Grinder Coffee

I ordered a tea and egg sandwich and was served promptly and cheaply. The egg salad was great although a little runny and the tea came in a very hot mug with no handle — my only complaints.
The employee was friendly and the music was some of the best I’ve heard in a Toronto coffee shop! The wifi was free and fast and the chairs comfy. I’ll definitely be returning!

I decided to drop by and checkout this place on a cold afternoon. I purchased an america no with a double shot of espresso. It tasted decent. $ 3.
The décor is nice, artsy and casual, and the staff and patrons were friendly. The menu however consisted of three types of Montréal bagels ranging from $ 3 – 7 and some cellophaned wrapped squares, muffin, and cookies.
They have free wifi and lots of tables and a comfortable couch.
It’s a great low key hangout and a local alternative to the chain coffee houses.

Under new management. Free wifi. Great atmosphere and the baristas are very friendly. I don’t drink coffee but judging by the comments I’ve overheard, it’s quite excellent. The teas are moderately varied and wonderful.
The baked goods are fresh and baked onsite. Yummy.

Grinder has become my go-​to local coffee shop. I can’t speak for their other coffees but their cappuccinos are almost always excellent — done in the traditional Italian way, as good as the ones I had in Italy — strong espresso, foam tamped down into the milk and poured directly in rather than dabbed on top. A small one is $ 3.35, tax included. All desserts look good but I can only speak personally for their luscious dark chocolate brownie. Sandwiches, soups and stews are all made in house. James, the owner, was formerly a restaurant chef and it shows in the quality of the offerings. Baristas range from very charming and friendly to polite and distant — all of them know how to make a traditional cappuccino. Actually, the space isn’t very large and the only negative for me is that it can sometimes feel crowded and noisy — a small price to pay for my daily cappuccino fix.

Grinder Coffee is a quiet café at the corner of a neighbourhood block in Leslieville. Considering that it’s not a tiny space, I wished the café had one or two bigger tables rather than the singular round ones. Usually when arriving to a café I have yet to review, I would ask the barista right away if I could do a interview. The barista said if it could be done quickly because she wanted to get back to chatting with her father since she never had the time to spend it with him. Although she wasn’t outright rude, I found this to be off-​putting because I was the one and only customer there at the time. She had plenty of time to speak with her father, which she did afterwards when she was done with my order. Being from a business background, you don’t tell a customer to hurry up because you have something else you want to do that is not related to work. That just gives a customer a bad image of your company.
Rant aside, I did quite enjoy the chai latte I ordered. It was a bit too much on the sweetness but I rather have it sweet than not. When I came back again a few days later, I ordered the same drink again because it really appealed to the sweet tooth in me.

Really 3 ½ stars. The barista was charming. She was having a lovely conversation with some people at the counter but without missing a beat, took my order and prepared my Americano while also preparing an order of food for another customer. Pretty impressive.
I have been to Grinder Coffee before, and remembered too late that I’d had an Americano on my previous visit as well. Sadly I didn’t love it then or now — a bit too thin for my taste — but I would definitely return and try something else.
The bench on the sidewalk in front of the café features a silhouette of a person sitting, arms outstretched, as if enjoying the chance to watch the world go by. It’s a quirky introduction to a very nice café.

Coffee was ok, glad to grab one just before going to work. Wish they had more choice in types of coffee though. Awesome treats and sandwiches! Great addition to the area! Its a cozy spot.

I came in today completely unaware of their early closing hours, but I travelled far to get my coffee passport stamped and hopeful on a delicious drink.
Firstly, the barista was incredibly rude. A couple relevant questions were asked to which passive aggressive and monotone 1-​word responses were given. By the look of its reviews, Grinder can’t afford to give attitude nor get choosey with customers. Apparently it also can’t afford to train it’s employees.
Now to the drink; my latte tasted so bad it was binned after 1 sip. Generally I ask for alternative milk & rarely depend on dressing my coffees; the end product of what this barista made tasted like wet paper that no amount of additives & improvising could have saved its miserable life.
Nothing positive to say.
Major disappointment after wishing for a good ‘non-​timmies’ coffee shop for this neighbourhood.

The espresso was a well balanced solid shot with good flavor, just a bit bitter but none the less I found it uninspiring. Frankly, at $ 3.40 for an espresso, I was expecting more. The place itself, as others have mentioned, is very nice, staff was friendly… Coffee is good but not on par with places like Fahrenheit or Te Aro etc. That being said, in this part of town it is most likely your best bet.

I tried an Americano at Grinder today and it was decent. The espresso is great, but not my favourite in Toronto. This is more of a personal preference though.
The atmosphere and area is really cool and the people working there were very friendly. There was a ton of delicious looking treats and I picked up a home baked granola bar (delicious!).
Their prices are a little higher than other coffee places in Toronto.
I look forward to going back.

The view might not be the best looking at Gerrard Square… but the coziness and friendliness of Grinder Coffee make up for that.
I like those little round bistro like round table, perfect size for a net book and a cup of coffee…
Barista took my order at the counter and asked me just take a seat and she would bring it over. great services even with me using my Coffee Passport.
My Cappuccino has this nice milk froth, though look quite thick but not creamy at all… in fact it is smooth and velvety. I spooned it up like a little mousse dessert…
Free WIFI but you need to ask for the password…

I almost took a picture of my sandwich, because It was that bad. I didn’t though — cus I don’t want to get in the habit of photographing my food unless I need it for evidence in court (it wasn’t quite as bad as that).
But it was awful. The Grinder has a fridge full of sandwiches that look and sound tasty from a distance, and I chose turkey with mango on a grainy bread. What I got, were two pieces of bread with about 2 tbls of filling. I kid ye not. I opened the sandwich and the measly filling sat like a half a ping-​pong ball that was too small to spread. And what little turkey there was had plenty of gristle. It was not good.
Normally I’m quite forgiving, except that it’s almost impossible to mess up a turkey sandwich. All you need is fresh bread, good meat, and sufficient portions and the Grinder failed miserable on two counts. Apart from the nice bread, the sandwich felt cheap, and lazy.
To make matters worse, my friend had a slice of pumpkin loaf (I think) which tasted dry and old. I like the Grinder, and I’ve had experiences with their lattes that have been between average, and very good. But this area is getting competitive, and I’d prefer to spend my money somewhere that is consistently great.

Last stop on the Indie Coffee Passport !!
This place is across from Gerrard square. Again the setup was surprising good for this area and the patio was just amazing (bit noisy as it faces the main Gerrard drag). I ordered my cappuccino and picked a table outside as I wanted celebrate the passport finale with a cigar.
The serving is generous. No latte art. The milk itself was frothed well. The espresso was mellow but the drink itself was quite decent.
2.5 for the Cappuccino with 4 star for the setup and 5 for the sitting area outside.
Same quality as 2011 now the sad thing is that they have removed the patio seating though one can still find a spot to sit.

This is a nice, local coffee shop, but it doesn’t measure up to the city’s best (Rooster, Crema, Mercury, Dark Horse and the like).
The barista today was VERY friendly and helpful. He asked how much foam I wanted on my cappuccino, and I said «none». It ended up quite foamy, but I took it, no complaints. When I went up to ask for the wifi password, he asked if it had too much foam. He had realised that it probably did, and offered to make another. I said that it was OK… no problem. He asked, «are you sure?» Positive!
Anyhoo, after I finished it, I jokingly told him he could make it up to me by giving me a half cup of brewed coffee, just so I could sit a bit longer. He insisted on making me an Americano, gratis. He really aimed to please. Service means a lot, eh?

A good cozy spot for coffee with really nice people at the helm. Their baked-​goods selection is excellent, and they even carry PEC donuts! Sandwiches and ice cream round-​out the offerings. A side-​patio is available, with lots of casual seating. The bleachers on the outside wall offer some nice solo seating as well.
All in all, a very serviceable café, with above-​average coffee for the area. I don’t hesitate to drop in when I feel the urge for a cappuccino when I’m puttering about.

I had a really poor cappuccino here today. It was in a really big cup and bitter. Adam has made me nice drinks in the past but he wasn’t there today.
The good:
— vastly extended hours — open Sundays and until 7pm most nights
— they have wifi now
— LARGE selection of baked goods — like over 15 things. I don’t know if they’re good but there sure are a lot to choose from. I think I saw circles and squares muffins so that’s always a safe bet if you aren’t sure.
— huge selection of sandwiches and they are all $ 5
— good selection of cold drinks (including coke in glass bottles, juices, lemonade)
— side street patio
— staff was friendly
The bad:
— my drink was bad today and the size of the take out cup leads me to believe it would be bad again tomorrow too
— the prices are weird — it was $ 3.83 or something for a cappuccino — not only is that more expensive that most places it’s weird not to end on a quarter amount. I felt slightly bad putting my pennies in the tip jar, but like… no one wants pennies, just make it $ 4 if it has to be that close. It was an annoying amount and didn’t leave a lot of tip options. Most coffee shops are $ 3.25 or $ 3.5 and you get some loonies and quarters back to work with. I had to fish around in my pocket for extra change for a tip and it’s annoying.
— I don’t really like the inside seating options/​décor
I probably won’t go back here unless it’s for a sandwich or a pastry and a lemonade. Or a Coke in a glass bottle. Yeah, probably not actually.

What is up with EVERYONE thinking they can charge Starbucks prices?! I mean for over $ 5 for a chai latte your chai better be brought in on a golden elephant!!! (and if it is can I pet it?)
I can’t even comment on whether it’s good or not because I was hard pressed to spend that much on something that is TEA AND MILK!
And their bran muffin was a tad dry.
Oh and if you’re hitting up this place after mom/​baby yoga like I was — make sure to bring a buddy because navigating the stairs and door without a helper is fairly impossible… you may as well head over to the cheaper and accessible Tim Horton’s across the street.

This place gets two stars for the baked goods. Everything I’ve tried has been excellent, and there are a number of not-​sickeningly-​sweet options.
Ultimately, however, I just don’t like it.
My reasons:
(1) The décor is cold and shoddily done. They do not provide towels or a hand drier for the washroom sink (which, by the way, is not actually in the washroom). Plywood bench mentioned by previous poster is uncomfortable and too high for tables. Tables are wobbly. Whole place has a spit-​and-​glue appearance that is maybe supposed to be charming but comes off as slipshod.
(2) Maybe I’m completely imagining this, but I’ve gotten a weird vibe here. The staff is absolutely friendly, but I get the impression that they are vying for a certain clientele (DINK condo-​dwellers and the like) and they roll out an over-​the-​top brand hospitality for those who fit the profile. It seems to me that they’re trying (too hard) to be an upscale café in a still-​rough-​around-​the-​edges neighbourhood. Pretension in this neck of the woods is kind of ridiculous. And lest you think I’m bitter, I pretty much fit the profile and was extended said hospitality – it just felt fake.
(3) The prices are silly. More than $ 4 for a latte and the same price for a hot chocolate. This I could forgive if the lattes were fantastic, but…
(4) The latte and Americano were both weak and unpleasantly bitter. Absolutely not worth $ 4.22. (Not rounding prices to the nearest number is another pet peeve of mine.) More expensive than most other indie places in the city. Ones that actually serve quality espresso drinks. Have you been to Sam James? They make a $ 3.25 latte that kicks this latte’s ass into the next millennium.
Boil it down to personal preference, I suppose, but Grinder rubs me the wrong way.

I can tell that a lot of people come here for the product but not the delivery of it. My boyfriend’s Americano was great and the cider was fantastic — not too sugary and extremely appley. Also loved the giant cinnamon stick. I wondered if the prices were out of the price range of people in the neighbourhood.
Décor has to be slightly worked on — not a lot of comfy places to sit, and I can’t really understand the giant plywood board at the front of the store with pillows — it seems highly uncomfortable, even with the pillows.
I’m not a regular café wifi user and am not in the hood, but I can see what other users mean by the lack of wifi and the times being super inconvenient. I do like, however, the TV showing when the next TTC streetcar is coming, that was a highly courteous addition… hope they can extend that to their hours and wifi coverage.

No wifi. Bad hours. Not cozy.
This area badly needs a nice café that invites one to hang out and kick back, but Grinder isn’t it yet. Grinder needs to add wifi, stay open after dark, and replace the cafeteria style tables with something that encourages one to relax and think (and drink coffee) all day long.