Common Grounds

Come for the great indy location and atmosphere, good music, decent brewed coffee, but generally bad attitude in service. Eh, I can deal with a few seconds of ‘tude. Sometimes I try to make them laugh, or smile, or I just be extra super extra nice. It usually works.
I’ve been coming here for years because I like the location and hangout vibe so much. Right on Branford green in a cute little downtown, with plenty of restaurants and budding gentrification everywhere, this is a scrappy indy shop that has plenty of space to hang out and artwork to see.
Coffee is decent, I’ve learned to stick with the straight brews because the fancy drinks, lattes and such tend to disappoint me… Too roasted for my taste (less roast– more caffeine.)
Small business can’t always attract the best employees, but, when the counter staff are blatantly rude, (not just aloof), that’s a super bummer and if I’m feeling down I won’t go in and risk catching one of the more rude gals. To be specific it is generally the younger ladies I encounter, being flip, rude or even snarky… and I am not asking for anything special. Very simple questions like «how much is this cookie» can prompt an eye roll.
So, in conclusion, I’ll soldier through the ordering process so that I can chill in a great space, but only if I’m prepared to deal with possible snark.

Love it here! Great tasting coffee, great location, great prices and great atmosphere :)

Friendly staff and good selection of in store roasted coffee. I love African and Yemeni coffees and they always have zome in stock. Just wish they would do some Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and more Fair Trade coffee. The Sidamo however is awesome and so is the Mocha Mattari. Prices are reasonable by the pound.

The lattes and biscotti are amazing and staff is very pleasant. It is unfortunate that you can’t enjoy the outdoor area without walking away with lung cancer. Where do these chain smokers come from? Isn’t there some law about how far you need to be from a doorway in order to smoke? No matter how good the coffee is it’s really gross to walk through a cloud of smoke to get it.

I have to admit that walking in was a little bit weird. It seems kind of hidden. But the coffee was amazing. I got the iced vanilla maple latte and it was amazing. It was so creamy. I will definitely go there again and again.

Really enjoyed my visit here. I had about an hour to kill before doing some training at SoundRunner next door. The Biscotti are HUGE and the people are nice. My European Macchiato was delicious!

Great for morning person! Love the smell of coffee every morning. Wish you open even earlier XD. That’s how great the place is!

I’m always glad I stopped by. It reminds me of an old favorite in my old college town, Bonducci’s. Starbucks put Bonducci’s Café out of business, but Common Grounds is still going strong, and I’m always grateful.

Very weird establishment. Open and cozy-​looking, but some of the seats, not so comfy. Strange mix of people in the place. All these coffee choices and then you get it and it’s just eh. Desserts again LOOK great, then you eat them and they are just eh. Too pricey for eh.

The lattes are always too sweet. I wish they used a pump to measure how much they use.

I like common grounds, they’re coffee is pretty good, and the environment is relaxing warm and cozy.
I really like how they are open fairly late, which is really helpful since I go here to do a lot of schoolwork during semesters.
Their prices thou… regular coffee isn’t too expensive and I’m willing to pay for a cup, but anything other than regular coffee is outrageous. A double shot latte is I think 4.50 and it wasn’t even filled to the top… if I’m paying that much I expect a drink filled all the way to the brim. Another thing that bothers me is when I bring my own cup they don’t charge me less no matter what the ounces are. maybe I’m being a little uptight but it is just an aspect of this coffee shop that turns me away.
Overall I enjoy drinking their coffee, and it’s a good place to study. So when school starts up again I will be back and give them more business.

I am a coffee lover.
Really.
Like, really really.
Like scary, stop drinking so much coffee really.
My mainstay for judging «boutique» coffee houses is their mocha latte. Everything in the process of creating this delicassy takes careful attention and love. A perfect mocha is just a little bit sweet, so subtle that at first you may ask «did they put ANY syrup in here?». But slowly, as you sip, the flavor builds to a graceful note of chocolate and espresso, just barely detectable through the warmth of the milk as it caresses your tongue. A great mocha is a thing of beauty; a great mocha is hard to do. Too often you might get a dump of syrup, overwhelmingly sweet. Or perhaps the milk is steamed too long, producing a burnt, off flavor. Many a barista has been tested under my watchful eye and many a barista has proven themself uncaring and uninterested in their art.
Common grounds is not the perfect mocha. No, but common grounds is a damn fine mocha. I was initially unimpressed by the pour and began bracing myself for my morning to crumble away in a rockslide of disappointment and regret. I was wrong. This was no swan, nay, more an ugly duckling of a coffee drink but this mocha was an exceptional companion to my morning routine. I will be back.

Their coffee is tasty, location is convenient, but I agree with Doro R. It’s somewhat uncomfortable walking in here, and I can’t pinpoint exactly why. I don’t know if it’s the layout, the crowd, whatever, it’s awkward. I don’t particularly care, it won’t stop me from coming here, but it’s worth mentioning. It’s in a good location to meet friends for a cup of coffee and sit outside, I much prefer it to Starbucks.

Common Grounds is the only place that I enjoy a double cappuccino no fancy inlay topping on it because generally they are very busy and that’s ok because I am here for the coffee now on the other side here {bakery goods} very good choices of cookies and biscotti and about 6 different muffins but if your a bagel lover as I you may have to do a little more searching, I had a double Cappuccino a corn muffin about $ 8.00

A lovely energetic coffee shop nestled in beautiful Branford CT. Common Grounds has a great variety of coffee both brewing or for purchase as whole bean. The cooler case may look mostly empty, don’t be fooled though, what’s there is amazing.

I have been here a few times to sit and do a little computer work before heading into work. They have some pretty good flavored coffees. I have yet to try a latte, but they always have some interesting special ones written on the board. There are a few small tables outside as well as free wi-​fi. Unlike many of the coffee shops in New Haven, it is not too crowded with students. I have always been able to find a spot I like to get a little bit done. It is a nice change from Starbucks.

Walking in here was weird. It felt like walking in to a singles bar full of past-​their-​prime couples looking for a third. Why so many older folks gawking??? The layout forces people to walk down an aisle flanked by spaced out people. It was really uncomfortable to intrude on ‘their space’.
Anyway. Lots of options for coffee. I ordered a large mocha with soy and no whip. I was disappointed. It tasted like a cup of hot chalky soy milk with a dash of coffee and a smidge of chocolate flavor. It was also not a full cup. The cup was short from full by about 2 inches. I paid nearly $ 6 for that cup of hot soy. I would at least expect it to be full, if not taste like a $ 6 cup of something.
You can do better somewhere else.
The biscottis were quite large and varied but I didn’t get one.

When I think of neighborhood coffee houses, I think of Common Grounds.
It’s got all the key characteristics of a neighborhood coffee house. It’s got hot beverages, desserts, cookies, biscottis, hardwood floors, dimly lit sections, sidewalk seating, and smoking hawt female baristas. The only thing it doesn’t have is a very large interior space.
I’ve visited a few times. It’s usually right after dining at one of the several restaurant establishments located on Main Street. I think a lot of other people do the same thing as well. This coffee house is very popular with the locals and has been in business for many years. The owners also own Shoreline Café down at the bottom of the hill.
If you can walk past the eight large glass jars of biscottis sitting on the counter without purchasing one, then God bless you. You have more will power than me. They taste fabulous and come in many different flavors. For beverages, prices are slightly on the high side IMO. Plus, it would be really nice if they served all hot beverages in ceramic mugs, instead of being served in flimsy paper cups.

I wish Common Grounds was a little closer to the highway so I could pop by in the morning. Delicious lattes. I liked the vibe, although I grabbed my coffee to go (I had a train to catch!!)
Definitely shall return and drink my way through the menu as this self proclaimed coffee whore should.

I’ve driven by Common Grounds many times but today was the first time I stopped in to enjoy a beverage and snack. I needed to get some work done and was in passing through the area anyway so it was an ideal time to some see what its all about. Found parking easily on the Branford green very close to the coffee shop.
I walked in and was immediately struck by how cozy, spacious and clean the place looked. Soft, comfortable-​looking, leather one seaters, marble table tops, a large wood table with nice matching chairs caught my eye. There were also tables of various sizes, couch areas that could comfortably fit groups of four, etc.
Walking up to the baked goods sections my jaw dropped when I noticed the sheer size of what appeared to be pastries on steriods. The muffins were the size of a small child’s head, the cupcakes were probably large enough for four servings, some of the biscotti were the size of my forearm. The selections also caught my eye.
With so many tasty looking options, I was paralyzed with indecision as I let others behind me in line go ahead of me while I mulled over the cognac pumpkin cheesecake (is it too early? eating/​drinking pumpkin anything is a sure surrender to the rest of whats left of summer, catapulting us right into fall mode), seven layer bar, and brownie.
The beverages list was also overwhelming. Banana crème mocha? Grasshopper (basically a minty mocha), Dulce de leche latte? What to get? I initially opted for the decaf tropical vanilla iced coffee which had hazelnut, vanilla, and coconut syrups. It was very good but the ac was on too high and I was getting pretty chilly so I got a ginger peach green tea to warm up while I plugged away at my computer.
For a snack I opted for the brownie which looked better than it tasted. It was warmed up and plated beautifully with a dollop of whipped cream which was a nice touch. Unfortunately, it looked better than it tasted. Some of the parts were overmicrowaved or old tasting and overall the brownie lacked the richness that I was hoping for, particular for the dark color that would make it appear to be rich and decadent.
Curious about the source of the food, I asked the girls behind the counter where their treats are from. One of them replied that the cheesecakes are from Stockbridge but she wasn’t sure where the other stuff was from, but perhaps they are from Stockbridge also, she mentioned. Where in Stockbridge is a mystery.
The coffee had a great coconut flavor but I would have wanted it stronger. I understand, though, that most people around these parts prefer weaker iced coffee so they likely cater to majority tastes. Can’t blame ‘em, I guess, but that problem could be remedied by doing what Willoughby’s does and having various strengths of iced coffee.
I’d come here again to do work and to try out a few other goodies.