frequent customer. read more

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Off of another review suggestion I got the iced caramel macchiato. It was excellent. Will definitely come back for another great cup.

I love this place. Perfect when I want to escape campus and be surrounded by friendly people. The staff there are so kind and always making conversation which I appreciate. I always order the Golden Bear latte and it's delicious. There is also plenty of seats and outlets to sit and do work. Highly recommend! read more

Been to Colin's a number of times and the coffee is solid each time. Service is quick and the barista is very polite.

Went back in this week, got hot and fresh coffee, first time in a while. I think fact that coffee brewing is in the back somewhere at this splice in beer joint location that....while they do the best they can....they make ton of coffee early, keep it kind of warm in banquet hall type storage pump things.....so mid AM visit means lukewarm coffee at best. Upgrading to 3 stars as 1 was too harsh...but slow service and not hot coffee due to long walk to back for them to make/get fresh coffee is crazy. read more

The store is closing. The window art makes that abundantly clear. The entire dated shopping center with a confusing parking layout and fading lines on it's worn out blacktop is soon to be demolished. The interior also feels quite dated. It seems they have been expecting to close for a while now. The staff was excellent. The coffee and chai options were fine, but it isn't a place to go out of your way to visit unless there is a nostalgic reason to at this point. read more

Delicious coffee at a reasonable price and easy order ahead available! I've been getting the honey lavender iced latte and absolutely loving it. Coffee is made by Colin himself and he's so nice and welcoming. Coffee is only to go at the moment, but can't wait for the inside to open up because it looks so cozy. read more

Colin's Coffee - Iced honey lavender latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Was really excited to try the McRoy breakfast bagel (bacon, egg, cheese on an everything bagel) since everyone seems to rave about it. It hit the spot, so I'd definitely get it again. I like that Colin cut it in half which made eating it much easier. Also got the Golden Bear coffee which had vanilla and honey in it. It had good flavor, but was a bit too sweet for me. Next time I'll know to ask for a smaller pump of syrup but I also wouldn't mind trying other coffees either. Service was fast, although the barista guy didn't notice my order and was quick to socialize with the lady taking orders at the cash register and an apparent regular customer. After waiting a couple minutes, I had to interrupt him to ask if he received my order. He looked down and immediately noticed the cup sitting right there in front of him. He was quick to make it and as he handed me the coffee, he made a weird comment like "sorry you had to wait, I'd give you a free cookie but we don't have any right now." It was a little off putting because I was polite the whole time, but that comment made it seem as if I had given him vibes that I was annoyed and expected some sort of compensation. Regardless, would come back to try other coffees and hopefully have a better interaction with the staff next time. Perhaps the masks play some role, as he probably couldn't see me smiling or follow other facial cues to help him understand I wasn't offended for having to wait an extra minute or two. read more

Colin's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

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A nice coffee shop with great breakfast sandwiches. Definitely worth a stop. It seems to be a bit of a community gathering place as well, which is always nice to know. But mostly, it's great coffee and delicious sandwiches. read more

After the destruction of the Golden Bear Center Colin's has found a home inside another UA staple, The Daily Growler. The combination of great coffee, friendly staff, and community feeling throughout makes for a fantastic independent coffee shop. Yet another near causality of big money development survives to see another day and serve a neighborhood lacking in coffee shops and cafes. read more

Highly highly recommend!! Such a friendly welcoming atmosphere and great customer service!! Definitely a hole in the wall coffee shop I wish we found sooner. Has a local following and lots of loyal customers and I totally see why!! So sad to see them closing. read more

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Absolutely wonderful place. I walked in and the person taking orders asked what she could start making me. I mentioned it was my first time at the place. She was so nice and explained what they offered, some popular choices, and food options. I ordered a bagel egg sandwich made with an everything bagel. I also ordered the iced honey lavender latte. While I waited for the sandwich, I tried the latte. The latte was so delicious. It's not too sweet, the lavender isn't too overpowering, and the coffee was perfectly strong. I took the sandwich to go. I ate it while driving. It was so good I did the little dance you do when something tastes so THAT good. Instead of Starbucks, honestly give this place a try. read more

Yummy food and coffee with good prices! Why go to Starbucks when you can go here? This place was amazing, and the service was super friendly. read more

Today was my first time trying Colin's Coffee and I really enjoyed it. The employees were very welcoming and helped me figure out what I wanted since it was my first time. I got an iced coffee and a breakfast sandwich. The coffee is good but the sandwich was amazing! I'll definitely be coming back and taking advantage of the text ahead ordering read more

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Great local business to support. Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks! Great coffee and great friends.

Stopped here on a whim as I was passing by. Colin, the owner, was working. He was friendly and welcoming. He explained that there are some renovations and updates going on at the moment, and you're able to text your order for pick up. I ordered the golden bear latte (vanilla + honey combo). It had the right amount of sweetness and espresso flavor. Delicious. Highly recommend. read more

This is a highly patronized establishment. I didn't observe anything outstanding or exceptional. I didn't see any food options. I didn't have a chance to visit the bathroom, so no comments on that. They appear to host a used book store/exchange(?). I echoed the existing rating because there were no detrimental observations. read more

We stumbled upon Colin's after my boyfriend decided we should try new coffee shops. The staff was super friendly and helpful including adding a bit more sweetener for my taste after my coffee was made. The coffee was delicious, already craving more and planning to come back tomorrow. Prices are great for milk alternatives as well! Definitely Colin's coffee people now. read more

Stopped by on a time crunch, and found the text to order ahead service they offer and it was super convenient and went smoothly, much easier to go about than to mess with an online ordering app/interface. Will definitely start to be a regular customer. Love this place. read more

this was my first time at colin's despite driving past it on riverside for years! i finally decided to stop by today and loved it-- iced latte was solid, and the staff/owner were super friendly and you can tell at a glance that they just love what they do (my favorite thing about local coffee shops!). I'll definitely come by again, especially in the summer when outdoor seating is open! read more

Colin's Coffee - iced vanilla latte with soy - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Colin's has really great coffee, a friendly atmosphere, and courteous staff. Even customers all seem nice. Great place to go for coffee and a snack. read more

The other reviews hit the sweet spot: the customer service at Colin's Coffee is pheeenomenal. I went at 8am on a Saturday morning to do homework and was the only one there for a few minutes. In that entire span of time, the young woman who took my order talked to me at the counter and was so interested in my life. I don't think I've ever felt so welcomed and genuinely cared about at a coffee shop and I sure do love my coffee! The baristas knew almost every customer by name and when the owner arrived later in the morning, he asked them if all the regulars came. In that sense, I felt like the odd one out but upon leaving, they all talked to me again for a few minutes. Now on to the coffee - pheeenomenal as well! I got an iced hazelnut latte and ohmygoodness it was the loveliest! The ratio was perfect, the espresso was masterfully bold and I wanted another one as soon as I finished. Plenty of food options (muffins, sandwiches, the like) were walked by my table too but I came for the latte and left oh so content! Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating is available. For a mix of people sitting with friends, taking their order to-go or working like myself, Colin's is a solid 5 stars! read more

Colin's Coffee - The iced hazelnut latte is incredible! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

I've been here twice since my first review and Colin's has definitely grown on me. They must have listened to the reviews as they seemed to add outlets (power cords) and even pointed them out to me. The owner is almost always here; the staff are uber friendly and seem to be open to talking about anything. Although the temp does fluctuate, just wear layers no matter the time of year. Another downside is the hours... They close 3(ish) during he week. I didn't know this and the employee started cleaning up. When I asked when they close he was VERY nice and said to finish what I was doing an to not rush. When I packed up to leave he made sure to ask if I finished everything. I will continue to frequent Colin's and continue to support local businesses. read more

Colin's Coffee - Frozen hot chocolate - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Colin's Coffee is a great part of the independent and locally owned coffee shop scene. I will always choose a place like this over a corporate giant such as Starbucks. The staff, mainly consisting of Colin himself, are very friendly and will make suggestions for you. It has a pretty large menu of coffee and tea. There's also breakfast pastries and sandwiches. It's very proud of being independent and locally owned. It's got postings on the door saying they're better than Starbucks. Their boldness is kind of cool and funny. All kinds of coffee is available. It can make any of their competitor's coffee. Because there's no rules you can order whatever you want. It says it's Upper Arlington's only independent coffee shop. That means it's the best. Fuck the lame ass corporate chains. It's a pretty small space, but it's a relaxing atmosphere. There's reading material that fills an entire bookshelf. It has plenty of tables if you want to work on your laptop. The owner is serious about providing a great experience. It's a simple coffee menu and it's mostly as if you just order whatever you feel like. They have almost any kind of coffee or tea drink you can think of. All of my choices of beverages and coffee have been good, too. The chai with soy was hot and had a rich consistency. Colin's also has Block's Bagels. I had to hurry so maybe I will try one next time. The coffee and tea though is enough to make me return. read more

Colin's Coffee - Soy Chai - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

This place is no ordinary coffee shop. The presence of real-deal Amish Country pastries (courtesy Der Dutchman) signifies that. Throw in some rad music (I think a Madchester mix was playing the last time I was in there!), free (and reliable) Wi-Fi and some good coffee, and you've got it all. The owner (Colin, appropriately enough) was on the premises when I visited and was more than friendly. The place seemed to have several regular customers as well which is always a good thing. They serve breakfast and sandwiches...upping the ante once again. Drink-wise, things are fairly standard. They do those standbys well, though. The shop sports a healthy selection of books for your reading pleasure something I wish more coffee shops had. How many times have I stumbled in to a coffee house for a drink and just needed something to read and relax with? Getting there can be a bear as construction has the area pretty clogged up. Seating is smallish and the ambiance could be better. It's hours aren't the best either, thus the three-star review. If this place was anywhere near campus, it would give Cup O Joe and Starbucks a run for their money. read more

Colin's Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Thanks, Yelp for correcting the location of Colin's Coffee. Since I last reviewed this shop, I've been having the McRoy sandwich: it's your basic bacon, egg and cheese on toast, but they do a buttery, yummy version. Order it with the Der Dutchman English Muffin bread. read more

Colin's Coffee - Lots of light from full height windows - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Upper Arlington, Ohio

Quirky little coffee shop off the 33 in UA. The staff was friendly and service was quick. Coffee drink was okay, I wish they used different cups. Would probably stop in again if it was convenient but wouldn't go out of my way. read more

I make it a point to try a place at least three times before I write a review because every business has its off day and I want to always be hopeful of local coffee shops because, while Starbucks is convenient, there are MUCH better coffee shops out there. Here are my findings after a few trips to Colin's: If you are an old regular, you will be made to feel like family and treated warmly. The interaction between employees and well-known visitors was beautiful to watch. If you are not a regular (like me), expect to feel like an awkward third wheel. The barista seemed particularly annoyed with me on two separate occasions, which was off-putting. I'm not expecting a hug and a forced smile by any means, but less disgruntled huffing would have been appreciated, especially considering I wasn't ordering anything outrageous. I sent my husband in to pick up the most recent order of coffee we got from there to see if maybe there was just something about me the barista didn't particularly like. Not sure if it was the same barista, but he received fairly cold treatment as well. Some people don't mind lackluster service if the product is great - I know I have a handful of places I still visit and receive unfriendly service, but I always come back because the food is just that good- so on to the coffee. I've had one coffee and two espresso drinks. The coffee tasted burnt and out of the two espresso drinks, one was overly sweetened to the point I couldn't drink it and the other one was just bland and the espresso/milk ratio missed the mark. It was too much milk, or maybe the espresso wasn't strong enough. Drinkable, but not great. My husband got a signature drink and it tasted okay. Still pretty bland and not as high quality as I was hoping for. I truly wanted to fall in love with this place and have a permanent coffee spot, but it seems I'll still be searching. read more

The ambience and staff were both warm and welcoming - for a first-timer I was ready to try this place out. However I have to say that just the plain black coffee tasted burnt, and actually was not very palatable. I ended up having to throw it away. At $9 for a coffee and pastry I was hoping for more character/flavor in a small business coffee! Maybe I'll stick to specialty drinks & sandwiches which seem to have good reviews. read more

They had the BEST coffee!! It was on our way to the Columbus Zoo and it was definitely worth the stop! They had good breakfast sandwiches and they can be customized! read more

Sometimes you don't want Starbucks. Maybe you never do. Maybe the idea of yet another chain coffee experience gives your sense of ego a body blow you just can't recover from. Or maybe you're just like me and you're a sucker for something local, intimate and authentic. This is the kind of local haunt Upper Arlington expects and doesn't deserve. Owner-run and operated, you can expect a good story and a stoic ear for any of your own alongside a strong cup of Joe and a variety of other normal accoutrements. It's a great place to hang your hat. read more

Colin's Coffee fancies itself as bit of a rouser. On the door is a sign: friends don't let friends drink at Starbucks. Starbucks, the evil empire of latte, the dark side of the java, this is the tide Collin intends to stem, lead the insurgency against, and thrust his Don Quixote light-Spear at. But what kind of rebel is Colin? Is he a young, naive Skywalker or the older, wiser version? Is he the smug smuggler found accidental hero? Is he the unintelligible Wookie? Perhaps he is a she and she is the strong, smart regent, and princess of every adolescent boy's lock- bathroom door fantasy? Or maybe he/she isn't any of that. Perhaps he/she is lower. Perhaps he/she is Ja Ja Brinks! I have come to find out. Colin's has his shop at the corner of the building off 33. The hour are bankers ones, 6 to 3ish are the posted. No evening latte here I suppose. The reason seems obvious-- the owner is the sole employee. Step inside and one finds many signs asking to support local business- which I need to do more of. Colin makes a pretty good joe. My last was a blend called Reflection and it went down smoothly. I have had mocha here before and it was decent, a bit mediocre. So this is the place for the regular not the hifalutin. Which it pretty much is, highlighting the difference between coffeehouse and café, Colin's is on the coffeehouse end of the spectrum, almost diner like. You can get sandwiches here too. Even better, he features goodies from the Der Dutchman--and they are amazing. The owner is a hell of a guy and will speak to you. Friendly as all get out, he makes they place feel like a community. Many people stop by to chat to him. It is a feel that is rare in a world of corporate shops. For this I will bump a normal 3-stars to 4. As for the type of rebel he is? Well he is not flashy like a main character but he does good, hard work behind the scenes. He knows a Starbucks trap when he sees one. Ranking: Admiral Ackbar read more

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmph There are things I like about Colin's and things I don't like. I like the location, as it's handy to us (if not entirely handy to get in and out of). I like that there's outdoor seating, even if the actual chairs suck--they're plastic outdoor chairs that aren't comfortable or sturdy and come in a variety of sizes, many of which are small even for my thin husband. (I'm considering bringing my own chair next time, ha.) The service has been friendly but extremely not-in-a-hurry. The iced coffee is kind of awful. I threw my cup away. I ordered iced tea once and got a flavored iced tea (not indicated anywhere that it was flavored, I expected plain--I don't love flavored iced tea). I had a mocha once and it was pretty okay, so they do have stuff I like. Their coffees of the day often feature single origin brews and that's a plus for me; when the weather gets colder, I'll stick to black coffee. Still, though it's definitely not perfect, we keep coming back--mostly because the Starbucks near us doesn't have outdoor seating, even though they have tons of room for it. We do love that Colin's is local and that the owner has a rock and roll background, but they miss on too many marks for me to feel more than lukewarm toward them. read more

Colin's Coffee maintains that they aren't Starbucks or any other multinational multi-franchise business, which is fine and admirable. I prefer to patronize locally owned businesses whenever possible but Colin's rubs me the wrong way. It is very much a place that has its frequent customers who are hailed at the door when they walk in and probably can get their preferred coffee without even asking. On the other hand, if you aren't a regular you may feel like the odd person out. The actual coffee is only ok and the specialty drinks (at least the few times I've been to Colin's) aren't as good as some of the usual suspects either. Lastly, the overall vibe of the coffee shop is kind of a turn off. It seems Colin's is very militantly anti-Starbucks/chain store coffee shops in it's pro-locally owned stance with signage in the restaurant that says as much. Supporting local is important, but I also want the best product for my money and (most importantly) my time. I may be in the minority, but in order to give a customer a compelling reason to choose their coffee and coffee shop experience over one of the bigger contenders, they need to actually be better than their competition. read more

I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I stopped in here. I live in Hilliard and never gave much thought to this place but I had a BOGO coupon for this place and thought I would switch up my lesson planning Saturday Morning from my two usual spots to try it out here. The place has plenty of windows so it provides a comfy place with enough staring out the window to think instead of at other patrons. They also have plugs built into the registers along the side. At first, I didn't see this and was a little worried I couldn't plug in. They have free, open WiFi and the speed isn't bad. The tables are easy to move for big groups or nice for one person, sitting and working. The atmosphere is quiet, so it easy to work with. They brew Brewster's Coffee which isn't too bad and they offer Dark Roast. The coffee was burnt or too weak so I was happy. I also used my BOGO and received a free Strawberry Smoothie to go along with breakfast. These seemed to be your average frozen smoothie blend so nothing great but it made for a nice breakfast. I do wish the barrista would have offered me a mug instead of a Styrofoam cup because I didn't realize that was an option. A mug is always better. The barrista was pleasant enough for 7 AM. This seems like a nice place to go for a morning chat with friends, I would be tempted to recommend this to my book club for Saturday Mornings because it seems relaxed and not too busy or loud. read more

Colin's Coffee represents the uber-importance of small business in a community setting. But I'll get back to that in the end. Colin's captures the essence of what today's coffee shop should be. Brightly lit by natural lighting, good size tables in which the owner, Colin, allows to be used for work or personal research on laptops. A nice offering of foods, nothing too elaborate but still taste bud friendly (ie. grilled cheese and tomato soup). The coffee selection is narrow but Colin's offers flavorings that catch up with most any other coffee shop. And prices are moderate and below those of *Bucks or other wannabees. The coffee is pre-brewed and held in large caraffes which can, on a rare occassion, be less than piping hot the way I enjoy my first cup of coffee. But Colin will give you a new pour if you ask. It's all good. Small business.... see, I told you. With a dry cleaners, a barber shop and the US Postal Service office being in the same complex, Colin's Coffee serves to add that all important link in the chain to what sits on the corner of Riverside Drive and FIshinger Road. I know my first cup of the day comes from Colin's when I make my frequent stop at 8AM at the USPS. It simply works. And I'll bet the same holds true at lunchtime. All good, my friends, all good. Colin's Coffee is a winner. read more

Maybe you need to be a coffee drinker to gain a full appreciation of Colin's, I'm not sure, but I feel a little bit Emperor's New Clothes about the place. Like... it's good, but is it great? I'm just not seeing it. Friendly proprietor, yes. Best thing about it. And product-knowledgeable, for sure. But I don't find it an inspiring place to hang out or get work done. While the wifi works just fine, you're sort of on a lifeline with it, since the outlets -- if there are any -- are scarcer than a sea lion in the Sahara. Am I the only one who had trouble finding where to plug the laptop in or the only one who looked? [Edited to note that I see fellow yelper Jessica K. mentioned the outlet issue, too, and I am to gather that they indeed are there but are, in fact, difficult to spot. So there you go, I'm just not much of a detective.] This is a review I put off for a while because I felt bad about not being enthralled. It is a homey coffeehouse with a tremendous community spirit and small-town vibe on the edge of a city. But it's not like homey, community-minded coffeehouses are in short supply in Columbus, and most of the others score more points on the cozy scale. In comparison, Colin's feels kind of like a well-stocked office lounge. So... nothing major against the place, but I just can't find the awesome. read more