Equal Grounds Community Cafe — Restaurant in City of Rochester

I am a regular visitor to this cafe. I've always found staff to be friendly, helpful, and gracious.

Their drinks are excellent, but they recently got rid of the 12 oz option, which kind of sucks. I can guess only that the profit margins aren't where the owners hope it to be, so the 12 oz got removed.

Regardless, the last time I was there, I got a 16 oz latte, and it was a bit watery. I'm hoping it was just a one-off because that's unusual for EG. I wish they would just raise the prices on the 12 oz drinks instead of removing the option entirely. It feels... very corporate and wasteful because I know I'm not going to finish a 16 oz drink. I hope the owners reconsider.

The pastries offered are also hit or miss. They're not made in the cafe (edit: see owner's response re where they are made) and the times I've gotten pastries, they've been stale. The last time I got a pastry there (and what made me stop getting pastries there altogether), the date on the individual saran-wrapped pastry, which was not viewable until after I bought it, showed it was 6 days old. Sure, it might be shelf-stable, but having to pay full price for a Danish that is 6 days old, and it's not even warmed up? Not tasty.

Staff are not trained to ask you if you want them to warm pastries up, which would help cover for the staleness. My advice to you if you buy pastries here is first, ask how fresh the pastries are, and second, ask it to be warmed up. Staff will do so happily. They just don't do it as a matter of routine.

If you want community and good drink options, go to EG. If you want fresher pastries, Boulder is nearby, and their drinks are just as good. Boulder has more seating, but Equal Grounds is cozier in decoration and atmosphere. Boulder also is queer-friendly, though it isn't as centered around that as EG, and EG has more...

Equal grounds is such a cute and convenient location! I stopped by here this morning with my mom and ordered the spring bunny special latte. I’m a sweet drink lover, however, this one was a bit too sweet for me. I do know that the barista had said that she can make them less sweet - which if I have the ability to come back in the future, I may take them up on it. My mom ordered the dirty spiced chai with a shot of espresso and it was unreal. It was literally a snickerdoodle cookie in drink form. This drink easily earned a 10/10 rating. As for the Easter special, I would most likely lean towards a 5/10 or 6/10 just based on my preferences. It definitely earns extra points for aesthetics and a peep on top! I also loved the fact that you’re able to sponsor a “pay it forward” meal for someone who may need it. I purchased a grilled cheese and chips for someone who may need a warm meal in the future. You tell the barista and you’re able to pick what you want to order for someone and then put it on the cork board in the front of the restaurant. It’s a great opportunity to give back to others! The aesthetics and kindness of this place is so warm. It feels comfortable sitting in the atmosphere of everything. There was even a little therapy dog with his family when I came in! He’s there every...

We have been to equal grounds several times in the last 3 years as South Wedge residents. Wonderful place and we never had a less than ideal experience before today. We saw the article about the new ownership in the spring/summer 2024 south wedge magazine and we were thrilled to continue supporting such a wonderful business which is now also black female owned!! Something that really caught our eye in the article was a sandwich called "The Ash". The article states "looking for a unique breakfast option? Ask for The Ash! The Ash is a mouthwatering breakfast croissant with Canadian Bacon, cheddar, tomato cucumber and tzatziki sauce...... You will not regret trying this one". We couldn't wait but when we arrived this morning and asked for it, the cashier (who seemed less than thrilled to be there) didn't know what we were talking about. The cashier asked the person making the food orders if they knew what it was but they didn't either. Thinking it was a regular menu item by the way the article reads, we didn't think to bring the magazine or even write it down. Disappointed, we just ordered some bagels and left. We hope the Ash will be...