Common Ground Coffee
comfy & Aesthetic!
Sharing Stories Over a Cup of Common Ground Coffee!
The Experience
Common ground coffee is quite beautiful. Picture this, you're a little early on your way to school/work in downtown Tacoma on a typical misty morning and you stop by the Common Ground cafe for a comforting latte. They open their doors at 7:00 AM, which i have to say is very convenient. Common Ground café is just up the hill from the University of Washington-Tacoma and It didn't get busy until around 10:30 AM on a Sunday. This café is perfect for my fellow early birds out there who need a satisfying kick-start and a nice quiet place to work early in the morning. The atmosphere was perfect for focusing until it picked up but don't worry, it wasn't overwhelming or distracting. I’d suggest bringing in some sound canceling headphones and sitting at the tables facing the windows outlooking the parking lot and you're set.
Their decor inside is modern but doesn't lack the warm welcoming feeling you should get in a coffee shop, it was to die for cute! Did I mention, it's filled with vibrant and happy plants which really brightens the place? When we walked in we were greeted by the owner, Tina. She was super patient while we decided on drinks and food and gave a few suggestions kindly. Isaiah got a Pecan Latte while I decided on the Honey Kiss. As we waited for our drinks, we casually walked around to scope the place out and took pictures/videos of the cafe. Yes, there is a bathroom and yes, it is super clean! Not to mention, It’s decorated in the most adorable way ever. There are plenty of outlets but you may have to choose your seating wisely to ensure you can easily get to them. Like i said before, the level of quietness in the morning was so peaceful but it did get very busy and loud towards noon. But keep in mind that weekends are always busy so maybe an weekday evening would be less busy and quieter.
We chose to sit at the comfy area near the front with a large caramel colored leather couch. I felt so at home when I sat down. Tina, the owner, brought out our drinks and literally shook and poured my Honey Kiss right in front of me. Isaiah got his latte art and said his coffee actually tasted like sweet pecans. I am not the fanciest person so in my opinion, Tina went above and beyond by creating a memorable experience. I thought it was extremely nice of her to not only serve us but go the extra mile with latte art and by pouring my drink for me.
Food/Drinks
Merriah: The Honey Kiss is a doppio (meaning two shots of espresso) shaken with half&half and what I would assume is honey, hints the name. This is hands down SO delicious and silky smooth! I would 10/10 get it again and suggest it as a sweet treat to someone wanting the fancy experience also. My only critique is that I wish the coffee flavor was a bit stronger. The Honey Kiss reminds me of something I would make as a barista called a “wake-up call” because it's small, quick, easy and super yummy. I also ordered the Gluten Free Egg and Bacon sandwich and can we just take a moment to appreciate that it was REAL egg, not that weird spongy stuff you usually get. The bacon was perfectly cooked, crispy and juicy. It was satisfying and just the right size for a small breakfast or brunch. Also, just a side note- gluten Free bread is usually hit or miss but this was perfect toasted, not soggy or gummy tasting at all. You honestly couldn't tell a difference if you tried. I enjoyed everything and will be back to try their other drinks soon!
A few days later: I went back in to get their Midnight Crush which is an iced latte with vanilla, blackberry and espresso. This drink was so exciting and different, I loved it and would recommend it to anyone who likes fruity flavors in their coffee. The vanilla smoothed out the flavors and made it all blend super well together. I even went back a third time to get this drink so, go try it and tag us in your pic!
As soon as I walked into this place I immediately fell in love with the interior design. If you love chic, cozy, and styled interior design this place is for you! The coffee shop has a nice color scheme going on, especially with orange! The orange in the shop gave a highly energetic vibe that I like, and the people working there showed the same energetic and kind vibe that I loved because it’s not something I see all the time from other coffee shops that are there just to do a job! As me and Merr walked in we immediately got a welcoming hello which is a plus! There was a bit of a funny moment when I may or may not have stumbled through the door—but hey, it added to the fun!
As I looked through the menu they had center front I loved the creative options I was looking at in terms of food and drinks. I saw two drinks that caught my eye that I had difficulty choosing between and that was the Pecan Latte and the Honey Kiss drink that Merr got. I ended up going with the Pecan Latte because well… I like pecans and some really nice latte art to look at in the morning! While waiting me and Merr chose to sit on the VERY nice colored burnt orange couches next to some very nice Common Ground art on the wall that practically begged for Instagram photos. Makes for very good pictures if you’re looking for a good aesthetic cafe picture. You can take pictures like these at Common Ground:
Just look at Merr vibin’! If you end up coming to Common Ground, you better share your picture with us @happycaff and use #happycaff in your post!! I’ll give you a second to do that… Let’s move on to the drink quality!
The Pecan Latte tasted amazing and I would get 1000x over again! On a scale from 1-10 I would give it a 9! Why? Because the drink actually tasted like sweet pecans to me and blended well with the milk inside! The latte art was beautiful and looked good enough for me not to drink it for 15 minutes because I didn’t want to ruin it! Anyone else do that? I overall loved the presentation and the pecan taste! The only thing stopping me from giving it a 10/10 is because in my personal experience, I didn’t taste much of the coffee in it but the pecan for supplemented for that which is why I am still giving it a relatively high score! For those of you who like strong coffee, this is most likely not the best drink for you as this drink is relatively sweet! Merriah said you could also just add an extra shot in a smaller size to help with this too.
Overall my experience with Common Ground Coffee was a positive one, aside from me tripping on the door as I walked in! The owner was nice and was comfortable with us taking videos and photos of the shop, even with her slightly in some. The service was great and the interior design was very nice and personalized! Now let’s move on to what could be better and what you should be aware of before you walk into this amazing coffee shop!
What Could Be Better?
This place has everything to make one truly happy Merriah. It has a good selection of seating, decent lighting, and there is okay outlet availability. If i could change one thing it would be probably more outlets so that no matter where I sit, it is readily available. The noise level got to a point where it was hard to hear Isaiah but this isn't necessarily something that Common Ground can control, they are just so popular and I think that's amazing. Other than those two things, this place is the place to go if you're into chic aesthetic vibes and an experience you want to share with friends for good pictures.
This place makes one joyful Isaiah as well! I don’t personally have a lot of things to critique on for Common Ground Coffee aside from the noise level which I know it out of the coffee shop’s control. It is clearly a great spot to visit and is a rather small space with the best seating it could have for it size. The only caveat for people walking into nice small spaces like these is when you walk in during lunchtime it WILL be noisy and crowded. Personally, if I were you I would find the best times to visit during the quiet times if you're going there to study!
