Gryphon Cafe

The Gryphon is, for me, the definition of what an elegant, relaxed, high-​quality café should be. I first started frequenting the Gryphon the year it opened and spent many a day there working on reading, research, writing or grading during my years in grad school or on faculty at Villanova. I have never had better espresso anywhere, or experienced café staff so elegantly welcoming and serious about quality at the same time.
If you want to spend some quiet time by yourself or with a friend, the Gryphon will give you that; if you want to meet brainy creative people, smart students, college professors, or some of the warmest people in the area, you can find them here too.
Wherever I go in the world, I think of the Gryphon’s beautiful yellow walls, high ceiling, big windows, warm staff and always active sense of community. I have never found another café like it anywhere, but I would recommend anyone running a café visit this one and see what makes it work. The Gryphon Café is that kind of local business that adds value to people’s lives every day.

Absolutely love this café! They have open mic night every Monday from 7−9pm. They also have an amazing Earl Grey Hot Chocolate! It’s to die for! Will definitely be returning

best coffee on the main line, but really meh service… and that has been the case for years… typically takes 5 – 10 minutes to get a drink (including a double espresso) with NO ONE ahead of you in line

Good spot open space, welcoming décor. Nice people. Good soy latte. Love the cool mural painted in the alleyway, lot better then staring at a brick wall.

This is THE place to go for coffee on the Main Line. Drinks are top notch, as are their house beans. Food is good, too. Usually have at least one solid soup and the proscuitto sandwich is tasty. Hummus platters are nice and fresh as well. The only downside is sometimes it’s hard to get a seat, which shows how popular it is in the community.

It was such a wonderful surprise to come back and find that their is no annoying light bulb or loud music!
I was lucky enough to be served by who I hope was the owner. He just had the right touch of friendliness, speed and a great way to communicate with his co-​workers and clients, very calm and respectful.
I had an Ethiopian regular drip and it was delicious, fruity and little acidic. Just the right amount.
I said before, «I hope this guy is the owner“because people like him deserve to have their own business.

My biggest concern is cleanliness. The 2 baristas or staff members present were eating behind the bar from an open bag of chips that I imagine are for food orders, and they were totally unattentive to me. I ordered a latte and scone, which they nearly burned in the toaster warming it up. I don’t trust having those hands prepping food. I originally visited because my friend had her artwork on display but I don’t ever plan on returning for food.

Located next door or actually in the adjoining space to a yoga studio, this place is disorganized, not very easy for first-​timers, and not at all business oriented, and perhaps that is part of its charm, I don’t know. It has soooo much potential however, given its huge parking lot and proximity to everything, it is only about 100 yards of Lancaster Ave.
There is no menu chalkboard or advertising whatsoever. The baked goods are not even displayed where you can see them unless you lean over the glass separating you from the counter. I am not even sure how you would order any of them at all since they don’t even have labels. No prices anywhere, unless you specifically ask for a menu, and the menu isn’t complete.
I ordered a coffee, it had decent flavor but not special. I also ordered a cup of mulligatawny soup in a cup. Well… it came in a bowl with slices of baguette, a great bargain given its size and heartiness. It was the thickest mulligatawny I have ever had and flavorful. Lots of lentils, light curry, quite filling. I asked the counter guy what’s in it, he didn’t know and asked another guy sitting down at a table, «where do we get the mulligatawny» the other guy said he thought it was from blah blah blah. Ah, so you guys don’t even make it yourself. But they are all about fresh, organic, healthy stuff here, blah blah blah.
Don’t get me wrong, everyone seemed genuine, how can you go wrong getting food next door to a yoga studio, right? But this place is just all over the map and doesn’t seem to have any identity.
The patrons, most of them, looked like they came out of a yoga class, workout clothes, and all were having great chat with each other. There also seemed to be a serious meeting going on in the other room. I was afraid I walked into some secret society of Yoga/​Coffee/​TalkingAtTables/​OrganicMuffin people.

Lovely atmosphere and good espresso and pastries.

There is no truer coffee house anywhere on the main line.
In fact, you forget you’re on the main line the moment you walk in. No WASPY pretense. No cookie cutter franchise schmaltz. Just fresh coffee, fresh café fare, and fresh smiles.
All the usual caffeinations, of course. You drink real coffee-​house brew? You’ll find what you like. Or they will make it for you.
The large chalkboard menu cues you to the day’s food specials. Fantastic soups, sandwiches and salads. If for some strange reason nothing speaks to you, and you want something between a snack and a meal, see if they have any millet muffins left. Ask for one toasted with peanut butter and honey on the side. Trust me. It’s outstanding.
There’s an upstairs room for small group discussions and to spread out a bit if it gets too tight downstairs. Not always the best place if you only have a minute to jump in for a Java to go. The line doesn’t move that fast. It’s not always meant to. This place is for folks who want to take a moment.
Enjoy the coffee, the food, and the splendid vibe.

Used to play open mic nights here when I was in college. Very very tiny but it’s the atmosphere. Nothing like having the doors open on a summer night and playing some acoustic guitar!
It’s definitely a kid hangout on the weekends and especially on open night mic. If someone’s friend is playing, it’s practically chuck e cheese until they’re done and then it’s empty again. As for food and coffee average Wayne snob «we’re the best because we’re main line» but not bad

The Gryphon is a staple of Wayne. For excellent coffee and an eclectic atmosphere come and hang out for a while. There’s free Wi-​Fi and local art! I believe that the art is rotated every 2 to 3 weeks. Three artists are featured each time. The braces are kind and for the most part knowledgeable about products. Highlight is the outdoor backside mural and newly potted plants in burlap coffee bean sacs. I love the coffee however the sandwiches could use a little bit more bulk to them (more meat /​cheese/​arugula) especially as they are eight dollars each.

Decent coffee, friendly service, very nice space.

Great coffee! Great food! Terrible service!
I think the shop owner needs to ask her employees if they really want to work with the public… They seem to not enjoy helping the customer.

Absolutely BEST coffee and atmosphere I’ve been to in awhile and I used to live in Center City with coffee shops on every corner. The baristas are artists. House blend is unlimited, chocolate espresso biscotti was delicious, and great music to top off the atmosphere. I’m a self proclaimed coffee snob and would give this place 10 stars if possible.

The best coffee shop on the main line. Their drinks are awesome – the chai is so good there, also the tea assortment is crazy good (my favorite is the strawberry green tea. YUM)
Food-​wise they are never a disappointment either. It is probably my favorite place to grab lunch… period. Their sandwiches are so good – hummus sandwich (best creamiest hummus EVER) and the portabella sandwich (this is my favorite portabella sandwich I’ve ever had). And they have my all time favorite soup, the tomato carrot bisque. I could eat that for days. In fact, I do go there usually every week for lunch.
It is kind of small so finding a seat downstairs can be challenging. They sometimes have performances there which are always enjoyable. And the service is good – the only time I was displeased was once when they had forgotten a drink order for my friend and I but then they gave us two free drink coupons for next visit and were very apologetic so I forgave them :)

We’re from out of town, and found this place on Unilocal (thank you Unilocal,you didn’t steer us wrong), and we’re looking for a place that made great Cappuccinos and Lattes, Gryphon did not disappoint! It can be a bit difficult to find a table downstairs, but they also have a room upstairs if you don’t mind braving a steep staircase.

Service was very unsatisfactory. They took over 10 minutes to make me a cappuccino and there was no line at all, it just took too long because the employees were busy talking among themselves. When I asked for my drink after 10 min passed they were exasperated! Coffee was good but I came away from my experience at Gryphon Café very frustrated.

Great little coffee shop in Wayne. The atmosphere was nice and the coffee was really solid. Their food also looked delicious, but I didn’t have time to try it.
The only drawback to this place, and the reason they don’t get five stars, is that it took forever to get my coffee. So if you are in a hurry, you might want to find another option. However, if you have time to loiter and grab some breakfast or look at the cool artwork on the walls, the coffee is worth the wait.

Absolutely love this café! The staff is super friendly and welcoming.
The café’s walls were filled with various art pieces that customers may purchase if they would like, which I found interesting.
I ordered the sea salt caramel latte which was delicious.
I read the review about the café’s croissants and tarts so I just had to try both! I ordered the chocolate croissant and the apricot tart to eat at the café.
OMG! My taste buds went to heaven! The croissants were super flaky and crispy in every bite! The tart was superb! It was also flaky and filling tasted wonderful!
I will definitely be back!