Common Grounds on Tompkins

Thursday night’s coffee stop led me to Common Grounds Neighborhood Coffee Shop, a brightly lit, small eatery located at 376 Tompkins Avenue, between Putnam and Lexington. The shop has been open since March 2007 and is owned by Bed-Stuy native, Tremaine Wright:

The hood:

Common Grounds is located on a busy, west Bed-Stuy avenue nestled between a real estate firm and a bodega on a heavily foot-tracked street.

Common Grounds exterior, courtesy of Yelp.com

The area is served by the A and C train lines which, from the area, takes approximately 30 minutes into midtown Manhattan, which contributes to the number of people who walk the block steadily as part of their commutes. The block is densely populated with a number of small businesses and is one of the quickly developing areas of the neighborhood.

The scene:

On a rainy Thursday evening at 6 p.m., I expected that the crowd would be light. For one, it’s a weeknight, and two – Scandal comes on in a few hours so folks are scurrying to get their wine and snacks ready at home, I’m sure.

Walking into Common Grounds confirmed my conjecture, as there were only two other people there. During my hour-long stay, which culminated at the shop’s closing, there were only three additional walk-in customers.

Common Grounds boasts modern, urban décor.  Brightly colored walls are inviting and though the shop is narrow and on the smaller side, the boldly colored walls open the space and up a bit. There’s a variety of seating options:  four two-seat tables, a small couch, and a few stand-alone stools.  The shop is intimate and comfortable for groups.

Common Grounds Interior, photo taken by me

The music playing (quite loudly, might I add) overhead was a blend of 90s hip hop and R&B -- the song I recall playing upon my entrance was Erykah Badu’s On and On. In addition to the music, there is a flat screen television, that at the time of my visit, played the local Brooklyn news – muted.

To Eat and Drink:

I ordered a fall favorite of mine: a dirty chai latte. By definition, a dirty chai is made of a shot of espresso mixed into a 'chai tea' (or masala chai). It's usually made with a chai concentrate, steamed milk and a single shot of espresso. See this video for an in-depth, how-to video on how to make a dirty chai.

Now, here’s where my impression began to wane. I noticed that my baristo grabbed a chai tea bag, instead of a spice blend or concentrated mix. He proceeded to steep the bag in water and then add steamed milk and espresso, which made for a very weak and watery latte that did not compare with the full-bodied, highly spiced drink that I typically enjoy.  At my slight protest, he chimed: “this is the way we do ours”, which led me to believe that the staff could use a lesson or two on the makings of a good latte.

On the food front: I tried hard to find anything that looked appetizing but to no avail. The pastries were very obviously store bought, as the boxes for the carrot and red velvet cakes were in plain view. There were a few pre-packaged granola bars on the counter and bagels displayed, but the presentation did not entice me, nor am I a fan of going to eateries and paying double for what I could find in a supermarket. There were bags of bulk bread items thrown in the shop’s freezer/ice cream display. My personal feelings are that it’s bad practice to let customers see how a food shop sources their baked goods and entrees. On top of that, I much prefer on-site prepared foods.

The case of prepared foods at Common Grounds

To top off the not-so-stellar impression, my $5.00 unpalatable drink became a task to pay for. As the shop’s “computers were down”, the baristo had took a sketched impression of my card, hand wrote a receipt, and hurriedly said that I shouldn’t worry about my information being compromised. Um, yeah - not reassuring in the least.

Sights and sounds:

There was not much to see and hear here – not at the hour anyway. The baristo was admittedly a new employee who is both new to the neighborhood and New York. He shared that the shop is busier in the mornings and weekends, and that on a “good day there is usually a lot of orders for our Belgian waffles and iced drinks.”

Overall: 

I was underwhelmed by this shop. Perhaps, the time of day impacted the level of service but for me, the shop did not fulfill the experience that I look forward to during my coffee shop crawls, starting with, of course, good coffee. Their seven-year existence does suggest that there is success and sustainability, as does the majority of their positive Yelp reviews. They have been able to weather some substantial changes of the neighborhood and survive as one of the earlier coffee shops, so maybe there is a better experience that I just missed out on. Perhaps one day I'll return, early and on a sunny day. 

Note: I have not been paid to visit or review any of the businesses noted and reviewed in the blog. All opinions are 100% my own, and are based on personal observation and experience.