Coffeesmith — Restaurant in Forest Lake

If I could give Coffeesmith 6-stars, I would do so! I traveled here in the afternoon last week to meet a client for a meeting. Wow, what a place to meet him!

Coffeesmith: Are you tired of the "commercialism" of coffee, ala Starbucks? Do you want to have a wonderfully unique, bright, and comfy nook to tuck in to to sip a wonderful latte while chatting with your best friend? Well, Coffeesmith Forest Lake is your spot.

Located just in between North Shore Drive and Hiway 61 in downtown Forest Lake, Coffeesmith is on the main floor of a restored, historic, 1902 brick mansion. The house is a landmark in Forest Lake, and completely renovated for the coffee shop. Most of the original charm of the house - large wood moldings, wood floor, radiator heating, 4 inch thick pocket doors, curved windows, oak doors, large wrap-around outdoor patio, are all still present after the renovation to Coffeesmith.

But, the historic house now have the sounds of soft music throughout, and the smells of lattes and espressos wafting throughout the nooks and crannies of the main floor.

The staff are eager to help, with a full array of coffee selections. I chose a simple mocha, and the baristas went to work. Prices were less than Starbucks, and the design in the foam of my large cup was an added treat (and surprise). See my photos.

Coffeesmith even has a "mascot" in the form of a small pug, which happily greets customers (no lie). We sat in a booth for our meeting, which featured wrap-around, curved windows original to the home. Free Wifi was available, and many other customers were utilizing this.

If you go, check out the butler's pantry, now converted to the main bathroom. It's totally "hip" and "groovy"! I loved it! The entire coffee shop has a "cool vibe" and it is relaxing and so so comfortable.

I cannot give this location more accolades. For a truly relaxing, enjoyable, and beautiful location to sip a fine coffee, then this is your place. I was extremely impressed. I'm so happy that the renovation did not take away from the unique charm of this historic old Forest Lake home.

My one negative comment: I had a tough time FINDING the place initially: Google Maps reliably pointed me to the location, but, I didn't expect a beautiful old mansion to be the coffee shop! - they don't have a big sign erected yet. I heard they were adding this in the Spring. There is a smallish parking lot, able to hold 10 or 12 cars.

See my photos! The...

I stopped in here today as it was a recommendation from a local in the area. I thought the old large house turned into a coffee shop was a super cool concept. The inside had a variety of different seating such as high tops, low tops, a booth or two and some different types of chairs. There was additional seating outside under a covered porch which wrapped around part of the house. They had a small parking lot with probably 10 spots but it looked like street parking was pretty easy to come by as well.

I must’ve come during peak rush hour this morning since people just seemed to keep filing in. However, the staff seemed to do a pretty good job with staying on top of orders, and I didn’t feel like I had to wait too long. It did start to feel a bit congested though with how many people were coming in here. The house may look big from the outside, but it felt small at times on the inside with how busy it was.

As for my order, I got a hot chai which is probably my go to order at this point if you look at my history reviewing coffee shops. With that being said, I think this one missed the mark. It tasted a bit watered down, and I was missing some of the spice you would normally get in a chai. Although, it wasn’t too sweet so I did like that. With a few tweaks, I think they could nail down a proper hot chai.

I wouldn’t fault the coffee shop for this, but I just got some weird vibes from the clientele today. I had a few interactions with people who just seemed snobbish and inconsiderate. Like it is morning and you're probably here to meet with friends or brighten your soul with something warm so relax! It was also quite loud at times, and I am not sure why this one group felt like they almost had to yell when they were right across from each other. If you were looking for a quiet place to read a book or sit back and relax, coming during the weekdays may be a...

Stopped by Coffeesmith on our way to Duluth, and it turned out to be one of the most charming coffee shops we’ve visited! The fact that they’ve set up their café inside a house makes it feel cozy and inviting—a truly unique and cute idea. The decor is warm and welcoming, creating the perfect atmosphere to enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Their menu offers a great selection of coffee and breakfast items. We decided to try the BARISTA SIGNATURE FLIGHT, which included a 5oz Bourbon Caramel Latte, 5oz Almond Vanilla Latte, and 5oz Miel—all were fantastic, but the Almond Vanilla Latte was our favorite! The others lacked some flavor, may be they can reengieer the drinks. We also had the BREAKFAST SANDWICH, which was tasty, along with an almond croissant and coffee cake—both were absolutely delicious. Service was exceptional too.

One thing to note is that this place fills up quickly in the morning, so plan accordingly. But if you’re looking for a delightful coffee spot with great drinks, delicious pastries, and a cozy vibe, Coffeesmith is definitely...