Very clean and modern ambiance. Has a play area for kids and plenty of seating options. Lots of fun…read moreseasonal drink options along with their own secret menu options. The Barista was super friendly in sharing some of the popular and favorite drinks. Already planning coffee/play dates with friends here.

Note: not to be confused with Ember Coffee Co. in Big Lake…read more That said... excellent coffee here. This place is actually kind of awesome. If I describe the environment as being half of the lobby of a new suburban apartment complex, that doesn't do justice to how pleasant it is. Homey, quiet, clean, intentionally designed. When the apartment people give tours to prospective tenants, my confident assumption is that they DEFINITELY show off this area and it probably convinces people to move to this building. The baristas are serious coffee nerds, rightly proud of their single-origin sourcing from farms in Honduras, Costa Rica, and Colombia. My iced vanilla latte tasted great; the mild sweetness from their house-made vanilla was perfect. My friend got a pourover that he loved; he stayed there for about an hour doing some work and was impressed by how long that container stayed warm. If you're arriving by car, there is street parking around the building, but there is also the option of going into the building's garage. They confirmed to me that the ground-level parking spaces are available to customers during their open hours. Also, this is right across the street from the Helmo Ave. station on the new Gold Line. If you're taking that route before 4pm, consider hopping off for one of their impressive coffees!

It's funny how poor customer service completely changes your attitude towards a business you used…read moreto enjoy. I used to live in the area and when the small coffee shop opened I was so exited to have that in our community and was happy to support them - even if some coffee beverages were top dollar. I was in the area today, and decided to stop in since I no longer live in the area and wanted to enjoy a good brew. Unfortunately, the experience I had left me leaving with a bitter taste in my mouth - and it wasn't from the coffee. I thought it goes without saying, but when a customer greets you, you should greet them back, not just stare. It would be even better if your staff would greet each customer first - make them feel welcome. Maybe I'm a millennial channeling boomer energy, but for years I'm noticing the customer service disappearing from a lot of businesses. I love that connection, but I'm understanding that some people see only a paycheck and skid by with minimal customer service and that is the new way. I don't plan to visit this establishment again. I wish the barista with star tattoos would have put in enough customer service energy that she did with her impeccable makeup.

I didn't realize that Backstory opened up where Fiddlehead Coffee was a few years back. The…read morelocation is not far from the MOA nearby many apartment buildings. There is some street parking as well as some paid ramps. I came in on a Saturday morning around 10AM. By then, it was busy, but I was able to still find a seat. The staff were kind and I think as pleased with the number of drink options as well as pastries - gluten free, too! I enjoyed a seasonal lemon bar latte (yum!) and a gluten free banana chocolate chip muffin. I will likely be back. The coffee is great, the parking situation is just a bit weird.

A small but mighty coffee shop on the west side of Saint Paul. The menu is nice with a little bit…read morefor everyone. I tried the Lemon Bar Latte and it was AMAZINGLY good! It was smooth and not overly sweet. I also tried the French Toast Breakfast Sandwich and it was quite good. Total was a little over $$22 for the two items and a 20% tip. Free street parking available. They are also doing great things for the community and that is worth so much more than great coffee and breakfast sandwiches.

Totally forgot how close I live to this spot! Backstory Coffee was the perfect little stop before…read moreheading to the MN Yacht Club Music Festival with my bestie. We rolled in a little before 1:00 PM and had no trouble finding easy street parking (huge win!). The vibe inside? Mixed. While the space was cute, relaxed and inviting, the service was... not so much. The guy at the front counter barely looked up from his screen, and let's just say, enthusiasm wasn't on the menu. Definitely not the warm welcome we hoped for and very unfortunate. BUT--shoutout to my bestie for treating us to a coffee date, because the drinks were solid. I had the piña colada cold brew, which was super sweet at first, but after a quick stir, it hit just right. My bestie went with the strawberries & cream cold brew and a matcha lemonade. Both were surprisingly good, but the matcha lemonade really stood out to me; so refreshing and unique. All in all, Backstory was a convenient and tasty pre-concert stop. If the service matched the drinks, this would've easily been a 5-star visit.

We have used their product exclusively for several years and enjoy the variety of rich, wonderfully…read moretasting coffee.

I only drink decaf and finding good decaf is a chore. Thankfully, my sister told me about Jeremy at…read morethe Roastery! Best decaf ever. Moved to Seattle (yes, the coffee mecca) and still have coffee shipped in every month.

This place is great!…read more We stopped by on a Tuesday morning, and I was surprised by how large the inside was. It's not gigantic, but I was expecting it to be much smaller based on what I had heard about the place. I ordered the Waffle Latte and absolutely loved it. I would definitely get it again. My wife ordered an iced mocha with an extra shot, and she really enjoyed hers as well. We also decided to try a white chocolate raspberry scone. My wife loved it. I thought it was good, but not quite great. We also ordered a garlic bagel with cream cheese. I really liked that and would potentially order it again, although next time I may try a plain bagel just for comparison. The staff was super nice. They genuinely seemed happy to be there, which is honestly a bit surprising these days when it comes to customer service. The positive attitude definitely added to the experience. Overall, I really don't have much negative to say. Sure, it's a little pricey, but I feel like I say that in almost every review nowadays. Food and drinks outside the house are just stupid expensive these days, so compared to other coffee shops, the pricing here felt relatively fair. Yeah, I don't know. I really don't have many complaints. Great drinks, friendly staff, and a nice atmosphere. I'm giving them 5 out of 5 stars, and I'll definitely be back.

I've seen great reviews for BlueNose Coffee so I had to check it out! They had a drive thru but I…read morewent inside to order. They have a cozy atmosphere and is a nice spot to enjoy a morning drink. I ordered a blue nose mocha and a believin' berry buzz dirty soda along with a blueberry scone. The scone was subtly sweet and pretty dense. It was a great choice of bakery item. The mocha was super sweet. It almost tasted more like a latte than a mocha. The sugary flavors drown out the espresso bitterness. I'd order something else next time since the sugar rush was a lot. Since Farmington has been known to consume the most Mountain Dew per capita in the US I ordered a Mountain Dew based dirty soda. With all the added flavors of this drink I kind of forgot it was Mountain Dew. Like everything else this was a super sugary drink but was nice to try due to the novelty of the drink.

Mini-review because I just stopped in for a quick coffee to go -IMHO but Roots continues to have…read morethe highest quality coffee in MacGroveland - and there's a lot of coffee shops in our neighborhood. They roast their own beans to perfection. Efficient, kind service. But I want to give their New Orleans iced coffee a special shout out. Cold brew, hickory, simple syrup and a splash of milk. So freaking good! They made my morning.

Stopped in this morning and I'm so glad I did! There was free street parking available, which made…read morevisiting super convenient. The line wasn't too long when I arrived, so I didn't have to wait long to place my order or receive my drink. I ordered the rose water latte with oat milk, and it was absolutely delicious! beautifully made, subtly sweet, and perfectly balanced. I also tried the almond croissant, which was incredibly flaky on the outside and soft and buttery in the middle. The customer service was friendly, the space was clean and welcoming, and overall it was such a good experience. I'll definitely be stopping in more often!

We stopped in on a Sunday later in the AM, it was pretty busy. It's in a bit of an industrial area…read moreso most of the parking is street but wasn't too hard finding a spot within a block and a half. They had QR codes to scan for the menu otherwise a smaller menu to look at once you get to the counter. I went in knowing I wanted the seasonal spring flight. Came with 3 flavors- Paschal Moon (espresso) , Garden Fog (matcha) & Spumoni Mocha. You can get it iced or hot as well as choose your milk preference. I got iced w/ dairy milk. The Espresso was my favorite flavor wise. Overall I felt like they had a very good variety of specialty drinks, fun things to try. They had a few pastries as well. It's a shared space with a brewery that starts serving beer at 12pm. A food truck present and there was a craft fair going on which was cool. They have a big patio area which is nice for the extra seating in the warmer months.

I enjoyed the Neapolitan coffee, strawberry milk is is so nostalgic. Plenty of parking near by. Sad…read moreto hear that they will be closing soon.