Muffin Top Cafe

The food isn’t great and this place isn’t the cleanliest. If they replaced the overly stained chairs and washed the windows it would go a long way! I will say, the staff was incredibly nice on both my visits this week, and I think the Unilocal deal is a great offer.

The drinks were fine and the bakery items that we ordered were delicious. Although it is called the Muffin Top, on the morning we visited, there were only 3 flavors of muffins to choose from (plus two types of scones and a cookie). The barista seemed a tad overwhelmed when we were there, even though there were only a few people in the diner next store other than us. The place was also a bit grungy and smelled pretty strongly of fetid water. It’s an older building — maybe it has sewer issues?

Drinks are fine, and it has enough outlets to plug in if you are sticking around to study. If you have a group that needs a place to meet, Muffin Top has a basement room that is finished (not necessarily tidied up though) with lots of big tables and small stage. It has been kind of cold the last few times I have been there though.
The recently put a doorway in connecting it to the Nicollet Diner though which is a nice touch, and you can bring meals in while you study.

I so wanted to love this place… I live around the corner from it and was excited to see another coffee option than the DB in Loring.
I even went so far as to pick up a bunch of vouchers on Amazon Local in hopes of making this my new main coffee place. but unfortunately it’s totally unremarkable in almost every way.
The coffee is average and the service is mediocre (probably because the barrista is bored out of their mind). In the end it just feels like a cramped little space where they happen to serve coffee.
With the number of coffee shops on Eat Street and the surrounding neighborhood, it just doesn’t stand out.

After reading the great reviews of this mom and pop shop, I wanted to stop by and get a little bit of studying done.
I walked in and found a table to put my backpack down so I could order a cappuccino. As I was waiting in line, it all slowly sank in. How old and unwelcoming the place looked, the cheap tables and chairs, the dreary lighting, and the loud wheel of fortune show playing overhead. After placing my order, I had to quickly change the order to go because there’s no way I was sticking around.
The barista was nice; he even hooked it up with an extra shot of espresso! The cappuccino was average though.
There were also a lot of flyers, cards, and posters of nude guys with blankets hanging off of their genitals. I think it’s great that this place is community friendly, but it’s a coffee shop not a strip club. I’ve never been to a coffee shop with titis and genitals hanging on their walls and on their counters; it just seemed so trashy.

I wanted to like this coffee shop sooo badly when it first opened as GGs or GandGs (or something like that) because it’s across the street from my apartment. And, the owner, a young-​ish woman gave me the grand tour of the place. I could hear the excitement in her voice for what she hoped this place would be and I hoped it would be for her. The downstairs room had been fixed up to have «nights». Or perhaps rent the room out. She wasn’t sure and was flexible. I’ve shown some of my art in The Dunn Bros downtown so I asked about that and she was enthusiastic about showcasing local artists. Even though the room was more akin to someone’s fixed up basement than a venue, it had potential and her excitement was contagious.
I suggested she get a sign out front – a sandwich board would be cheapest and most visible – and start advertising like crazy because the place was disappearing between the barbershop and, at the time, an out of biz mammoth corner restaurant. I couldn’t wait to try the goods, so to speak. It was warm out so instead of coffee, I ordered a smoothie and a pastry, my daughter got a cookie and we chatted with the congenial guy who was making it. They still didn’t have a lot of ingredients so I let him pick my flavor. It was the single worst smoothie I’ve ever had the misfortune to waste my hard earned cash on and the pastries were not much better. Fodder for the trash can. Disappointed would be an understatement on how I felt.
I didn’t go back.
Whenever I’d see the owner in the neighborhood, I’d sheepishly look away. After all, I had told her I would practically «live» there. Ahem.
My own smoothies and coffee kick ass. When I pay for either, I expect them to be just as good or, preferably, better. So when ownership changed hands and I saw the name had been changed to Muffin Top Café (oh what an unfortunate name I thought! Especially when [I thought] it still belonged to the woman because, let’s just say, she had, herself, sported a muffin top or two coughcough) Anyway. It was colder and the place had been around for about 6 months and my daughter’s tutor mentioned going there so I thought «let me give them another try – coffee this time».
Upon entering I was greeted warmly and saw that the neighborhood coffee shop feel was still there. In fact, beyond neighborhood. More like a couple of friends put their money together to open their dream of a coffeehouse. A bit of a clique-​ish feel but not an exclusive clique; one that was quite willing to have you join their circle. I discovered that «the woman» no longer owned Muffintop; that the same people who were (at the time) renovating the corner place on 15^th and Nicollet for the very long– anticipated diner had gotten coffee there so often, they decided to buy it. I think they decided to buy it so they could make sure they got good coffee but I could just be being mean. Anyway, I was happy to try a caramel latte and a muffin (well, it IS called Muffintop right?).
I guess I just really, really like my own coffee better than most any other coffees out there… plus, it’s cheaper.
So, having a coffee shop across the street from my apartment hasn’t changed my life in the least. The coffee isn’t anything I’d go out of my way to get. However I wouldn’t not recommend it to someone passing through the neighborhood in need of a Java jolt. Also, the people that work there are above and beyond sweet and friendly and this review got a 3^rd star from me based on them alone. I feel a big part of the coffee shop experience is the atmosphere which naturally includes staff. Muffin Top’s are top notch.
Oh and the muffin was a muffin.

Lovely little neighborhood coffee shop. Great cold press, amazing cookies and cakes. Fabulously priced, super fun atmosphere. I tried the chicken salad croissant and it was amazing, minus the cherries, but that’s a personal preference. Will definitely be back.

Cute little coffee shop with great coffee. This cozy place is worth hanging out for part of the day.

So many drinks to choose from at very little prices. The atmosphere is bright and cozy. The staff are very helpful and friendly. I hope this place stays!

Tried their almond croissant and cold press coffee, both were very good.
The guy who waited on us was also great, very friendly.
The only negative is that the décor isn’t inspiring. There are some cute touches like the terrarium lamp but over all it’s just a little lackluster, not someplace that makes me want to spend the day there.
Overall I would go back, the prices and product are good and it’s close to my home.