High Grounds Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Glassboro

Finally! A coffee brewer in Glassboro!

I visited High Grounds today on high Street in Glassboro. I was excited to try their coffee today because it's not often we get our own homegrown coffee brewer. We have a great beer brewery, but not a local coffee shop. Sure, there's Endgrain in Pitman, but I'm glad we finally have one in Glassboro.

Place maybe a little tough to enter for wheelchair folks. The only way to get from your car to the restaurant is via the street curb, so you have to get out your car, wheel to the corner, use the corner ramp to enter the restaurant. You may want to bring a friend.

I stopped in around 1:30 on election Day. The place was sort of crowded, which surprised me. I'm glad the place is taking off and that many people are visiting.

I ordered the 16 oz cold brew ($5). They didn't have nitro cold brew ($6), so I settled for the regular. Very good. Smooth, nice finish. Would definitely come back for this. 😀

The pastries, and the bagels display could use a bit of work. Wasn't a very nice presentation so I didn't order anything. They had cinnamon buns, bagels, but they were kind of just strewn about in the display case. Not very appealing. 😕

It's local! Now the only question is, is it better than Endgrain, which is just as close to me.

I have to admit, I enjoyed the coffee here better than in Pitman. If they could spruce up the baked goods display, I would order more than just a coffee. I'm not a flavored coffee drinker, I drink my coffee black. This was the smoothest coffee I've had in a while.

Would definitely make the trip here to get coffee. I'll probably try some of their grinds to see if they're good. I brew my espresso at home, so I'm interested to see how their grinds are for espresso and pour over.

The atmosphere was pretty good. Like one of those coffee shops you see in the movie. They have Wi-Fi there and little desk to put your computer or tablet on. There are many people there doing that such thing. I'm guessing this is a student chill place, because Rowan is right down the street. They have couches set up so you can be comfortable. There's also a stage there, so I'm guessing in the evening, there's live music.

The baked goods display could use a little bit of work. That's a definite two out of five. Now granted, I went at 1:30 in the afternoon, when possibly the baked goods weren't fresh, but if you're going there anytime, the baked goods should at least be appealing. Ended up driving to Liscio's to get my donut.

The coffee is a definite 5 out of 5. Best cold brew in the area. I'm a bit of a homer, so I would end up going here instead of Endgrain. The space here is bigger also. Now all Glassboro needs, is a real decent bakery. The town over has a bakery, two cookie places, and a cream puff place. Plus you can get a great cannoli there. We need stuff like that in ...

If you're expecting a place for a coffee focused experience, since it's a coffee roaster, you'll be disappointed here like I was. Although it's clearly an excellent choice if you're into fun flavored lattes, and cold sweet flavored coffee drinks. It's nice inside, and service is very good, and it could be a wonderful place to go depending on what you're looking for, as long as that's not a modern Cafe roaster or third wave style Cafe experience.

There is pour over coffee offered, but there is no pour over menu, so no list of featured single origins or unique coffees to try as a pour over. It's just the same coffees they have available on drip for the day. No menu of light roasts or similar type coffees to try a fresh pour,like many other roaster cafes would offer. There were no featured espressos, single origin espressos offered, or unique espresso of any kind offered on the menu, or even a sign that describes the default espresso used in all their menu drinks. That doesn't mean that it was bad at all, just that it's not somewhere you would go if you're looking for a unique or serious espresso experience either.

Breakfast sandwiches are assembled with premade egg patties reheated in an oven, and are ok, but there's nothing special there. The pastry choices look exceptionally nice, and it seems like that is the way to go here along with fancy flavored iced lattes, of which there are many fun choices.

My group ordered various things and thought they all were decent but not exceptional. Hot chocolates were ok. I had a hot espresso that was fine, but average. Also tried a light roast drip 'sun king' blend that wasn't very good, mostly it was just a hot watered down experience with no distinguishable taste to it.

I don't think I'm the target customer here despite the 'coffer roaster's title to...

I had high hopes for High Grounds Coffee, especially with it being within walking distance from my apartment, but unfortunately, my first visit will also be my last.

I ordered an iced crème brûlée latte, expecting something that matched the name , a drink with some sort of presentation, flavor, or even a little care. Instead, what I received looked like a plain iced coffee with no caramel, no cold foam, no visual appeal whatsoever. There was a noticeable amount of empty space at the top of the cup, which made it look incomplete and rushed.

When I politely asked the employee if I could at least get some cold foam to fill the top (since there was clearly room for it), she shrugged and said “no” without offering any alternative, explanation, or apology. When I mentioned the presentation didn’t match what I expected and that the drink didn’t even seem filled, her only response was that she’d have to upcharge me …. for a drink I had already paid for and wasn’t even made properly.

At that point, I told her she wouldn’t be getting my business again, and she simply turned away with no care or concern. No apology. No attempt to make it right. Just plain indifference.

It’s a shame, really. I wanted to love this place and support a local coffee shop. But with service like that, I’ll gladly take my business elsewhere. even if it means going out of my way to Starbucks. At least there, they care if your drink looks and tastes like something you’d actually...