The Village Grind — Restaurant in Greenville

Our first time visiting. Arrived at about 11:30 to meet up with a friend. Parking was a NIGHTMARE. NO handicapped parking. Parallel parking along street in front of shops, no specific parking lot. The lot at end of strip was full as were adjacent lots. We parked in a church lot and walked. Inside is rather small and felt claustrophobic, honestly. It was pretty busy and the line for ordering was about 12 or more deep, winding around a narrow corner in a back hall where restrooms are. The coffee offerings were standard with several house special offerings like rose, orange, lavender, etc .. We chose the Orange Mocha coffee. It came in a standard stoneware coffee mug. They have assorted mugs to serve in. It was okay, but nothing I would go out of my way for. Also had the iced chai latte which was served in a tall, thin , vintage glass. It was pretty small and rather watery tasting. There was no real spice or good flavor to it and the liberal cinnamon sprinkle on top was bitter when it clumped up in drink. I would not order it again. We got 2 "cinnamon rolls" which were very flat (like they did not get to rise) super dense and had a very slim drizzle of a sugar glaze across the top. For me it was inedible. My hubs ate his and took mine home as they charged us $4 each for them! It is a rather loud, congested, chaotic vibe inside. Granted it was pretty busy though. Most people grabbed stuff to go. Several working on computers while enjoying their coffee. The reviews of this place were great but we left VERY disappointed in both the drinks and baked goods we had. I don't mind paying a bit extra at a coffee shop for great coffees and pastries but this was just a COMPLETE waste of money to me. The staff was very friendly and nice. The inside was rather dirty with bins full dirty mugs, and some dirty tables around. Not impressed. Will...

Village Grind is low-key my favorite coffee place in Greenville. There are a lot of factors that won't necessarily apply to everyone, but for me, they are: Quality local coffee from Due South Roasters. Great homemade syrups, including some seasonal varieties in the winter. The lavender syrup is the hallmark of this place, but the pumpkin syrup is also great in the fall. Delicious local pastries, mostly from SC Bakeroom down the street. The morning buns get a lot of play, but I think the monkey bread is the real MVP. Cute, cozy space (some seating is shared with GB&D next door). There are some rustic touches (pallet wood window bar and counter), but it's generally very bright with lots of natural light during the day. (Compared to other rustic-themed places that have more emphasis on dark woods and dim lighting.) Really wonderful baristas. Lindsey, the owner, and all of the other baristas, greet nearly everyone by name. Convenience — I work in the Village, which makes VG an easy spot to get to on walks/coffee breaks. Pretty quick Wi-Fi that's free, with no time limits (ask the baristas for the password). Good enough for most work, though I wouldn't recommend backing up your Dropbox or uploading large files.

To me, the overall environment at VG is what makes it such a gem. It's a really wonderful community space, welcoming, friendly, and the coffee just happens to be really good. It's not necessarily the place I'd go if I was looking for a cutting-edge coffee experience, but for somewhere that's great for just about any occasion — working, catching up with friends, taking meetings, hanging out — Village...

Overall, a great place to visit, study, read, chat, and get coffee and other treats. I went here about four times over the past two years (I lived 40 minutes away from the location) and always enjoyed the friendly staff, cozy home feeling, and the personality that the shop brings to the area. I will say that due to the size of the space, naturally seats are limited and becomes more competitive to find a place to settle down inside or outside, especially on weekends. Students often come here to study, so highly recommend going during not as busy hours if you want to sit. More often than not, there are always at least a few seats available, but easier to get if you are just one customer as compared to a small group of people. Outside seating is quite enjoyable, especially in the warmer months. You are always greeted with a variety healthy plants year round and sometimes customers' dogs that come by for a brief visit! Every part of the shop is an Instagram friendly photograph waiting to happen. Just moved out of the area, but highly recommend folks to the shop for some coffee and a friendly atmosphere. Their desserts are first come first serve, so while I've never had the chance to try them, I hear they are great! Was able to get a scone once though!!! Not a large selection of coffee, but just enough choices to get what you need to satisfy...