The Underground Music Cafe

Hidden gem in the neighborhood. Recently changed concept to include wine and beer on tap. Check it out and their poets and music.

I met up with a friend for a quick cup of coffee and she recommended we stop here. The Underground Music Café is in a quaint little neighborhood of St. Paul near the Como Park area.
I was immediately greeted at the door with a very friendly individual. I am not much of a coffee drinker so I was looking for something iced. I was immediately given some great options to choose from. I can’t remember exactly what I had but I believe it was iced coffee press. It definitely had a kick which is what I was looking for. The service was very efficent and very customer oriented.
We ended up staying for such a length of time that we both went back to get something else. This time around I had a raspberry smoothie. Yummy, yummy stuff. The staff has changed since my original order. I was still greeted warmly and given really great service.
There was no music when I was there, however, it seemed like it would be a great venue to play in. I really liked the local art they displayed as well. Next time, I might take a little closer look at what might be available for purchase.
I am a big fan of the local joints with personality. I say this fit the bill perfectly. I really enjoyed the service and am always very grateful for those who provide an excellent experience. They also had a nice outdoor seating area (too hot for that today though). Thanks Underground Music Café!

When this was the Coffee Grounds, it was a great local coffee shop. The new owners decided to make it a performance space and a restaurant and a store and a wine bar and a record store, and, well, a bunch of other junk. Now rather thank making coffee really well, they are now mediocre at a whole bunch of things. I was a near daily customer of the old joint. The only time I go here now is if Caribou is too busy.

Great coffee, good pricing, great service. The atmosphere is fantastic and all of the staff was friendly. It’s a very mellow place to have a cup of coffee which is perfect for a great conversation with a friend or two. I haven’t yet experienced their night scene but have heard nothing but good things. Great neighborhood charm, definitely excited to visit again!

I stopped in on a whim on a Sunday night and was pleasantly surprised to find that within the unassuming walls of this neighborhood café was an authentic music mecca for all those with a passion for supporting the everyday musician, regardless of professional status or star talent.
It’s the sort of place where you can find a humble grouping of hopeful students, older guys who play for the pure love of the instrument, and truly talented but shy or undiscovered musicians. I was lucky enough to stop in on open mic night, and witnessed all these folks in action!
Local flavor abounds, with a full wall of CDs by Minnesota musicians for sale for $ 15, and a beer list containing only MN beers. I hadn’t even heard of some of the breweries, and had a great time sampling a full range of undiscovered brews.
When I’m in the area again, I’ll be sure to stop in with friends and try some of their enticing menu options. One concern: the menu was large and most items possessed unique foodie flare. Not a bad thing at all, but I wonder if a place of this size will be able to support a menu that varied, and as a result, more expensive.
I’d be a regular if I lived closer by!

This is a great little coffee bar with great food/​snacks and a nice selection of wine. The remodel is a big plus; it looked like a cafeteria before but the new wood bar and updated music stage make it a warm place to hang out. Good in the way a Caribou is a good hangout but it’s not corporatey and they have actual meals instead of just treats.
The staff are some pretty cool people who know what they’re doing. I’ll definitely be back!

We came with a couple of
certificates, and while there was a bit of a mixup as to how many we could use at one time, the good, service, atmosphere and general ethic was excellent. We really like this place and will be heading back soon.

This café just recently changed ownership, and is improved immensely! New décor, comfy chairs, a menu with lots of yummy food. And of course, wonderful coffee from True Stone! I recommend the premium Grey Duck Chai — Ginger and Burnt sugar (my favorite drink on the menu!) The wraps and sandwiches are always a great choice, but they also have Mac n’ Cheese, pizza, soup, lots of yummy bakery items and sweets too! If your visiting for breakfast, they have a Mugglette, which is an omelette in a mug! Delicious. This café has live music almost every night. It is a wonderful neighborhood gem! I definitely recommend this place.

I was completely impressed by this place. Food was excellent & flavorful (not Minnesota bland) and my glass of wine was the right temperature. Do you know how rare that is?
Free & easy parking, colorful, cheerful décor, but not pretentious music snobbery. (I hate those kind of places.)
But I came because my friend’s band was playing. I’m not the «underground music» type person so I wondered how I would do. I wear pink, and heels, and have only one piercing and not a single tattoo. Would I be the only person smiling? The only person who asks for cream in her coffee? The only person not wearing black eyeliner?
The acoustics were great. Seating was distinct enough that I didn’t feel crowded or cramped, but I wouldn’t host my book club here because there is no one large table. I like the colors, and it wasn’t visually cluttered. Whew.
And local food. They have Grey Duck Chai — BOTH flavors! Spend your money on local food, in a local business, right here.
I will definitely return for the food, and be able to bring my gluten-​free kid, because they have gluten-​free pizza crust and items clearly marked on the menu. If we’re ever out running errands, I’d take the kids here instead of some chain, because the food is distinct enough to make me want to try other items, parking is easy and it’s not cookie cutter.

This place was recently redone on the inside, and it looks real nice. While I was there they had a band playing, and I thought it was set up real well.
Stayed for awhile, and had a latte, which I thought was particularly good. Aside from the normal pastries that you’d find at a coffee place, they had a lot more menu items such as Mac and cheese, pizzas, sandwiches, etc.
There were a lot of neighborhood kids coming in to get ice cream with their parents. Seems like a nice neighborhood place, I’ll for sure be back!

An oasis of independence in the desert of franchised and mediocre coffee joints that is Roseville [Falcon Heights].
A funky little café that Troy Dyer would have practiced guitar and moping in.
Decent coffee, an amusing menu board with their specialty pizzas, ice cream, and other strange assortments of food and drink.
Not bad, not Starbucks.

I reviewed this place a few months ago, right after they changed ownership. I think I may have jumped the gun with my gushing.
I love Coffee Grounds (now The Underground Music Café…). I am a definite regular, know most of the baristas, loved Dave, the last owner. I like to spend whole days there studying, or with a friend or three for a lit reading.
And it will probably remain my favorite coffee shop, but I have some concerns about the changes.
The good: more food, made to order sandwiches, updates to the register and décor. The new owner seems like a personable dude.
The concerns: higher prices, no more free coffee refills (and I would pay more for in house coffee with refills. I understand trying to meet your bottom line, but with so many regulars, I feel that decision will be more harmful than not)
There’s also talk of cover charges for certain events, and they have started serving wine. I feel as if they are trying to make this place into the hip locale it won’t ever be. And shouldn’t be– it was one of the last non-​snobby independent coffee shops, it was homey, friendly, and great for hip college kids as well as families.
I am not sure if, after all the changes they have planned, it will still retain the qualities that made a small, out of the way coffee shop successful: people focused service, and a refusal to buy into the hip, snobby coffee movement that seems to be taking ocer the cities.

This place has changed ownership. The new feel is a lot more sterile and borders on cold. While the expanded food options are much needed, the lack of coziness is a huge drawback. The new coffee they are serving is not as good in my opinion, and the in-​house cup of coffee with free refills is a thing of the past (best deal in town at $ 1.50). They have wine now, but in this area, 7 – 8 dollars per glass on average seems a little steep for the neighborhood.

Went here while waiting for a coworker. Very good chai latte. No breakfast sandwiches, but they do have breakfast pastries. The apple fritter is awesome. Moist, dense and the edges are crispy and delicious. If I lived in the area I would be a repeat customer.

I went into the shop as a HU student, soliciting donations and ad space for an upcoming event at the University. When I asked for the manager, the woman whom I spoke to was really condescending. It’s okay if you don’t want to donate or sponsor HU events, I’m sure they get a lot of requests, being so close to the campus. However, she went on about how they don’t need any advertising, they were being written up in the best magazines, blah, blah, blah. Impressed. I wonder if she realizes that if the shop wasn’t on the southeast corner of a local university that they may not be such a big deal

Great place to get coffee and the jazz band that played when I was there was really good!

A great place to chill.

Absolutely the best local coffee shop I know.

I’ve been here several times, not sure why I haven’t Unilocaled before now! This your «nothing fancy», comfortable, friendly local coffee shop. And they make a decent latte. Tasty treats too. They offer local live music and other gatherings. Check out their calendar of events next time you stop in. In the warmer Minnesota months they also have patio seating.

I was invited here by my facebook friend, Jazzy. It seems every Wed. they tape a live show, When Worlds Collide, on public radio. It’s very enjoyable to catch live artists, and the price is right free. The place itself is divided. Not crazy about the front part, you feel very exposed. The mini stage is very cool, and I love what this shop does for the community, by having this public service. I plan on going often. Fresh donuts offered, and even Bubble Up in the original bottle. An average HC. I wish the entire place had the cabinesque décor. Folksy people and music are a gas.