Big Mike’s Coffee

Try local, they said. You’re in Denton, they said. Go to a hippie coffee shop, it’ll be fun, they said. Nah fam. I mean, this place is just different. The house drip coffees offer some interesting flavors, but it just feels as if too much is going on. I forgot what I had, but it tasted very earthy and had a weird bitter sweetness. It wasn’t very drinkable. Not bad coffee, but also not too enjoyable.

It took longer than expected to get my coffee and the prices were higher than I expected. The staff was friendly. It was just ok and I doubt that I will return.

Came in today around 11:00am and there was a long line — understandable, it’s still morning for many students and lunch time for others. I ordered two 12 oz dirty chai lattes (which totaled more than $ 12!!)
One was whole milk and one was soy. After waiting fifteen minutes it turns out they made both of them with whole milk. The guy making the drinks acted like it was my fault when I pointed out that one was supposed to be soy and didn’t apologize, just silently remade it. It even said so on the ticket, what can I do?
After all that wait, I should have gone to Starbucks. The lattes tasted watery and bitter. I’ve had the coffee at Big Mike’s and it’s pretty good — but clearly the specialty drinks, specifically their house made chai, is significantly overpriced and sub-​par.

Mediocre. Bad service, poorly craftsmanship. Also extremely overpriced! I waited 20 minutes outside after opening and they did not open the door!
⁰⁄₁₀ never again.

Great house-​made smoothies here, vegan options, and coffee is A-​ok. Loved the horchata iced coffee drink which is new! Great environment to study or use wifi. They also have new house-​made syrups for lattes which taste great!

BH has phenomenal lattes. Try their vanilla carmel latte hot or iced and you will be so pleased. I adore the rustic interior and furniture.
My only issue is that I love coffee so much that I tend to want extra shots of espresso. The coffee here is already expensive af (to my standards) and to add an extra shot cost 1.72. Like what?! That’s ridiculous for the average college student’s budget.
Also, one time, I asked for a green tea latte. And they literally steeped a green tea bag in hot water and added milk. I guess they have not discovered matcha yet.
Other than that, the coffee and espresso drinks are all good.

I’ve always loved Big Mike’s for what it is – or should I say… what it was.
I never reviewed it because I didn’t particularly like the coffee. That’s my way. I like to tell you about things that I love and would rather just ignore things that I don’t. That’s how I roll.
At any rate, Big Mike’s was a nice college hangout… with recycled furniture finds that reminded me of coffee in the 90s. Unfortunately, back then… the coffee also reminded me of coffee from the early 90s. It just… uh…didn’t do it for me. I would forgo my normal orders for whatever I deemed the most likely to be drinkable at the time – usually a French Press but I was known to go for iced tea at times. The place was grungy and filled with unusual people, and I could just kind of be part of the crowd – lit by a laptop as I studied at odd hours.
So that’s changed. The place has cleaned up. It still carries a college coffee shop vibe… but. uh…clean. There’s a new layer of paint, things are brighter, and furniture is significantly less frightening to sit on (I’m looking at you, torn up booth seat that’s no longer there).
The place is, as I understand it, under new ownership. Now, this can mean a few things… in the past, we’ve seen places replace quality products with lower ones at significantly higher prices. We’ve seen quality drop like the Hindenburg (Still too fresh? Did I overstep in my need to give you a visual?). At any rate, the exact opposite seems to be happening a Big Mike’s. Quality has stepped up. The muffins no longer waft that re-​wrapped Sam’s Club air. The product is solid.
And the coffee… the coffee has changed in a giant way. They’re carrying Avoca – a bean that I happen to love, and one of the best roasters in the area. They’re also pulling stuff in from guests for us to try out. They have a new machine and the water no longer tastes funky. Yes, I expect quality water at coffeeshops – it makes up the majority of their product so it had better be good.
Technique has also solidly improved. It went from undrinkable espresso to regularly solid shots that are getting better every single time I go in. This is a huge thing, y’all. They are stepping up and have a trustworthy product.
These days, the only thing keeping me back from Big Mike’s all the time is my laziness when it comes to parking. I don’t think this would normally bother other people. They’d be perfectly fine with the parking there. I’m just very, very lazy when it comes to such things. It is, indeed, a fatal flaw on my part.
So, kudos to the folks at Big Mike’s (or is it BMC now – I’ll edit for the name if that’s the case)… You guys have really stepped up your game when you could have just lazily kept the college coffeeshop status quo. You’re giving us quality when good enough would have sufficed. You’re evolving, and I love you for it.

Barista served me cold coffee! His excuse: «Sorry, going as fast as I can…»
Don’t go when you’re in a hurry, clearly it’s their first day.

If you’re a student at UNT and like coffee this can be a super convenient place to get your caffeine fix. The inside isn’t exactly warm and inviting, but neither are the inside of a lot of fry street businesses. It’s laid back– plants in the window, flyers everywhere, and generally a line leading all the way to the door if you happen to come in right after classes let out. The coffee can be amazing some days or terrible the next– it’s a hit or miss. I don’t drink the coffee here anymore, but the smoothies (especially the Body Smith) are really good (a little expensive, but a good pick me up). Warning though– they like to close up early, you might come in 20 minutes to close and they’ve already started cleaning the espresso machine.

Great little coffee shop located just across the street from UNT. There were a lot of people there on a Thursday afternoon. This wasn’t around when I went to school at UNT, but it’s a great location and value. If
You need a quiet place to study go to the library since this isn’t really that quiet. The espresso at this place was delicious!

Aw man, I’m gonna be the only guy that rags on big mikes but I gotta say it. I’ve had several stomach churning experiences and have had to turn my back on this local grunge/​homeless receptical of a place. I do suppose I’m not the «typical» patron, and touché. I was honestly just disappointed with my latte, then my regular coffee, and always with the disgusting hard bagels. My milk was sour which used to sit on top of a fridge for hours on end. I’m just not that impressed, especially when there’s a lot of Great coffee in this town. I was mostly just passing thru on my way to class or work in the morning, but I’ll make the extra trek over to the study inside Willis for my on-​campus cup of Joe.

Tried the 12oz almond mocha & a slice of vegan pumpkin walnut bread. It cost me $ 8.12 which is a little absurd if you ask me. Still love ya, Big Mike but I’ll probably just get regular coffee next time.

Always a great cup and super friendly people.
Atmosphere is very hippy, funky, new age, but not so much as to be offensive.
They always have a great supply of locally roasted beans that keep their cups the best in DFW.

This is the second best coffee I’ve had in Denton. Running a close second with Jupiter house because I am never by it but their coffee is just as good

I’ve been visiting Big Mike’s since I was a wee 18 year-​old freshman at UNT. I just love the atmosphere here. It’s the perfect place to study, chat with friends, or just chill with a journal or a good book.
The baristas are amazing. They’re seriously great. I hate that fake customer service crap you get from places like Starbucks. They are real people, and they treat you like you are a real person (does that even make sense?). Excellent folks. They’re always great for drink recommendations, too.
I like the eclectic, artsy feel as well as the variety of music playing. The drip coffee is great as well as the fancier drinks (def a sucker for an iced soy dirty chai latte). And, omg, their baked goods are amazing. Seriously, try the chocolate or red velvet muffins or the vegan banana bread.
I also appreciate that they are involved in the community, and they allow organizations to bring fliers to share. I just love this place! I just wish it were open ²⁴⁄₇ like it used to be (didn’t it used to be? I can’t remember.).

Located across from campus, I decided to give this place a try. Décor inside matches college students life style… conservatively poor. The price is not so.
I ordered an espresso shake. It has icecream blended with two espresso shot. Flavor of your choice. Being freakishly hot today, I ordered this cold drink concoction.
Needless to say, I’m disappointed. It tastes like espresso and sweet cream. No ice blended with it so it’s super soupy.
My damage: $ 5.75 for 16 ounces.
I have three star because the barista is really nice or else i would have given something lower.

I sometimes wonder if college area establishments provide destitute interiors to match the student clients’ financial situation for empathy or as a chic statement. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t impact the quality of the product, which in this case is the coffee.
My daughter’s car broke down so I became the «public transportation» option since DFW lacks so much in that department. I had to find a place to work while she attended class and her recommendation was Big Mike’s. Very close to her classes and «great coffee» were her claims. Literally right across the street from the campus substantiated her first claim; and the quality of the coffee ranking among the best I’ve tasted validated her second.
Ample space for sitting/​studying/​working, this is truly a student’s dream for breaks, hangout, or late night studying sessions. The décor and location don’t lend itself to a professional setting (which is the only reason I didn’t give it a 5) but that is obviously not their target audience. Whether visiting a student, the campus, or the area in general, Big Mike’s is a worthwhile side trip. If you make it, look for an old guy obviously out of place among students. It just might be me!

UPDATE TO PRIOR REVIEW:
Big Mike’s now used both Avoca Coffee Roasters out of Fort Worth, and Bookish Coffee in Denton. I must now retract one of my prior critiques from an earlier review.

Best cappuccino I’ve ever had! I love this place, the atmosphere is amazing and the staff is always super nice. Their muffins are pretty good and their specialty drinks are yummy, I’m partial to the ziggy stardust.

Cheap coffee and fast service makes this my number one spot to grab a cup of ice coffee on my way to class. I love that it’s in a convenient location across from the UNT campus.
The fruit smoothies are also really good, made from real fruit and no extra sugar added. It was the perfect pick-​me-​up for when I did’t have time to eat between classes but needed something to hold me over for 2 hours.