Colin's Coffee — Restaurant in Upper Arlington

Colin's Coffee was recently awarded Upper Arlington's Business of the Year and the award is well deserved. This small, locally-owned business is a neighborhood fixture with a simple menu of quality products. The coffee is great.

I won a bag of coffee from Colin's Coffee as part of a prize through a radio promotion several years ago. The owner, Colin Gawel, is also a musician, and he included a bag of coffee as part of a prize that included tickets to a concert and his band's latest CD. I'm such a fan of his music that I already owned the CD and I already had tickets to the show, but was greedy and called in and won so I could give the tickets to friends. When my husband and I stopped in to pick up the free coffee, Colin was working the counter. He encouraged us to sample all of the different brews that were available that day. He signed my CD, and introduced me to a guy who was drinking coffee at the counter - who had also played on the album I had won. He signed my CD as well. What a fun experience!

Even if you're not a fan of Colin's music, you're bound to find something you'll like at Colin's Coffee. I'm a huge fan of grilled cheese and tomato soup. The tomato soup at Colin's is straight up Campbell's soup, and I have gone out of my way to get a mug of that soup. It tastes just like I would make at home - and I love that! In addition to coffee, there is also a good selection of juice, tea and other beverages. If you can't get to Colin's Coffee regularly, buy a bag to brew...

How anyone can give this place less than 5 (count them...FIVE) STARS is beyond me.

Owned and operated by Colin himself. He's the friendly young guy who is always there.

Aside from a generous coffee drink selection and limited menu (McRoy sandwhich is classic..just like its namesake the late "Roy" a former employee), I like this place because:

I support local small businesses especially when i see the owner/operator on site n working every day and Colin is always there. Not only that he's a former barrista back when it was Brewster's who bought it when Brewster's folded eleven+ years ago. (Extra points for that.)

I also like it for its zero pretentious ambiance. Colin sets the tone as a friendly, chatty young guy who can talk your ear off. Wanna talk Sports? Rock n Roll? Parenting? (n probably a host of other topics) then Colin's your man.

Free WiFi and great location w lots of parking and visibility from two streets.

I hope this place is around a long time to come and I think after you try it you'll...

Nice little local shop with all the right kind of welcome. Books to read, news papers sitting out and a few retirees chatting and knitting next to a man in a 3 piece suit on a laptop making good use of the free WiFi. You can feel this place was made for you to have coffee in and spend a few relaxing minutes away from your day. The coffee and espresso are middle of road for bitterness and acidity and the drink options are wonderfully simple. I didn't have any food but they defiantly have something for everyone. 4 stars is perfectly good place, 5 is for something to go out of your way for, this place defiantly has it's niche. I would say there is still room to grow, to complete that local feel for me the baristas need to have more than the normal small chit chat with you and a name exchange. That's what makes me pick the coffee shop where 'colin' works and not the one a...