Sparrow Café

Cute neighborhood café right below lake Harriet, across from broders, terzo, cucina italiania, and a few other independently owned stores. They have irregular hours and close before 6 PM, which makes it a bit inconvenient. The lavender lattes are incredible, with latte art and you can tell the espresso they purchase uses fresh grounds that are not overly burnt or bitter. Unrelated to the food, they support bee and colony survival in addition to wild flowers, and for that I appreciate the store. Much better than starbucks or caribou coffee. Stop by if you can!

Love the baked goods, (made fresh every morning !!!) most notably, the gluten free muffins. You would never know there GF! Moist, big, and fun flavors! They have the brownie muffin every day (and for good reason) but I just tryed and discovered the gluten-​free Vanilla swirl and had to buy two just give one to my friend! Absolutely phenomenal!!! And great coffee drinks! ;) been a favorite spot of mine for a long time.

FOOD/​COFFEE: Pastries are pretty good, their espresso drinks are average, but you’re reading a review written by someone who used to live in Seattle. (We are coffee snobs, unfortunately)
SERVICE: granted I’ve only been here twice, I won’t be returning based on my 2^nd (and last) visit. The first time was very pleasant, the staff behind the counter were very friendly, and I liked working at the café for a few hours while sipping on tea and eating a pastry. Great natural lighting, btw.
The second time, though, after having sat down at the café for only a half hour, I was approached by one of the staff who had walked across the café to ask whether or not I was going to be ordering something, out loud, in front of other patrons. I told him I had planned to buy something later. It was extremely rude and embarrassing that a staff member would approach me – a relatively new customer who just moved to Edina — with the assumption I was exploiting the café space/​wifi without purchasing an item. He must have thought I was some mooching teenager due to my age (really, I’m 30 years old)… and they must be concerned about missing out on making a profit with my $ 5 latte. If it’s such a prevailing issue, my suggestion is to put up a sign that you ask patrons to buy before wifi. But don’t embarrass your customers by putting them on the spot, for heaven’s sake. Anyhow… This will be the last time they get my business.

Never a bad cup! They opened in a place where several coffee heavy places had failed. I had little hope for them. They succeeded, though. Stop by and fiind out why…

The owners bake many of the pastries (the scones are often my breakfast — eaten from the bag), there are gluten-​free options (and they taste good), and the atmosphere is great. Places like Sparrow are why it’s wonderful to live in Minneapolis.

Great little space with good coffee and pastries. Was recommended to me by one of the owners during a photo shoot. Glad I came by to check it out.

It’s on a sweet corner and in a tiny space. I think it’s a perfect set-​up for the locals to set up camp with their laptop and grab their preferred drink. I wouldn’t go out of your way if you’re not nearby.
I came here to meet up with a woman I was networking with. Because this location is so tiny, it felt like everyone could listen in on our conversation. Not my favorite set-​up.
I’m not a coffee drinker (gasp!), so I judge the quality of any place that offers beverages by their selection of teas. It was okay.
Anyway, I usually have more to say about a location, but it was just so darn tiny that there wasn’t much of anything else that stood out!

Being huge fun of cappuccino around the town one in Sparrow Café is definitely not on top of the list. It is like latte in any other coffee shop. Too milky and served in huge cups which is definitely not cappuccino best receipt. The atmosphere is nice to stop by and pick up the coffee but not too comfortable to spend couple hours working. 3 stars for this place is my maximum.

«His eye is on the sparrow.» (Do you know the song? I heard it the first time I watched Sister Act II. lol.) Apparently, mine was not.
Seriously, how many times have I overlooked this nook on the way to Broders’? It’s literally right across the street!
Dropped by this quaint café the other day to grab a tall cold press, meet with someone, and pound out some work. I’m glad to say that Sparrow Café delivered in all areas! The highlights:
+Pretty decent wifi.
+Beautiful mural covered in sparrows .
+Plenty of natural light.
+AMAZING background music that won’t make your ears bleed. (Hip-​hop lounge-​y and Thievery Corporation-​like jams.)
+Sturdy tables.
+Street parking.
+Non-​pretentious baristas.
+Clean bathroom.
Definitely a neighborhood gem, and one that I wish was much closer to my apartment! Can’t wait to come back to try their food.

The café was a lot smaller than I imagined from the outside. There are only about 25 seats but they offer free wifi. I stopped in around 2 and there weren’t any scones or pastries available but they might be earlier in the day. The latte was delicious and the large really is LARGE!

I am a loyal daily customer and wouldn’t change it for anything! The staff is awesome, friendly, talented and efficient. The coffee is great. The vibe is a nice blend of your easy and convenient coffee shop but with charm and a welcoming feel. A great local business that I highly suggest!

Yay! A sweet local café, complete with cheery baristas, a full wall mural, lots of natural light, and stamped cups. I’m all about dat packaging, and each paper cup comes stamped with its own bird-​like image… they even let me pick out my own!
I had a dirty chai, although I don’t remember it being particularly praise-​worthy, it was sweet and bitter as expected. I drive by this place all the time, and since it is usually on my way to another coffee shop, it is easy to forget it’s there, tiny as it is.
I would say come during off-​peak hours if you are looking for a bit more peace and quiet, as sound travels. A lot. Like I could hear 3 different convos happening all around and found myself wanting to respond I could hear them so clearly.
Definitely worth a stop, and I do believe they close at 5, so get in there quick.

I drive by this coffee shop all the time and have been wanting to stop for years. What finally got me to go was getting a coupon for a free cookie with a purchase of a coffee. The cookie was really good but I was a little disappointed they only had one option. I had a latte and it wasn’t anything special but hit the spot on a cold/​snowy morning.
Coffee and cookie aside, I LOVED the atmosphere. There are huge windows that look out to the intersection of 50^th and Penn. (I think this intersection is so pretty and it was even more with the snow coming down) There was a nice parking lot nearby and also cute shops that I will walk across to next time. (NuLook Consignment and Bead Monkey)
Definitely a coffee shop I would go to for work or a friend. However, going with a group of four or kids might be risky as there isn’t much space.

A sweet little avian-​themed coffee shop at the intersection of 50^th & Penn (near Broder’s). The whimsical birdie mural and paintings won my heart, as did the dedication to offering eco-​friendly coffee…
*I enjoyed a small soy latte — seemingly heavy on the soy versus java, but not a problem given my general disinterest in the flavor of coffee — at a reasonable price.
*All staff members were friendly and polite.
*I’d probably not return to do work — I found the space a bit cramped and the seating not conducive to marathon work sessions. But, it offers a cheery atmosphere for catching up with a friend cup in hand.
*And, an added bonus, the parking lot negates the need to fuss with street parking.

Great cuppa joe! One of my favorite places. Small mom and pop. Great coffee and interior design. Really love this neighborhood. I usually grab a cup of coffee and puruse through the amazing books at the place next door. Used paperback books, vintage paperback books. So nice! Sometimes I visit the consignment store across the street or grab a lunch at Broder’s Deli. So calming and nice. Summer I can check out Lake Harriet only a block or two north.

A great little coffee shop that makes us wish we lived in the area. The sandwiches were hearty, original and most importantly tasty. The ambience was great for getting work done and the staff member was charming. We will definitely be coming back

Great neighborhood coffee shop. The Café au Lait had just the perfect amount of milk and the homemade glazed donut has left me craving it for the past few weeks. At least I assume it was homemade based on how good it tasted.

Very cute little space. This is a true locally owned & operated coffee shop. Small, quaint, and an amazing selection of coffee & tea beverages.
Great people are there to help answer any questions and make the perfect beverage for you.
I love the fact they had plenty of parking, a great selection of bakery items, delicious coffee, and free Wifi. The ambiance is very pleasant, I was able to get a few emails done with little to no distraction. I did find myself starring at the cool mural on the wall, but that’s just my ADHD kicking in!
Make sure to check out their hours, they are shorter during the week… other than that, the place rocks!

This was on my java, coffee shop list to go to. Oh boy, I am glad I visited! So cute, quaint, variety, yummy and animal friendly? Here’s the scoop:
Thumbs up:
–parking lot
–convenient location minus construction
–reasonable $
–variety tasty treats and drinks
–friendly c.s. and fast
–open and bright seating
–games to play
–community oriented board
–clean bathroom
–cute as can be mug
–theres food
Thumbs down:
–more coffee shops like this please
I Will be back the iced Miel was absolutely yummy!

Really love this avian friendly café concept. It’s refreshing to see some store owners genuinely concerned about the environment and animals in it. Parking was really convenient as there is a lot in back. Background music was soft and uplifting. Huge windows allowed natural light to pour in. Wood furniture felt homey and comfortable. There were board games to play and some sparrow merchandise to purchase like the official sparrow mug. Will definitely be back.

Finally a great coffee shop on this busy corner. Ventured to sparrow café to try it out and it was fabulous. I really enjoyed their chai lattes. I also had a pastry which was excellent. They had many different sandwich and soup options too — will definitely try when I go back again.
Very friendly service, reasonable prices. I’ll be back.
Little tip: does have a little funky hours for a coffee shop. Close earlier in the evening during the week.

A very cute little place with friendly service that knows how to make a great latte (perfect amount of foam on top!). They had a decent selection of bakery items (banana chocolate chip muffin was good but not amazing), and strawberries with whipped cream as breakfast options. It’s definitely more of a coffee shop than a café with their limited selection of food, though.
My biggest complaint is that even after getting the free Wi Fi password, I couldn’t connect to their Internet.

Pleasantly surprised and impressed by Sparrow. Stopped in for a late afternoon lunch and enjoyed a thoroughly delicious bowl of soup, I think it was a butternut squash or the like. The coffee was very good and I loved the wall mural. Ambiance was very pleasant and I was able to get a few tasks done as well with little distraction.
Need a place to grab a delicious cup of coffee or snack in Southwest? Try Sparrow. Then check out a new look at Nu Look Consignment, grab a gift for a friend at Paper Hat, find your next great read at the Paperback Exchange, or feed your inner workout fiend at Marathon Sports, my personal favorite for running shoes, all just steps away.

I LOVE SPARROW. It has become my go-​to coffee shop in Minneapolis. I haven’t set up shop in there to do any work yet, but the coffee is fantastic, the service is friendly and quick, the snacks are delicious, and the price is right.
I make a point to go to Sparrow over other coffee places unless it is ridiculously out of my way (which it usually isn’t). Some older reviews mention their funny hours, but they have been extending them slowly over time and are now open until 5pm on weekdays.
I cannot recommend this place highly enough. I hope it sticks around for a long time!

Just wanted to add that Sparrow has again expanded their business hours — hooray!!!

Stopped in at about 7:45 AM with my wife and son. It was very nice I had a little latte and she had a Carmel apple cider and both were delicious. The gentleman that helped us was really nice. The place is really cool and we will definitely be going back again and they have free Wi-​Fi which is also big plus for me