The Great Lakes Bloomfield Coffee Bar

The coffee was good, but my experience was ruined by the employee or manager (Joe). I was a frequent customer, but the manage decided to be outrageously rude to my friend and I. We came to study, drink coffee, and eat. Every time we had gone to Great Lakes Coffee in Bloomfield we spent plenty of money, we do not just come in and sit down without buying anything. Throughout the months we have gone their to study we would spend nearly one hundred dollars on food and coffee every time we have gone there. There were several empty tables all around us, but the manager in the suit decided it would be appropriate to come up to us and rudely tell us we «have to» move tables. I am still not sure why he had come up to us specifically when several people were doing the same thing and several tables were open… He then began to stare at us for several minutes and even as we awkwardly stared back he continued to act unprofessionally and misrepresent the company he «works» for. I have «works» in quotations because i do not consider constantly harassing you clientele as working. After being rude to us, he then continued to blatantly stare at us. He then, began to whisper and laugh while stare directly at us, while saying something to one of the other employees. Maybe I was wrong for assuming that none of us were children in grade school who whispered and did childish things to their customers, but I suppose we were wrong. As a result of this «managers» decision to behave like a child, we will no longer be returning to this establishment.

Relaxing atmosphere. Kind staff. Great coffee. & reasonable prices.
I ordered an almond milk late & my husband ordered a black coffee made with «clover method” — apparently Starbucks patented the Clover machines & there are only a few left in the U. S!

I am absolutely in love with this place! What an interesting concept — the coffee bar is attached to the Maple Kitchen and Maple Theater. The whole area is incredibly cozy and well-​designed. Unlike the Great Lakes location in Detroit, I actually felt it was welcoming and would definitely go back again to study.
The drinks are very unique — the hot chocolate is accompanied with a dark chocolate lollipop that melts in the drink. What a nice touch. The drip coffee could use some work though — they burn their beans, a mistake many coffee houses often make.
Because we wanted to get a lot of work done and not waste time, we also had lunch there. The fare is New American — a bunch of wraps, soups, salads, and burgers. I’d have to say though, the price is pretty expensive for what you get. I got a small chicken tender wrap, and the other got a turkey burger. With no sides, it amounted to ~$ 10 a dish.
As for the theater, I didn’t check it out but it seems like it focused on indie movies.
Although the space is cozy and the food/​drinks are great — the internet is terrible. PLEASE FIX THIS

Love the casual wholesome vibe of this place. The layout is ideal for people watching and the people are worth watching. But dw I’m not here often enough to credibly creep on you whilst sipping my honey lavender 8oz macchiato. Speaking of, the coffee is very very good here. Both their espressi (I swear thats the plural of espresso) and their lattes have complex put-​together flavors that are only enhanced by the various flavorings added in. The baristas are very chill and friendly and you don’t have to ask for foam art! (but if you’re planning on gramming then ask so they make it xtra special) The food is ok, I once had this weird dairy and gluten free cookie that while bland, had a mesmerizing texture. Over all, this place has a better atmosphere and [much] better beverages than the nearby Starbucks and on average it only costs $ 1 more

Have been here several times to have coffee before we go out to eat. They have live music and great atmosphere. Have had multiple different blends of coffee and espresso and have all been great. Is attached to a bar and movie theater… Very cool setup… Will come again

Atmosphere is very nice. Loud but very urban! I came here to study and eat lunch. May I say– I wouldn’t study here again. The food was good though! Very limited selection but by the time 6pm hit its all people coming in for dinner. So if you’re coming here to study– best time is to come in the morning and lunch time. I had the pulled bbq chicken sandwich and it was good. Pretty sloppy but it was very filling. And the French fries here taste like McDonald’s (a bit too much oil but good lol) and I heard the grilled cheese sandwich was really good too! Gotta try it soon though!
Also, if you’re not a coffee fan (like myself) don’t waste your time here. All the drinks on the menu besides the beer and alcohol all have coffee in it. So anything you get will always taste like coffee.

As soon you enter this coffee shop, you probably will immediately know what kind of place this is. The Great Lakes Coffee Roasting Company sounds like it could just be another commercialized, homogenized chain like Great Steak Potato Company or something but this establishment could be very easily called something like «Coffica» or «Coffee Republic» or some other pretentious denomination. It’s the land of man buns, warm dark fall colored cardigans, wire frame glasses, and overedited VSCO iPhone pictures of hands with latté art. Chalkboard, rustic fireplace, water in mason jars???
All complaints aside, I do actually like getting coffee/​food here. The employees are friendly and it’s nice environment for studying and/​or meeting up w/​friends!
Keep an eye out for the bearded qt who works behind the bar (hmu if u ever see this :’)))

Great coffee shop! I’ve been here a handful of times. It’s connected to a restaurant (Maple Kitchen) and a movie theater (Maple Theater). The café area is nice and bright from the large windows. There’s also a covered patio/​outdoor seating in the warmer months as well. They have nice wooden floors and a small fireplace.
Good selection of coffees, espresso drinks, pastries, and have a large variety of tea as well. Currently, they only offer one gluten-​free baked item (a gluten free tea cake). You can also order food from the restaurant which has a full liquor bar. They have unsweetened almond milk (yay!) but I wish they served a matcha tea latte!
The music and chatter can get a bit loud, but it’s not terrible.

This is a cute little coffee shop and there’s even a theater attached to it. It’s a good spot for casual hang outs but probably not for studying/​working as it gets a little loud at times. I also liked my order of honey lavender latte here.

I stop here most mornings when I’m in town. The coffee isn’t cheap, but it’s really good, the people are friendly, and it’s a nice place to meet with friends. I usually get the cold brew, but people seem to like the pour overs and special drinks too.

Excellent coffee. Has the pourover bar and a variety of different coffees to choose from. The café is very nice looking inside, staff are very friendly. Great place for the coffee snob (like me) who wants good black coffee but they also had a legit espresso machine.

Nice customer service!!! Try the Kenya coffee, it tastes very bolded.

Triple threat — complete coffee shop, Maple Kitchen Restaurant and Maple Theatre. All excellent and fun. Good craft beer selection. Nice bistrot style menu. A great place to eat, drink and be merry.

My wife and I frequently come to this establishment for lattes and cappuccinos. They have great assortment of drinks and an amazingly friendly staff. The ambience and environment is very inviting, rustic and upscale. Great experience all around.

Soooo good! Coffee snob approved! I’ve had their coffee at other places before, but it was my first time here and the experience was great! The gentleman was so patient and kind with me until I figured out their coffee menu. They have your regular typical espresso drinks, different coffee roasts, and so on. They’re flavor a is what is unique, honey lavender? It’s usually not my type of flavor but he recommended it and I trusted him and glad I did! They have soy options. They roast the coffee nearby so it’s pretty fresh! The atmosphere is café-​ish, then has a bar-​ish/​restaurant section and then a movie theatre. It works!

Friendly services and their coffee is amazing!!! They do prepare their coffee longer so wait a bit if you want to enjoy your coffee with that muffin. Great place to bring someone or catch up with some reading.

I’m definitely not a coffee connoisseur, but I do enjoy a cup now and then. Usually it’s some sort of mocha or latte or something like that from Starbucks. A few days ago I had the Chili Mexican, and it was definitely one of the best cups of coffee I’ve ever had! It wasn’t overly sweet, and it had a nice kick from the Cayenne. The atmosphere was really nice too. The only negative thing about my visit was that there was only one person working, and things seemed a little slow. Overall, it was great. I’ll definitely be back!

Smells like popcorn… neat place get a coffee study watch a movie, interesting place surprisingly quit with a fireplace. Great Lakes coffee light and very smooth.

Coffee as it should be. Carefully brewed, not bitter. Accompanied by breads and food created with care. Ambiance is intellectual and unique to this location. Inside a movie theater. Walls have old cameras with a spot light shining on. Music is lively but not over powering. Fire place invite you to stay comfortable from outside while the coffee warms you from inside.

Until recently I had no idea this was here. I’ve always gone to the location in Detroit (which is awesome). It was good to see that this place followed the model I was used to a bit and had a good ambiance with quirky and friendly staff.
I ordered a Lavendar Latte and it was made quickly and exactly how I wanted it. I love the quality of the drinks here, but I can’t vouch for the food as I didn’t have any.
IMHO way better than any of the other coffee places in the area, and very decently priced.

I heard about this place from a previous Unilocal event, and have had it bookmarked for a while. I didn’t realize it was so close to my house until recently, and decided to stop in this morning for some coffee.
I like this place. It’s nice. I remember this theatre back in the day, and I’m glad they did a remodel with this coffee shop in here. I’ve heard lots of good things about this place, and really liked my time here at Great Lakes Coffee Roasting company. For starters, I love the décor! Plenty of seating, a really cool fireplace and lots of choices on the menu.
I went with a regular cup of coffee this morning, and asked if they had bagels. They said no, which surprised me. They had other pastries, but no bagels. Weird. Also, they have primarily table top seating with no couches available. They have one leather chair in a corner, but would like to see some more couches. I find it uncomfortable to sit in a chair, drink coffee, relax and enjoy the fireplace sitting like that. All the other places have them, why not here? I know it’s insignificant, but do they not want patrons hanging around? Not sure.
Also, whatever music they had on was AWEFUL. I normally don’t pay attention to that stuff, but I was the only person sitting in the coffee shop this morning and it was so quiet I couldn’t ignore it. Can’t they put on something less trendy and more relaxing?
Overall, the place was okay. I don’t mean to sound nit picky, but it’s not like there’s a shortage on coffee shops, and maybe I’m used to certain things. Coffee was good though, and I liked it here.

STOP. TURN AROUND. DO NOT GIVE IN TO YOUR NEED FOR STARBUCK’S. You will thank me… and I follow a pretty strict «only frequent local businesses and regional chains» rule, normally breaking that rule when it comes to my Starbucks addiction. However, I have to say that something led me to discover Great Lakes, and I’m SO glad I stopped in. For all future visits to MI, I’m seeking out Great Lakes.
Why?
Great coffee, awesome espresso, passionate employees, a cool atmosphere, Starbucks-​like prices but better quality, and convenient locations. They also have a pretty extensive food and snack offering, although I didn’t get a chance to sample any food, just a quick grab-​and-​go for a latte.
This particular location shares a building with a local theater, and it’s a very cool space. Ample seating, nice ambiance, dark woods, nice industrial look, etc. The employee who served me and made my Chili Mexican latte was very coffee shop hip, replete with large beard, plus earrings, and an obvious passion for all things coffee/​tea — I dig that.
I highly recommend their espresso drinks — I had the Chili Mexican and my socks were knocked off! Not only did I get my afternoon caffeine fix thanks to the two shots of espresso, but I also got my Spice Fiend fix, due to the homemade cayenne/​chili syrup added to the espresso and milk for the most titillating latte I’ve every experienced!
The menu board is easy-​to-​read, and they don’t overwhelm you with choices, sizes, etc. It’s all really straightforward, and it appeared as though the prices included tax.
I can’t wait to try their other espresso and tea offerings, as well as their numerous sandwiches, pastry, and snacky options, during future visits.