The atmosphere is laid back and reminds me of my favorite coffee spot in NYC awesome almond milk lattes

deal with the parking. just deal with it, people. it's the best coffee in los angeles, hands down. read more

after going to many other independent coffee shops, i think i finally found my favorite place to get a yummylicious latte, HERE!!!!! great shots, great foam, fast, not too expensive, not hard to find.... what else... well, the only thing is that it seemed really messy inside. as a first timer, i was overwhelmed. but who cares, i really liked my latte. it was PERFECT. read more

good coffee. got an iced drip coffee on a hot venice beach day. made me buy a pack of black gold coffee for $10.

That was some damn good coffee I had at this place. I was leaving Santa Monica and on my way back to San Diego. I knew I was gonna get home late, I needed a really good brew keep me up during the drive. So I yelped this place, and headed over. I went up to the guys at the counter and asked them what their strongest drink was that did not just solely contain espresso. The two baristas talked about it, debating which drink to recommend; the strongest drink, or a strong drink that would taste good. They even asked me questions on what my preferences were when it came to drinks so they could find me the perfect drink. Finally one of the baristas recommended the Iced Black Eye with Caramel and Milk. It was like a shock to my system! I was only able to drink a quarter of the cup the entire drive because I'm pretty sure I was going to be all cracked out on caffeine the rest of the drive and I didn't even pass Inglewood yet but damn that drink was goooood. I really appreciated the dialogue I had with those two baristas because it really showed how knowledgable they were on their own roasts and their own drinks. read more

Highly recommended! Coffee is top notch, staff is very friendly, and there's enough space and good wifi to hang out for a while. I also had the groundwork vegan sandwich which was delicious. Would definitely come back here again. read more

This place has great coffee.... personally, I always get the witches brew. I like the fact that it's self-serve and they have a very nice variety of coffees to try out. Never gotten any baked stuff here.... didn't really ever see anything that was too appetizing to pass up. The staff is quick but not overly (annoyingly) friendly. parking kinda sucks, but you can always park @ Whole Foods and walk a block..... There is nowhere to sit inside, but they do have a couple of benches out front and a covered sitting area to the side..... read more

Solid. Nice balance between the Star Bucks and almost undrinkable Common Ground franchise on the one hand, and the hipster places like Intelligentsia on the other. The drip coffee is in large thermoses and tends toward the darker roasts. BUT.. it's fresh and skillfully roasted. The blends are great. Very crowded every time we went, with little seating and cramped-- but that's par for the course for coffee houses in LA. The ambiance is warm, with wood everywhere. Again, more inviting then the trendy sharp-shiny-stainless that has pervaded coffee houses houses nationwide. read more

Great coffee, awesome staff, nice seating! They even don't charge you for almond milk. So it's just perfect!!!!!

groundworks definitely has among the best locally roasted coffee in LA. this location is also one of the coolest coffee shops i've been. the coffee variety (for drinking) is large, and the prices for drinks are very reasonable. the bean cabinets are very cool. a nice place to hang out, it's also very very venice read more

Most underrated coffee shop in Venice. They have something for everyone, vegan, paleo, kids. The coffee is delicious and the food is awesome! Grass-fed meat, overnight oats, what!!! Love this place. read more

I LOVE their coffee - their whole beans (especially Kona) are the best made at home using a coffee press :) - so far this is my favorite coffee (haven't tried Funnel Mill yet though!). read more

it's ok. i got a macchiato. it's my baseline to determine how much i like a coffee place. the macchiato was good, but not memorable. groundwork beans with a correctly dialed in maker is hard to mess up but one can tell expertise and precision with the pull and milk froth, which fell short for me. the guy asked if i wanted a single, double, or triple when i was about to order. i think he was joking. it's good that he was being nice. my macchiato was about to be served in a 12 oz. to-go cup. i dislike this intensely. i asked for the little shot mug and saved my macchiato, but i can't get my head around that. it's small. no place to camp but great to sit outside and people watch. reminds me of coffee & bagel joints in NYC but no snap. to be fair, i wasn't there during morning rush. there's lots of tasty looking treats which other people will enjoy but for myself, i would pass on coming here again. read more

Rating is for service only. I came in to order a coffee (to go) and brought in a service dog, identified her as a service dog, and upon further questioning, identified the service she provides. I was still asked to leave her outside. Not ok. read more

This coffee shop is a very cute tiny little shop, but that's the only good thing about it . The coffee was horrible and the vibe was depressing. I was extremely disappointed ,with their hot Mexican mocha and hot mocha they both were bitter and watered down . Never will I ever come again !!! read more

They make a mean Chai nonfat latte and always have sweet music kickin & yummy treats & eats too -- great way to start my day!

This is Venice. Solid local coffee shop, minus the d-bag hipsters. Very good products. Coffees are very quality and they've recently branched out into providing a more diversified full menu of meals & treats. Top notch folks with a legit smile and attitude to serve. Yes, sometimes there's a line and the tills may be broken and you can pay with cash...but hey, what'd ya want. It's been our go to coffee shop for years. Always recommend it. read more

Once upon a time, this was the cool local non-corporate coffee house that the locals liked to support, but recent managerial changes have turned this place into the biggest rip off in town. $3 for a large cup of coffee! A cup the same size around the corner at Whole Foods can be gotten for $2, that's a pretty substantial savings for a working class person who buys a daily cup. Even Peet's and Starbucks are closer to $2. The locals want to support this establishment, but many of them have taken their business elsewhere and with good reason. Loyal customers understand slight increases from time to time, but $3 for a large cup of coffee is ridiculous! read more

great coffee to bring along by the boardwalk, good service from the ppl that work's there

Their drinks are on point. The rating is based on the drinks only. Great coffee, teas, other beverages and friendly service. The food is mediocre. I want to like it and have tried a few different things but it is ultimately tasteless. read more

I love groundwork! Their coffee is awesome, great service, great pastries great local coffe shop non corp. : ) !!!!

Great coffee, excellent staff, this is what local establishments should be. Original, consistent and a place that you're proud to be called a regular at. BRAVO! read more

employees make up for average coffee. good true venice atmosphere. price level unjustified relative to quality. aren't using organic milk. read more

Love this place. Great coffee, great atmosphere, and delicious pastries! My only peeve is that a few of the employees (at this and other Venice locations) have a bit of an attitude problem--don't smile, are unfriendly and condescending, god knows why. But besides that, I love their fare, especially the Venice Roast coffee and the fresh apple turnovers! read more

I have been a daily regular at GW since it was called the Gourmet Coffee Warehouse 13 years ago. It used to be the most down to earth coffee spot on the Westside. It was the neighborhood joint for locals. The barista, Mike, made the best cappuccino around. Friends from NY and Chicago would crave Mike's cappuccinos when they returned home. Since MIke's time, GW has lost its way. It took a few years before a great crew ran the place but apparently the management was not happy as the employee turnover was tremendous and the quality of the espresso sank. No one knew the difference between a cappuccino and a latte. After a few very poor years[as far as quality of espresso is concerned] the management finally found a great barista and the drink quality improved. Now they have screwed it all up again by firing the nicest manager they ever had and removing the best barista and replacing him with 2 girls who are friendly enough but dont make a solid cappuccino, shots are pulled too long, they add too much milk and they dont now how to marbleize the drink. For a brief moment they had a fellow named Devin who made the best cappuccino I have had at GW since Mike left and the very next week he was gone! Do you people have any idea what you are doing to your place? Do any owners even drink espresso? Does anyone know what a cappuccino should look and taste like? Dont you think the person who makes the best drink should be at the bar M - F in the mornings? Dont you think that all of your baristas should be able to make a drink that tastes consistent? I suggest you bring Devin back and put him at the bar M - F, if you cant then at least have him train the other baristas. If all you care about is the bottom line and profit, then you are nothing but a profiteer and the new Venice [Beverly Hills Annex] deserves you. My instinct tells me that nothing would make you happier than seeing the old school Venice locals flee your establishment[and Venice in general] to make way for the New School Suburban Classist Zombies that have infested the hood. The new Superba Bakery on Lincoln knows how to make a serious espresso. Anyone who has a taste for quality should try it. The wannabe's crowd everywhere these days anyways.. read more

I like the atmosphere as well as the coffee. Mike is best barista I know. Makes an unbeatable iced blended mocha and our friend Vicki loves the hot lattes. We feel lucky when it's Mike making the coffees. -Peter and Suzanne read more

This down-to-earth, no-pretention coffee shop has excellent (and many organic) coffee and tea selections. Great ready-made, also great selection of beans and teas from around the world on hand to make yourself. Love the "help-yourself" model for drip coffee and the frequent buyer card (or KCRW member discount). The Rose Street location is particularly nice because of its low-key atmosphere, eclectic crowd, parking, and friendly dogs waiting patiently outside for their owners. Seating is a bit awkward - either on sunny benches on busy Rose street or in a dark garden next to parking. Look for the "Java Juice" packets - great product! Look for the horoscopes clipped to the tip can! Look for me there every morning when I run out of my home stash of Groundwork coffee! read more

Great atmosphere, friendly staff....and they make the BEST chai tea lattes! If you're hungry, I'd recommend the McLovin' breakfast sandwich...meat or meatless. read more

I used to come here a long time ago but always felt like an outsider intruding on someone's party or private club. The coffee was worth it and still is!! Now with the new manager the place is clean and I feel welcome! It's perfect --even the coffee tastes better! I now feel like it is my club too and I welcome everyone that is sharing the experience with me. Not to mention I love coffee and BBQ chicken salad (which they have) together :0) read more

The BEST chai lattes I've ever had! What to get is the vanilla chai (i get soy). However, you can't go wrong with ordering. They are very casual, friendly here. It is unfortunately pretty cramped--so not a good place to have a meeting or anything. The one on Montana has much more space. However, it feels like a little getaway, and it's in a wonderful area to walk around in. I love Groundworks! read more

Despite all the non smoking signs, everyone on the patio smokes so its impossible to breathe. No one from Groundwork seems to come out and do anything so I guess I'm left to just report them. Ok then. read more

probably my favorite coffee place in town. great atmosphere, fresh coffee, and they take their times with your cup of joe. impressed and will become a ritual to come here on a weekly basis read more

this place has gone down. the staff is not friendly. the girl that works on the weekends o my lawd. the outside looks not nice. all of this has started to transition in the last year. the place had the venice vibe but has lost it or in better words they did away with it. no bueno. they have a flyer about we are community? start with a living wage for your employees as they are part of the community like you preach. right? i see one of the new owners around and guys im telling you its not good. not good not good. bring back the old GW, i want to serve my coffee, and your employees are angry too. richard where you at? read more

i don't know the name of the cute guy that works here but thanks for always complimenting on my outfits :-) always such friendly service here. the beans and milk are always high quality. the croissants are delicious and the banana cookies are freakin delicious. i freakin love this place! read more

The coffee and tea are good, but it's mixed bag as far as the efficiency, friendliness and politeness of the staff. I often will let a year pass before I am desperate enough to go in there. An example....I bought a bag of Mordecoffe beans from their stand at the SM Sunday farmer's market 2 wks ago. I've been trying to buy more of the same. The Main St guy was friendly but knew nothing and wasn't going to make any calls to find out. The Rose Ave guy was rushed, said they hadn't had it for 2 yrs and then when I said I just bought it two weeks ago at their stand at the Sunday SM Farmer's market....he said 'oh ok, get it from them' and hung up. Dude...you are them. You are at the main branch.....So, alas I have another place to buy these beans, albeit more expensive, yet still organic and the staff knows what they have, and where it is on the first try with a smile (opposite the Starbucks on Montana Ave, Santa Monica) read more

this is my favorite coffee place ever! try the hemp milk latte...unique, spicy, and super yummy

this seems to be the go to spot for everyone at the office. im a regular now nice staff