High Grounds Cafe — Restaurant in Baltimore

I wish I could give half stars, because I would give four and a half stars. First, the (mostly) good (then the [slightly] frustrating) The coffee is really good, I think better than I can make. I've only gotten lattes the number of times I've been, but the quality of the coffee is very good--not bitter at all, very delicious, it tastes like proper coffee, beans that were only picked when they were ripe, and then roasted to a nice, dark colour, freshly ground and brewed. A couple visits ago I bought some mini muffins which, if they were "made from scratch" (which I don't think they were) were from a mix. However, the sausage and egg on an English muffin were fresh and toasty and utterly delicious. No complaints there. Service is very fast and the people preparing food and coffee are very attentive, helpful, and professional. The atmosphere is cozy, with a lot of advertisements for local things happening by the door, the Baltimore Sun newspaper if anyone wants to read it, some tables and two comfy lounging chairs. Oh, the bathroom is also not dirty, which I appreciate. It also smells like a coffee shop, not smoky or rancid like some can. It's got touches of history in the roof and the shape of the building.

There are two slightly frustrating things about this shop. I hate to criticise, because it's one of my favourite shops, but nothing's perfect. The first is that I'm not sure they have re-usable drinks containers. I think I've only ever been served coffee in a disposable dixie cup. I wish if they were going to only use disposable cups (which I wish they didn't, I like drinking out of a nice warm ceramic cup), they would at least offer a more expensive option of cardboard or some other degradable material. The second is the wifi. While I normally go to read a book or simply grab coffee, I thought today I would come, get out of the house, and get some work done. I think I spent at least a half hour trying to figure out if it was my computer or the wifi. I tried on my phone as well, to make sure, and it didn't connect either. So, unless my phone and my computer are in cahoots (quite possible, technology ghosts hate me), the wifi was having problems. These two minor frustrations are why I would take away half a...

I'd run out of coffee and was looking for local shops to try something new and came across High Grounds. Having read all the wonderful reviews and learning about how they donate their proceeds towards building orphanages, I knew I had to check out the place. I live in Fells so, this was a bit out of my way but I am so glad I made the trip to this beautiful, awesome cafe!

On their website, they give descriptions of the different coffee flavours and I short-listed a few based on my personal preferences. The barista was patient enough to explain the differences and suggest her personal favourite - the Sumatran, which happened to be one of the ones I wanted. Since it was near closing, they didn't have a brew on deck but she quickly made a fresh pot and gave me a sampler - it sealed the deal!

They roast their own beans here and the barista was cool enough to give me a mini-tour. She showed me the green beans, the roaster and explained the process by which they prepare each type of beans. For someone, who's grown to love coffee over the last couple of years, this was an eye-opening experience, and I will most definitely be coming back.

They have like 10 or 12 different types of coffees - and they do local themed ones like "Friends of Patterson Park" & "Artist's blend" inspired from the local art scene. They also have daily trivia questions and the right answer gets you a free cup! And did I mention that part of their proceeds go towards building orphanages in developing nations!

One piece of advice If you do visit though - go as early as you can, because that's when they have all of their available...

A little disappointed this time around. I ordered the Brie and ham cheese and a latte. Their coffee hits the spot every time. But I just paid $9 for something a mom makes for her kids lunch. (I mean no offense) And the amount of Brie is very little, at least spread it around. I also waited like, 10min after ordering for “the bread to be toasted”. My sandwich did not see an oven, it’s straight out of the bread bag. Sauce was good, but overall meh. Not worth $9. I’ll continue to come here for coffee, latte was awesome.

Update 2/18/24: Coffee is perfect as usual, got the hot honey chicken sandwich which is pretty good. Wish there was a bit more honey or more spice to it but nonetheless it’s good. Owners were quick to the draw to help me figure out what to do about my last order, and I am super...