The Mean Bean

This coffee shop is mediocre. The coffee is not very good (I’m from the Pacific Northwest, so I may have high expectations), and it was so incredibly hot when I got it, I burnt my tongue! The décor and ambiance are strange. The sofas inside seem like they were pulled out of a dorm and have blankets thrown over them. There was no music, only what sounded like news radio, which was odd… It’s too bad there isn’t a better local coffee shop. I do hate going to Starbucks as I love supporting local business, but I may have to do that next time…

Sadly, this place is poor in both coffee/​food and ambiance… and it happens to be the only game in town. The interior is mismatched in a half-​hearted way. The coffee is mediocre, and the food selections are very minimal. Most outrageous was seeing that their breakfast sandwiches are frozen, store-​bought, likely Jimmy Dean’s…(I didn’t find that out though until I saw the barista take it out of the freezer).
There is a gaping hole in the town of Powell for just one great coffee shop, and I hope someone fills it soon!

Friendly service and good coffee in a nice relaxed atmosphere with NPR playing in the background. Nice mix of comfy couches with tables and chairs inside and out. Could be 5-​star but wifi, password protected and free for customers, is sluggish.

This place has the best coffee!!! The shop always smells amazing. Do yourself a favor and try it! They also have a loyalty rewards card so you can receive a drink after so many purchases.

Awesome little coffee shop, set up in an old house. Quiet, relaxing, and phenomenally good coffee. We had both a French Press pot and a couple of espresso drinks, and both were absolutely perfect. The flavors were spot on, and we watched each drink being made with the utmost care. That care really sets it apart from the big chain coffee shops.
I bought a pound of their awesome beans to take home, and I can’t wait to come back!

Mean Bean reminds me of a coffee shop I used to visit back before I was old enough to legally drink beer. Evidently, it’s a «chain», as in, there are more than one Mean Beans. Whatever, I wouldn’t know, and it’s not like they’ve got some insane branding strategy that makes you well aware it’s a chain.
I like this place.
I came once after a few drinks next door at Local Roots with a group of friends, brainstorming a side project. We drank coffee, planned out some ideas at a table, and in general enjoyed the atmosphere and the staff that was working humored us, to boot.
I popped in earlier today, needing to escape my home office, and in need of caffeine, and while it was quiet and empty… the charm was still there. Despite seeing their sign, I keep forgetting they now have wine, and I’m afraid I may come there one afternoon, switch from coffee to wine, and end up closing the place out.
Yeah, it’s the kind of place that you can get *that* comfy in.

My wife and I love the Mean Bean! The staff is super friendly and the coffee is worth a special trip. Try the Highlander Grogg, our favorite cup. Always fresh pastries to choose from too. Our favorite coffee shop in Columbus.

I love Mean Bean so much! They have the best lattes and smoothies. So much better than Starbucks. If you want a good cup of coffee this is the place to go.

Great local coffee shop. Strong coffee and tasty baked goods. The décor and lack of roast options would be my only complaints. The décor makes me feel like I’m in a childs room instead of a coffee shop. Only one roast to choose from unfortunately and its a bold one! Maybe try offering lighter roasts.

Another of the Mean Bean chain, it has the same weird clashing colors and mismatched décor — comfy couches, metal tables and chairs… In this particular branch, all the furniture is also very close together, giving the place a very cozy feel. If you do not want to be so close to your neighbors, there is a single table apart from the rest by a window where you can watch people at the drive through.
Anyways, when I went, I gave the standard cappuccino a try. …it was… alright. Not the best I’ve had but not the worst either. Overall, I recommend sticking with the plain black coffee if it’s caffeine you’re after.
The man working the counter was quite friendly and, as I was finishing my coffee, asked me if I wanted to continue loitering about for a poetry reading. I sadly had to get going, but it is nice that the venue supports events such as that, as well as local artists whose works were hanging on the walls.
Overall, this isn’t a place I will drive on purpose (especially since there’s another, larger store in Delaware), but if I’m in the area and craving caffeine, I might drop in again.

Coffee is ok. Not very robust. Décor is chic but dirty, needs a unifying theme.
***NOTE*** A new owner has contacted me to say that the décor has been updated by them. I don’t get up to the area any more so I cannot verify this.

GROSS!
My girlfriend and I were looking for a place to caffeinate and study and ended up at Mean Bean. After we tasted the food we decided to make our own coffee and study at home!
My iced chai tasted like it was made three days ago, and we’re not sure if my friend’s iced vanilla latte even had coffee in it – it tasted like chocolate milk! They nuked our blueberry scones in saran wrap and they tasted like the plastic was still on. Even a Starbucks pastry would have been better.
A nice town like Powell deserves better!

Even though they are known for their coffee, the mean bean should be recognized for their smoothies and speedy drive-​thru service. Very homey inside and with friendly service.

I’ve seen them before, but you know our culture is a bunch of people on the go when our coffee lounges are drive-​thru. To me, coffee is something to get comfy on a couch with and sip slowly, savoring the flavor and letting the warmth soothe you and the caffeine then starts to work and your brain can function for the day. If you really are in that much of a hurry, Mean Bean has a drive-​thru. But if you want to taste your coffee, they have a lounge inside.
The interior is a cute, cheery place painted pale Caribbean blue, yellow and dark orange. It’s in an old house and the second floor is cut out, adding to the already spacious feel to the place. They have comfy chairs and sofas also in blue and yellow, complete with coffee stains. Managing Mean Bean are a couple of charming ladies. One of them might know a thing or two about good coffee as she is from Hawaii — and may be hence the tropical feel of the place. I guess I shouldn’t assume, but I do think she’s knows what good coffee is.
As for the food and drink, their portions are generous. The huge pastries are comprised of muffins, cookies, scones, banana bread, brownies and croissant sandwiches. Muffins include almond poppy seed, apple cinnamon crumb, chocolate chocolate chip, banana nut and raisin bran, which was obviously popular since there was only one left. I tried an almond poppy seed and it was perfectly moist and tasty. Luckily I didn’t have to go for a drug test afterward.
Mean’s beans can be hot, iced, unbean (decaf) or flavored and they have all sorts of flavors from fruity to nutty to sweet. A good deal that Mean Bean offers is called the Manager’s Special and with it you can get a muffin and medium house coffee or grog for $ 3.50, adding to their generous portions. The grog is Mean Bean’s own and has butter rum and hazelnut flavor to it. I had the grog along with my muffin for the Manager’s Special and it was a good coffee with a bold flavor that wasn’t too strong.

The Mean Bean is better than I expected. I was checking out Powell for the first time, and thought Id stop in for a coffee and some Wi-​Fi. I assumed it would suck because it seems that all suburban coffee shops try to dip into the modern coffee shop craze without leaving behind the nostalgic suburban kitch. For the most part, The Mean Bean has been able to give old Powell a minor dose of city style. The walls aren’t textured with powder blue wood cuts of farm houses, or ornately stenciled vines. The design is simple, clean, and interesting. The coffee is standard, but delicious. I’d reserve this spot for cold winter mornings if I lived in the area.

The Mean Bean in Powell — an offshoot of the original Delaware, OH location — is a nice enough place to pass the time.
You might come in for the advertised free Wi-​Fi, but you won’t end up needing it. The city of Powell has town-​wide free wireless that trumps the building’s puny network. Inevitably, you’ll stick around and order something. Here’s a hint at what you can expect.
Drink/​food:
Their coffee is strong, if not particularly nuanced. They have the usual array of beverages. Nothing breaks any new ground.
They do have some tasty food. Gigantic scones and cookies make an easy grab for customers’ attention. I like the lemon pound cake. Yum.
The croissant sandwiches also look good. They’re supplied by a lauded restaurant in Delaware.
Atmosphere:
The building is tiny and not much to look at. Funnily enough, these work in the shop’s favor. Particle board floors give the place a rustic hole-​in-​the-​wall feel. A comfy couch can be found in one corner. There is also a loft in the front of the shop that goes nowhere. It would be even better if it did.
Allison was working when I stopped in. She is very, very friendly.
They have a drive-​up window — an oddity for a downtown coffee house like this.
A chain like Starbucks or Caribou opening in the up-​and-​coming Powell town center is more than likely. Check out this real-​deal shop.