The coffee is the delicious the atmosphere is unusual. Great study place. Also I will add they don't have a huge food selection so I usually get coffee and maybe a cookie. One day I did not have time to go to two places so I ordered coffee and a breakfast sandwich. OMG!!! They way they do the scrambled egg with bits of bacon, cheese and onions was absolutely scrumptious. read more

Great coffee, inviting decor, nice place for the perfect coffee break. Pretty quiet and nice place to relax. Really enjoyed my first visit here. Will come back again. read more

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Cool place. My daughter goes after school on occasion and had informed me about the House Cup deal: $2 (includes tax) gets you a mug of coffee, plus a refill. Pretty good deal for a budget-conscious consumer like myself (read: "cheap bastard"). Tasty, non-fancy, good stuff regular coffee. There are several tables inside and out. We settled in at a small table in the old sleeping porch area. Beautiful day with the windows open. Because the building used to be a house, it is divided up into rooms, Not fully enclosed, mind you, separate spaces, but still relatively open. It makes it easy to separate yourself a bit if you like, and cozy into your little area. They have some games out on the porch as well if you are so inclined. I will definitely return. I'm having a hard time understanding how anyone could walk into Starbucks with this place right across the street. So much more character, and local. read more

Found this great little coffee shop visiting my ODU daughter this weekend - so happy we did. The coffee is DELICIOUS and the shop is super cozy. Very small so the outside seating is perfect. There's nothing like a cup of insanely good coffee and watching the world do it's thing :D read more

I bounce between the Nutella and Creme Brulee, iced or hot, with an extra shot when my world is crumbling. The place is hipster AF with a pretty cool staff. I've never had issues with customer service either. Cool environment, fun people, great study spot- it's just the coffeeshop vibe without the standard hipster crap service. Hope you give this local spot a shot. I've only ever gotten coffee, but I see they have some vegan goodies as well if you're about it. Don't hesitate to sit next to strangers either, (: read more

I've been going to Fair Grounds almost weekly for over a year, and figured it was time to write a review. If you are looking for a cozy coffee shop in Ghent, this is the place to go. I can only speak to the coffee, Italian Sodas and pastries, which are great. It looks like they have lunch foods, like sandwiches, but I usually go in after I've had dinner, so I've never tried the food. As I said, it's cozy on the inside, so in the winter, it can get pretty packed. The baristas are friendly, and it has that ambience you would expect of a local coffee shop. Prices are on-par with Starbucks, but it's definitely worth going across the street and up the stairs. read more

First and foremost - it's not Starbucks. You get a star right out of the gate for being an independently owned and operated local establishment. This place is about as cute and inviting as any coffee house I've visited (which is saying quite a bit.) The upstairs seating area is tiny and there isn't a plethora of seating, but it's cozy and inviting. The service is very helpful and friendly, and their selection of coffees and pastries is impressive. What tipped the scales to a five for me - if all of the other things I've listed so far hadn't been sufficient - was the large variety of vegan options in both pastries (vegan cinnamon donut? Don't mind if I do!) and milk alternatives. Both soy and almond milk are offered. read more

This place has easily turned into one of my favorite coffee spots! They have delicious choices to pick from, great staff and even better desserts! By dessert I mean their incredibly dense cinnamon roll, it was heavenly and just what I needed. All of their coffees are a great choice, and pair well with anything you eat. The atmosphere is perfect if you want to lounge with a group of friends, or study group. Of course it's also the perfect place to just hang out and relax by yourself with a good coffee or book or both! read more

Great place to grab a coffee and vegan danish or bagel! Their prices are similar to what you would pay at Panera Bread, but their coffee, danishes, bagels and sandwiches are much better quality. I've been here before. I love the atmosphere. Friendly staff :) I'd come more often if the prices were lower. read more

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Always a cozy place for a cup of coffee! A little cramped sometimes, but the occasional live music makes up for it! read more

Fair Grounds - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I want to like this place again. I used to drive across town to come here. Good parking, cool atmosphere, live music from time to time. The music was bad, the coffee was okay, but it was good times. After a few years things changed. Seems like the staff they had for a long time were replaced with disgruntled kids who didn't last long enough for you to remember their name. It stopped feeling like i was supporting a local business and more like i was walking into a failed experiment. Now if i go its like visiting an old friend who's now addicted to meth. "so... whats new with you? oh look at the time!" The ghent kids hanging about scoffing at everyone walking up the patio while sneering at their parents across the street at starbucks doesn't phase me but who runs the place now? $20 dollar minimum purchase to use credit. what the shit is that? i just wanted some coffee i'm not helping with the rent. -oh well you can buy a gift card, or use the ATM yeah fuck that. Scumbag Fairgrounds: Stakes it's claim on fair trade, violates Visa merchant rules at the expense of the customer. Also, for the lolz I went to the website linked above. You should check it out. Is there also a minimum purchase before I can see the completed website content fairgrounds? Even the kid who filled out the blog section, I'm sorry the "conversation", starts out saying he's not gonna do the work (maybe it's a minimum purchase thing with him too...) Trololol. It's pretty obvious he didn't anticipate anyone reading his post. cool story bro... read more

This is the spot! I guess I would even say that if you've ever lived in Norfolk or go to ODU, this would be the coffee shop you frequent and remember for the rest of your life. Hipster vibe? Sure. Cool furniture and tables? Check. Great coffee? Check. Great service? Check. Free wifi? Check. Cool place to chill your day away? Check. Okay so now that the checklist has been checked, I'll just go into my own personal story with this fine establishment. One day, my girlfriend was feeling sick. I asked the waitress (the redhead), what would be a good drink for someone who was sick? She responded that the hot cider would be a good drink and told me it was on the house. WOW. What was funny was that that day I actually forgot my wallet in the car so I didn't even have enough money to pay for the cider. The next time I came in, I left $5 in the tip jar. The coffee and the atmosphere is what keeps me coming back. The amazing service is what will make me remember this place for the rest of my life as my first real coffee joint. Definitely visit and enjoy it while you can. Not all of us will live in Norfolk forever! read more

A cute little eclectic coffee house. They serve a variety of teas, super fancy coffee drinks with fancy names and are a bit on the pricy end. Coffee in house mug us 1.73- but they offer ONE free refill and to go is 2.80 (? approx). They offer a variety of muffins, bagels, sandwiches, cookies. - Coffee: I sadly did not care for their coffee.They had a dark and light- i got the light hoping it was smoother. It was defiinitely better than Starbucks ,but 6/10 to me in quality. Their other drinks sounded tasty -- especially The godfather : dark chocolate with tiramisu! (will return to try it!) -They have their own parking lot! Yay for downtown norfolk! - Close to SO MANY eateries : Ynot pizza, hookah lounge, bars etc- all a hop away. - Comfy- in every sense of the word- Many outlets, a great variety of plush, leather chairs or just your standard wooden chairs with tables and one large table for groups. I very conveniently made a day out of studying here! - A nice change to the usual coffee house clients. This place attracts a unique crowd- hipsters, to people reading the bible, med students, business professionals-- i really enjoyed the diversity. - It was nice not to feel rushed-- everyone working there just kinda did their thing and let you do yours. - Bathrooms were clean and smelled nice :) - Music was softer during the day, but got louder as patrons bustled in to take shelter from the snow towards the evening. Its a bit of a trek from newport news, but im glad i spent some time when i was in the area :) read more

Fair Grounds - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I'm not a coffee person, but I love this place to just hang out with a friend (not multiple friends, since space is limited) and chat. I went here tonight (yay for coffee shops open at 8pm!) after eating dinner at No Frill and we drank our drinks while sitting on some cute stools and sympathizing over the young people here studying on a Friday night. My hot chocolate was tasty and I liked the free books in their "library." Nice girl behind the counter too. My small hot choc and my buddy's large Americano came out to $5+change, which seems like a decent price to me. I also think this could be a good spot to "meet" people ;) read more

I could spend all day here. I would spend all day here if my dog could hang out inside with me but we could still hang out on the patio/deck as the 2nd option. I'm sure I've expressed my love of cafe's and independent coffee shops before and this place definitely hits the very top of my list of awesome. I met a friend here for coffee. I went for a regular coffee. Black. Because again, I am a real coffee drinker. I also ended up getting the vegan cinnamon roll. Not bad considering it had no butter. It was pretty good. Less rich than a real cinnamon roll but a nice balance of sweet icing and cinnamon dough. This place has nice comfy chairs (eclectic varieties) with little side tables to each seating area. There are also a couple of large tables set up with chairs for larger groups or individuals who want to make friends (I suppose). I will definitely be back. Maybe next time with my dog to hang out, read and enjoy a good cup of coffee. read more

I've decided to raise my review to 3 stars for Fair Grounds. On Valentine's day my valetine and I needed a place to hang out before our movie started, and Fair Grounds was open late- til 11pm. The night crew was much more pleasant and the chai latte I ordered was pretty darn good. My love had a Ninja Turtle he said was tasty. Redeemed indeed. read more

If you want to study: Came here with the intention to study and mission was accomplished. This little coffee house is located upstairs in what seemed like a two story house turned business. The coffee house has a few tables and chairs, comfy couches and outlets throughout. I was able to sit at tables for hardcore studying and relax on chairs during reviewing or relaxing. Oh and for us students who want to study all day at a coffee shop but have limited budgets and thus cannot afford street parking, this place has a parking lot! I use earplugs when I study but I think If I had not the place may have been a little loud, however. Overall though with ear plugs in hand this place is easily a 5 for a place of study. Get here early, though, its a small place and fills up fast inside as does the parking lot! Atmosphere: It was a comfortable and artsy. A local artists work filled the walls (who was actually sitting at a table nearby). A fireplace was located centrally with couches surrounding it. It seemed as though many people knew each other as chit chatter between them was evident. Diversity was evident with college students, artists, business people and the elderly. It was very nice. I loved it! Food: I bought a chicken pesto sandwich and it was fresh, on soft bread and not doused in oil like many chicken pesto sandwiches are. It was perfect for me. However, the reason I gave this place 4/5 stars is because of the lack of variety of food options. They only have about 5 sandwich options, bagels w cream cheese and a veggie burger for meals. There baked goods such as cookies and pies and such are small in number as well. Coffee and Tea: Here they have a lot of options for coffee and tea. I was not too impressed with there regular coffee, however, there mixed coffees looked delicious. I ordered a pot of tea, I cant remember the name but it was delicious just over 2 dollars for two mugs of tea. The tea was made from steeped tea leaves not a tea bag. I was super happy with it and absolutely loved the concept of a pot of tea! Overall solid 4, if they expand the food menu a solid 5 will be accomplished in no time! read more

The coffee here is great, and the atmosphere is eclectic but warm and inviting. They're very environmentally friendly-- bring your own cup for a taste of home. The only drawback is the limited seating-- not the best place to camp out and study all afternoon. They take cash, check, and credit/debit for $20 purchases or more-- so you can set up a tab if you want. There's also an ATM on site. read more

I love this spot and will continue going but one particular day I forgot to tell the young man making my coffee not to make it to sweet. I went back and asked for him to please make it less sweet. He informed me I will have to pay for a new brink and I did. My point is he could have had better customer service and remake my coffee instead of making pay for another cup of coffee. You want your loyal customers to keep coming. read more

Interesting flavors in coffee. This place is almost always packed with people so I could never find a place to sit and relax. The atmosphere is just like a real house, well technically it is a house. Located right across the street from Starbucks, this place is very quaint, homey and is just plain lovely. It's a local coffee shop with wifi. Small but clean bathroom. Cute decor. This place is so indie and a great place to lounge around in. Only complaint is their minimum purchase charge on credit cards, making it a cash only environment. Surprisingly theres an atm sitting near the counter. How conveniently inconvenient. read more

Embarrassed that I gave this place 5 stars considering the pie is from COSTCO. Don't hide behind this hipster-homegrown-buy local persona and then sell me Costco pie at homemade pie prices. They very well know that people buying that pie assume they made it. All props go to Costco for making amazing apple pie, you don't get enough credit. read more

I joined Yelp just so I could review this place. The coffee is fine, but I've never experienced such unfriendly service. I went in with a couple of friends on Monday, December 20th, while I was home for break. We took a few minutes to look over the drink list (there was nobody waiting behind us) and apologized to the barista, who scowled at us. We ordered, received our drinks, I put a dollar in the tip jar, and received not a 'thanks,' or a smile, or anything but a blank stare. My friends left after they finished their drinks and I stayed behind to use the free wi-fi on my laptop. The rude barista walked by, wiped off a couple of tables and mumbled something at me, and I replied, "Excuse me?" and she snapped back, "We're just about done here." Oh, you're about to close. Thanks for letting me know so politely (I wasn't the last person in there by any means.) I packed up quickly and hauled ass out of there. I used to really dig on this place when I lived in Norfolk. Now, I doubt I'll ever be back during any of my future visits. Like I said, their coffee is fine; even better than fine, but the service is so horrible that it's not worth it. read more

Okay coffee, fairly decent vanilla latte, and definitely a nice place to chill for an hour or two on the laptop. There are games in the back, the girls are friendly and knowledgeable and the atmosphere is warm. The wi-fi is a bit slow, so don't count on doing much more than browsing the internet. Credit cards are accepted, but they ask for cash for orders under $20... so bring some cash unless you're drinking gallons of coffee. read more

Love this little hole-in-the-wall! The atmosphere reminds me of a bed-in-breakfast or a poets corner coffee shop! Enjoyed a smooth late with a yummy pastry. The art was a little strange for my taste, but interesting none the less. I will definitely make a return visit. I was thankful for the yelp reviews that made me awar that this is a cash only establishment. read more

Super cute coffee shop on the top floor of an old victorian off of Colley Avenue. I LOVE supporting local shops, and Fair Grounds doesn't disappoint. They have a ton of vegan baked goods (YAY!) and also have almond milk. (yes please). I got mine to go, but this looks like some place I would love to come and just chill out by the fireplace... work on my laptop or read. Maybe meet a friend to chat. Staff is also friendly and easy going. Would def go back here when visiting the area. read more

Good coffee, but very pretentious crowd - lol. If you are not young, of a certain pale hue, and thin, prepare to get gawked at by the other patrons (which can make for a very uncomfortable sipping experience). If you fit the above description, you'll love it... otherwise, you may want to run in, get your coffee and run out. Charming decor, though. read more

While visiting Norfolk for the first time, I asked several locals where I could find the best cup of coffee in town and I was sent to Fair Grounds. I was charmed by the vibe and friendly staff as soon as I walked through the door. Definitely a cozy coffee shop where you can sit down and play games, chat with friends, or read a book! My latte was made with skill and I will definitely return the next time I'm in town! read more

Perfect! Coffee itself is much better than Starbucks', and plenty of seating, etc. without the corporate dullness of most Starbucks locations. Also, music is better than at Starbucks, which is as good a reason as any for you and the chicken to cross Colley Ave. read more

Fair Grounds - Fair Grounds Coffee house - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I still like the place just fine. It seems that lately, though, there has been an infestation of hippies and losers at Fairgrounds. They would sit down for hours, talk about random and abstract stuff, some of them don't take showers and they are never doing anything except just hanging out and being loud when I am there to get work done. Say what you will about Starbucks, but the people there aren't jobless and ambitionless hippies and they actually have their music down low enough. If you are there to chill or on a date and fine with noise and crowd, this is still the place. But if you want to get work done, try Cafe Stella or Starbucks. read more

Cozy and comfortable, definitely one of my favorite hang-out spots. They have a whole cabinet of syrup flavors for coffee or Italian sodas, you will never get bored because you have endless flavor combinations! Has kind of a hipster vibe, eclectic artwork on the walls, worn and mismatching furniture, chalkboard clock where anyone can write on it. I've seen some pretty funny messages scrawled on the clock and I always look at it for a brief chuckle. There is a bookshelf full of books that people just borrow from at their leisure, or to contribute books from their own personal collections. And plenty of board games and puzzles to keep yourself entertained. Oh, and free wifi too! The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The coffee is fragrant and delicious, and they have many choices for tea. I've relaxed in the back room with a pot of their Secret Garden tea, which contains rose petals and mint and other things. So relaxing and soothing after a hectic day. They have a few choices to things to eat. I've had their veggie burger, which I personally was not a big fan of. But their Mozzarella & Caprese Sandwich is amazing. The apple pie was delicious and tasted homemade and "real", if that makes sense. Not like that overly sweetened canned stuff that some places try to pass off as apple pie. But actual honest apple pie. That kind of stuff matters to me. The crust was flaky and tender, and the apple filling was sweet yet tart, just the right amount of warm cinnamon spice, and ever so slightly firm to the bite. This coffee shop is situated directly above a store selling handmade crafts from local businesses, and you access it by going up some stairs. Yeah, this place is good. Try it out! read more

After an underway I can't help but visit this wonderfully cozy spot it's mellow vibe is always refreshing. It's especially nice for the winter times enjoying a nice hot cup of French toast while listening to soothing music. Love it here staff is friendly and helpful. It's hard to find places like this coffee shop. Very lucky I did. read more

LOVE fair grounds! Great place to get a bite and some caffeine and then either get some work done or meet up with a friend. The atmosphere is wonderful and the staff is always so sweet and welcomjnBig big fan of fair grounds! read more

You can leave your own mug here and reuse it every time you come in. How cool is that? Their staff are extremely personable and will have actual conversations with you. They'll give recommendations if you're a bit of a slow decider too. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, full of local flavor, and even a local celebrity named Hollywood. The second room upstairs is filled with slightly odd seats and some classic boardgames like Scrabble and Battleship. It does kinda suck that there is a $20 credit card limit, but if you come here often you can get a $20 gift card type thing and use that instead. Otherwise, be sure to bring cash. Basically, it's where you want to go to get coffee if the soulless Starbucks across the street isn't your thing. read more

The national chain across the street gave me lousy service one day (Server who took my order said my caramel macchiato could not be stirred and made a loud stink about it. Seriously!?!) so I decided to give this little spot a try when I had my next coffee shop urge. Wow! I really loved it! The service was good, coffee was GREAT, and it has a cute little coffeehouse vibe/atmosphere like back in the olden days of the '90s when coffeehouses were a little eclectic and less cookie cutter. It's clean and cozy. If I owned my own coffeehouse, I would want it to be like this. :-) This is the place to get coffee when you want to relax and hang out a while. The crowd enjoys games, books, magazines as much as electronic reading. This is more for hippies and students and less for well-heeled yuppies. It's not cheap but it is good. The food is far tastier and the crowd is a lot less snooty than what you will find at other local and national chain coffee shops in the area. Wear your favorite comfy jeans, come in, warm up, and wrap your mitts around a cup of finely crafted brew. read more

I've been going to Fair Grounds since 2007 and I've never been disappointed. It's the local hot spot/hangout and it's very comfortable and inviting. All the drinks are good and it's all fair trade and need I say, independently owned. The pastries and bagels are yummy. (They have vegan options) **their selection of hot teas get honorable mention: I love how you can mix match any combination you want and they will make it** read more

I come to this place at least 4 to 7 times a week. I always order the same thing. Plain coffee. The coffee is fresh and delicious that taste perfect. None of the other local coffee shops can even come close. I love talking to the staff behind the counter. They are very friendly, thou a little eccentric, it makes this place that much better. If you are a fan of Starbucks then you love crappy burned coffee and your taste buds have been out of whack for a long time so you wouldn't really know what quality tasting coffee should taste like. Lol. Amazing coffee,friendly staff, and great atmosphere. read more

It's been hard trying to find a good coffee shop that can be my go to for just good coffee in general, and this is a great one! The coffee is so good and tasty not like the other coffee shops in the area, and the staff are really friendly. The whole place is a very homey welcoming environment with lots of places to sit inside and out, along with comfy couches, tables, and laptop plug ins! It's very user friendly and has vegan milk options! read more

Best morning spot for fresh delicious coffee. A must try for anyone visiting Norfolk. The atmosphere is great, too!

One of my favorite coffee shops of all time. I've gone to Fairgrounds for most of my life and have loved it. Unfortunately it just doesnt feel the same any more. Recent staff changes has taken the feeling of magic from the shop. Hopefully soon all the problems will be addressed quickly and we can return to our favorite and safe coffee shop. read more

A constant in my younger days, but though I'm not in Norfolk that often anymore, when I am, I stop in. The service is always great & they support local establishments. read more