Black Spring Coffee Company

I really wanted to like this place, I mean, very badly. They have a James Baldwin quote right when you walk in, but everything falls apart after that. I don’t know where to even begin — this place has a major problem. First, the menu is directly in front of the door, so when you walk in, you awkwardly have to stand there and figure out what you want. Second, there’s no wifi (unless you have an xfinity password) which is probably why this large café is mostly empty as I write this. I came a bit hungry but they literally have no items to eat, not a single muffin or cookie, donuts etc, despite pastries being advertised.
This place also smells a little stale, in a very specific grunge/​punk way. You’re going to try and ignore this when you first enter, but as you continue to sit, you’ll notice a small headache coming on. The phrase that comes to mind is slightly pungent. The bathrooms… my god, someone get a flamethrower. My friend went to the bathroom and said it was dirtier than a port-​a-​potty, which is actually terrifying since we aren’t at a music fest or construction site. *GRAPHIC WARNING* She said that there was actual bodily excrement, both solid and liquid everywhere, on the seat, under it, a bit on the walls and floor and it seemed like the bathroom hadn’t been cleaned… ever. My rule is that if the bathroom of a place that serves food and beverage is gross, I don’t eat or drink there. This is definitely a health risk, I don’t get how the baristas can effectively wash their hands in a bathroom that dirty.
Anyways, this is all to say that the café is fine if you don’t drink/​eat anything, don’t need wifi, don’t need to use the bathroom, and don’t mind the smell of a lil funk. This is actually a call for Black Spring Coffee to do better — the community doesn’t deserve this, its way too dirty for me to even fake support this business.

Delicious coffee, great value for $. Deep & rich flavor. Got turned off by the Dirty bathroom, toilet & sink definitely needed a scrub, even though it was only 9a. Spacious & open setting, yummy selection of doughnuts.

Horrifically bad coffee. Went with the 4 dollar clever brew light roast. If I hadnt watched them make it I’d be pretty sure this is water from the bottom of a garbage bag.

The most informed coffee barista around! Ask about the coffee history when you’re here, you won’t be disappointed. Excellent coffee too boot!

I profess my undying love for this café! They make a freaking GOOD decaf coffee… I only drink decaf because caffeine makes me crazy. The perfect café for a meeting…
Ryan (the owner) is such a calming and gentle soul. He treats everyone with an air of specialness that people desire and crave. I don’t generally need validation, but when I feel like I need a pick-​me-​up, I head over to Black Springs for their coffee and the feels.

I stopped in after a late/​frustrating night so I needed a solid cup of coffee. I ordered the clever coffee, which is some kind of hybrid of pour over with a taste of french press it was decent nothing to write home about. All in all a good place to check out if you are an early riser and need a good solid cup of coffee.

Borderline too hipster/​grunge for me but I always love to pretend I fit in. It’s a really nice space– huge windows, lots of light, and tons of seating. Band posters all over the wall. Owner (Ryan) is nice and makes a mean Malabar.
I am a VERY loyal coffee-​drinker, and now that I’ve discovered this place you can bet I will frequent it often. Prices are reasonable, and it’s not too far from downtown/​the lake.
If you want to try a new coffee– their Malabar is the perfect summer drink. 2 shots of espresso, milk, and sugar shaken up so there’s some foam, poured over ice. Sweet and refreshing!

Great coffee shop to hang and talk for a long time. Bad is that the last time I paid with a $ 20, I got back change for a $ 10. My mistake, should have looked. But otherwise a good place to hang and talk.

This is a really great coffee/​tea spot. Their coffee is great, the menu is super simple, and the prices are extremely reasonable. Employees are friendly and cool and the spot is not annoyingly filled with laptop zombies waiting to see/​be seen/​scene. Very old school feel… kind of like how coffeehouses were in the early 90s if that makes sense to anyone. Not just filled with device addicts. I don’t even drink that much coffee these days but am very happy to support this business. Really great spot in my neighborhood!

I go here for the beans they use in their espresso drinks. Robust but not «artsy».
Funky morning atmosphere with the staff who have attitude to match the décor. Beware of overpriced pastries that are tasteless and for Vegans! Morning staff either have hangovers or just drug users. It’s all cool though for us hipsters. Don’t park in the lot next door as its a «tow your car trap».

I love this place. They really care about making a good drink and it shows. The employees are friendly. I’ve chatted with a number of them about music or whatever. And they remember me when I come in, which is important to me when I frequent a place.
The music is generally pretty great and it’s not at a level that distracts from studying or conversation. There’s always rotating art on the walls. I’ve never had a problem getting a seat or having access to an outlet to plug in electronics.
There’s no wifi, but if that’s not a necessity for you, this place is awesome.

This is my first Unilocal review ever. I’ve never really cared enough to write one up but this is hands down the best coffee I’ve ever had. I ordered a Latte and I normally like mine with sugar in it. I took a sip and there was none needed! It was perfect just as the barista made it! Then he rang me up and it was less than half the cost of the same size at pete’s or starbucks and handed me a frequent customer card to earn a free drink after 10 purchases.
Literally heaven.

I liked the place, pretty spacious and they have nice tea, too (they have Far Leaves Tea, also local store where I buy my tea occasionally). I was tempted to have a brownie (non-​dairy!), but it was too big. I wish they have a little bit of some sweets like Italian cafes. It’s nice 20 minute walk from my house. I may come back.

This place has spoiled me for all other coffee shops. Their espresso drinks are divine. As an ex-​barista myself I can really appreciate the artisanship, hand tamped, silky foam and nothing is ever left to sit and expire or recycled. Never in a rush always hand crafted to perfection every time. This is not your «push a button and coffee comes out» sort of place.
Whether I am grabbing an iced americano on a warm day or my short Breve latte on cool dog park morning, I have never left disappointed. These drinks never need to be sugared up to mask unpleasant flavors found with subpar ingredients like their corporate cousins. I am lucky I live a couple blocks away, but I would drive the distance because it is really that good.
So please go there, and throw money at them. Support your local businesses, especially when their product is reasonably priced and such high quality. Plus they give out dog treats. They know the way to my heart.

–Simple design, decent coffee
–Lots of hipsters… lots
–No wi-​fi, unless you’re a Comcast Xfinity customer because this location reaches a hot spot
–Open long hours

They have genuinely good coffee here, as in a really good house coffee. I don’t go much for fancy espresso drinks (not enough caffeine and too much sugar/​milk for me) so usually I feel like a cup of coffee is a cup of coffee, whatever, gimme a bunch and make it highly caffeinated. But Ryan, it seems, is a coffee nerd and looked for the best stuff possible so he found this Monsoon blend (or something like that) that is low acidity (in other words: great black or with a touch of creamer) and gloriously caffeine-​rich. Delicious.
I also really like:
–The fact that Black Spring is a non-​wifi spot and still doesn’t try to force you into some horrible communal seating/​forced sociability BS like most flag-​flying non-​wifi places. This makes it a good environment to hang out with friends if you want, but also to fly solo and do some old-​school coffee house activity like drawing or writing without having to claw for a spot between dozens of techbots clocking in a full 9-​to-​5 at their laptops.
–The minimalist décor in a clean and well-​lit (great natural light) space, unpretentious but tasteful
–Employees who have good music taste, and who are efficient/​pleasant enough but don’t bash you over the head with forced, unnatural cheeriness
–Art by local artists who actually have something to say with their work, not just more 21^st century hipster variations on Lisa Frank
Anyway, Black Spring is totally worth it.

Good quality coffee. Serious.
A generous, filled-​to-​the-​brim, tall glass (16 oz. at least) of hot brewed coffee was only $ 3. I loved the portion, but not a fan of how super hot it was to carefully trek with to a table; the accompanying paper sleeve did not latch on well or provide much padding from the heat lol. Anyway… not only was the coffee perfectly clean, complex in flavor and boldness, but it was hand-​poured using the «clever» method. It was described to us as an in-​between of a drip and a pour over. Sold!
Aside from the stellar coffee, the place is spacious but lacking in much furniture or décor. Maybe throw in a couch & some coffee tables, and it’d be more welcoming and cozy haha.
Coming back for the Clever Coffee. Great quality and cheap!

Seems like a nice little place.
Conveniently located menu. Usually menus are far away and in small font, making them impossible to read without glasses. Here it’s located right at the entrance. Wish they would have more options of sandwiches or pastry though.
located next to Samuel Merritt university.
The music could be better. Very depressing tracks.
The chai was delicious and all of the stuff very polite and helpful.

I paid for an hour parking so I could work here. I pretty much couldn’t wait to get out of there. This is not your cozy, relaxing local coffee shop. It smells like sweaty hipster– gym bag– your dad’s socks– you get the point. The floor looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in weeks. Nice large lint balls floating around on the ground. The first three tables I approached were covered in crumbs. The lid and creamer station was covered in a mess.
This looks and smells like a 21 year old dirty hipster’s bedroom.

Their house coffee is pretty tasty. I don’t normally drink plain black coffee, but theirs is mild and pleasant. I will give their latte a second chance on my next visit.
They have really cool events here. I’m currently hanging out at a vegan bake sale to benefit Queerussia. A few months ago, they had a goodbye party for Fat Bottom Bakery. There was supposedly a cupcake eating contest, but I couldn’t stick around to watch the creamy cupcake carnage.
Any company that supports both vegans and LGBT folk is A-​OK in my book