Great Lakes Coffee
| Address: | 3965 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201, USA |
| Phone: | +1 313-831-9627 |
| Site: | greatlakescoffee.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 7AM–11PM 7AM–11PM 7AM–11PM 7AM–11PM 7AM–12AM 9AM–12AM 10AM–8PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
MI
Michael Mee
I go here on occasion to get coffee in the morning (probably 20-30 total visits). It is very close to my house so its convienent proximity wise. Its a smaller locall business so I expect the prices to be higher but they truly push the limit of acceptibity. Ive lived in NYC and spent lots of time abroad in various parts of the globe including notoriously expensive London and Australia. That being said Ive never paid over $5 for a cup of coffee in my life until this place... Arrogant hipster pricing as I see it. The staff follows suit. Arrogant hipsters, which even if the place is dead inside will gladly leave you hanging for a minute or two (changing music and whatnot) before they help you. Once your order is complete, theyll gladly slide you a receipt to sign expecting a tip for their hard work. Their demeanor on the tip thing reminds me of the entitled wait staff of Austin,TX. Almost demanding a tip for pouring a cup of coffee or steaming some milk. I wanted this place to be good so bad cuz its close but its horrible. The inside is cool and I love the bar/coffee shop mix but the staff/service is horrible and its a place that makes you feel like youre overpaying to be a part of...
CH
Charlie Andrews
Great Lakes Coffee is a wonderful little centerpiece of Midtowns revival. The baristas are fast, the coffee and tea are great, and the prices are on par with the other trendy coffee shops in the area ($4 for a mocha, $3 for a tea). The food is tasty, if a little pricey for the portion size. ($9 buys you a grilled cheese with sliced avocado on it.) Stop in on a weekday morning and youll be able to find a spot to work among the busy young professionals and students in Midtown. Make sure you get there early (before 10am) to get a spot by one of the few outlets in the place. Its not uncommon to see developers, architects, city planners, and entrepreneurs meeting over coffee to discuss the latest changes in Detroit. As the day goes on, the place gets busier, the music becomes louder, and more of the customers become students. At night, they start serving draft beer and it can be pretty hard to find a table. This is a great meet-up spot at night, but I avoid it if Im looking for a quiet(ish) place to study. Overall, Great Lakes Coffee has rightfully earned a spot as a staple Midtown coffee shop.
GL
Glenn Watson
I was in town from Pittsburgh and stopped in for the first time as I heard good reviews. While standing at the counter (there was one other guy ahead of me asking detailed questions of one of the staff and not ordering), I walked around the guy ahead of me to speak to the other staff person at the counter who not doing anything. She immediately scolded me and said "there is only one line". I looked at her incredulously as it customary at a Starbucks to move to the next available server. The guy ahead continued with his product questions and she stood there still doing nothing. There were only two of us in line. Finally, in a state of exasperation and disbelief I said to her "you go ahead and stand there doing nothing and I will leave and go find a Starbucks. She couldnt have cared less about customer service. I will never go back. By the way, this young, clueless millennial was working yesterday, April 4, 2017. I hope her boss contacts me.
VE
Vera DeVera
Being from San Francisco, I can be a bit of a coffee snob and Great Lakes Coffee exceeds my expectations. They not only serve a limited menu of items like vegan banh mi and pimiento cheese dip, but they also offer craft beer, European wine, and handcrafted coffee beverages. The venue has vaulted ceilings and industrial furniture. During the weekdays, communal tables hug the perimeter, while full service cafe tables fill the interior. My favorite coffee drink is their lavender latte, which comes in a petite glass. Its caramelly and lightly floral in finish. The Mexican mocha certainly has a kick, and could use more dark chocolate to add depth. The servers are gregarious and you can play trivia on Wednesday or come in for vinyl Tuesdays. We joined their beer club of the month for a nominal $25/month and weve enjoyed the selection so far. All in all, its my favorite place to work remotely, meet locals, and people watch.
GA
Ganj Beebani
A hipstery spot in Midtown offering a good selection of beers, wines, and coffees. The place is packed with young professionals. The food menu is limited, but their pastries are delicious. Live music and wine tasting events are held periodically, but it is still a decent spot to do some light studying. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because some of the baristas are rude and will expect the customer to be a coffee expert. I asked for a decaf mocha, but I was rudely told there is no such thing without being given any explanation or even alternatives. Ok fine, Ill have a stout beer instead. Still a really nice place, and the rudeness is an exception, not the norm.
SU
Susan Williams
One of the best places to go for coffee ever! After to speaking to the associates I learned that they have their own farms and make sure that the standards are high and they have representatives visit the farms often to ensure the quality, which I find impressive for such a small grass roots company! On top of that all of their flavoring syrups are handmade, my favorite is their lavender syrup, which tastes so yummy and is not artificial tasting like other large coffee chains syrups. In short, I love everything about this place-the employees, locations, business ethics, taste, quality, ambience, literally everything.
MI
Michael Easthope
An awesome space with gentrified atmosphere. Rustic brick, refurbished scrap wood and exposed ducts. Espresso was good and reasonably priced. They offered two bean varieties, a single origin Costa Rican and a Hybrid. Both come as a shot or in 3-5-8oz steamed milk options. The batista was friendly and knowledge about the product and pulled a mean shot. I didnt try any of the food but a number of the items sounded good including a Vegan Banh Mi. In addition to coffee they have a wide selection of craft beer and wine.
TH
Thurgood Coats
Really love this local coffee spot! The decor is really nice and the staff is great too. They also serve alcohol, so you can go for a beer at night or an afternoon coffee. Its located close to Wayne State University, so beware of going too late in the afternoons on weekends. The place gets really busy around this time and it can be hard to find a spot; especially if your trying to sit with a friend or two. Overall, would recommend this place to anyone.
CI
Cindy Argueta
Discourteous and snooty customer service. If youre not a local hipster Midtowner, as I who was visiting from out of state, or are a customer who walks in to use the bathroom first, they will look at you like youre an alien. I hate the way they stared at my mother when she walked in. I felt very unwelcome with their condescending treatment here. Especially the guy who took my order. When visiting the more pleasant parts of Detroit, just skip this place.
TH
Theodore Borromeo
Affogatos are to die for. Lots of space with an abundance of seating. Bathrooms are delineated by "Better Lighting" or "Stronger Flush". Cheese and bread plate is interesting change of pace for a coffee shop, though they do have wine tasting nights. Music is a mixed bag, as you cant really pin down any specific genre as its favorite, but the aural diversity keeps you on your toes.
