Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes

This place is adorable! The décor inside is cozy and it’s a nice place to sit and relax with a book or study. I had a cup of coffee and a cup of tea and both were delicious. When I went back up a second time to get my tea, the woman working said that she didn’t make the coffee, I would have to wait for the gentleman that was working to come back from his break outside. I told her I just wanted tea so she was able to make it for me, but I just would have figured there would be a second person as back up that knows how to make coffee. I also tried the chocolate cupcake and it was to die for — the cake was super moist and the frosting had just the right amount of sweetness.

When I went in I quickly got the impression that pretty much everyone knew everyone and it was a tight knit group… and I, an invader, so rudely walked into their living room.
The coffee was good, but the environment was really uncomfortable. It looks like a public space, but it feels like a private space which I didn’t receive an invitation to and just crashed. I’ve been looking for a new regular coffee shop, and it looks like this one isn’t it.

Great service, delicious cupcakes and coffee. Great spot for wifi and snacks, a workstation or meeting up with friends in downtown renton

Walked in here after watching a HAWKS game across the street and wanted something warm. I ordered a Raspberry Mocha, which I consider a dessert in a cup. The service was ok. It wasn’t anything special. I got what I needed. The service didn’t feel very inviting. I do however like the cute décor and casual ambiance of the place. Plus it’s on the corner of downtown Renton so you can watch the world go by through the big windows. I came by later on a Sunday so there weren’t many choices of cupcakes left. I did end up buying a Caramelicious and a Lemony Snicket both in a white cake. YUM! My drink was ready and on the counter unbeknownst to me. The person who made my drink didn’t say a word and just set it on the counter. My order must have sat there a good 5 minutes before I even noticed. Pfft! I’m not sure if that’s the norm for this place. If it is, that’s a first for me as other places I’ve been to would either call out your name or bring your order to you if you were sitting in the place.

Like I’ve been saying, this is another one of those small businesses with big promises. It’s definitely one of my favorite spots to not only get refreshments from but also just to unwind and/​or do some studying whenever I don’t want to go home just yet. I am a medical student now but as a student in general, I am one of those people who cannot seem to study at home either because it smells like good food all the time… Or I tend to fall asleep faster knowing that the only thing separating me and my bed is a door. So I tend to go to coffee shops all the time to study. I mean, coffee shops smell like good food too but I tend to look pass that because if anything, they smell more like coffee… I mean DUH! I tend to go to Starbucks a lot because we all know that there is an abundance of Starbucks here in Washington so I can just choose which location I want to go to and I just go there to do some studying. But the thing is, it doesn’t matter how many Starbucks there are in my area, most of the time they are always full and because of the limited seats, sometimes I have to wait for a seat to be available or I just go to a different location. But that ‘s really an inconvenience to me because I have to drive once again and deal with traffic and all that. SO THANK GOD FOR COMMON GROUND! It’s really close to my place and if you’re like me that likes to get some studying done in coffee shops, this is definitely a place to be. It is never pack whenever I come here and I must say that the staffs are very friendly. I’ve been coming to this place for bubble tea and cupcakes ever since my high school days and they always make them right. Although nowadays, I just come here to get some studying done whether I get something off the menu or not because the ambience is really good. I would definitely come here more often… well, while I am in Washington at least… Today I ordered their iced chai latte and I must say, it is quite comparable to the one from Starbucks (which is my favorite drink BTW). I love this place! It’s very nostalgic and I think that that is what makes this place extra special to me because of the many times I’ve spent here during my high school days! Feels like home… even though it doesn’t make me sleepy being here HEHE

This place is great! Good place to work or to chat with friends. Excellent service, great atmosphere, good location with lots of street parking. Got coffee, but can’t wait to try the cupcakes.

The word that best describes Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes is inconsistent. The customer service is spotty at times along with the product that’s served.
What I do like about this café is the atmosphere. It’s extremely warm and cozy (especially on a winter day) and is a perfect size for a coffee shop. They do offer a wide variety of menu items, which is always great to see. I’ve had a few of their cupcakes and can say that they’re solid for the most part — not too sweet nor dry.
The biggest detractor would be the coffee that’s being served. Not only are the espresso drinks lacking consistency and taste, but they’re being sold at Starbucks prices. That’s a no bueno in my book. Putting coffee aside, customer service is also a recurring issue that I continue to experience. The staff is lethargic at times and can give the impression that they would rather be anywhere else than to be there working.
If you’re looking for a yummy cupcake this place may be worth checking out. However, if you’re looking for quality you’re going to be hard pressed to find it here

I love everything about this place. I’ve been coming here since the day I’ve discovered it

Nestled in downtown Renton, this homey little café offers good coffee and an assortment of delicious baked cupcakes, both mini (so cute) and full sized. I stop by every time I’m in the area because it’s just such a comfortable atmosphere. The owner and staff are super kind and friendly too!

I was surprised at how poor of a latte I was served. I got it to go and thought that by some of the pictures it would be a good choice for a solid cup of coffee. I chose wrong. Terrible latte. Over steamed the milk and the shot was really weak for a 12 ounce drink.
I also got a chocolate cupcake on my visit. The service of having it placed in a plastic container was a nice touch but was nothing to come back for. My kids liked it, but by them liking it doesn’t tell me a whole lot. From what I had of it, it just didn’t do anything for me.
Overall, I just had to give this place 1 star because of the crappy coffee. You want a star, earn it. You run a coffee shop, so learn how to make one and then train your staff to do the same.
The place seemed alright and was conveniently located at the corner of an intersection. It was a weekend and made parking a little tough.
Take the extra mile or look a little deeper if you want quality, I didn’t find it here.

I stopped in this evening with a little time to kill. They didn’t have much left as far as cupcakes but the guy behind the counter was quick to add that he would be willing to whip me up one of the ones that had already sold out. I honestly don’t even remember what it was called but the fact that he would take the time to do that says a lot about their customer service.
¹⁰⁄₁₀. Will definitely be back.

I asked for a for here cup and they gave me a Togo cup. Hmmm, asked them and acted like they did not care.

They have bubble tea. And they’re within walking distance of my friend’s apartment. For this reason I will love them until my life no longer necessitates visits to Renton.
This is like the coffee shop of my teenage hipster-​writer fantasies. There are quirky people inside. The occasional spazzy hyperactive kid. People who look business-​culture enough to be from anywhere else. There’s bubble tea (Did I mention the bubble tea?). There’s a wrinkled copy of Bust magazine for me to peruse and wonder why I ever left Brooklyn behind. There’s spacey art on the wall. With bunnies.

I want that bunny print.
Oh yeah, there are cupcakes too. Those are cool.
Upsides: If you could be considered a hipster anywhere else in the world, you could probably belong here.
Downsides: We’re still in Renton Toto. It’s a long way back to home.

I’ve past this place almost everyday of my life and I’ve been really wanting to go for a while now … And one day me and my friend decided to go … My friend ordered a hot chocolate and it turned out okay … A bit watery… I decided to get their green tea cup cake and it was disgusting. The lady was very sweet and put a fortune cookie on my plate. I tried it but it was stale and I couldn’t take another bite. The frosting tasted like fish and the cake was the only part I could actually like. Put in my mouth without being disgusted.
Not sure about if I would ever go back … But if I ever do, I’m going for coffee rather than cupcakes

Didn’t try their cupcakes again but I did buy a baby cupcake for my toddler and she ate it all up… I also got a chocolate milk for her and I like that they actually make the chocolate milk rather then hand out a carton. I got a Costco muffin, banana, baby cupcake and chocolate milk all for 6.00 pretty good deal… Would probably stop by again if in the area…

Delicious food and coffee with good prices. Not fancy inside but more of a «pawpaw/​maw maw» type of business, which can be attractive in its own way. Because it’s so simple and not perfect, it’s very comfortable place to sit, with ought feeling pressured to leave. Definitely will come back.

My daughter and I were heading from Kirkland to Olympia and were both craving a cupcake. We Unilocaled this place and stopped by. Super cute little store in a kind of sketchy part of Rention. Really it is surrounded by bars and some dark alleys but it was brightly lit and we found parking right outside the door so we headed in. This place has a very warm, friendly vibe to it.
We come from Olympia where Miss Moffetts Cupcakes are, and they are the best in the state in my humble opinion so we werent expecting to be wowed. And we weren’t. But the cupcakes were moist and pretty good. The selection was pretty boring honestly, no original or interesting flavors. My daughter had the red velvet and i had the sweet sixteen. I don’t know if we would stop again but they were decent.
The lady working was super friendly and nice.
I had an iced americano that was spot on.
Cute place, decent cupcakes, great coffee.

I come here often. The family that owns this place are so nice, the seating super comfortable, and usually really good music playing softly in the background. I like the espresso drinks, I don’t often eat sweets but the cupcakes are good, I usually get an everything bagel with cream cheese, good stuff.
Come here for a relaxing alternative to the chains!

Common Ground is a bright spot in a downtown that has otherwise been beaten down by the late-​2000s recession. It has a fun and playful style and the younger staff are pretty perky (it helps that I know a few of the people who worked here, so I have some «common ground» with them).
This place has a more lively, playful atmosphere than the subdued Starbucks — and they have a place for children to play. This seems like a great place to come with family or friends.
The cupcakes are not my favorite; they’re carefully decorated but the icing tastes a bit funny to me, and I think they’re a bit overpriced. The tea I had here was A-​OK though.
I support the liveliness Common Ground brings to Renton. Downtown can use more energy like this.

I will definitely give this place another try but I’m a little unsure about this place. Well, the place is very comfortable and homely more so than Starbucks or your average commercial coffee shop. The reviews I read before the pictures that I’ve seen lead me to believe that it is child friendly place and it is not. As a mother of two I was very glad that I check this place out before bringing my kids.
I’ll start with the bad. The person who was serving coffee who I believed was the owner was actually coughing and sneezing, scary. She should definitely stay home and not serve customers when she has a cold. Secondly, the service was cold. I don’t remember any over-​the-​top hi or warm welcome that was kind of weird.
Alright enough of that, I love the city of Renton this is where I live for crying out loud. Onto the good stuff. I ordered a mocha with Carmel sauce which I thought that was delicious very good! I also ordered a red velvet cupcake which was scrumptious as well. I would recommend ordering their cupcakes there great and decorated very cute. Tasty pastries and a good mocha! I was able to plug in my laptop and get some work done. Nobody bothered me and I was able to stick around for almost 3 hours and not feel pressured to leave. They had heaters going which made it very warm. It’s kind of a cold rainy day so they did a great job creating a warm atmosphere for customers.
Overall it’s not a bad local coffee shop for the people who live in the downtown Renton area. I would recommend checking it out as soon as the owner gets better. :-)