Brewed Awakenings — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

Ok. I don't review all my coffee stops. But, some of the comments in other reviews here warrant additional explanation and context. I visited Brewed Awakenings with these reviews in mind... so compare and contrast seems natural.

First, if you are eating, the cost is relatively high. I am not sure how it happened. When i looked at the menu, the 8-9$ panini seemed about average, nationally... though it is high as GR lunches go.... also added a bowl of soup, and an Americano... and the the total was $18.25. so... yeah somehow the cost of a ~$10 sandwich, a $2.30 coffee, and a bowl of soup added up to 20 with a tip... ok. i agree: suddenly this seems pricey.

Now for some context. My panni was large; i did not need the soup, and should have skipped it. Also, out-of-towners, especially those from warmer climates (or larger cites), may not understand the state of fresh produce in small Northern Minnesota towns. when i grew up here tomatoes may as well have been comprised of paper pulp. Its not as bad as it was, but produce comes a long way... and the lovely tomatoes and lettuce on my panni were simply not from around here. OR if they are local, they were raised at great cost in a greenhouse... So, perhaps the cost is justified. However, my next visit will be either the soup OR the sandwich--not both--and if i am still hungry then maybe some gelato.

Coffee... ok... more context... i am vehemently opposed to some of the american nuances of espresso... example: huge latte's called macchiato (macchiati?) (a'la Starbucks)... or 20 oz. americanos etc. Macchiato is not on the menu, but 12, 16, and 20 oz americano's are... so i decided to not risk disappointment in the macchiato department.... i ordered a double americano, to be placed in a ~5 oz cup, diluted to volume. This was clearly an unusual request, therefore, if you are an appreciator of a real macchiato... or espresso con panna, be prepared to explain that you do not want it diluted to super size. either that, or visit Caribou Coffee on the south side of town; They do clearly know how to do these things... However, I found Brewed Awakenings' espresso roast to be pleasing; more so than that at Caribou. it was bold without being overly...

I had gone on line to find a restaurant to go to and their menu on line looked amazing. So our group of 4 stopped there. Just to let you know they said they were gluten and dairy and we had two people that have this allergy. We were in line to order and there were others before us and there was not enough menus for the eight of us waiting in line. When we got got closer we asked the gentleman for more menus and that we had never been there and he said that is all we have. So on the online menu it talked about the panini sandwiches or sandwiches with gluten free focaccia. And then I went up to order a sandwich and thinking it was gluten free and I asked about dairy free the server did not have a clue if the sandwich was and she was really not paying attention to me anyway. So I double checked with her to find out the about if the bread was gluten free and she said we don’t serve that gluten free bread anymore. I felt like I wanted to go but I ordered because our friends in front of us ordered already. My husband had a panini too with no allergy or substitute and his sandwich was cold inside and the cheese was not melted and mine was cold too inside. Our friends experience was pretty much the same. When we told the server we had never been there he should have told us if you order a sandwich you get carrots and if you want chips it is extra and if you order a side salad and they bring it to you, you need to get up and ask I need dressing on my salad. Oh, you need to get your dressing!!!! Not a very good experience. Probably the worst service I have ever had. I...

It's difficult for me to review Brewed Awakenings. On one hand, you have great service and a menu that caters to people with all kinds of dietary needs which is something that you simply don't see very often. It's refreshing to have a place that makes the effort to do something like that. They also have a wonderful selection and I always enjoy the pseudo 50's diner look they've got going on.

However, I must say that as a "self proclaimed" coffee aficionado their beverages leave A LOT to be desired. I have tried 4 or 5 different beverages (mocha, espresso and even straight black coffee) and all of them are terribly bland/flavorless and weak. Even their plain coffee is barely above muddy water and certainly tastes no better. I just purchased a bag of the coffee they brew in house and I am going to test it out at home. Perhaps it is the type of coffee or the roaster they use (based out of Duluth) that makes it so terrible. If that's the case they should really consider switching roasters even if they have to sacrifice the "locally grown and roasted" side of things.

Their food (I'm talking meals, not baked goods), although quite tasty is hardly generous in proportion to the cost. You can easily spend $7 to get a sandwich that that hardly whets your appetite. Out of the 4 times I have purchased food here I have yet to feel satisfied once finished and tend to eat again when I get home.

I can't justify going back to Brewed Awakenings when the primary staple of their business leaves such a bad taste in my mouth,...