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Commonwealth Cafe

4.1 (667 reviews)
Closed • 7:30 am - 3:00 pm

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Recommended Reviews - Commonwealth Cafe

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Maple Latte
Deena S.

Commonwealth Cafe is a cute spot in downtown Birmingham to grab food and coffee. The setup is a little different -- you order and pay at the counter first, then wait to be seated, which worked fine but does mean a bit of standing in line on a busy Sunday afternoon. We arrived around 1:30 and it was packed, so food took a while to come out, but that was expected. My friends ordered the Brown Rice Bowl, a Sweet Matcha Latte, and a Maple Latte. I ordered the Chorizo Hash but swapped the chorizo for avocado. The dish was fine overall, but not my favorite. I didn't realize it was served over a cheddar jalapeño polenta base, which was pretty mushy for my taste. That's more on me for not paying close attention, and I'd definitely try something else next time. The atmosphere was nice, the drinks looked great, and it's a solid spot for a casual brunch or lunch. I'd go back, but I'll order differently next time.

Maple Latte
Dalia V.

This is such a cute and cozy café. I came here originally planning to get a coffee to go, but decided to stay for the nice ambiance. There are plants everywhere and tables are nicely spaced apart. It took about 25 minutes between getting to the café and receiving my Maple Latte, but the drink was sweet, warm, and delicious. This is definitely a nice spot for when you're not in a rush.

Omelette with Brussels Sprouts Omelette
Tracy F.

Go order and they bring it to you. I ordered an omelette with Brussels sprouts and side of arugula comes with it. My husband got the BLT and egg sandwich. He had a coffee, I had a cappuccino. Although excellent food, it is very high priced for breakfast. Spent over $50. Just known that it's good but expensive going in.

Tandoori chicken wrap
Michael T.

Line was to the door at 0900 Sunday morning. It moved relatively quickly. We ordered tandoori chicken wrap and fried egg sandwich. Although nothing was bad, overall not impressed. The sauce for chicken was light. The fried egg sandwich was ok-tasting but just a fried egg and avocado spread. Toast was slightly burnt. Ambiance was good. Clean. Modern. Service was friendly. They gave me their recommendations on the menu.

Chloe K.

One of my favorite places, not only do they serve you high quality food but they have some amazing coffee! I prefer to come here in the summer so I can sit outside. I usually change it up but this time around I got their Nutella pancakes and bacon! Can not wait to be back.

Denisse R.

This place has stolen my heart and I am willing to drive 45 min to it ! Always busy but the food is to die for ! Their coconut berry cake was crazy good ! Coffee nothing special (but I don't know a lot about coffee) Staff friendly and helpful ! Pricy but they use a lot of high quality ingredients! French toast was 10/10 Can't wait to go back !!

Common Breakfast
Thuy N.

Such a nice brunch and coffee shop in town! We ordered Common breakfast, tomato soup with grilled cheese, apple cinnamon and banana chocolate for dessert. Everything tastes good, especially the grilled cheese when dipping it in tomato soup. I tried their iced Ceremonial matcha latte with oat milk, and it was better than I expected. The matcha color looks decent and the flavor is good. I wish they spent more time on sifting and whisking the matcha so it tastes smoother.

Maple Latte
Lulu T.

Commonwealth is my go-to casual breakfast spot in Birmingham! The staff is so nice, food is unique and spectacularly done, and coffee is consistently tasty. I got the shiitake mushroom omelet with the bok choy side salad and it was delicious. The egg was custard like, mushrooms were well seasoned, and they were generous with the avocado! Will be back again soon.

Varun S.

Great vibes. Cool establishment. Very very over priced (8$ for a smaller latte) and .50 for skim milk?! I wanted to like the latte but it did not taste good, better coffee shops around in the area.

Shiitake Omelette and Bokchoy Salad
Fran V.

Commonwealth has become staple in my weekend brunch rotation! I ordered the shiitake Shitake Omelette and it is clear the flavors were thought out and balanced. Though the dishes can be pricey, I would say it is well worth it. Excited to try the other brunch dishes here!

Fried Egg Sandwich
Shelley B.

This is a cafe. You order the food at the counter and a server brings it to your table. Food very overpriced. $19 for a fried egg sandwich. Unique twist-included guacamole on the sandwich. My friend ordered the Brussels sprout omelette and a cup of tea and I had a root beer to drink. They do lot have carbonated beverages. Our bill totaled $60. Food mediocre, ordinary and accompanying side salads lacked adequate salad dressing. Be forewarned-They automatically add a 15% gratuity to a self order cafe! Was not impressed, particularly given the cost of our brunch.

Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
Sabrina Y.

You can never go wrong with Common Wealth in Birmingham. No matter what you order it will be absolutely delicious. My standout dish was the wagyu and eggs--rich, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I also tried the maple latte, and it was amazing--just the right balance of sweetness and warmth. The atmosphere at Common Wealth is lovely, with a cozy yet vibrant vibe that makes it a great spot to relax or catch up with friends. Even though it's a self-seating place, the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, making sure everything went smoothly. Highly recommend for anyone in the area!

Chorizo Hash
Alexa R.

Cute brunch spot with plenty of seating. We went early and there was no wait. Noticed after we left, the line gets longer as it gets later. They had a lot of selection between food/coffee/tea/desserts. We ordered the common breakfast, chorizo hash, carrot cake, and a couple coffees. The food came out pretty quickly and everything was fresh/hot. The gingerbread latte wasn't a strong flavor but it was still good. The chorizo hash had a lot of flavor and was super good. The commons breakfast was a big portion, ended up taking some to go. The carrot cake was the best thing I had there.

Avacado Garlic - Avocado Toast

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9 months ago

I've been going to commonwealth for years. Such a great place to eat. They are so clean and healthy. It's a must try!

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9 months ago

The food and service were excellent. Great location and atmosphere. Gluten-free options are available, but they are limited.

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Commonwealth Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Commonwealth Cafe

Do they have mimosas?

No they do not serve alcohol of any kind.

Does this place have chocolate chip pancakes? Trying to see if this is a good spot for a five year old?

I would not really bring your kid here. It's kind of touch and go whether or not you'll have to stand in a long line, and typically if you have six people in front of you in line it'll take 10 minutes for the line to move. you usually have to wait… Read more

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220 Merrill - Flash Seared Ahi Tuna

220 Merrill

(803 reviews)

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Downtown Birmingham

I've been wanting to try 220 for quite some time and finally got around to having it for carryout…read morelunch. I liked the packaging with foil to help insulate the food. I ordered the 220 burger that came with fries. Price was about $20 which I was totally fine with. The food was very good. Lots of flavor on the burger. The various toppings worked quite well. My one knock would be the bun; it wasn't toasted so the burger lacked some structural integrity. That and the onion jam which seemed more like cooked onions than an actual jam. Overall, an A rating for a burger (2nd best tier). The fries were plentiful and had nice crisp. A little more salt could have boosted them even higher, but I was pleased with them. Overall, really solid burger and fries.

The staff was friendly. The place always looks classy and upscale the had great festive appeal for…read morethe holidays. We ordered some shareables like the truffle fries, croissant bread pudding and the miso sea bass wraps. Along with a Caeser salad with chicken, mini lobster and shrimp rolls. The plating looked amazing. The truffle fries tasted great you can taste the Parmesan and the truffle flavor was light but fragrant. The croissant bread pudding was so nice, they had so much flavor but I wouldn't have called it bread pudding. It was a croissant with cheese but there wasn't any type of pudding other than a liquid sauce. The miso sea bass wraps were outstanding so flavorful in such a few bites. The mini lobster roll was fresh and tasty but it needed more sauce.

Madam - Sourdough bread

Madam

(172 reviews)

$$$

Downtown Birmingham

It was fabulous to return to Madam! Excellent experience. Thank you to Michael for exceptional…read moreservice! He was very attentive, kind, and helpful. I really enjoyed my French onion soup and Caesar salad. The salad was very crisp and fresh. We had the Burrata as our starter and it was beautiful. My friend enjoyed her lobster benedict. They offer a variety of lovely coffee and espresso drinks. I very much liked my hazelnut latte and a cardamom latte too. The atmosphere is lovely! I love all the art and modern decor. It's a bright space with lots of natural light. Relaxed vibes and we didn't feel rushed. Easy free parking on Sundays. There is a parking garage right around the corner.

We attended Easter Brunch, every person that worked here that we encountered was extremely friendly…read more& pleasant. Brunch was fantastic, with a large plethora of options! The place is beautiful, and well maintained. They had the Easter bunny there, and caricatures available. There was a mix up with our bill, due to lack of communication on our servers end. We ended up being charged for a child's meal (we have a 6 1/2mo baby, under 2 is free) and gave an extra tip. We were not told there was automatic gratuity on the bill added already. (I've also never heard of auto gratuity on a bill for only two people.) However the manager Elaine handled the situation very graciously and corrected the issues without hesitation. We would return in the future based off how the situation was resolved!

Shine Cafe - Monte Cristo

Shine Cafe

(152 reviews)

$$

This cute breakfast/brunch spot hits every time. The Chicken Greek Wrap is phenomenal (yummy…read moremarinated chicken, fancy feta, fresh veggies, homemade dressing), and everything else I've ever ordered here has been fab (blueberry shortcake biscuits, berry bliss pancakes, elevator sandwich). The staff is sweet too. It's a dependable fave.

We recently stopped by The Shine Cafe and had an overall good experience with a few areas that…read morecould use improvement. I ordered the "Double Trouble" -- French toast loaded with cookie dough, Oreos, Nutella, and chocolate sauce. Let me just say... that dish is a train straight to diabetes. In all seriousness, it was absolutely delicious and indulgent, but definitely on the overly sweet side. If you have a serious sweet tooth, this one's for you. My wife went with the Classic Eggs Benedict, and that was excellent -- well-balanced flavors and cooked just right. The breakfast potatoes, however, were a bit bland. They were cooked well texture-wise but could definitely use more seasoning. Service was so-so, though it seemed like they were pretty busy, which likely played a role. The location is great -- conveniently about a mile from Woodside Church, one of the largest churches in Michigan -- so I can imagine it gets especially packed on weekends. One important note: restroom maintenance needs attention. With only a single restroom per gender, cleanliness is critical. My wife noticed the toilet seat wasn't clean, which is something that should be addressed promptly, especially in a high-traffic establishment. Overall, the food quality was strong, particularly the main dishes, and we'd likely return -- but there are definitely a few operational details that could elevate the experience.

Zalman's On Woodward - Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich. Cheddar Chive Biscuit, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage instead of Bacon and Sharp Cheddar Cheese.

Zalman's On Woodward

(161 reviews)

We tried Zalman's last weekend during a staycation at the Kingsley. The food was great but I wanted…read moreto recognize and compliment the service. Mya was our server and she went above and beyond. One of our kids ordered french toast, and somehow we missed that it was topped with a fruit compote. When Mya stopped by the table she immediately saw that my daughter was not happy and asked if she should put a new order in. We declined because we wanted our daughter to try it before she made up her mind, and learn from the experience. Mya came back again and could tell that there was no way this kid was going to eat the french toast. She insisted on putting another order in, saying "I just want her to be happy", and it was clear that she truly meant it. Thank you for a wonderful breakfast - we will be back frequently!

I arrived at Zalman's alone for breakfast which is located within the Kingsley Hotel on iconic…read moreWoodward Avenue (highway #1!) and was greeted promptly by hostess, Sydney. I was a little disappointed initially to be seated at the short bar as it makes me feel like I'm in elementary school due to the height, but this was a busy Saturday morning so I understood as it seems there are limited 2-tops, etc and this visit was at peak hours. It was nice to see the daylight coming through the windows which also made this a relaxing venue. While I was sitting there I was able to observe a lot as the short bar is next to the case displaying many delicious treats. I really laughed to myself as I noticed a couple of future Yelper's (one was 2-year toddler and his probably 4-5 year old sister (possibly celebrating a birthday) make a prompt trip to checkout the dessert offerings first! They were obviously "regulars". I was greeted by one of the wait staff, Mya, who was friendly, served me a coffee and indicated my server would be with me soon. I appreciated seeing the teamwork among the staff. I was eventually served by Owen who was helpful and I ordered an egg white frittata which came with a side of mixed fresh fruit. While I was waiting on my food, I had a vantage point where I could see several entrees come out. I also witnessed one of the two Chefs smiling as he was looking at and preparing the orders which I found interesting. The frittata included spinach, tomatoes, goat cheese, apple chicken sausage, and was delicious. I was still a little hungry, so I realized the future Yelpers mentioned earlier had it right, and I ordered a carrot cake cupcake which Owen mentioned was a good choice. The frosting was delicious and the moist carrot cake was tasty as well. The overall restaurant was hustling and bustling on this morning, I had my coffee cup refilled multiple times and even noticed additional children observing the case with the desserts. I enjoyed the overall experience and did not feel rushed at all, but more like a customer!

Original Pancake House - Chocolate Chip Pancakes

Original Pancake House

(483 reviews)

$$

Small parking lot off busy Woodward, you can also park in a small lot across the side street or on…read morenearby streets. Inside is a loud and crowded dining area, they impose an 'all people must be present for the group to be seated' rule. No soda pop. The breakfast and brunch food was excellent. It was a little pricey, but really good. Waitress was really nice and attentive.

Another place on my childhood food tour. I have been craving their food since a small child. I love…read morethis place and it hits the spot each and every time. There is absolutely nothing bad on the menu. There are so many delicious items, I have a hard time picking what I want since I want everything. First, I love their coffee. We came for lunch and I had already had my morning coffee, but we had not been here in so long, I needed my Original coffee fix and ended up having three more cups. Their coffee taste great all ways, black, with cream, with cream and sugar, so good! My child had a strawberry lemonade. They limit you to only one refill, but they were very kind and asked her if she was ready for her second cup. We love their specialties, which they do warn you takes extra long to bake, about twenty minutes, but it is always worth it. I ended up getting the baby Dutch garden, which is baked. It is so good, so underrated, I love this one every time. It is like an omelette inside a German pancake. It is perfection. I always also need something sweet, so I got a half order of blueberry pancakes. The batter is so good and they give you a side of blueberries in syrup. My child got the baked apple. This is the most iconic treat and a must order if you have never been here before. Again, it is baked sugar, apples and cinnamon inside a German pancake. We both had leftovers. So, each of our meals was like two meals. My husband got the broccoli and cheese omelette and a side of chocolate chip pancakes. They have hands down the best chocolate chip pancakes in the area and their omelettes are so fluffy and delicious. Personally, when I get their omelette, I get the spinach and cheddar which is amazing. Other items I love include the 49ers. Those are the best pancakes, they are a hybrid crepe and American pancake, and if you have never had one, you need to try them, they are ginormous. Their buckwheat pancakes are also so good. Their orange juice is typically fresh squeezed and worth ordering, and there are so many other items I have never tried because I do not have enough room in my stomach. This is a must try for everyone. There is usually a long line, but it tends to go quickly. Service is always friendly.

Commonwealth Cafe - coffee - Updated May 2026

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