River Rock Coffee & Tea — Restaurant in St. Peter

Amazing coffee and such awesome girls/staff - Maren, Helena, and Erin, just to name a few! They know how to make excellent drinks. The seasonal flavor offerings are such a wonderful addition, like the Golden Milk Latte or the Rosemary Caramel Latte - both more savory than sweet. I also love that they have unique combinations for their baked goods, such as lemon and thyme, and my personal favorite spice addition, cardamom! The scone, muffin, etc flavors rotate daily. The cornmeal cake is delicious and moist when they have that - a must get!

Some people have commented on the prices being too high for what you get. After having lived in NYC and also going to coffee places in downtown Minneapolis, I personally don't find the prices to be too expensive. I think you get great quality and locally sourced ingredient for an excellent price.

No joke, probably my favorite coffee shop of all time (even over NYC places!). LOVE that I work minutes away from River Rock!

The only negative? There's no reward program! (It would be an awesome addition, as nearly every mom-and-pop coffee shop has one. Please consider adding this perk, especially for all of your tried and...

Visiting the new River Rock in Mankato gives me the same vibe as St. Peter. Coffee just tastes better when I’m in my comfort zone, and the River Rocks settle me there. Maybe it’s the aesthetics, baristas and variety of taste adventures. They’re all warm. I love the soft lighting and listenable music, wondering sometimes if, while there, I’ve ever heard the same song twice. The more ambitious I get diverging from the predictable coffees, teas, healthy foods and calorie-splurging treats, the more enthusiastic the baristas wax while enlightening about the ingredients, originations and geographies. It’s as if they know three quick things about everything they offer and efficiently inform/entertain. I know the many regulars’ comfort derives from the same daily fare, so the baristas remember and reach, actually, an instant before confirming the order. River Rock’s baristas blend “swift” with “friendly” or “friendly” with “swift” depending on the length of the line. Either way, when I get to the counter, they make me feel their attention is all mine. Suffice it to say, a visit to River Rock in Mankato or St. Peter enhances...

⭐⭐⭐ 3/5

I love supporting local businesses, and that’s exactly why I’ve continued to visit this coffee shop. The atmosphere is great, and there’s a solid variety of options on the menu.

However, I’ve been consistently underwhelmed by the quality of the coffee and the staff’s knowledge of the basics. On a recent visit, I ordered an iced latte and asked for my espresso to be pulled as a ristretto shot—a common and basic espresso variation. The staff didn’t seem to know what that was, and after some back and forth, I was told the machine didn’t have a “button” for it.

Even more concerning, I learned that their iced lattes are made with cold brew instead of espresso. When I asked about my espresso shot, the employee seemed confused and said iced lattes “don’t have espresso.” That’s a major issue—by definition, a latte is espresso and milk. Cold brew with milk is not a latte.

It’s disappointing to be charged specialty coffee prices without getting the quality or accuracy to match. I really want to keep supporting this spot, but I hope to see better training and more attention to the fundamentals of coffee...