Columbia Street Roastery — Restaurant in Champaign

So... I really didn't want to leave a negative review here because my first experience with these guys was great, but I felt I needed to share. My girlfriend and I are trying to do a little 12 Coffees of Christmas thing , but finding small amounts of various coffees is tough. I knew Columbia Street had a lot of good varieties so I messaged them on facebook this morning asking if it was at all possible to purchase coffee in small (.2lb) quanitities. The person manning the FB page was quick to respond that they'd love to help me out and even suggested the amount we needed for each brew, etc. and told me to just ask the ladies at the front counter and they should be able to help me (and to show them the facebook message if needed). Awesome. I drove over on my lunch break to buy my coffee and the women working flat out told me that they don't do that, and that they didn't even have bags for that quantity, and that they didn't know who would have told me that. I wasted my lunch break to drive across town to Columbia St. Roastery because someone from the company told me they could sell me this coffee and ended up leaving empty handed. I don't think anyone at the shop was being malicious or anything, but now I've wasted my time and gas and still don't have coffee.

Edit : so a few days later after I messaged them on Facebook again, I got a response and an apology from the person running that account. He made it up to me by sending me a pound of their (delicious!) Ethiopian coffee. I ended up skipping 12 coffees of Christmas, but at least they...

I found Columbia Street Roastery as I was looking for a place to buy good coffee while I was attending UIUC. This is some of the best coffee I have bought to date. I have since graduated and moved away from Champaign and I still order coffee from CSR on a regular basis. Coffee from CSR is also what got my mom hooked on speciality coffee. I have never been disappointed with the beans from CSR.

I always buy whole bean and use a hand grinder to grind for either my french press, pour over, or turkish coffee pot. When I order nowadays, I tend to get 2 pounds at a time (which is well worth it, considering shipping is only $4). $11.75 per pound is a great price, considering that coffee from roasters near me is usually $15-20 for 3/4 of a pound.

For someone who has never had CSR coffee, I would recommend Escobar's Blend, or their single origin Ethiopian Yirgacheffe or...

I won't get my coffee from anywhere else! I've gotten my coffee from here for YEARS, actually I can't even tell you how many it's been. Their coffees are always roasted to perfection. I love the samples that they have. Their showroom has lots of cool stuff and coffee gadgets. If you ever need a mug for a special gift, check here first!

My favorite coffee right now is Black Market. I was a Black Velvet drinker for years, but Black Market is just perfect for me. They'll grind your coffee however you want. I always get the French Press and it works perfectly.

And if you want a little treat for yourself, get the chocolate covered espresso beans. They are delicious!!!

If you're into tea, they have TONS of options. I'm not really a tea person, but if you are, you'll have lots of...