Reviews of Hidden Grounds (Coffee Shop)

Matt HolySmokes

Best espresso I've had pulled in years, love this place. Real coffee and food, true grass roots and a little sense of humor.

Lynette Ling

A perfect place to meet and have a dialogue over a cup of coffee/ chai.This was my first time.

Joseph Klaszky

Good coffee, bit pricey.

Andrew

Hipster spot for coffee. Pretty crowded in the mornings and not cheap but it is the only coffee shop in the area that has good variety and some exotic options.

Benjamin Lioue

Great place to meet up and spend time with friends. Awesome vibe, but can get crowded at peak hours.

Jacob Heifetz-Licht

Great coffee, great people. Shoutout to Anand for running such an awesome place - come by for their events!

Sandeep Jaim

four words my experiences coming here: overpriced, unprofessional, disorganized, and pretentious. i raised concerns in the past and offered this business advice about how to fix these four issues, but that conversation ended after the third email. resources for drinks like their chai cost very, very little... likely not even $1 per drink. however you pay four times that. perhaps the only item on the menu you could buy on a budget is a normal coffee which has always been too bitter or too watered down in my experience. inconsistent. also, a bagel sandwich with such a tiny amount of cream cheese and veggies should not cost me more than $5. a spicy grilled cheese should actually be spicy and have enough cheese. the business is unprofessional. like i said... i offered advice before and the conversation ended. even the baristas lack patience, respect, and distract themselves with their own "recreational activities" behind the counter. my orders have always been rushed, forgotten, or messed up. the business is disorganized. VERY disorganized. i have gone here and haven't gotten my drink for 10 minutes after ordering. sometimes customers several spots after me would get their beverage almost immediately simply because they know the baristas. sandwiches typically take way over 20 minutes... and this is not a sit-down restaurant. good luck finding somewhere to sit... let alone a clean table to leave your stuff at. last but not least i find this place pretentious. if i pay for a special blend of coffee it should not taste like water.. or excessively bitter. this is false advertisement. whoever hasn't already raised concern about this likely respects the place for the bohemian atmosphere and rustic furniture. the charm certain seems to distract everyone from the lukewarm lattes, poor coffee, and overpriced chai. and when i return my coffee asking for it to be brewed better i shouldn't get the pretentious response "oh it's just the blend". sure, the place has cool atmosphere and is a chillax spot to hang out, but a customer who understands quality would hope not to spend money on overpriced, falsely advertised beverages and sandwiches. the place likely thrives from the young college students who dont know better and join the bandwagon because it is hip and cool.

BRITTANY MCDONNELL

I found this place online and figured I would try it out since I love coffee! I went and got an everything bagel with veggie cream cheese and it was honestly the best bagel I've ever had. You can tell it is fresh and homemade, and the vegetable cream cheese was delicious. Then I got a vanilla latte and loved it! Not only did it look beautiful, but it tasted delicious. Great atmosphere in here as well! Would definitely come back and recommend!

Sotirios Lewis

Hidden grounds is a unique coffee place thay serves good food as well. I reccomend the bombay sandwich.

Aleksey Maslov

Very good coffee shop. They serve espresso, drop and pour over - based coffees, desserts, sandwiches. Also it is good for working or studying.

Agi W.

It's a cozy atmosphere with great coffee and adorable decor. They have free wifi so you can do work while enjoying their products.

Michelle Rose

I was served a very cold, watered down pour over here, and then had to pay for a new coffee. I understand if it is busy and there is a lot to keep track of mistakes happen, but I have never gone to a coffee shop before that did not account for its mistakes. I don't recommend this place if you're interested in quality. It is too small a shop to accommodate for its customers, and its staff knows very little about what they are serving. I could taste the difference between a pour over and an auto brew. I worked as a barista before and I was trained to taste the notes of the coffee, and I was educated about everything regarding the coffee-making process. I believe that a place that prides itself for its quality should know everything about what it is serving... that should keep it from making rookie mistakes...

Michael H

Awesome coffee. My favorite is their coldbrew which is on the left, or an Americano. Very friendly staff and the environment is relaxed, usually people on their laptops or doing homework. Note: features a spacious and comfortable bathroom too !

Sarah Becker

Hidden Grounds is a great place for just about anything. Their coffee is the best in New Brunswick and they have food options for everyone.

Emerald Vaughan

Very trendy. Super fresh coffee. Free wifi. Surprisingly delicious vegan cookies.

Luz Boys

Please try the turmeric latte! And great coffee.

Erika Ungar

Liked this place a lot up until I received an avocado toast made with avocado that was old and brown... paid $8 for that. Good for coffee and teas but I wouldn’t trust the quality of the food.

J C

Not too small quaint coffee shop.

Machly Destin

Great Atmosphere, and the sandwiches are absolutely the best. Definitely recommend to visit.

Lena Kraus

A very happy alternative to your chain coffee places in New Brunswick! Nice interior, great coffee, good music, cool vibes, fresh flowers on the tables. I like it!

Megan Couso

I wish I could give this place 0 stars. I had a bad experience coming here once after class, I ordered ONE coffee and it took in excess of 15 minutes for them to serve me ONE coffee. A few days later, I brought a group of my friends here, and it took them over an hour to serve all of us, one of our bagels never even came out (they kept taking new orders, instead of finishing the old orders and SERVING the customers). When I went up to complain the counter girl gave me attitude and told me to sit back down. Also, our food was incredibly spaced out, they obviously missed the memo that you serve the group all their food together and not individually. The only reason this place won't go under is because of the hipster community at RU. Their menu sucks, my chai tea was luke warm at best, and they have terrible business etiquette.

Amit Srivastava

This is a gem of a place. Great food and great people. Always crowded though

Michael Szubrowski

I was here with my sister last month and she got coffee and she was happy with the coffee and service. I'd like to try for myself soon.

Silvia Bathrup

Nice coffee. Convenient location!!!

Kerri Kelly

It was so appetizing. Really nothing but good experiences here.

John Campbell

Nice atmosphere, cozy place for a coffee, u can also call in ur order.

Anthony Casabianca

Good coffee, with solid microfoam and espresso that tastes like they know what they're doing. Food options aren't extensive but are made well. Good bagels. Seating is difficult, with many of the college crowd occupying multiple seats studying. I've yet to check out their other location, but I am glad to see a good specialty coffee shop in New Brunswick

Chuck P

Typical college coffee joint. Decent bagel, decent coffee.

Maliha A

Good drinks but pricey

Dan Mitchell

Great NB coffee spot

Erik Miller

One cozy place with the best food and amazing service.

Alex Belonzi

Great spot for coffee! Came in today to friendly staff and fantastic coffee, will definitely be back next time I'm in the area

m.8six

It is a nice small coffee shop, the furnishings are a very good choice. The music could be better for a place like this. Taste of my cappuccino, almost perfect. My avocado breakfast sandwich...to expensive for a white toasted bread, avocado some cucumbers and feta and please, show me how can I eat the sandwich and keep around me clean :D Please, remove the plastic forks

Adam Cesanek

Imagine a you’re at a basement show in New Brunswick that has somehow morphed into a specialty coffee bar. The laid-back, welcoming attitude is complemented by world class java, the bucks has nothing on hidden grounds. You have your grad student crowd, mixed with unassuming undergraduates - socializing on a Sunday afternoon. And then you notice they offer their own beans, not sure what was on drip today but it rocked!

Matt jingleheimerschmidt

Coffee is OK (no flavors, just regular and decaf), but should not be listed in top breakfast spots. I assume it's vegetarian, as they do not offer breakfast meats on their sandwiches, which is fine, but you should be aware. The sandwich itself... if you are looking for microwaved eggs, and a copious amount of cheddar cheese, this is your spot. Service was courteous, though very slow. I was the first customer in the store and my microwaved egg sandwich took about 15 minutes.

Irina Bhatia

The menu at this shop is much better than most coffee places I’ve been to, and the coffee is wonderful.

John O'Connor

Coffee was not good. My son is in RWJ hospital and wanted a good cup of coffee so I walked over to Hidden Grounds to get one for him and got one for myself as well. It was not good, a waste of $6.00. I dumped both cups down the drain in the hospital room. I would walk to Dunkin Donuts on the corner next time.

Anna Liza Kendall

Great small coffee shop but the coffee was great and very delicious. I love to have time here having their delicious coffee. Customer service was great.

Laura M

Great avocado sandwich and matcha latte!

Luke

Nice little coffee shop, but seating was limited.

Amanda Hecht

The rose chai is unique and delicious. The building is definitely small, but it's a cozy atmosphere. If you're looking for a real coffee house experience i definitely recommend this place.

Stephanie Alea

Great coffee, awesome snacks, friendly employees!

Rachel Marlowe

This is my favorite place for coffee. I stop in whenever I am in the area. I love how they stand up for causes they believe in.

Natalie Losada

Sweet staff, great coffee, great pastries and food. There's vegan options! And also kombucha and seltzer water and juices. A little expensive but it's typical coffee house prices.

Rachel Romano

Kind of slow service because they are always so busy. Small plates. Expensive food. Coffee isn't amazing. You go more for the atmosphere than the actual food. Very hipster hole in the wall place. They have great open mic nights.

Matthew Schaner

Incredible local coffee spot!

Oliver Murray

Hidden Grounds has by far the best coffee in New Brunswick. The employees are fairly friendly and will certainly get to know you after you've been a few times too which is nice.

Mike D

I like to go here. Coffee is fresh and staff is fun. I find their beans to bring home a little pricey however

YJS Forever

Came here at 5:17 and the place was already closed. Update: star rating based on the store experience itself but minus a star for irregular store hours. While the reasoning behind is understandable it still impacts the customer experience. Otherwise, HG is a great coffee joint and would def return.

Alexis

Real underground. Coffee is amazing. Atmosphere is chill.

Beshoy Awad

Overpriced coffee that is not that strong. However, there vegan cookie brittle was great and worth the price.

Anthony Ur

Great atmosphere and some rather tasty coffee offerings. Highly recommend.

Kyle Coan

Great staff, music selection, and food/drinks to buy. Great place to kill a few hours and relax.

Adam Krell

A trendy college town coffee shop. The furnishings are rustic but the house coffee is good. Lunch sandwiches are unique and so very tasty. We enjoyed the delicious salted caramel brownie, too.

Robert Krapf

Nice and clean with a great environment

Anna Ogilvie

New favorite place for studying. Can be tough to find an electric outlet, but is the perfect place for cozy studying once that obstacle is overcome. Love the drink choices, wish they had white cheddar or swiss for grilled cheeses, but definitely not a deal breaker.

Andrew Salcido

Nice little spot off Easton Ave, good drinks, and fair prices. Iced Rose Chai Latte is heaven. Free wifi !

Ahmed Dar

Amazing coffee! I love the vibes of this shop.

Paul Brown

Love the atmosphere here, and got a great masala chai.

Damon Watson-Willis

Very quaint place. Coffee and crumb cake was very good. They also have WiFi for the customers! I will be stopping by again!

Keshav Bhandari

Find this place at Easton Avenue . They have free WiFi and plenty of space. The area is underground so makes it more cooler . Try their iced tea .

John Khalil

Great coffee spot. Best in New Brunswick and Highland Park in every category. PRO TIP OFF-MENU ITEM: They sell cortados—in a proper cortado cup!

Danish Nathani

Great coffee and ambiance

Avinash Arora

Nice staff, good coffee! Wish this place was around when I was in college, but I'm glad real, good coffee is getting more popular. It's nice to have an option while out in the area. Great environment too, but I'm usually just in and out for coffee.

Ismail Mamedov

Amazing cappuccino

Alia Poonawala

I adore this place. Cozy and always happy with everything I've gotten. Good for studying or for a coffee with that guy you kinds like ;)

Siddharth Verma

Trendy Place... Great Choices... Impractical Seating Arrangement

Mark Deavult

The 800-Pound gorilla in the room is, of course, Starbucks. They have a lot to be proud of ... Starbucks did a lot of the heavy lifting to build a Coffee Culture and expose it to mainstream acceptance. That's the good. Now - the bad. The ubiquity of Starbucks has swayed the expectations of a generation who think that the carefully curated corporate image is anything but a chain experience. Hidden Grounds is a case in point. Here, you have a tiny, local shop, pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and focusing on a menu that is narrow but deep, with an emphasis on quality and originality. What does that mean? It means that if you want an iced latte the size of a garbage can for $5, you might be a Dunkin' customer. If you can't wait a couple minutes for a freshly ground, pour-over coffee, there are multiple Starbucks locations that place an emphasis on speed. Parking is tough, the dining area is relatively tiny, but it packs big taste and, as the saying goes ... good things come to those who wait!

Chase Brush

Loved my experience here at hidden grounds!! Their service was fantastic. I got a complete jerk (which was original and delicious) and a chai. They served me in a reasonable time considering the line I had to wait in, and in the mean time I picked up a book from their self. Overall I really enjoyed my time here and will recommend it to my friends. Thanks guys!!

Anderson Santiago

a nice cup of coffee

Erin Meeks

Food was amazing and the coffee was scrumptious. Would definitely recommend!

Nutan Patel

Nice little "hidden" coffee shop in the "ground" in New Brunswick! They accept the CUPS app and if you use coupon code 5k3p6 in the promo section of the app you get free $5 which equals out to a free cup of coffee or in my case Matcha Latte! Can't beat free. So about this place, its a little hidden in the ground coffee shop that is fairly new. It's kind of small but there's a little bigger location that's across from Jimmy John's down Easton. Their soy latte was decent. It had a semi burnt coffee taste and I don't think they roast their own beans in house. The quality is a bit better them Starbucks for sure. The Barista's are pretty nice and they know how to do latte art so that's a huge plus. Plus the free $5 from CUPS with promo code 5k3p6 doesn't hurt at all! Before coffee I'm all

Handan Aldemir

Great coffee also amazing cappuccino art! Unfortunately, it is a small coffee shop and it is very hard to find parking in New Brunswick

Natalie Woollerton

Kind of expensive, but there's this app called "Cups" that works with Hidden Grounds. Look it up! This place is very hipster-esque, home-y, and laid back.

Michael Gagnepain

This place is always good; mochas are delicious, bacon jam bagel was fantastic. The people are always nice and the atmosphere is very chill. If I could afford it I'd drop by here every morning.

Brian Smith

Great coffee

duncan maina

Very comfortable setting, and good coffee. A great place to read a book, or catch up with a friend.

石亚龙

I tried their cappuccino last Sunday right after lunch. Much better than expected！

Steve Bagienski

Nice cozy little place with 2 big picnic tables for seating and the 'stare at wall's eating. The wall seatings are kinda tight if you bring your laptop to study but not too bad.

Alfa Golf

Coffee taste like it was sitting for a while

Fatmata Kallon

Hidden ground its like their coffee is from hidden grounds. There coffee taste disgusting with horrible staff. There other drinks are disgusting as well if i could give this a 0/0 I would and i'm not even lying

Varun Shah

amazing coffee and sandwich selections! affordable as well.

Michael Bucceri

This is a great location for Hidden Grounds. The cappuccino at this place is absolutely amazing, probably one of the best I had in the US so far. Short story, I was in Italy studying abroad in the summer and every morning I would see the sun rise over the mountain as I drank cappuccino in the morning at Urbino, Italy. The way their set up and the way they make coffee there is nice and interesting to watch, the passion of it being made definitely gets you excited to taste the coffee. When I sat down to start drinking the cappuccino it lifted up my mood and put me in that same feeling I had in Italy. It had me smiling as I drank it. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys coffee like I do.

Justin Stamile

Definitely different. Very hipster and coolish. All the food basically had avocados in it and they love their CBD drinks. Over priced for my opinion. Worth a try but not an everyday coffee shop

Sarah Sheikh

Love it here :) I initially was not a fan but I think my coffee taste was just different back then, but now I love it! Everything about this place is great! Staff is very friendly and ambiance is perfect.

Mark Youssef

pretty mediocre and over priced

B Ramlackhan

I come here weekly. Everyone's awesome.

Sarvesh Shah

I had Rose Iced Chai here and it was absolutely amazing!

Jillian Cirincione

Loved the CBD lavender chai with oatmilk totally bomb

Arul Duggimpudi

My favorite study spot at Rutgers. Can’t ask for much else than a refreshing cold brew on a hot day, a great environment, and friendly baristas.

Anthony Barker

A really great place, best hang out spot in town.

Anne N

Awesome hidden little gem! Takes some time to make the coffee but totally worth the wait. Also a nice ambiance to grab some snacks, plug in your laptop and hang out.

Hal Crowder

I am always looking for an alternative to the coffee giants. Some or better and some are not. This is definitely one of the best I have found. They made an excellent americano. I also enjoy the atmosphere of real people enjoying a good cup.

Theresa Cerullo

Staff are super nice and always remember you

Ridge p

Had pretty high expectations when walking in considering the decor is much like your typical 5 star Manhattan/Brooklyn coffee joint. To say the least, the coffee was great. I had an Ethiopian pour over. Espresso is next to taste and I will update when I have a verdict on that!

Rangaraj Tirumala

Great place to get coffee and do some work. Baristas are super cool!

C Rule

Mediocre and overpriced. I guess it's a good atmosphere but too crowded. The free WiFi never works.

Igor Balagulov

Service is a little slow, but the desserts and coffee are great.

Niyeti Shah

Wonderful lattes with vegan options for snacks. The place is really nice - there’s also lots of outdoor seating. There were a decent number of students working when I went, but there was still seating available inside! The staff was also extremely friendly. Honestly a great place to work or meet up with a friend for coffee!

Meh Photos

Friendly staff. They give your drinks in fancy glasses. The teas are pretty good.

john petrolino

College student and hipster gathering spot. But the coffee is solid.

Regan Clarke

Among the most delicious hot chocolate I've ever had! Staff was fast/efficient and very nice. The environment was relatively quiet but not in a library-like way that would make you feel strange talking at normal volume. Patrons free to linger and use laptops (there's free WiFi too) without feeling rushed and although it was fairly well trafficked it never felt crowded. Clean and nice looking too!

Xavier Jones

atmosphere here is beyond awesome. cinnamon raisin bagel egg & cheese sandwich is awesome! plenty of handcrafted drinks to wash it down with...almost forgot I was at a coffee shop. :-)

Ali Ahsan

One of the best cups of latte I’ve ever had. No sugar needed, pure taste.

Shridatt S

My favorite coffee shop in NB

Devuroasts

What a bustling coffee shop! They were serving Yirgacheffe on pour over so I got the Yirgacheffe on pour over. They only had 1 espresso offering, and it was a blend. I got that too but was not very impressed. The pour over was great though! and the atmosphere was really great. Friendly staff. They also serve matcha here, which I hadn't tried, but you probably should and let me know how it tasted.

Nic Kraemer

Cool place to relax

Cameron Yates

Service is always excellent even when they have a full house. The service was very friendly and kind.

Nicholas Hornick

Great coffee, very calming atmosphere, and friendly employees.

Jesse Meyerson

High prices and it seems to be all do it yourself for every drink hot or cold. They just thrust a cup at you without saying anything.

Ignacio Castro

Some of the best coffee I’ve had! I love the environment and location!

EMEL TURHAN COKAL

Hidden gem in New Brunswick... Love the coffee and Bombay sandwich!

Noa Avtalion

Great service but noisy.

Joshua Best

Great coffee shop, good service and a place I'm glad to support.

Lenny Leopere

Pulled a delicious Cortado pretty busy location fast internet.

Annette Uniwersal

EDIT: Been a bit disappointed the past two times I’ve been in January. Bagel toppings very stingy. Does t make sense to pay 5 dollars for a sandwich with no toppings! Disappointed with quality and hoping that it’s just a fluke and quality goes back to what it used to be. PREVIOUS REVIEW: Great coffee and a nice enviornment. Chill staff who update their witty tip jars every day. They have plenty of seating if you choose to stay for a few hours and have yummy sandwhiches and baked goods to munch on. A must go if youre in the area!

Nelson Batista

When I'm around I always make sure to get me a zombie coffe and a almond crescent

Corey Mayo

Architects/designers did an excellent job turning a basement into a sanctuary. Lots of light from large windows, Natural wood floor, tables, chairs offset putty colored walls. friendly, personable staff serving great coffee & bagels & other foodstuff. "ethnic decorations' (which are just decorations in their native culture) lend a place a comfortable, relaxed feeling as do the live plants. good wifi & ample outlets! A great addition to the Hub City! Continued Success Hidden Grounds! (my only, ONLY suggestion is that the stools aren't low enough for the tables in that my thighs won't fit under the table)