Food/Drink: Coffee was average, nothing to write home about. I'll come back to try some of the espresso drinks in the future. The breakfast foods were all plastic wrapped or outsourced so I skipped it. They mention some lunch options, but nothing that would make me go out of my way to try them. Ambiance: Well, here's the thing, this coffee shop is more modeled after your living room. With the fireplace, the games, the comfortable sofas, the tv (and corresponding TV night for kids), it's you're home away from home. It is a little crowded around the ordering area and the cream, sugar, etc, but hopefully you're not spending a ton of time in these areas. Service: Good, no complaints. The coffee was for here and was given a mug and mentioned there are refills. No upsell, no crazy conversation about the weather. Overall: It's really hard to knock a independent and local coffee shop. It's good in a pinch, especially in the area. If you're planning on working here, it's pretty quiet and you won't get bothered except maybe during the kids nights, but plan accordingly and you'll be fine. read more

i absolutely love coming here! the coffee and baked goods are delicious. my favorite part has to be the drive through, it makes it extremely convenient to get good coffee on the go. i would recommended the chai or maple lattes! read more

I live in West Bloomington and have waited a long time for such an awesome place. The coffee is amazing and it's not only coffee they are serving up...it's small business and community! They also have something that I have not seen in a coffee shop before WEST CIDER!! It's hot apple cider with whipped cream and caramel and it is absolutely delicious!! Free WiFi, Free dog biscuits, Free Tootsie Rolls, and games to play. They also serve up some awesome soup. It is the type of place where everyone feels like a regulary. Warm and cozy. We also went there last weekend for live jazz. Thanks West Side Perk for putting Starbucks to shame!!! read more

I came in on a Sunday, somewhat grumpy from caffeine withdrawals and having low expectations for this place. From the outside, it looks like an oddly placed coffee shop. The menu also seemed limited and like the standard independent suburban coffee shop. However...the coffee was actually really good! It had a nice rich smoothness to it and the girls who made it did a fabulous job with the temperature (always disappointing to get lukewarm coffee). My only complaint is they charge extra for whole milk...I've never heard of that. Frankly, $4.61 for a small plain latte is a bit much...even the other nice coffee shops in the Twin Cities areas come standard with whole and are around the $4 mark. read more

If given a choice, this is the place that's at the top of my list for coffee close to home. Average pricing for specialty drinks, no fuss about a special order, tasty tuna salad sandwich. Comfy chairs by the fireplace as well as a drive-thru is a boon depending on when you feel like stopping in or just stopping by. The only times I have ever noticed a dip in service is when they had new employees training but any mistakes made were happily rectified. read more

My sister needed an afternoon pick me up and the baby was asleep in the car seat, so we headed on over to this optional drive-thru coffee shop. I got myself a small skim dry caramel cappuccino extra hot, and it was pretty good. The speaker at the drive-thru was very clear and impressed me that the lady could hear us so well. As we pulled up to order she told us about the many different flavor sauces and syrups they have for the drinks that they could make us. We also got a punch card as well so that after 10 drinks the next one is free and it could be any size too! The prices are reasonable and next time we might get a chance to stop inside. read more

It's a cute shop, and it's a NEIGHBORHOOD shop! This is important to me in a world full of chain establishments. It's a small place, but it's out of the way enough such that crowding isn't a problem. If it ever gets really popular, they'll have a hard time seating a large group. But, what they do have for seating is warm, inviting, and comfortable. The coffee is good, very good. I haven't had any of the "fancy" drinks yet, but the coffee draws me in. I went in there today with my daughter Siri, 2. The owner was in there and took the time to stop over and bring puzzles and books to Siri. Siri sat nicely in her big leather lounge chair next to mine and played with the assortment of kids books, puzzles, and toys while I caught up on what Jeff Bridges is doing via the Esquire magazine in the stack of stuff to read. Oh, they have a drive-thru too... nice if you want a fast cup o' Jo for your commute. This spot used to be a small bank, then it was a Seattle Sutton's. Now, I think the coffee shop will bring new life into this staple strip mall (Don Ho Chinese, Zeke's, and Scoops Ice Cream are there too.) read more

I love this place. Super friendly staff and great coffee. My sister got a smoothie and liked hers a lot. The coffee is great and they offer so many flavors to add its amazing. I was getting sick of all the chain coffee shops around here and the same options. Their costs are no more than any other place if not even cheaper. Also love they have a drive thru. I will definitely be using that come this winter :) Very glad they came to the neighborhood and hope they bring more business to this area of town. read more

Super mediocre in all ways. Stood at the counter for several minutes, staring at the two employees sucked into their phones in the back before anyone noticed I was waiting. Coffee is nothing to write home about. Do like the seating area near the fireplace, but the decorating is very tacky and everything just seems...grimy. For a dreary Saturday, it was surprisingly dead, which is a pretty good indicator that a place isn't worth the stop. Did get a lot of work done though. read more

On my very first visit to this café, I was really impressed with the customer service and the quality of the menu items! The staff were really kind, and shout out to the person who wished me a great weekend! While waiting for my father to go through a procedure at a local clinic in Bloomington, I decided to grab breakfast somewhere and took a chance on this place. I'm so glad I did! I ordered the breakfast sandwich with sausage, which is a little bit salty for my liking, but the chai latte I got was the perfect thing I needed for a warm summer day in Minnesota. I would absolutely come back and recommend others to this place! read more

Pretty good! Not anything crazy special but good and nice people :)

My biggest customer service pet-peeve is when I'm the only one in the exchange that says THANK YOU! It's so easy and fun to say!! The blonde lady who is almost always at the drive-thru, has never once said thank you, or even cracked a smile - that is not an exaggeration & we've interacted at least 2 dozen times. She's even snubbed my bf, who is impossible not to like. Living so close, it is nice to have this as an option when I'm in a pinch but it's disappointing that I can't LOVE my local coffee shop. read more

To be honest, I had fairly low expectations considering from the outside, I thought this was going to an awkwardly situated coffee shop tucked inside a strip mall. I was wrong though and ended up being pleasantly surprised! A couple tables, several comfortable chairs...there's not a whole lot of space but for going in on a late afternoon, I didn't have any trouble finding a spot to call my own. Cute, comfortable ambiance too with friendly staff and a fireplace and a shelf of games. It's always a little disappointing to me when I see everyone drinking out of the disposable cups when they have perfectly good ceramic mugs just wanting to be used. I wish that coffee shops such as this would ask if it was for here or to-go and automatically serve their hot drinks in a mug if the customer will be staying. Nonetheless, my hot chocolate with almond milk (in a mug) was delightful and I got a good hour of work done, which sadly was cut short since they close at 5pm. You'll have to ask for the wifi password since they change it consistently (to ensure that it's for customers only) which I sometimes find a bit annoying depending on the mood of the barista (sometimes at other coffee shops they act like you're bothering them by asking but hey, you could have posted it!). Anyway, if you're in the area, check out West Side Perk! They also have a drive-through if that's more your style. read more

West Side Perk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Minnesota

The coffee, treats, and incredibly kind service set West Side Perk head and shoulders above the competition. Skip Caribou and Starbucks -- West Side Perks has 'em beat! read more

West Side Perk is a real treasure. It is the BEST coffee shop, not only for the drinks, but the people. It is family owned and operated and they really try to include the community in it, by hosting events/fundraisers, supporting local artists by providing a venue for local musicians to perform & a place for artists to showcase their artwork. When you support West Side Perk, you truly are supporting the greater community. The atmosphere is great, they have a fireplace too when it's cold out! I would HIGHLY recommend visiting the Perk, the staff is wonderful who sincerely care about their customers(Shout out to Deb, Cindy, & Joan!), the drinks are great, and they even offer soups, sandwiches, & pastries! Whether swinging through the drive through on your way to work, or sipping a cool smoothie on a warm afternoon, West Side Perk has it all! Do yourself a favor and check it out!! read more

Happy to find good, quality minded independents when we travel. Owner Deb Irvin and her staff are friendly, no bubbly, (and yes, my MN friends, you do talk that way). Deb uses artisan roast coffee from True North roasters in St. Paul. I sampled the Mexican Altura -- good aroma, mild up front and a nice bright, citrus finish. Bottom line is this is where you should go when nearby because corporate coffee just doesn't match up. read more

Cozy, quiet place to meet a friend for conversation. The Avocado Toast is amazing, best I ever had. My friend had the Chicken Salad Croissant and declared it very tasty. In a strip mall, plenty of parking, lots of tables. Played a game of Scrabble and no one bothered us. Will be back. read more

i like the environment, its very cozy, you get to borrow and lend books on the honor system, there are doggie snacks, and free wifi, and a drive-thru! the size of the large, when i got the drink, almost appeared medium, but i dont know how many oz it was, salty caramel drink is good, got a groupon deal for 8 any size drinks, which i'll always get large, but like i said above, for some reason, it looks medium to me, like a 16oz thing, but thats just my own perception, not necessarily fact, otherwise, large drinks are close to $5, and it is slightly out of my way on my drive up the 169, so i'll gladly go until i use my groupon up, but after that, not too sure for the cost, since its similar to regular price, but the environment struck me the most as the best feature of the place read more

When I need a break from Caribou West Side Perk is a great alternative. Now that I've been back a few times I have grown to like it even more than I did initially.. They have occaisional music entertainment which is great. The Owner/Manager is there often an she really wants to be THE neighborhood coffee house. read more

Great hidden gem of a coffee shop. Plenty of comfortable seats with adequate plug sockets and a quiet atmosphere makes this a great place for studying or other work. I was very excited to find a great independent shop in Bloomington. read more

I love the atmosphere at West Side Perk. You can come with a friend and have a great conversation in this comfy-cozy smallish coffee shop. It's incredibly clean, and you can tell that they want to be a hub for the community, as they sell books by local authors, hold community events here, etc. Both family friendly and a quiet escape! read more

This place is a little gem. Great coffee and yummy treats, including many gluten free options. They also sell cool local artwork and jewelry. Very friendly service, too! read more

Cute neighborhood coffee shop. Tastes just as good if not better than those 'other' places, but way better ambiance.

I am in Grad school and was in need of a study/work spot as my favorite place closed. Today I decided to check out West Side Perk and I'm really glad I did. It's a small, but not too small, coffee shop just off 169. The atmosphere is calm and inviting. The staff were great and offered me the free wifi password when they saw me take out my laptop. There are tables, booths, and leather chairs near a fireplace for the winter months. If you don't want to study, they also have a selection of board games to choose from. This is definitely one of my new favorite coffee shops! read more

Remember coffee shops before Starbucks? This has a bit of that feel. Great coffee and pastries. It may feel small to some people but I think it's perfect and you can also go out into the inside lobby between a couple other great restaurants, outside at a table or just sit on the lawn. There's also a drive thru, which is a huge bonus in the morning. read more

Westside Perk is a breathe of fresh air in an otherwise saturated coffee market. The dark and house roasts I've had were excellent. Sure you can get coffee at a Caribou or a Starbucks at any number of locations around the area but the thing both of them are lacking is real heart. Westside Perk has its finger on the pulse of its surrounding community and truly cares about each of their customers. The employees I have dealt with are warm,inviting and provide top-noch service. The owner is a wonderful woman who accommodates for everything from your most intimate meeting to live performances from local musicians. I will be heading back soon for a game of chess, with some coffee by the fireplace. read more

There are a lot of stellar reviews on here but I must confess that I just don't see the appeal here. My fiance and I stopped here on a Saturday morning after reading some great reviews online. We love to support independently owned coffee shops, so we figured we'd give this one a try. There are a lot of different options here, which I appreciated, but there's nothing about this place that's original. When I asked what was on their breakfast sandwich, the woman told me that it was "just a jimmy dean breakfast sandwich with sausage, egg, and cheese." I don't go to a coffee shop to get a frozen breakfast sandwich I can purchase in a grocery store. My fiance and I ended up with two coffees, a scone, and a muffin for a total cost of just under $20, which I thought was outrageously expensive. Our baked goods did not taste homemade (maybe I'm wrong) and they weren't warm. I asked for my muffin to be warmed up, and the woman told me that they didn't do that. I find that to be super odd, especially given the price of the muffin. The coffee was good, but it wasn't stellar. The ambiance of the restaurant is nice, and it's very quiet, which probably makes it a great place to do work. However, I don't think we'll return unless we just happen to be in the area, which is disappointing. read more

Support a local business and buy your coffee here. The shop is owned and operated by a Bloomington resident, so the money is staying right here in our town. The atmosphere is very friendly, family-oriented and unpretentious (try getting that at a Starbucks). I'm so happy to have a neighborhood coffee shop and hope they stay in business. read more

Great customer service! Loved the atmosphere and the coffee coolers are a must in the summer. Check out the burlap table runners and pillows that the owner makes out of the old coffee bean bags! Will be going back. read more

Their food and drinks are really really good. However they are extremely slow and never remember your order which takes even longer. It is also over priced. For two medium coffees it was $9. read more

I have never been here when the service was less than very friendly. Unfortunately, I've never been here when the service was less than very slow. Okay if you are ordering a coffee but if you are getting a latte or cappuccino, pull up a chair, it's gonna take awhile. read more

This is a poorly run business with a low quality product. Please see my review on trip advisor. Avoid. Prior positive reviews must be either outdated or from friends. read more

Decent local neighborhood spot. Drinks and food offerings are average. Service is great but after several times in for a morning break I kept hearing someone in the back berating the other employees. Just got to be a downer having to listen to this when I just wanted a quite spot to enjoy my coffee and read the paper. Not sure if it's the owner or another employee doing this to the others, regardless, not how you to run a business, won't be back. read more

Came here for lunch with my wife and the food was delicious! The staff is amazing and very accommodating. There was a very slight mix up with my food but they went above and beyond to fix it. Easy 5/5, will return soon and often! read more