Higher Grounds Coffee Shoppe — Restaurant in Boone

I am a HUGE coffee connoisseur, and recently while spending a few days in Boone, my wife and I searched for a coffee shop. First of all, the staff are extremely helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable. My wife is a fan of iced coffees and I'm a daily brew kind of guy. Somehow they brewed the daily flavors just perfect to maximize the taste - not too strong, not too weak. We brought home some flavors also - Highlander Grogg and Snickerdoole - which I had not had in years...brought back some memories. They have quite a few decaf selections as well. And their in-store grinders are perfect for those who don't grind fresh at home. The thing that surprised us is that their indoor area is spacious enough that it doesn't feel crowded. Even when it started filling up right before we finished and left, we could still hear each other talking without having to yell. We have decided that every time we are in Boone, we will stop here. We could not believe there weren't more coffee shops like this since Boone is a college town. But this tops the Starbucks inside Harris Teeter, and the Panera at the mall. Do yourself a favor and visit Higher Grounds...

Very disappointed in my experience with this location today. (I honestly don't think I've ever left a bad review online, but I really just couldn't get past this...) The barista truly was rude during my entire interaction. I really didn't like my drink, but decided to just deal with it... Upon getting into my car, I decided that I would want to make things "right" for a customer if roles were reversed - so I took the drink back inside and asked if there was anyway to just get a standard iced latte instead... (I explained my situation, VERY KINDLY) The barista did honor my request, but was still very rude about it. I'm no coffee expert, but I have had far more good coffee than most, and can honestly say it's the worst coffee I've had in a VERY long time. My wife actually threw her latte away a few miles down the road because of the horrible taste. Super bitter, and weak - all at the same time. Methods of making espresso are something I've never seen, with using brewed shots that have been sitting for quite some time. I hate to say it, but if we're ever in town we will never be...

Awful customer service and experience with this coffee shop. My family and I are on vacation in Boone, NC. I googled a coffee shop and was directed to Higher Grounds coffee. Their website said they closed at 8:30 on tuesdays. My family and I drove 25 min to the shop and we arrived at 6:40. I was told by ladies standing outside that they were closed. They closed at 6:30 and never bothered to update their website. I knocked because I saw an employee- she ignored me. I called and spoke to her and she said she couldn’t make an exception and serve us. I let her know we drove almost a half hour out of our way because their website said they would be open. She didn’t care. I sent the shop a message on Facebook and they blocked me. Such a terrible experience and such poor customer service. They didn’t even try to make it right. They simply...