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    Common Ground

    3.9 (243 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

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    COMMON GROUND ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Trendy
    Casual
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Common Ground

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hampden special on sourdough
    Anna S.

    I hadn't been to Common Ground since they became employee-owned and I'm happy to report that the menu has not changed significantly and the quality continues to be consistent. They still have a lovely selection of pastries including a couple gluten free muffins! The sandwiches are still yummy and creative along with some crowd pleaser classics. I chose to get the Hampden special which comes with two eggs, candied bacon, swiss cheese, and greens. It was pretty good! I opted for sourdough instead of the ciabatta. The cold and hot lunch sandwiches come with potato chips whereas the breakfast sammies come by itself. I will definitely be back to work on their deck and enjoy a gluten free pastry and coffee!

    Nova Sandwich
    Julie W.

    Ordered the NOVA bagel and matcha latter for $21.10, friend ordered masala chai and hickory sandwich for $20.66. Just very mid compared to other cafes. Matcha was mostly milk, chai had no milk only tasted like water and spices. Sandwiches were fine. Friend found vegetable sticker in her sandwich, not my favorite cafe in Baltimore.

    That's My Jam!
    Valeria S.

    The service was great and quick! There was a lot of seating inside and it was comfortable. I loved listening to Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" while devouring my breakfast sandwich. The Hampden special is a favorite of mine. The candied bacon is delicious as is the aioli. I tried the That's my Jam! sandwich for the first time and it was perfectly sweet and savory. The biscuit was huge! It was not dry nor crumbly and held everything in place.

    Powers (hummus, red onion, cucumber, tomato, avocado and spinach on toasted rye.
    Brady R.

    Common Ground is my favorite lunch spot for a great sandwich. My go to order is The Powers (hummus, red onion, cucumber, tomato, avocado and spinach on toasted rye). Located in the heart of Hamden, this worker owned business is a charmer. Laid back, hyper local and slow paced. Don't come in a hurry though, good food can't be rushed. Order the matcha too! Sourced locally from Wight Tea Co.

    Frozen Mocha Smoothie
    Dan A.

    This has become one of the my favorite coffee spots. If I'm in Hampden, I find a way to get here. Smaller, cozy interior with a spacious outdoor seating area. The large Cappuccino is perfect as it has quad shots and the coffee/milk balance is perfect. I order mine with Oat milk. We've tried the frozen Mocha smoothie which was amazing. We always pick up one of their Vegan and/or Vegan/Gluten free Muffins or scones. They rotate the varieties-strawberry, orange cranberry, apple/cinnamon to name a few. Bonus-all of the baked goods are made in house. They also offer day old items. Service has always been friendly and engaged. One of many must stop spots in the area.

    Only option for a diet soda.

    I've always had good food here, and I like the vibe. I like seeing people from all walks of life sitting and eating lunch together. What I did not like is what I feel is the restaurant interjecting their political views into the peace I'm looking for on my lunch break. I always get a can of Diet Coke. When I went to get my Diet Coke out of the case, this was my only choice. I came back two weeks later and it was the same. If they want to sell the Palestina soda, fine. I can deal, but just bring back the Diet Coke too so we have a choice.

    Matcha Latte
    Cammi P.

    When you have a matcha craving, this is the best!! Fair prices with amazing pastries. Will definitely need to go back and try their sandwiches, however, my strawberry rhubarb scone did not disappoint. Very quick service and friendly staff. Cute space with tables for eating and leisure.

    Danish and coffee blended
    Sadie N.

    Lots of tables and nice patio space to enjoy your treats. Inside felt kinda cramped, but the availability of seats are endless. Well off coffee and good Danish.

    Menu
    Jacob F.

    Place is surprisingly expansive. I enjoy how the seating and ordering area is sectioned, so when you take a seat, it feels like you're in your own space, apart from a lot of shops where it just feels like a cafeteria. They packed the bagel with content, which I appreciated. Each bite was filling. The mango chutney that I added for $0.50 wasn't as prominent as I hoped. The bacon was cooked perfectly. It felt like there was seasoning on it, and it was the perfect balance of chewy and crispy. The cheese was actually melted on the egg, which I appreciated. The bagel had a great consistency. I didn't need to do much to break it apart.

    Lia F.

    Nice coffee and food. It gets pretty busy and hard to find seating though. Also they tend to be out of a lot of bagels. I also wish they stayed open a little later; 3 is early.

    Outside the shop

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    Employee owned business. It's a great spot to grab some breakfast and coffee in Hampden.

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    Baked goods are top, especially muffins. The bagel sandwiches are huge and yummy. Excellent coffee & atmosphere. Always great service.

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    4 years ago

    Best black bottom brownies I've had that aren't made at home. Soooo good! Their Hampden sandwich is also sooo delicious

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    5 years ago

    my old stomping grounds. I love common grounds. I wish I was in bmore so I could come get the best bagel and veggie cream cheese ever !

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    Ask the Community - Common Ground

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    La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon - Smoked salmon in everything focaccia,$14.50.

    La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon

    4.8(63 reviews)
    0.9 miRemington

    Holy cow, the pastries here are INSANE! Soft and delicate, and the sandwiches are suuper filling…read more Came here with my friend to work on some assignments and ordered a bit more than we could chew. I will say finding solid seating here is tough, and it is packed tight. But it is handicap accessible, and gets some great light. It's right across the street from a wonderful consignment shop and Ottobar, which makes it an ideal place to grab a quick lil bev if there's an outdoor market happening. The hours here are a bit odd, but otherwise I think this is a great spot to get some work done if you don't mind loud, dense environments. I also appreciate the space heaters sprinkled about the seating area to ensure everyone gets some heat in this large hall. I can only hope they do something with that awesome firepit out front.

    While in the area I used my yelp and saw this. My fellow yelpie friends gave it good reviews…read morerecently. Its definitely larger then the Fells location with outdoor and indoor seating. Like the other location, pastries and sandwiches are all made on site. The price point is quite insane for a cafe in which I purchased a pre made tuna sandwich, cheesecake and a iced oatmilk lavender latte for a grand total of $27!! It was very busy with college students studying and a few others sitting inside. I was able to grab seating outside under the umbrellas as it was raining. My tuna salad sandwich was tasty but the bread a bit hard as it was sitting stacked up pre made. The cheesecake was okay and my latte needed to be remade as it was quite bitter. All in all, its not a lot to rave about especially with the high price point. I may return but its better options with cheaper price points.

    Photos
    La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon - Ordering station

    Ordering station

    La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon - Pastry display

    Pastry display

    La Maison by Cafe Dear Leon - Inside

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    Inside

    Llamas’ Corner - Llama Sunrise Breakfast Panini -- smoked paprika aioli sauce, fluffy eggs, bacon jam, creamy guacamole, mozzarella cheese

    Llamas’ Corner

    4.2(88 reviews)
    1.5 miBolton Hill
    Minority-owned & operated
    Eco-friendly

    Llamas Corner is such a gem in Bolton Hill. The café is beautifully decorated, with art from local…read moreartists covering the walls, and the music sets a really vibey, welcoming mood that makes you want to linger. This was my second visit, and it definitely lived up to the first. On my first stop, I had the ham and Swiss panini with a cookie butter latte. The sandwich was grilled perfectly, crispy on the outside, melty and satisfying inside, and the latte was absolutely delicious. I was honestly bummed to learn the cookie butter latte was seasonal because it deserves a permanent spot on the menu. This time around, I tried the breakfast panini and added ham, along with an iced sugar cookie latte (another seasonal drink that was so good). The food was pleasant and comforting, and once again, the drink really stole the show. Overall, Llamas Corner nails the combo of great atmosphere, thoughtful food, and creative drinks. I'll definitely be back... just crossing my fingers that some of those seasonal lattes become regulars.

    I recently stopped by Llamas' Corner for a mid afternoon treat. The inside is cute with some quirky…read moredecor and a good amount of seating for the small size of the place. There are two kiosks where you order. I got the french toast matcha latte which was ready quickly. The matcha wasn't the best quality or wasn't prepared properly, imo. It tasted very soapy and the french toast flavor wasn't very noticeable. I've definitely had much better matcha in Baltimore and wouldn't recommend Llamas' if you're particular about your matcha. Maybe their coffee is better? I also noticed a section on the menu labeled "gluten free" but the only option listed was a bag of chips. Would be nice to see some other offerings for GF folks.

    Photos
    Llamas’ Corner - Biscoff Cookie Crunch Latte

    Biscoff Cookie Crunch Latte

    Llamas’ Corner
    Llamas’ Corner

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    Bird In Hand - Caramel latte and strawberry mint matcha

    Bird In Hand

    3.9(139 reviews)
    0.7 miCharles Village
    $$

    What an amazing day to have an amazing iced ginger tumeric latte made with oat milk…read more The relaxed hippie spot is calling you to endulge in a peaceful drink specially prepared by the friendliest people. Stop by and make a cool selection of your choice of drink whether hot or cold. You wont be disappointed unless your tastebuds are off

    This review is solely based upon an event I attended here, not the actual bookstore itself. Bird in…read moreHand is a really cute cafe, bookstore, which I plan to return to try the coffee and pastries I stopped for their Community Dinner event called Eat with Me. It was a community dinner party with Chef Char. You had a choice of a ticket with or without wine pairing. Me and my friend chose the ticket with wine pairing. The ticket included two glasses of wine. The menu was not printed online so we went in kinda blind on what was served. The first course was a roasted vegetable dish which consisted of broccoli, fingerling potatoes and pears with a Greek yogurt sauce. The second course was chicken thighs with risotto in a tomato sauce and the third course was a granola strudel with pears. There was also an arugula salad with grapefruit segments and parmesan cheese. I can be brutally honest, none of the courses were seasoned well. The first course was cold, the vegetables were wilted and did not mesh well. Was not expecting pears to be with my roasted vegetables. The second course was underwhelming as well. The food did not have any flavor and the dessert was not my favorite at all. I only ate the fruit out of the dessert. The chef did come out and let us know what each course was, however I felt that she really wasn't too personable with the guests. A few of the guests at the table were her friends so she only engaged with them, and of course they hyped her up, however the food was bland and underwhelming and the majority of the guests including myself did not finish their plates. If there is another community dinner, I hope it will be with a different chef in mind As I stated before my review is of the event, not the business as a whole.

    Photos
    Bird In Hand - Orange, Cranberry, & Chocolate Oat Cookie from Ovenbird Bakery ($3) and Large Iced Coffee ($3.75)

    Orange, Cranberry, & Chocolate Oat Cookie from Ovenbird Bakery ($3) and Large Iced Coffee ($3.75)

    Bird In Hand - Mishmish mango sticky rice popup

    Mishmish mango sticky rice popup

    Bird In Hand - Hot chocolate

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    Hot chocolate

    Common Ground - coffee - Updated May 2026

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