Low key atmosphere, straight forward menu with good, simple and real food. Great for studying or conversations. Small play area for kids. Ice cream! Great prices. This place is an understated gem!
Shawn S.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Highland, St. Paul, MN
The food and coffee quality is average. It’s best to go in with the assumption that the food will take forever to make and that the employees are not excited to be working. They’re also famous for having vagrants off the street sleep on their couches.
Tim L.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Saint Paul, MN
Ordered soup and grilled cheese. Both cold! Cheese not even melted. No spoons. Had to ask. Cashier was barely tolerable of my order. Asked how she was doing and she replied, Oh, I’m alright. Downhill from there. Terrible.
Bella D.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Minneapolis, MN
The staff at Ginkgo is among the friendliest I’ve ever encountered. The coffee is good, their tea is good, and their ice cream and most baked goods are ok, and they have a very affordable breakfast menu as well. The food aspect is hit or miss, but the coffee and the comfortable atmosphere is what makes it for me. I once came in at 11:50pm because I was having a bad night and wanted a cookie, and I said, «I’m assuming you’ve cleaned and turned off your coffee machines for the night?» and they said, «Nope, we keep one open until closing because we don’t want to turn anybody down.» I was able to get coffee at 11:50pm without feeling like an asshole who was ruining their night, and they were happy to help me. As a Hamline student and a resident of the Midway neighborhood, I love having a place like this.
Rex N.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Minneapolis, MN
I’d call this a comfort zone, with a strange array of tables and chairs plus a couple of comfy couches. Decent coffee and treats, and the best $ 5 roast beef sandwich I know of.
Joshua G.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Carlinville, IL
I realized today that I’ve been coming to Ginkgo’s since 1991. Excellent coffee, generous sizing, friendly staff, and solid, consistent food. The atmosphere is a lot more spacious than any other café in the area, and they have parking(in back). I don’t know how often(if at all) they still do live music, but the acoustics are decent and they consistently brought in good local talent. There’s nothing stellar about the place, but in an era where independent cafes are disappearing so fast that it seems that they’re under siege, it’s great to have this stalwart still here almost 25 years after I started going. As Ahmad R. notes, Ginkgo’s isn’t upscale, isn’t trying to be upscale, doesn’t need to be upscale, and has enough funky charm to make it excellent. Clearly some others have had not-so-good experiences, but this is my go-to café in St. Paul.
Adam D.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Merriam Park, St. Paul, MN
The coffee and tea are what you should go here for. The food is extremely bland and mostly lacks taste. The atmosphere is ok at best. Older place that does have its feel, but not for me. I would get drinks to take out.
Boone D.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Saint Paul, MN
Just your average coffee shop. It’s decent because it’s right near campus(where I’m going to grad school), and it’s better than Starbucks on most occasions. It does seem like they let the coffee sit a bit too long in the warmers and can be bitter, which isn’t that great. Overall, though, it’s a good place. It’s about 50⁄50 on the service. Most folks are nice, but there are a few who apparently don’t have their coffee in the mornings and can be crabby.
Cecilia J.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Minneapolis, MN
Not super clean, not super cheap. The trick about Ginkgo is knowing what to order – the menu isn’t super amazing. But the iced café(espresso, ice, and ice cream) is worth a trip in itself; sugar and caffeine team up in this excellent drink. If the barista is confused when you order(high staff turn-around will do that), just point to it under«Ice Cream» on the menu board farthest from the right. I think a medium is around $ 3.50. I wouldn’t recommend their drip-brew coffee or chai/hot chocolate/etc. They do have a large selection of teas, which are very popular, but I prefer coffee as a rule. Chocolate croissants here get my approval, and the curry chicken salad sandwich is great if a little overpriced. All in all, I’m a fan. I like the atmosphere, actually, and the iced cafés keep me coming back.
Ahmad R.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Saint Paul, MN
The atmosphere here is cozy. It’s not a high end joint, but that’s not a bad thing and the prices are more reasonable than other spots. Maybe it’s a bit disorganized looking and the food behind the glass leaves you wanting, but there is an old charm in the creaky boards and spaciousness. Also, the espresso is good, pretty smooth(they may have upgraded this in the past few months?)
Becky L.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 St Paul, MN
Gross wrap, okay latte, pissy barista. I will be going elsewhere when I’m in the area.
Brit B.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Saint Paul, MN
Reasonably priced coffee, good atmosphere. A nice, casual place. Didn’t have a chance to try any of the food but they have a good selection and seemed to have ample options for whatever your dietary needs might be. They also have a stage for music which is always a plus!
Alicia S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Saint Paul, MN
Great environment, great prices, great drinks, great service, and unlike most coffee shops, they are open LATE!
Josh T.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Minneapolis, MN
Small, utilitarian coffee house. Nothing fancy, but quality smoothies and grilled cheese.
Kristi C.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Portland, OR
Parking available in back of the building, nothing fancy will greet you as you enter this local coffee shop. You’ll find friendly service and a mildly strong latte.
Jennifer S.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Saint Paul, MN
It sucks being ignored when waiting to order something. This past Saturday evening, we entered through the back door and walked past a staff member who was organizing/or putting out trinkets for sale. She made no attempt to assist us. We stood at the counter to wait for service — there was another staff member just around the corner in the kitchen who turned and would have seen us standing there. She just kept on cutting up the potatoes. After waiting for a few minutes, I peeked around the end of the counter and asked for service. Moments later, the potato-cutter came out to assist us. Meanwhile, the trinkets were being replenished…
Amina O.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Minneapolis, MN
OK now that I have recently moved to the Hamline-Midway area this is the closest coffee shop to my house and I’ve now been here enough to really get a good feel. I like Ginkgo’s a lot! I still stand by my early discontent with their small starting as a 10oz, but overall the regular coffee is great. Each day they have an organic coffee that comes from all over the world. In a week you can try Moroccan, Mexican, Kenyan, and French coffee roasts, many of them organic. I’m glad I gave this place another shot because the staff is really great. Half price for coffee refills leave me spending many mornings doing homework here!
Valerie S.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 St Paul, MN
I want to like this place because it’s a few blocks away… But the last time I went, I paid over $ 3.00 for a small(small as in much smaller than McDonald’s child size) for an iced coffee that was 60% ice and 1% ‘coffee’ taste. Come on, really? You’re a ‘Coffeehouse,’ shouldn’t be that hard? Oh yeah, the store smelled like garbage too. No bueno.
Glen S.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Minneapolis, MN
Absolutely a great little place in St. Paul. Local, right off a main street, fun, clean and has everything. i love the fact that they have live music(hence why I part-take in — the Unilocal for live music) and that they support local people. The drinks are great and made with love. Plus, they have ice cream. They have a separate area for kids to play. I can’t say enough fun things about this place. But again you might ask, «Say Glendon, so why not give this great place a 5?» and again, I’ll tell you to zip it and because I don’t like coffee. If you do like coffee, stop on by before you head over to the State Fair grounds.
Cletis H.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Minneapolis, MN
Went here this morning for Coffee with a friend. This place is clearly a neighborhood gem. Friendly Service and great pastries. They have a small section with unique games and toys from the 60’s. It is really cool to take a look through.