Silver Grizzly Espresso — Restaurant in Longview

A little qualifier in advance: I'm 50 years old and generally drink plain old coffee. I may not be the target demographic for a speciality shop.

The Silver Grizzly has a great location, super friendly staff, free WiFi, and nice decor. If you like strong coffees, craft beer, and a cool vibe (I just noticed that other reviewers used the same words... it really is a cool vibe) you will love the place. I am very proud that Longview, TX has a locally owned establishment of this caliber.

My wife and I went recently, and you just have to keep in mind our age and coffee preferences. Office coffee is good for me. But we wanted to try something different and sit downtown in the early evening.

A couple of turnoffs presented. My wife really wanted some of the additions to her coffee that you would find at Starbucks; I don't recall but maybe cinnamon and chocolate. The additions were not plentiful. No big deal. I know their coffee is special so leaving off the extras is okay with me; not so for my wife.

The second--again bearing in mind our age--is that while standing in the incredibly short line that took an incredibly long time, the bright, happy, young, well dressed clientele--the kind of people that give you hope for the human race, even as your personal clock runs out--treated every order similar to buying a Rolex or a private jet. Starbucks is a Panchos Mexican Food Buffet in comparison to the Grizzly, at least in the ordering department. This practice is not discouraged by the staff--not that it should it be. Maybe it was the time of day (about 5pm), but every person in front of us had to hear the specifics of each craft beer, try some samples, hem and haw, and then finally order a...beverage. Enjoy that drink!

We just wanted two cups of coffee and a view of the street, and are generally happy to wait our turn. It was really comical to watch the finesse, thoughtfulness, thirst for knowledge, and discriminating taste associated with each purchase in front of us... until several minutes passed, it became tedious, and we were not yet ordering at the one cashier.

Staff are super friendly, the place is super clean and interesting, and I'm sure the coffee and beer are excellent. In the past I tried some sort of pastry or muffin and it was a real treat. If they had iced tea and would let me loiter in their oasis, I'd stay there all day and just work or nap at a table. As it was, our wait to order was super long, the coffee was a little strong (surely the way it is supposed to be; I'm just a country mouse and I know it), and we didn't finish our drinks. Again, maybe it was just the time of day.

No big deal! I'm proud the Silver Grizzly is here and wish for their success. My son is in college in Austin had read about it. My daughter loves the Grizzly. This place is a big deal! But if you are my age and have my poor palate, it might not be for you. Everyone needs to give it a try and decide...

So I hate to be the first non-glowing review, but I've been twice and been a little frustrated both times. Let me start with the positives though. Great place, a convenient location for me, they seem to have good coffee, good atmosphere, friendly service, etc. To be fair, my wife loves them. I really want them to do well because they seem like good people and I would love to see a good local coffee shop stick around. However, the things that bother me are 1) the price - as compared to the amount of coffee you get, its just doesn't feel competitive. The first time I went in, I got an Americano (with hazelnut flavoring) which are usually on the cheaper side, and paid over $3 for it, which if it was a reasonable size would be great, but it was like an 8oz cup. Which brings me to my next issue, 2) No choices in sizes or paper cups- even if I am going to sit down at a coffee shop, I will typically still ask for a paper cup because I like to sit for a while and sip on my coffee while I work, the wide mouthed cups cool off way too quick to make that enjoyable. 3.) No self serve creamer. That first time I went, I asked for room for creamer, didn't get any and then when I asked for the creamer, he sat there and waited for me to pour it in, which was awkward as I felt I had to rush to sip really hot coffee out of my already minuscule amount of coffee and to pour enough creamer in there for me to enjoy it. In the end, I just accepted a less than ideal, overpriced cup of coffee. 4) No free refills on drip coffee. Maybe its not, but to me, this just seems standard. Obviously, I'm a frugal guy, but I have to be, I don't have a lot of extra money to spend on luxuries like gourmet coffee and the like. However, it is nice to be able to go in to a coffee shop and sit for a few hours to get some work done. In other places I frequent, it works well to get a cup of their drip and get a few refills (especially if they are small cups) as I work. However, with this not being an option, and with the other issues I've mentioned here, my tendency will be to just be to avoid it, and go a little further to one of the other options of places where I can sit and use the WiFi. That is why I decided to write the review, I really would love to be able to use them, and for them to succeed, however, right now, they just don't seem to fit what I want/need in a coffee shop. If they make some adjustments, (on almost any of these things) I'll be happy to...

Really cute little place. I love the atmosphere especially after they decorated for Christmas. The customer service is typically really good, quick and polite. I found it easier to order online when I first came here because there is no menu hanging up or anywhere noticeable at first. When you finally get up to the counter you will see the menu on the counter that you can pick up and look at. But if you’re like me and need more time to think and make a decision it’s easier to take the menu and go sit down or just order it online. I love the convenience of being able to order online as well as it can get very busy! I have went several different times of day and in the week and have never been able to get a booth seat, those seem to go fast! But outdoor seating or the larger tables are usually available or are freed up much faster. I really appreciate that there is alternative dairy options as well as sugar free options (great news for keto and paleo people!) they have truvia in easy access on the counter when you pick your drink as well. One thing that bothers me is if you order online to drink in dining they will still give you a paper cup. I have tried this four times and have gotten a paper cup for dine in. I much prefer an actual mug, it’s so much cozier and they do such a fantastic job with the designs. But in order to get that you have to order your drink in person it seems. It has a family friendly atmosphere which makes taking my kids or larger groups here enjoyable. There is alcoholic drinks on the menu but it is still a very family Friendly crowd. It is a little more expensive than most other coffee shops and you won’t find many specialty drinks (alcohol free) but the espresso is incredible and I find it worth the price to go here (just not as often as I’d like out of courtesy to my budget ;) I do recommend this place and have enjoyed taking my out of town friends and...