Grounded

I like this place a lot! Quiet, casual, and with plenty of open seats on a Sunday morning, we ventured in and got their French Roast, black, and a cinnamon latte, which was one of the most balanced «mixed drinks» I’ve ever received from a coffee shop. It wasn’t too sweet nor too coffee-​forward, it was just… delicious! Bonus points since cinnamon is a tough substance to blend into coffee as it’s oil, not water soluble. I don’t know how or what these guys do to their lattes, but it deserves the 4.5 stars it has currently, if not a full 5.
The only gripe I’ve got was a rickety, rocking table — not good when you’ve got wide mugs filled to the brim with piping hot coffee next to computers and books! Whatever, though, I just stuffed a sheet of paper under and dealt with it.
Some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. 5/​5, bravo!

Just passing through and hope to again! Ladies working were very nice. Coffee was delicious. Wish they had coconut milk as almond milk makes latte taste like roasted almonds. Also gluten free treats would have been nice.

A cup of Grounded’s coffee (smooth & rich) while people watching in downtown La Crosse makes for a perfect morning!
Jill Fleming

Excellent coffee! And I loved their egg breakfast sandwich… Sliced hard boiled egg on a warm English muffin with melted yummy cheese. Perfect quick breakfast bite! And they are open early. Nice place to sit too.

OMG baby, look at that cup!
They’ve got Big Cups and I cannot lie, you others can’t deny.
When you walk in and put that big cup in your face, you’ll get buzzed!
Alright, so Sir Mix A lot I might not be, but I do love my coffee!
I was in search of a good cup of coffee while in Wisco, and Grounded is definitely a must Go!
The place is cozy and inviting with its open space and modern décor. It’s the perfect place to curl up with one of their large cups of coffee or tea on cold Wisconsin winter’s day. I hear they have around 9 months of those so bottoms up; it takes two hands to hold their cups!
They offer a good variety of gourmet coffees, Espressos, cappuccinos, lattes, breves, flavor shots, and mochas iced, blended or hot. They have teas, and for the non-​caffeine drinkers they offer cider, hot chocolate and even smoothies.
We tried the coffee of the day, one hot and one iced Macadamia Mocha both delicious. My little miss had a chocolate, peanut butter and banana smoothie of which disappeared in minutes.
On the food menu are their sweet things biscotti, scones and cookies, the perfect complement to any cup of coffee. Morning munchies consist of muffins, toast, oatmeal and bagels. Deli sandwiches, wraps and salads if you drop in for lunch and all served with a friendly smile.
So if you find yourself in need of a perk in the beautiful city of LaCrosse, Wisconsin, Grounded is the place to go!
Don’t you know?!

This is an awesome local coffee shop. Great espresso and smoothies with an even better atmosphere. Outdoor seating, comfy indoor couch, and friendly service!

Muy Bueno ! Stopped in while driving through town based on Unilocal reviews. Mmmmm
Excellent iced vanilla latte. Very good tuna panini and breakfast muffin.
Nice atmosphere and friendly barista.

Delicious coffee and great hot chocolate.

I’ve only been here once but all 3 drinks I ordered I really enjoyed. I’m kinda regretting just getting the Medium! Hopefully my mom will share her massive cup of the Hot Macadamian Mocha. I got mine Iced and it was gone too quick. I got my little sister the chocolate peanut butter smoothie, and for once she actually kept quiet for about 8 minutes. That’s all it took for that drink to be gone! (Kid Approved) This cute spot has plenty of space and is Well kept and clean. Great music, free WIFI and very modern décor. Even in the restroom there’s cute little pictures on the wall. Don’t deprive your taste buds!

To get it out of the way early, I take coffee very seriously, and truly great coffee is not easy to find, particularly in a small city like La Crosse. Grounded only served to further prove that point.
The raspberry mocha harbinger advertised outside the shop should have been enough to steer me well clear, but I ignored it, thinking perhaps they simply offered «coffee» of that nature to appeal to the Starbucks crowd. Unfortunately, my order of a red eye proved comparable to what one would receive at the Great Green Behemoth.
The Grounded blend that served as the base of the red eye proved over-​extracted or was brewed from beans that were charred beyond recognition. The espresso shot was indistinguishable from the rest of the coffee both in texture and in flavor. Somehow the whole beverage remained watery and mostly flavorless beyond what can be expected from diner coffee, and I have actually had better diner coffee. Hell, I have had better coffee from both The Chain That Shall Not Be Named and Kwik Trip.
The lack of pour over, French press, Aeropress, or any other brewed coffee option is a huge knock against this place as well. «Specialty coffee» would seem to imply those specialty brew methods, but it failed to deliver.
The extra star is for the kind and speedy barista, the nice, cozy ambiance, the historical building, and the great outdoor seating.
Food was not included in this review.
Please, go to the far superior and very close by Root Note for a caffeine fix; they serve a rotating selection of excellent Kickapoo coffee on pour over, and even their drip coffee is head-​and-​shoulders above whatever this is.

Nice atmosphere, lovely staff and good coffee. The pesto chicken sandwich is not extraordinary, but good.

I have visited this coffee shop about five or six times now (I do not live in La Crosse but visit often), and it is quite honestly the best coffee shop I’ve ever visited.
The coffee and drink selection is absolutely top-​notch — I normally get a large mocha, which has just the right balance of coffee acidity and chocolatey goodness. I can’t speak for the prepped food, but I have gotten baked goods from them and they’ve been decent. They also offer a selection of various other things, like smoothies and fruit.
Free WiFi, great atmosphere, nice staff… really good stuff. I will be going back again and again. I only wish there were more of these across Wisconsin!

Friendly service. Good coffee. I like the hard boiled egg breakfast sandwich.
Easy parking.

Grounded is a quaint little shop with a great atmosphere. I had a pretty good latte with no flavor. The chicken pesto panini was delicious. Last but not least, the barista, Alex, was more than welcoming! She was incredibly friendly and delivered my order with a giant smile on her face. I’d definitely come back here next time I’m through La Crosse!

So, what makes a five star rating for a coffee shop?
First, its all about the coffee. Brewed, espresso, etc. They don’t have to roast on site but it has to be top quality and made well
Second, the vibe. WiFi, seating, character (both the building as well as the people), location. No soulless stripmall or stand alone corporate outpost.
Third, the food. It can’t be reheated dreck trucked in frozen. It has to be made on site, be well made and be different. It doesn’t have to offer a ton of options, but what they do sell has to be good enough that you come for just it.
Grounded scores on all three. Five stars.

Really cute little place to grab a cup of joe (or, in my case, an Americano) or a breakfast bite. My Americano was really, really good, and the cup sleeves are unique.

I was downtown looking for a coffee shop that was open at 7am on a Saturday. Grounded was the first shop to open, with others open at 8am. I ahd never been in here before, but was craving a Soy Mocha. I think I found a winner at Grounded! the staff were very friendly, the interior was very confortable and warm, and there was a good crowd smiling with their coffee outside the door. Overall, I’d say this is the best coffee shop in downtown La Crosse, and I will be grabbing another Mocha from here on my next visit.

I would give this incredible coffee shop-​sorority hybrid a 6^th & 7^th star if possible. The women behind the counter are downright sprightly; the food & drinks are all delicious; the selection is impeccable; the owner is a superstar. A staple of La Crosse, and, quite frankly, Earth, Grounded is the simplest decision when in town & yearning for a drink or a bite to get your day going.

Grounded has become a LaCrosse tradition for us. The breakfast sandwich is great. We got fresh scones right out of the oven. They also carry highlander grogg coffee, my husband’s favorite. My iced latte was also great this morning. We will definitely be back next time. :)

Can I first of all say how much I dig the lack of Starbucks in this town? I think there’s two. That can be easily avoided. Anyway…
I came here to kill some time on the computer while in town on business. They make a pretty decent latte. No complaints there. The muffin wasn’t great, but I assume they are not made in house. Whatever. I will reserve the fifth star for another trip if the sandwiches/​salads that they make in house are deserving.
The staff is really nice and quick with service. I will definitely come back next time I’m in town.