"I'm going to Grounds." "We're going to Grounds." "See you at Grounds." These statements are a guaranteed part of every visit to spend time with family in Bowling Green, and for good reason: good coffee, a massive selection of reading material (i.e. used books, random comics, magazines), free WIFI, and easy accessability. They're right downtown, and parking is readily available, be it on the street, behind the building, or in a number of other locations. I also periodically enjoy rooting through their vinyl selection, more for laughs than for purchasing - barely remember that random band from the 1970's and 80's? Their record can probably be found in the GFT bin. During the summer, it's also the place to sit outside of and try to look at least mildly studious. read more

The atmosphere is always the best. Very homely and cozy. It's the best place to be in cold winters or to hangout with friends. Used to have a weekly group hangout there and they always allowed us to save a space that was secluded enough for open conversation. The drinks and food are always fresh and delicious. The workers are some of the most friendly people you'll ever meet. One of my favorite places to be. read more

How is it that I have never written a review on Grounds? It is just the best all around coffee shop ever.From the home roasted blends to the wide variety of used books, Grounds is simply the best. The Wicks family (owners) are just good people that provide a great atmosphere at Grounds with a sense of community. Anyone familiar with the Blackswamp Festival knows of Kelly's organization and leadership in attracting bands and groups to perform. Bowling Green will get at least 2 new coffee shops in the next few months and while I will visit them once or twice, I will always go back to Grounds as my main place for an excellent cup of coffee. read more

Great service, lovely atmosphere,great place to sit and enjoy a nice cup of joe. Support local businesses

Profound love. On our drive to Detroit we opted to stop off and get coffee and we just so happened to have the thought at the university exit. (I suspect some sort of buried academic instinct in two dudes who stayed in school too long.) At any rate, this is my favorite type of place- bookshop and coffee shop, and also very indie. The space is wide and deep and has tons of hidden tables and rooms to tuck up in. There is a wide variety of used books- including some fascinating older books that smell wonderful, as one would expect. The coffee was good, and the entire atmosphere was wonderful. Wish we could have hung out longer, but we were utterly delighted at this find. read more

I have worked and hung out and performed in coffee houses on three continents and in more than ten US states and Grounds for Thought is what a coffee house ought to be. read more

A Bowling Green staple. During my undergrad I spent a lot of time here catching up with friends, trying new coffees, playing chess, and studying. A great place to do just about anything and experience the best of the city and university come together. Whenever I come back to town Grounds is on my "must stop" list. Any drink on their specialty board is worth trying! read more

Stopped in to this wonderful coffee shop recently. The decor is super, you feel like you're in a cabin. Coffee was delish. Staff was super. Plan to stay and sip awhile! read more

Always a friendly staff, incredible book selection and delicious coffee and baked goods! Friendly and Kind business owners as well!

A coffee shop with used books, a community atmosphere, and dozens of tables, even among stacks of books! Their pastry selection was great, even mid-afternoon, which I feel is hard to find. The prices seem decent (~$2 I believe for a double Americano), and they have a large menu to choose from including several special seasonal lattes and teas. My favorite part by far is the amount of seating and variety of settings for seating. I came to work on some school work, so it was nice to find a quiet table around a corner for sitting, but several other tables were full of groups who were talking, playing board games, etc. The atmosphere is casual and it's somewhere where you don't feel awkward having a conversation or putting in headphones so it seems great for the community, which is definitely who they are serving! read more

Love this place! We got a variety of donuts and some coffee to consume while we played chess on their table! The workers were so pleasant and kind! Definitely a must for anyone who likes books, board games, good music, inexpensive coffee and treats! read more

This coffee shop is my favorite spot on campus. It's not your typical "sit down, drink coffee, then leave" type of place. This shop has a large variety of books, games, and it also a large conference room for various study groups or meetings. And another added perk is that they have toys for children to play with so it's a great environment for people of all age groups. They also sell merchandise and ice cream!! What's not to love about this coffee shop!? There's curb parking or meter parking behind the shop which is free during certain times of the evening and on weekends. I go here pretty frequently and I always get the "Honey Nut" coffee because it's so delicious. I would highly recommend this coffee shop to anyone looking for a good environment to destress, study, or have some fun playing games with friends. read more

First time there and definitely not the last. Nice atmosphere, great coffee and delicious desserts! Highly recommended. read more

Grounds For Thought - Chocolate chunk cookie. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

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We were just driving through Bowling Green and stopped by this place. It's so charming! A surprisingly good book selection, especially middle grade and YA books. They even had a study room. I wish it was closer to where I lived, I would be back all the time. read more

Went here today, and it's really an ideal place to come get a cup of coffee, study, do some work, chill with friends or hang with the entire family. I'm not a big coffee fan, so I usually get the mint hot chocolate. It's excellent! There are loads of used books, records, comic books, and DVDS. They also have good pastries and free wireless. There are a couple of outdoor tables for when the weather is nice, and, if you've lived in BG for any length of time, you will likely see a friendly, familiar face or two. Enjoy this gem, which is a must if you are visiting BG for the first time. read more

My stop in Bowling Green for a conference led me to Grounds for Thought and o man, if I could take this place back home with me, I would have. I had to settle for a bag of cinnamon coffee, so not a total loss. Not only is the basic brew yummy, there are also heaps of specialty lattes to delight and awaken a sleepy one. Sit inside or out, either is quite pleasant. I knew that they also sold used books, but I was really impressed with how many- Grounds could pass itself off as a used book store with a coffee bar or a coffee shop with an attached book section. Awesome. They had a smattering of past-issue comic books as well, which was kinda neat, even though there was nothing new. And, in accordance with Amanda S.- I did end up seeing some one I knew there, even though I had only been in Bowling Green for a couple days. read more

GFT is a cute little coffeeshop in downtown BG, and it's a great place to go if you (like me) are of the anti-Starbucks variety. They've got delicious coffee, and other cool drinks that are equally as tasty (try the orange cremesicle soda they make....to die for!!). They also have your standard pastries and some sandwiches as well, if you're looking for a quick lunch. The atmosphere is very funky, and there's an diverse crowd of people that typically frequent the place (that you don't always find in BG). They sell old books and have free Wifi, so it's great for studying. There's also a conference room that you can reserve for meetings, study groups, etc. read more

Specialty lattes are a must here- the "Pooh Bear" and the "London Fog" tea latte are some of my favorites. Love this environment, it's not so pretentious as some other coffee shops...and the desserts are great read more

Great coffee gem in the heart of Bowling Green. Grounds for Thought is a go-to for many college students looking for an escape from campus while offering an environment conducive to studying. Location: Right in downtown BG - there is not much in downtown, but this is right where you want it - a short walk from campus. Ambiance: Wonderful cafe offering books for sale - many, many, many books - its almost like a small library, which is a perfect addition to an otherwise cliche coffee shop. They have board games in the front as well as larger tables for groups in the back; a quieter, more secluded area is at the second entrance for those needing that peaceful vibe while studying or reading a good book. The coffee is very good - they have a lot to choose from on the wall behind the counter - this is some of my wife's favorite, with the Black Swamp Blend being one that always makes it in the bag to go home (we buy in bulk as well as drinks at the shop). If we're not sure what to get, we resort to a White Russian to share. The pooh bear late is pretty good and of course the hot chocolate is great! Their food is only donuts and pastries in the cases by the register (oh, and ice cream), but their donuts are great and pastries satisfying. A favorite place and must-do when we visit BG. Check it out! read more

Go here for coffee, donuts, cakes, conversation, and paper writing. Do not go expecting expecting blazing fast internet. It just doesn't exist. Also, power outlets are scarce, so plan accordingly. They have a quiet zone in the back for people who want to study or prefer the silence. read more

Back in the day, before the addition, I was at this place four days a week, easily. Since then I have moved on to other states, but I was back in the area and stopped in with my wife, sister, and brother-in-law. The place is mostly the way I remember it. It is a quiet atmosphere with people reading books or playing some stupid role-playing games. There are tons of old, unreadable books that I rarely ever saw people buy. The staff is still snooty, which is annoying. They know they work in a coffee joint, right? My wife asked if they could make a vanilla cream (it's not on the menu and some places call it by different names). The staff girl gives her a sigh and says, "yeah". Side note: Customer service is dead, by the way. When was the last time you had good customer service. I mean really good, the way it used to be everywhere? Anyway, the drinks are still good and the atmosphere worth the visit. read more

I love the local idea. I love the books for sell. I love social side of it. Staff can be very rude if your unsure of what to order or if they start to make your drink incorrectly. Some staff make the espresso shots directly into foam cups which change the taste of it. Do not correct or ask staff to do differently. Staff become very rude.. I have tried to enjoy this place. I just witness too much rude staff.. not all staff but enough to ruin it. Just know what you want dont ask questions. Be prepared to to get what they make mistakes or not. read more

Nice bookstore/ coffee place. Wish there was more variety in the cakes but the drinks are great. The set up is very nice but sometimes it can be hard to find a table. Lots of good books to choose from. read more

Super cool place with nice display of things! Coffee bar is nice as well. They have comic mags and books as well as records and merchandise.

The coffee options are second to none in the area. I buy my grounds here for my everyday morning cup of joe that I make at home. When I'm downtown during the day I often pop in for a test of maybe just a black coffee. All are awesome. If you're looking for a place to chill with you laptop and get some work done there are better places in town. No power outlets is a major drawback. WiFi is available but not overly fast. There are fair numbers of retired people who hang out here (seemingly) all day. read more

Lovely little place to sit and enjoy a book. Came late in the day on a summer Monday and it was pretty quiet, although I'm sure during the school year it's probably hopping. Ordered an iced chai and it was delicious... You could really taste all the infused spices! Would definitely recommend. Also got a Reese's cookie and it was good as well, nicely soft and chewy. It was 6.10 for the two, which was a bit pricey in my mind but I loved the place so much I didn't care too terribly much. If I lived in BG I would certainly make this place quite the habit. read more

Good atmosphere but they're pricey, their wifi is weak at best and there are no outlets to plug in your phone or laptop. Employees said it was because the owner doesn't want people sticking around. read more

Love this place. Great coffee, good food (lunch stuffs and pastries), nice study/reading/work space, surprisingly spacious, free Wi-Fi, eclectic media collection for sale (including comics, books, videos, records, and other fun stuff), good music overhead, and great prices (I bought 8 comic books, a book for my daughter, coffee, a sandwich, chips, and coffee for $22!)! Can I move in? read more

Grounds For Thought - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Bowling Green, Ohio

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Hands down, the best coffee in Bowling Green. They roast fresh beans locally (just down the street), have friendly/ helpful staff, and reasonable prices! I always get my coffee beans here and they are ground right before my eyes. They have a wide variety of roasts including organic coffee (which is always awesome) & if you buy beans frequently I recommend joining the "pound club" (for every 10lbs purchased, you get 1 lb free!). They also sell used books, vinyl, & comic books; have free wifi; abundant seating (inside & outside); & utilize re-usable dishes within the establishment. My single critique is that they use STYROFOAM cups for takeout coffee. With each cup sold, it will hang around for the next million years or so in a landfill read more

Great time here with friends and great coffee. Lots of games to play, plenty of books to read, and nice employee who let you stay for hours and enjoy your time read more

What an adorable place with excellent coffee and customer service! Love the books and magazines you can read and buy! All types of coffee drinks, sweet treats and atmosphere! Will definitely be back! read more

First of all, I love little local places. Grounds for Thought is an awesome place to study, meet up with a friend, search for good reads, kill time, and of course, grab a bite to eat! They have sandwiches and coffee and donuts and fantastic spinach pie. I vote for the chai latte - best I've ever had. It's usually a little crowded, only because it's a great place to hang out, but you can usually find room to plop down with a good book or sip on your coffee. read more

An absolutely perfect coffee shop! My fav, you ask? An Americano: double shot of espresso, add mocha, add half/half and a half tsp of sugar........Heaven! read more

Such an amazing place to go with friends. Tea and coffee are amazing and brewed excellently. The vegan chocolate cheesecake is one of the best vegan desserts I've ever had. The coffee shop also doubles as a book store with a HUGE selection of books. I found some beautiful hard cover copies for extremely cheap, and my friend found a book he'd been looking everywhere for. There is also an amazing comic book and vinyl collection. The location is perfect, right in downtown next to the Huntington bank across from Lola's Frozen Yogurt. It can easily be walked to. There isn't a large sign viewable from the street, so you'll have to look for the smaller sign that says Grounds For Thought, which isn't too hard to find. read more

A staple during any downtown BG outing! Books, great coffee, and opportunities to meet amazing people from all walks of life. This establishment is a community resource beyond being a coffee shop. The owners and staff truly care about this town and do much more than sell outstanding coffee and treats. If the apocalypse happened you can bet that Grounds For Thought would be there for their community!! Through and through owned by good people! read more

Afternoon pick me up required kind of day - decided to try their coffee rather than my usual Panera hazelnut. Have to say this place is awesome from the moment you step in the door! Friendly greetings- great coffee choices - glass cups and mugs (eco friendly) also have tea! Pastry and sandwiches are excellent! Stay and read a newspaper, book, puzzle or magazine or get to go option - reading choices can be purchased! Current and up to date as well as golden oldie books! Sooo friendly - and they have a "refill" price too! read more

Grounds for thought has such a nice atmosphere and is a great place to study. They even have an enclosed study room that anyone can reserve. I'm not sure if this room costs money to reserve because I have yet to take advantage of that opportunity. The staff, for the most part, has been friendly. There have been a couple of times when I have gone in and ordered a coffee and the cashier was a little on the rude side, but I try to give them the benefit of the doubt. Overall, it's a great place to take a friend or take your text books and laptop to study. I definitely recommend this coffee house to any student or traveler. read more

Typically, I am not one to write reviews on places that treat me terribly. Being in the service industry for the past 6 years, I understand that some places have their off days. Today, however, is different. I have never written a poor review on a place, so please respect my opinions while I say I have never been so poorly treated than I have at this business today. Grounds for Thoughts was one of my favorite spots in the Bowling Green community for the past 2 years. I am currently a fifth year senior at BGSU, studying philosophy and fine arts, so a place where there was silence, smoothing music, lots of wonderful caffeine and a surplus of books to put my hands on attracted me right off the bat. I have spent at least 2 days each week of my time at this business, buying books, records, coffee, and occasionally ice cream. I always bring people to the place to study or read with me, Rarely am I alone. So one would consider me to be a fairly good customer? Apparently, not the owner and the employees that he chooses to hire. This evening, I brought my roommate for the first time to GFT. It is finals week, and I told her I knew the perfect place to study and relax to pump out the rest of this semester. We sat down, got our books out, and she ran across the street to grab some soup quick before we went on our way, and I waited for her to return. She returned back to the table about 15 minutes later with a to-go bag, and immediately an older lady approached her about the food she brought with her. Now, there are various places of business that do not allow outside food or drink in their establishment. That is common courtesy. That isn't the issue. The issue is the way the employees treated my roommate and myself about the to go bag. The lady immediately stormed after and yelled at my roommate, and my roommate politely apologized and said she would take it out to the car and she didn't know the policy was so strict because there were ZERO signs hanging around stating "No outside food or drink" that we could see. This employee proceeded to disregard the apology, continue to snap 'snoodely' at us, interrupting all of our apologies and continuously give us a hard time until finally my roommate stood up, and walked out while she was still talking. You would think since I make such a frequent appearance at such an establishment that the woman would respond "I'm sorry, but could you please take your food outside unfortunately there are no outside food or drinks allowed here" (you know, like movie theaters do) but instead, we received a "You need to leave with that food, you do not pay the light bill with panera in here! You don't bring a pisenello's pizza with you and eat it inside of panera!! You want food you buy it here! If not then you need to leave" ... I've been treated more respectfully at the public library than I have at this establishment. AND...to think this was enough, after my roommate politely threw out her food the owner had the nerve to come over and sass us as well. "This is my business and you're not paying the bills by eating other food here, If you want food or coffee come up to the register and buy it" and stormed away. ..I don't know about you but yelling in front of all the other customers in a quiet coffee shop as rudely and abruptly as he did, isn't going to make anyone else around us want to purchase his coffee. This experience has completely changed my perspective of this business, a business that I used to appreciate and support multiple times a week. For someone who has worked in the food industry for 6 years and has volunteered at the public library for 2 years.. this was not the type of atmosphere I was expecting, and I definitely am not returning. read more

The coffee wasn't great. I ordered a cappuccino and one of their baristas over-brewed it, leaving a burnt taste to it. Service was mediocre. I didn't experience anything negative or delightful. The atmosphere was interesting. It feels more like a book store than a coffee shop. Am I coming back? No. Would I recommend it to others? Not really. read more

Best chocolate chip scone I've ever had and a great, comforting environment. This is the best place