Common Grounds Coffee House & Desserts

Lots of coffees and teas to select. I went for the LARGE Red Rooibos (HOT) with no additives; straight up.
Was warm on a cool day; filled me with energy and loads of anti-​oxidants.
Seating is limited. High seat bistro tables and some regular seats. Always a bustle of activity in this quaint downtown area.

this is my local coffee shop… matcha tea latte is my FAVE. plenty of seating, although it gets busy, usually not hard to find a table if needed. wifi is stable. nice variety of sweets to eat (scones, cheese cakes, cookies & muffins). The staff are always friendly & helpful. Ecclectic décor of coffee mugs, coffee bags and craft beer bottles. Not overly noisey for the size of the space, and close proximity of tables.

I LOVE local coffee shops, so when visiting North Carolina, I made it my mission to stop by one. Common Grounds is extremely cute and ‘homey.’ I loved walking in and seeing random things for sale, along with people just chatting, I could tell this is a great place to study. The employees are extremely friendly as well, which is a huge plus in my book. I also loved the décor and aesthetic, especially the records hanging on the walls near the bathroom. I ordered the white mocha which was excellent, and I wish I had ordered a pastry cause they all looked so delicious. If I lived in the area I would probably be a regular customer here, thats how bomb it is.

Nice quaint little spot in Downtown Apex. Service is phenomenal, beverages are sensational. I think I Love this place.

Mixed feelings about this place. I really like the space and the fact its a local company. but the bottom line, though, is – it’s all about the coffee. Our first visit was copasetic. The varietal coffee was quite good and as I said to my friend, I could see us spending a lot of time hanging out there. We liked the atmosphere, the snacks and the baristas.
The second visit was another story. The varietal coffee was not available, so we ordered the house blend. BIG mistake! It was one of those «house blends» made of stale/​poor quality beans that have no flavor, but are treated with a caffein bath to make them seem better. The artificiial caffeine gives you a most unpleasant sensation… It’s the kind of coffee you get from a coffee vending machine or run-​down gas station. It made us very hyper and a little sick. We kept saying «What’s in this stuff?» «Why would Common Grounds sell this»?

Love this place! There is so much variety, for coffee and sweets. There are options for vegan, gluten-​free, or lactose intolerant people. My go-​to is the medium, soy, caramel macchiato. Friendly staff, great atmosphere inside, and live music sometimes! Very family friendly yet a cool, chic place to hang out and talk, do homework, read, work on your laptop, whatever.

This review is more of a 3.5, but I’ll round up to a 4 because they’re super friendly.
I’ve stopped by Common Grounds a few times now and the interior gives off such a cool vibe – it’s relaxing and eclectic. The ceiling is lined with coffee bean burlap sacs and the windows are lined with various coffee mugs that make excellent gifts.
But onto more important things – how’s the coffee? I’ve had a couple of their seasonal hot specialty coffees and LOVED them. Such a smooth brew and great flavors. I did come once during the summertime with my family though and we all got various iced coffees and frappes, but it tasted very watered down. I’ve also tried a few cheesecakes, and those have been hit or miss as well. Either I loved them or just found them to be bland.
The staff has always been very friendly and willing to answer any questions about their seasonal drinks helpful when choosing a mug to gift a friend.
TL;DR: I will be back for their seasonal drinks for sure, but I’ll most likely only get hot drinks from now on.

Great place to relax on a rainy day. Good atmosphere and perfect place to get work done. Loved the green tea!

The dessert here is amazing and I love their iced teas. They also have lots of different coffee options but I haven’t tried many of those. The staff is always friendly and the décor is super cute.

Busy little spot on a Monday morning. Came here for a business meeting. Not much of a line but had to wait several minutes before I ordered. Staff seemed friendly. I ordered a hot tea. They have a variety of flavors. Baked goods looked fresh. There are sofas, low tables and high tables. I would not recommend this place for large groups of people. Great for 2 to 4 people at a table.

I shall drop this into my coffee chest…
To start with, they have a definitely thought through the décor. The walls are filled with cups which are up for sale. I would refrain from saying anymore and let you experience it. Speciality Mocha was good and tasted close to the filter coffee I have had in India. I enjoyed it. My wife wanted a tea instead. They had a separate menu for teas which gave me a higher expectation for the tea that we were going to order. The tea turned out to be Mighty leaf tea :-|.
We couldn’t help but delve into their desserts. We ordered Death by Chocolate Cheesecake. It was delicious. Very rich and creamy.
Bottomline: Good coffee and desserts and nice ambience for book worms and coffee lovers.

We have started exploring coffee shops in Apex and this one was another treasure.
First look at their menu and you would notice they have a big list of beverages. The teas were mighty leaf tea bags so you know what to expect. My husband had ordered a speciality coffee & he seemed to enjoy it. Their dessert selection was limited consisting of cookies & cheesecake. We had the Death by chocolate cheesecake which we loved.
They also seem to have merchandise for sale. The wall of mugs… oh they are just a pleasure to look. Each one was so unique with character. Next time I need to buy a mug for someone special, I’m definitely coming here. The WiFi was good speed as well.
I give them 4 stars as I dint really taste their coffee. However
I can definitely see myself going back to this place for more good times.

Despite being a native (more or less) Apexican, I walked into Common Grounds for the first time today. Common Grounds is a delightful little coffeehouse located in Downtown Apex. The word downtown has a rather nasty connotation, especially with regards to parking, but that’s one lovely thing about Apex — a lot of free parking nearby.
I never know what to order at coffee places, as I don’t White Girl very hard. The gentleman working at the counter was very friendly and receptive to me being a newbie and relative coffee neophyte. He suggested an Iced Mocha after asking me a few questions about what I wanted.
I’ll never get paying ~$ 4 for coffee, but this is the price to expect from anywhere. The Mocha itself was delicious. However, I’ve been overloaded on caffeine lately, so I feel my heart beating very fast as I type this review. Yeah, hopefully I don’t pass out. At least until I finish this review.
The décor and ambiance make Common Grounds a true winner. Everything about the space is warm and inviting. Unlike coffeehouses in major metropolitan areas/​hipster havens, the clientele is pretty cool. As I type this, I am the only person writing on my Macbook who looks super stressed out while sporting a perpetual disapproving look on my face.
Common Grounds is an incredible space to hang out and do some work. I’m by no means a coffee connoisseur, but the environment itself is certainly worth the price of admission. Come experience it for yourself.

I love this place.
I know that I’m drinking good solid coffee when I have to sip it, and not finish it off in 3 seconds. They have a diverse list of flavors, available year round posted on the cash register, so be sure to check it out.
I’m also a fan of coffee shops with random décor, and album covers from the 80’s definitely fits the bill, not to mention the super cute mugs they have on sale. Seating is a little sparse, but outdoor seating is available which is always a plus for me.
Staff is incredibly friendly and the assortment of baked goods are always fresh. While the amount of times I go here is few and far between because of the distance from Raleigh, it is definitely worth the trip!

Okay I really like this coffeehouse. I came back again and tried their piña colada icee (off the seasonal specialty drinks menu) and their iced almond latte. Both were delicious. Again, the piña colada was a little on the sweeter end, but no big deal. It was gooood. But the iced almond latte. Dang!!! I don’t think I’ve tasted an almond latte with such strong coffee AND almond flavors. It was amazing. I want to try more of their coffees.
There was also a man who was setting up to play some music. Live music on the weekends? Love it!

Excellent service, best baked goods and wireless of any coffee house in Apex and Cary, tons of charm, and great location. I am there at least twice a week and sometimes work on my laptop there all day. The espresso blend is very smokey and not my favorite taste among espressos. More comfortable seating for those of us sitting longer than an hour and some sandwich options would bump this rating to 5.

I want to love this place, I really really do. I’ve been in three times now and just haven’t found a reason to keep going back.
I love the location and I love the vibe inside. The outside seating is nice and makes for fun people watching.
Unfortunately, the coffee leaves me wondering what’s happening here. It’s mediocre at best. I love going to other coffee joints around the Raleigh area (Jubala, Sola…) and think that I’ll skip Grounds and venture a little further for excellent coffee that’s smooth and flavorful. The house brew tasted like the coffee I could brew at home in my Keurig. The frappes taste like cigarette ash (that’s my opinion anyway) and I’ve had a cookie here that was obviously shipped in from somewhere else and wasn’t house made. There’s nothing special about this place. At all.
So…one star for awesome location. That’s the best thing about Grounds.

3.5 rounded to 4 Unilocal stars for the Vibe and Décor
Cool Place! To me it is important that a Coffee House is a Place I want to hang out with my Girlfriend or guy friends or people I do NOT know! Lots of regulars so it had a friendly Neighborhood feel! A location that could attract like-​minded People who may want to share ideas or just relax together and whether I win or lose. Chinese Checkers is relaxing, thus Recreational for me… My opponents Often feel like it is WORK and NOT because they Lose, but because I make it Hard!
Lookalota? Kinda! The potential is certainly there!
Here is where I was disappointed: :
I’m really Not that familiar with Coffee, I only know what I like. This one had a Burnt flavor to it and though it was still good and I would give it less than 3 Unilocal stars, I would get it again… The Guy here says he roasts his own Beans, so, I would give him another Chance…
Black and White Cookie was A-​OK though I would not give it even a fraction higher than 3 stars… I LOVE Great Black and White Cookies and this one was only good!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar, looked good and tasted good, though no better than 3 stars… I would not repeat either of these baked goods
Rooibos Tea was the HUGE Letdown!!! I LOVE Rooibos when it is Good, this was the opposite! I did not hate this one and I kept drinking it for three days…
Day 1 in the Coffee House HOT… Flavor gets less two stars unless you are comparing it to regular «Lipton» Tea! NOT a compliment unless you like Lipton!!! It lacked EVERYTHING beyond that! I was Real Surprised because they have a Rooibos Section on their Menu Chalk Board and the Chai-​ish sounding Designer Rooibos Drinks, though I want my Rooibos «Plain» with just Sugar to get the real Flavor of the Tea! The next two days continuing to drink this one cup, it did get a little better though not quite a 2 star rating better! Is this the wrong time of year to order Rooibos?

When it comes to coffee I’ve learned it’s an extremely personal taste experience. For instance I think Starbucks is on the overly strong and bitter side and what I’ve had from McD’s always taste old, like it’s been in the pot for forever. So with that said, when it comes to food reviews and coffee reviews always take it with a grain of salt knowing everything comes from a personal understanding of flavor components.
With that said i would say I really liked the coffee here. The beans had just been roasted by the owner on Wed and although bold and strong, did not taste over roasted to me (Mr. O doesn’t agree with me though. I suppose I’ll allow it, lol)
I usually try 2 things at a coffee shop, and iced latte and a hot latte. Tonight I got both, iced for tonight and hot for in the a.m. (although I sampled it while it was still hot.) I found both to be very good. I requested the iced have hazelnut flavor, which was very nice. They didn’t inundate the coffee with to much syrup like most places; I could still taste the coffee.
For the hot latte I got it plain with no flavor and just added sugar. It gives me a chance to taste the actually coffee flavor. I sampled last night and as I partake of it this a.m. I find it to be an excellent cup of coffee.
The inside of this place is fun. It has a coffee House meets local bar kind of feel. Kind of a cozy warm feeling. There are tall tables, short tables, and bar seats. Wifi is also available. Bar guy was super nice and fast.
I think the only complaint I have is parking. Downtown apex parking can be a bit on the crazy side depending on the time of day. There is a nice sized lot behind the downtown area and it is a short little walk back to downtown, but good luck finding a spot in the lot on Friday night! But despite parking if I’m back in the area, this place would be on my list to grab a cup o Joe!

Growing up in Apex, back in the day there weren’t any cool coffee shops to hang out at. Common Grounds is a great addition to the thriving downtown strip Apex now offers.
The owners are always there working the counter or as other Unilocalers have mentioned keeping the place spic ‘n span. There seems to be a lot of regulars who stop in on a daily basis. The coffee isn’t the cheapest in town but it’s tasty and I like supporting a local biz especially in my hometown.
Some good information I overhead while lingering was that they are expanding this space and will eventually be serving sandwiches as well. As of now they offer a wide assortment of desserts and baked goods. The cakes in the display case look amazing. I also like that they offer a few micro-​brews and some wine by the glass.
Looking to get outside and observe what’s going on downtown? Check out the small patio in front of the building it’s right on the main drag and is a great place to people watch There are cute coffee mugs for sale decorating the place and plenty of space inside to grab a seat and chat with friends for awhile. Like most coffeehouses these days they do offer free Wi-​Fi.