Espresso Royale

The customer service on this particular day was lacking, as was the atmosphere. One barista wore his hood up the entire 3 hours I was there and glared at my friend when she asked for an extra cup and then a spoon. Later, when my friend asked for a .50 coffee refill (an actual menu item) the second barista rolled her eyes and informed my friend (unnecessarily) she can get her own cream and sugar. (We were sharing a drink as we are both going through financial hardship) Also, the music was some sort of niche emo crap that you listen to when you’re a high school loner, crying in your basement, pissed at the world. It all made me feel unwelcome and was a very poor first impression.

I have always loved coming to this charming coffee shop. I like independent places that have surprising, sometimes whimsical offerings and Espresso Royale doesn’t disappoint. Their lattes tend to be much less sweet than the chains which I appreciate. Once in a while though I can’t taste any of the flavor and ask for a bit more. I think one of the baristas hates that, because no matter how nice I am or that I tipped, she is po’d about it. Sigh, makes a treat into kind of a downer. I do recommend this place but think twice if you are in a sad mood because you won’t be cheered up.

I didn’t realize how long it had been since they opened and I had been here. October and November brought me here almost daily. Mainly to salvage our house in Highland Park where my sons and their friends almost got the place condemned. But it can be therapeutic to clean up your act under pressure from the fire inspector. I always started my day with a hot chocolate from here. Funny I didn’t remember it just being average. Like Kim T, I love the whipped cream balance as well. I haven’t hung out at a coffee shop since it was Brewberry’s, and still boycott the one across the street. But we passed the inspection and the place doesn’t look like the Munster’s anymore.

As a native of Madison, WI, I’ve been going to Espresso Royale locations in Wisconsin for my caffeine fix for more than a decade. When we relocated to the Twin Cities, it was a pleasant surprise to discover this quirky, neighborhood location near St Kate’s and Snelling. It has everything you look for in a neighborhood coffee shop: ample seating and personality, wifi, outlets, casual indoor and outdoor seating and GREAT coffee.
On days that I’m working from home, I’ll drive out of my way to work from this location for a few hours. It offers easy, on-​site parking and a great start to the morning. When I’m there, I typically pick up a pound of their house blend for home use. It’s a rich, dark roast that pairs well with my french press.
As an added benefit, when you purchase a pound of coffee to go, you get a free in-​house coffee beverage. Order something large and fancy to make it count.

A nice enough place with a great staff, but a location lacking atmosphere. Also, every time I’ve been here it’s been far too cold inside. I do recommend checking the daily deal before you order, because they are often excellent!

Coffee is average but somewhat bitter. The staff are pretty rude. It’s as though you’re interrupting them and their time to gossip.

I have been coming to this coffee shop for a number of years, ever since its original birth as Brewberry’s. I recall this building being a video rental store back when I was in college and I think it was a gas station before that, so it is kind of an odd building. But who cares, the espresso drinks are the bomb. The iced drink called «Polar Cap» mixed with a couple shots of espresso is one of the best drinks on the planet. Ice cream in the summer! The fact that it has survived this long after the ubiquitous corporate protoplasm known as Caribou opened across the street tells you that people love Espresso Royale.

Espresso and service both mediocre. The espresso may be slightly better than Starbucks.

I’ve come to Espresso Royale for several weeks now on Wednesdays to take advantage of their «$ 2.00 Latte Day» special. I never drink coffee or espresso so I’ve always gotten a Chai Latte for $ 2.00. Today, the Barista charged me $ 4.50, claiming that the special did not apply to Chai Lattes. When I politely mentioned that I’ve been paying $ 2.00 on Wednesdays for Chai Lattes she suggested I was wrong and this could not have been the case. She was rude and short with me. As I am writing this review I am sitting at a table in Espresso Royale looking at the Daily Special board which says «2.00 Latte Day, any size, hot or iced.» No qualifiers. I will also mention that I am a person of color. You can never be sure about these things but the barista’s tone felt like the kind of micro-​aggression that people of color are often treated with: like we are suspected of being or doing something dishonest. I hope this wasn’t the case but, sadly, it often is. In any case, I won’t be back to Espresso Royale because I prefer to be treated respectfully and I expect fair and consistent business practices.

This place is a regular stop for me while visiting a friend in MN. It has been consistently good. Today I got an awesome cappuccino… The girl took the time to create a very good cup. Often these days baristas are in a hurry and it shows in the final presentation. I appreciate the time. Nice quiet place where u can sit by the window and observe the cars lined up across the street to buy coffee on the go at the drive through window… Chain style. I smirk as I sip my relaxed perspective!

I love Espresso Royale! The employees are friendly and the coffee is wonderful. The parking lot is the only reason I didn’t give 5 stars. They are always busy, and the parking can be challenging, especially at this busy intersection. I have come here after work to study before class, as it is a relaxing environment with plenty of seating, and they have free WiFi, of course! I just found out today that any size lattes are only $ 2 on Wednesdays! What a sweet midweek treat!

Back in my college days the Expresso Royale on Washington was my go to café. I was incredibly disappointed to find out that it had closed and couldn’t take myself into the Dinkytown one.
Flash forward a few years and here I am at another location just as happy as can be. The hot chocolate is delicious, hands down the best I’ve ever had, the whipped cream on top is just the right amount of sweet. God, I miss hot chocolate like this. Starbucks doesn’t hold a candle near this.
The location has a nice feel to it, homey and comfortable with some indie music playing lightly in the background. Surprising for even a small chain coffee shop. I’m only back for the holidays, but I think I’ll be stopping here once a day for my fix while I can.

I love this coffee shop. Always friendly workers and a great atmosphere. It can get a little busy at times, but I have never had trouble finding a parking spot. They have daily deals and fair trade coffee. St. Kate’s students get a discount. Their outdoor patio is beautiful to lounge on in the summer.

This is a nice St Paul location and has a different feel from the others which is nice. The baristas are friendly and the latte was pretty good. It’s right across from a Caribou, but I could never see going there instead of here. Only downside is while there’s plentiful parking there’s none for bikes. Seems to be a recurring scenario whenever I’m in St Paul: me looking in vain for a bike rack nearby.

Great little coffeeshop. Its actually much larger than it looks. They serve Peace coffee which is pretty good and much better than the Caribou across the street. The staff are very friendly. I was expecting a large college crowd but found more families than anything.

This is a great neighborhood coffee shop and café.
The drinks are above average (see below for more detail), and the food is fresh and awesome. I LOVE the breakfast sandwiches, and the chop salad is a dream in a bowl. Lots of veggies, meat — super fresh, never any wilting leaves or anything, and dressing always on the side. The baked goods are tasty too — particularly the cookies and blondie bars.
And what is a coffee shop without good staff? The staff here is wonderful. They aren’t «in-​your-​face» friendly, which I appreciate, but are «at the ready» for a convo or a funny remark. They seem to sense the customer’s mood well. They recognize locals and regulars, but are super welcoming to newbies too. I am especially fond of the sweet Merrell. She keeps this place in line and the standards above par. You can tell she really loves what she does and loves people!
Espresso Royale supports local artists and have artwork, cards, etc displayed everywhere, and are very welcoming to anyone who wants to display their work. They even displayed my husband’s novel with great enthusiasm. Love that they support the community!
The interior is always clean, with modern fixtures, comfortable chairs and tables. I would like to see a little «comfy» chair section, maybe in the front room? They also have an outdoor patio, which is nice, though could use a bit more seating.
Other amenities:
— high chairs available
— some kids’ toys and games in the front room
— bulletin board for community use
— dog-​friendly with a water dish out front
— ice cream bar
— several outlets available (though not outside to my knowledge)
DRINKS:
Cold Press: my staple is a cold press wherever I go. And while I won’t claim it to be the best I’ve ever had (I prefer a very carmelly, full-​flavored CP), this one does the trick. Plus I love that they have an «epic» size. And if it’s ever weak or light, they are more than happy to add a shot of espresso free of charge. AND they serve it year-​round — huge plus!!!
Mocha: My husband loves their mocha. I have had the iced mocha before and while I tend to prefer a more bitter mocha, Espresso Royale’s mocha is quite good. They have strayed from the over-​syrupy nastiness that Caribou makes. I wouldn’t mind seeing a «bitter mocha» put on the menu at some point, but overall I think I’m probably in the minority there.

This old «neighborhood café» is right across the street from Caribou, the giant chain in Minnesota. What I love about this place? Ample parking since everyone is at Caribou across the street, nice ambiance, clean, free wifi, good place to study (e.g., quiet), and free double punch Fridays! I love how Espresso Royale offers a punch card — after all, after being a dedicated, loyal fan, it’s nice to be thrown a bone once in a while (are you listening, Caribou!)? The only con: it’s too cold and drafty in there, so I couldn’t stay too long to study.

I have been going to Brewberrys (officially Espresso Royale) consistently since I moved to the neighborhood 4 years ago. Although I was hesitant when it was sold to Espresso Royale I think the overall it has retained its character, atmosphere and neighborhood crowd. There have also been some improvements such as fixing the lock on the bathroom door and improving the parking lot.
The food has improved as well since it was purchased by Espresso Royale. I love the warm breakfast sandwiches and lunch time soups. The ice-​cream is great as well.
As for the drinks, I order an iced-​latte nearly every time I go which although it sounds like an easy drink, many places don’t do them very well. The baristas here make it perfectly. The espresso is never burnt and the put everything in the cup in the correct order as cool the drink instead of just melt the ice. Additionally they have a great loose leaf tea selection and their black coffee hits the mark.
The staff are great and I am always impressed how they are able to handle the long lines. Among others, both Stef and Lexi are wonderful — they make great drinks and warm and friendly.
I would definitely stop by if you are in the neighborhood — just maybe don’t order their Chai latte.

My sister and I stopped by Espresso Royale last week for a chai tea latte on a dreary morning. This is a cute, small coffee shop with plenty of seating. They serve a variety of lattes and also have a few breakfast entrees and sandwiches for lunch.
I thought their chai tea was OK, but nothing special. It was a little too milky so it lacked some flavor. I also thought the portion size was pretty tiny. I’ve never seen a size small latte that is quite that small. The cup was like a child size cup!
I would go back, but I might try something different than the chai.

Formerly Brewberry’s, an indie coffeeshop hotspot on the corner of Randolph and Fairview in St. Paul, the local chain Espresso Royale has now bought the shop. All in all, only minor changes have taken place. Somehow, it’s lost a little of its indie appeal nonethess, but contrasted against the Caribou across the street, it still plays David to corporate Goliaths.
The staff is generally friendly, and the place is usually busy but not so busy that you can’t find a table. Great place to hang out and work, or read, or surf their free wireless. One note is that this is a place people often meet friends to chat, so there are often a number of conversations going around you. If you want to read or work in silence, this may not be good for you. On the other hand, if you want to chat without feeling like you’re violating social norms of silence, this may be exactly what you’d like. Either way, good tastes and a mellow vibe make this coffeeshop a winner. The change in ownership has been noticed by its regulars, but by and large it’s the same as it ever was.