This was such a great little coffee shop. Filled with so many knickknacks - I wanted to explore all day. There's a treehouse and a koi pond inside. The coffee was fantastic. I loved it here. read more

The General Mercantile - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

The vibe of this place is just fantastic! If your hanging out in downtown Helena, you should definitely check this place out. It's so fun and almost vintige. So many little fun knicknaks and fun drinks and candy to browse. A cool coi pond and kids treehouse inside so your kid won't be bored either. A little expensive but otherwise super great! read more

A true little treasure cove . Good coffee and enough unique merch to keep you browsing.. Awesome experience

If this place could learn how to pull shots... that would be great. Selling bulk-purchased candy from China is about the best item offered in this pit of despair. The coffee is no good. The staff is rude. read more

Best. Russians I have ever had and it was the size of my face! Coffee was good, almond latte yummy, scone was great texture. And it was so fun to get old school candy, and fun little souvenirs. read more

Good espresso and honey latte. Cute little corners where you can sit throughout the store.

The coolest coffee shop I've been to. There's so much to see here and so many nooks tucked away where you can sit and enjoy your coffee. They even have an upstairs for kids that is super cool. They have countless numbers of different candies and chocolate bars. I got the Royal Chai and it was delicious!! You can definitely tell they make it from the tea itself and it was a settle flavor I enjoyed on a rainy day. read more

The General Mercantile - a display of goods for sale - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

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Coffee was delicious and there are so many gift options, especially for tea lovers! You can shop around and order your coffee/tea to go or sit down in one of the tables hidden around the store. read more

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No trip to Helena is complete without a trip to Gen Merc! Grateful for Lindsey and her team making kick-ass coffee in such a swanky environment. Get the House Special, you won't be disappointed. read more

The General Mercantile - Best Croissant, little dude Steamers, Royal Chai and Tall House Special - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

I wish I had a General Mercantile in California. You enter in and it's like you're transported to somewhere between western days and modern times. I like how they incorporated little nooks and crannies for folks to lounge as this place is also a cafe. They were playing all kinds of music that I loved like the Beatles. They had candies, chocolates, knick knacks, etc. Pretty much think of something, they'd likely have it. For the kiddies, there is a treehouse and a mini 1 fish koi pond. How can you not love this place! read more

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This place is a treasure. You gotta get your coffee "for here" and find the nook that best suits your mood. The gifts are amazing--I always find something that I need to take home with me. With friendly staff and a truly unique building, I always feel transported to another world when I come here--in a good way. Kisses to your koi! read more

Super cute place, great coffee and pastry offerings. Lots of interesting merchandise available in an inviting environment. Great for families and friends! read more

3 stars for the service / people there aren't the nicest. Person taking my order was rude but I will give the benefit of the doubt. It's a copy of a downtown Portland/Seattle coffee shop in Helen, Montana. So if you don't like those cities or the political views they often come with, don't come here. And if you do then this will be perfect for you, got a kick out of a lot of their stickers and novelty items. read more

My fiancé, his dad, and me went here before exploring downtown. I am the only one that is not from here and this was one of the must go places they wanted me to go to while I was here. The coffee was good, we all got different drinks and had no complaints. The decor and things for sale is really stuff you will see no where else. Will definitely go every time I come into town. read more

The General Mercantile - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

Fun place to shop for unusual items. Great selection of cards. And the coffee is excellent.

Quaint shop, that's what earned it a star. However, lost four stars for just basically being a building trying to sell a political agenda. So much potential to be awesome, instead it kind of feels like you walk a tightrope in the shop. You just wonder if you don't say something right or look the part they will throw you out for disagreeing with them. It just doesn't feel very welcoming at all. If you lose the political agenda, it's a five star place. I just refuse to spend money here until that day. read more

This is a cool little gem in the heart of downtown Helena. It's got a cute little coffee bar in it that you can order to go coffees and teas. There's tons of novelty items froms, gifts, shot glasses, board games, cards, tea, honey, tea pots, candy, and more. There's a little someone for everyone there. Under the checkout counter is an entire collection of chocolate bars that range from normal milk chocolate to wacky flavors such as cayenne with pop rocks. There's a big fountain in the middle with 2 giant koi fish, who no doubt want food from you, as they peer their little faces over the side. I would recommend anyone check out this niche little spot. Lot of cool things to look at. read more

This place is amazing, I love the coffee and atmosphere. The shop part Is so cute and creative too! read more

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Cute and rustic. Lots of old fashioned candies. Nice and unusual items. A little pricey, but I love browsing all of their items while sipping on their great tasting coffee. read more

Locally owned, killer place, decent pricing for really unique drink options. Plus the merch is always fun. They have dairy alternatives (oat milk!!) so that makes me want to rate 10 stars read more

Super fun place to hang out and the coffee is crazy delicious. I have enjoyed everything I have ever had there (best iced mocha in the world) and the teas and other goodies they sell are great. read more

TL;DR Employees were rude and rushed us to get drinks. They also lost four loyal customers today. I found this place nearly a year ago and I loved it...until today. I walked in, sat down, then was immediately asked to order a drink. I said I would order a drink in a little bit, after I got settled in. A few minutes later, the same lady demanded that my party order because they "are starting a list" even though there weren't many customers there ordering, but I was already in the middle of an online quiz I needed to finish. Then, the owner appeared, gave us a dirty look, exclaimed "I'm the owner" in a snobbish tone, and told us we need to order drinks and that my friend's drink container was not allowed. We felt very rushed when they were not busy. Being a college student, I was simply looking for a cozy place to get off campus, do some homework and studying, and sip on a warm drink. I was not looking to be patronized by the employees and the OWNER. Needless to say, we decided to walk across the street to Firetower Coffee where they have better service, better coffee, and more space to stretch out. I do not plan on going back to The General Mercantile. Instead, I will write a five-star review of Firetower Coffee. Some advice for improvement: learn how to politely tell people the rules of your establishment; signs would work best. Dirty looks and derogatory comments toward your customers are not how a business should be run, especially if those comments are coming directly from the owner of the business. read more

Don't let the tourist trap feel fool you, this is one of the best spots in downtown Helena! Get past the knick-knacks for sale on the wall and you'll find some great coffee and tea blends. Plus they have a hot chocolate that you'd kill for, complete with whipped cream made from scratch that's topped with Mexican chocolate sprinkles. YUM! It's a quite place with WiFi that's great to hang out, try a few of their signature coffee or tea blends and get some work done, or at least try to. Definitely worth the visit. read more

Coooool--this place is a bit of sensory overload, but that's what makes it so great. Great coffee, and you could probably spend an hour or two alone just wandering around the little trinkets and other things they have for sale. read more

I'm a big fan. The service was amazing and the décor was extremely unique. Their merchandise and layout provides a great chance to explore new things. Their selection of coffee and tea was a great way to explore new tastes. Their seating areas are innovative. I'd strongly recommend The General Mercantile to friends. read more

The General Mercantile - Montana Gold Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

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I've been coming here for over 20 years. For good reason. I love the quirkiness and the individuality that sets this place apart. This is where I come for the best coffee. Everyday. Don't expect the coffee to be ready immediately because the Merc is generally packed with people. Especially on the weekends. I love the staff. They all hold a special place in my heart! This will always be my go to place for coffee, gifts, and other what nots. This place is very family friendly. The koi pond is a fun component. If you get there the right time of day your kids might get a chance to feed the fish. My kid grew up on General Mercantile hot chocolate, card games, and Ray's (former owner) sense of humor and he turned out just fine! This place has been around for almost 50 years, before coffee was even cool. Highly recommend! PS Lindsay you're doing a great job carrying on the Merc tradition! read more

OMG I love this place!! I wandered in while walking down the downtown area, and loved it so much I came back later to show it to my boyfriend. I am a HUGE tea drinker, and this is one of the few places I've found that actually serves quality loose-leaf tea, even if you are ordering it to-go (just allow a couple extra min to let it steep). The atmosphere is really, really cool. You feel like you are in an old cabin back in the 1800s, about to break out a banjo or something. You can cozy up in one of their "rooms" and have some privacy (we saw people playing cards with friends), you can hang out at the bar counter and chat with the baristas, or even log on to check some email at one of the few computers they have. Come to hang out with friends, come to read a book alone, or come to get a quick tea while on the run. It's the perfect little coffee/tea place. read more

Love this place! Best coffee in Helena!! My go-to is the Cortado over some good reading of The Economist. They don't have internet so, 4 stars only. read more

Oh. My. Goodness. What a great place!! So many fun things to look at, buy and try! I drank an Earl Grey Chocolate Cake drink which was FANTASTIC!! Indigo was the barista and the drink she made won't be forgotten. Definitely stop by and give this hidden gem a try!! read more

The General Mercantile - Part of the charm - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

Have you been here yet, no? It's a MUST GO for downtown Helena!! Not only does the Merch have a great variety of delicious drinks served by lovely people who are sincerely nice and thoughtful, they have an eclectic browsing section. Go meet the goldfish and have a look for yourself, you definitely will not be disappointed!! read more

Yay for good coffee! The people were really nice. I love stores full of wacky stuff. I also love Mercantiles. Something about the name just sits well with me. That given, the place is a bit on the cozy side, if you take my meaning. ;) They also have a good collection of post cards, and various other novelty-like items. Not too shabby, and worth the visit. read more

Wish I could give 0 stars but the lowest you can go is 1. Rude workers that take forever to get your drinks ready. Not phone friendly and a terrible place to get work done. They rush you to get out the door and horrible costumer service. Special treatment to some customers and not others. read more

Quaint little local coffee shop meets gag gift store. Did I tell you that it has a waterfall? Come in to get some of the best coffee I've ever had in the entire world (try the tall house special, I always get two), by the raddest people around. I dare you not to smile, and start talking to the people around you. read more

Ray Roger is the best coffee I've ever had!! I was pleasantly surprised with how good it was! I just wish you would get more, the cup of regular size was so small! read more

It's super cute and has a lot fun stuff. They also have really good coffee! It's a gift shop/ coffee shop. There are also real koi fish in a pond which is super awesome :) read more

The General Mercantile - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Helena, Montana

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Very beautiful place, with amazing iced hot chocolate (if you can still call it that).

This is a very neat place. It doesn't matter if you're feeling touristy and need a little kitsch for your suitcase, or if you are a local looking for some coffee. This place has something for everyone. The people working behind the counter are very friendly and will welcome you no matter which category you may fall under. I ordered a cappuccino and a little "Montana gold" tea to try at home. The cappuccino was brilliant. The espresso was smooth and delicious. The verdict is still out on the tea but it smells wonderful. read more

OMG, do I love this place, don't get there often enough....every nook and cranny is filled with interesting things and my fridge is filled with their GREAT magnets!!!!!!.....and the drinks aren't bad either!!!.... read more

Tons of different kinds of tea-loose leaf the best! They also sell it by the ounce. They also have coffee for you lovers out there, I'm strictly a tea drinker. They give you your tea in your own ceramic teapot, but don't ask, they don't sell them. There is free wifi and a bunch of stuff to buy as well, little trinkets, post cards, candy, really cool antique signs, etc. The decor is very western and cool. Love places like this-even a little fish pond with coi in it! read more

I've been a customer for the last 14 years starting as a student and returning each time I return to Helena. The quality of the coffee is deserving of 5 stars. However, thanks to a rude and accusatory member of the staff, you've lost a loyal pair of paying customers. If a customer is required to a beverage in their hand the entire duration of their stay, please post signage indicating this. There are plenty of equivalent businesses that provide quality customer service in Helena including your across the street competitor and a larger Seattle based chain. read more