Seriously, one of THE most awesome coffee shops i have ever been to! Not only were the workers super friendly when i first walked in but I really liked what the company & shop stood for! I had never ordered a to-go coffee drink and been denied of a paper cup with a cardboard sleeve! All because the company believes in being green and sustainable hence they do not pass out disposable cups. Say What?! *Air hug!* It definitely was a great surprise and I was a happy camper lucky enough to score an awesome cup as a souvenir. There was also a cute courtyard right in front of the shop, where you can soak in all of nature at its finest.....as you sip your coffee of course. I really believe more coffee shops should adapt such awesomeness. Being a coffee fiend myself, coming into this shop really left a great impression making my visit to Traverse City, that much more memorable. Keep up the great work! read more

Mostly organic coffees from around the world. Nice and quite atmosphere and great decor. The coffee is definitely worth it reminds me of the great coffee shops in San Francisco. read more

Higher Grounds Coffee - Latte and iced tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Best setting in town to drink coffee and meet with friends. Really appreciate the friendly staff, prices, and the responsible business practices as well. Thanks for all that you represent! read more

Not much more needs to be said other than, "AWESOME"! Super friendly, warm environment and great mission! Oh, great cup of coffee too!!!

Great coffee. Relaxing place to grab a cup of coffee and watch the snow fall outside or pick up a pound or two to take home. read more

Higher Grounds Coffee - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

This place has the best coffee! We visit every time we are in TC. In town for a week this time and have been to Higher Ground three times so far. Love it! read more

Higher Grounds Coffee - Latte and croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

This place is everything good that coffee should be. Smooth, creamy and doesn't need sugar. You must go here when you're in Traverse. If you are getting your coffee to go, Bring yourself a mug or they will supply you with one! read more

Higher Grounds Coffee - Simply the best. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Good location but can get a little cramped inside. Can feel a little bit like it's own clique at times and not super welcoming especially if you are not part of the farmers market, food foraging, hemp/performance gear-wearing, cool kids crowd. They know their audience and cater to them. I drink tea and their tea presentation is well thought out if a little too precious for my taste. Ethical business practices and community minded. Good place to meet someone to start the day. Quiet (which is increasingly rare in TC.) Nice patio. FYI no takeaway cups so bring your own. read more

Best Mexican hot chocolate ever. I loved how it had a kick and smooth taste. I miss this drink soooo much. Ill never will forget this place. plus i order coffee from them. read more

The chai tea taste as if it were done with perfection. It is delicious and spicy perfect for a wintry day in northern Michigan! read more

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Marigold -tastes like a creamsicle. Grasshopper tastes like fresh mint. Other than not having a to-go cups , it's very good.

Awesome! I have been here twice & the experience has been excellent both times. Coffee is served perfectly. They are willing to experiment, making me Cafe Cubano even though it's not on their menu. Great place! read more

I am a self proclaimed coffee snob and proudly claim that. Whenever I go somewhere, I look for a coffee roaster to stop at and check out. I had the Ethiopian Charbanta brewed on a V60 and it was excellent. I loved it. Roasted and brewed perfectly. I wanted 3 more cups of it. My wife (not a big coffee drinker) got her usual Chai Latte (which is also a fun thing to try at different cafes). It had a really unique spice to it which we really enjoyed. I'll most likely be ordering a bag of beans from Higher Grounds to my house in the next week or so. read more

I appreciate all the HG does, and have been in a few times for a cup of coffee. This time I splurged on an espresso drink. I was impressed by the care and time being devoted to my drink; but when I took a sip, it was barely lukewarm. Seemed odd. Part of me wondered if I was missing some kind of rule, like if they don't heat up drinks too much for some kind of good coffee snob reason. I'll try them again, but wish I had back my $6. read more

The service is alright. The layout of the place is awful, The lack of to go cups is infuriating.. How am i supposed to take that in the car?? And come on now.. i know their super green and environmental, but you CAN get recycled bio degradable cups... Their preachiness kinda gets to me too.. All the global warming, environmentalist stuff around looks like a great big al gore convention. its great their taking up a cause, but i think they go a little over kill. And things like "fair trade" and "organic" are more often then not, scams. And their coffee is mediocre.. It really depends on who you get. read more

The coffee is good, I'll definitely say that. The issue is, they haven't found a solution for a to-go cup. The old state hospital is the coolest place to take a stroll with a cup of coffee on a fall day, but unless you've brought your own mug or want to carry around one of their ceramic mugs (no lid) and then return it, your SOL. Just plain bad for business. I know they want to be "green" but come on... read more

Great coffee and atmosphere! I love the concept of no paper goods (to-go cups). My barista was nice and the latte was delicious. Bring a travel mug if you want to take your coffee to go! read more

Excellent coffee, fantastic green practices (there are no to-go mugs so bring your own or stop & enjoy your drink in their lovely store or foresty patio--or take one of the donated mugs to-go), but my fave is the presentation. Its brilliant to serve tea with a timer for the immersion. My cap had a sweet design. Mom's iced coffee came w/ a carafe.The crew is helpful and kind. The bathroom has a charming, woodsy changing table for your bebe. I don't know why this place is in this weird little village but I'm super grateful to Yelp for leading me to it. read more

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If this place were in Portland OR, there would be a line out the door! Creative coffee (I had the Lazy Lavender....cold coffee latte with homemade lavender syrup). Seriously good coffee that made me very happy this AM :) read more

Awesome! We loved the experience all around. The coffee was outstanding, the service was friendly, informative, and helpful, and the ambience was just what we were looking for in a off-the beaten path independent coffee house. read more

By far one of the best roasters in the state friendly helpful staff that actually know how to pull a shot of espresso! Their in house roasted coffee is almost worth the 4 hr drive from my house by itself! Add an awesome setting and you got a great coffee shop! read more

This fair-traide coffee company is Traverse City's finest! It offers a quiet, relaxed atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating and their coffee is second to none! If you plan to get a paper to-go cup, you've come to the wrong place. They stand behind their eco-friendly policy and do not offer paper cups. You may take a ceramic coffee mug with you free of charge, and they accept donations of coffee mugs to be able to do this. The staff are friendly and helpful. The best part is that the cost for a pound of their deluxe beans is very reasonable. If you purchase their AirTight canister, the first fill-up of coffee is free of charge and you get a discount for subsequent refills. Win! read more

OK nearing the end of my 2 month stay here so I ventured back in out of curiosity. With my own cup in hand, I was charged $2.39. It is completely unclear what the fares are here when you bring in your own cup which I had been told reportedly reduces the cost... but that's not true. Well they lost $144 from me not buying coffee daily from them. Lastly, my dad bought a pound of coffee & he was not offered a free cup of java. Good coffee, but questionable pricing & customer service. read more

Best chai latte I've ever had! Fresh natural spices and great flavor. Dark roast coffee blends are also delicious! And wonderful staff too. read more

Love this coffee shop with its high ceilings and birght open space. Discovered their coffee in Kalamazoo and was happy to stop by their actual shop while in TC. The coffee is great via chemex, their shop is great, and their barista's were friendly. I understand the whole green inititative and it's fun that they give away actual mugs for their to-go orders. In reality, driving in a car or even walking with an open mug of hot coffee is not a great idea. read more

One of the best iced coffees I have ever had! I wouldn't call myself a coffee connoisseur by any means, but I'm more discerning than the average espresso/coffee consumer and this place really delivers. I really love coming here--airy, colorful and comfortable. Seating is limited, but they have a beautiful front yard next to a creek for when the weather's nice. If I'm lucky enough to score a seat in the super comfortable yellow couch, I could sit here for hours. Also, they don't have disposable to-go cups, which is an admirably gutsy stand against waste. Lots of good karma in this place! Love it! read more

I really loved the space that the coffee shop is in and the employees are super nice and helpful. I thought the merchandise was pretty cool. You can purchase some different coffee brewers that you don't see everywhere such as the Chemex and Aeropress. I also found a small little book for tips on how to make coffee in different brewers. I only had hot chocolate while I was there,but it was a fun place to hang out and they had wifi. I'll purchase coffee next time. :) read more

What an amazing experience!!! We are on vaca and found this place via Yelp and are so glad we did!! Atmosphere is so relaxing, staff very friendly and the coffee is top notch!!! read more

If I could give them more than 5 stars I would. What an awesome place! Their focus on sustainability is like nothing I've seen before. Their to-go cups are donated ceramic mugs, their products are organic and non-gmo sourced with an emphasis on reducing environmental impact. I ordered a decaf extra sweet mocha. It was the best mocha I've had. The mocha is made in-house and the quality and taste of the mocha honestly surpasses anything I've had before. I'm so sad that I can only have their products if I visit Traverse City (I'm moving to Cali). For any foodie and environmental advocate...this is your place. read more

Awesome coffee, atmosphere, staff, & merchandise. Great patio and sandbox for kids outside! (wine tastings next door...) Money goes to buying 100% fair trade coffee and owner with high aspirations to help others. My ideal café! read more

Great coffe . Very friendly and not very expensive at all, very affordable. The wait wasn't long for my mocha espresso and it was delicious

I'm a sucker for fresh, local coffee so when a friend mentioned Higher Grounds as a must stop, I was all in. There isn't much in the way of character as far as the shop is concerned but it was really cool to be able to watch the roasterie in action. I bought one of their reusable cups and ordered a cup of the Colombian Afonso Paez. A very nice medium roast with great flavor. They have offer one already brewed coffee or a pour over of a different variety. The coffee is reasonable priced, especially for organic fair-trade coffee. If you want to take your coffee to go, you need to either bring your own mug/cup or purchase one. I think they also have house mugs that you can take and return if you're a local. I wish more coffee shops would do this! read more

Best coffee in town. Great beans at very reasonable prices, for any quality, much less the top quality roast they actually give you. The baristas are friendly and helpful with the coffee a day different brewing methods. Best espresso I've found since Zingerman's. read more

Had a cup of their Sumatran dark roast. It was lovely. The service was excellent. They have a nifty policy for take away drinks, they have donated mugs that you can use. You don't even have to bring them back. (But you should!) read more

A favorite spot for my wife and I. My daughter loves their hot chocolate and they even make it a "kid friendly" temperature. Great menu as well. read more

In addition to great coffee, I love how "green" this place is. It is the only coffee shop I have ever been to that serves their "to go" coffee in old ceramic mugs. Once finished with the coffee, you can return the mugs to a spot just outside the front door. read more

I think this place rocks and its cool because it's a hole in the wall type of a place but do get the mocha, I think that coffee has its own identity in what we think of coffee but, I like this place because it's not packed but it bring me a warm feeling. I think going there was a very good experience from the time enter to me order my drink. I would go back for sure no doubt in my mind. I don't have any negative opinions about this place. I think it's a good place go on a date also it has some charm to it. I think from being a coffee drinker this place is what my idea of s coffee shop should be not your average Starbucks. I think people don't understand good coffee takes a bit to research to find a place. read more

This place is beyond wonderful. The vibe is casual and the coffee is amazing. When we are in town we are here every morning. The vanilla latte is BY FAR the best Ive ever had. read more

I get it, they're green. It's just good to know before you go, this ain't Starbucks. A good thing? Probably and the coffee here actually tastes good instead of burnt. You just need to be prepared if you've never been there. Do you use a sugar-free sweetener? Bring your own. They have no sugar-free syrups either. Their syrups are house-made and probably better but they don't do any without sugar. Want your coffee to go? Bring your own cup. If you don't, they will give it to you in a clean, donated, ceramic mug at no charge. Yes, you will feel like an idiot walking out to your car with this lid-less ceramic mug but it's yours to keep. read more

Quite likely the best coffee and most likeable cafe I've ever been to, and that's saying something. If I am a snob about anything, it's coffee. read more