Rowster New American Coffee

A little intimidating when you walk in, but the service is great and they are willing to answer your questions! Plus they have house made almond milk which is delicious and awesome especially for someone who can’t drink milk! Overall a great place.

Rowsters is a cool, hip coffee shop in the East Town area. Their coffee competes for the best in Grand Rapids. What makes them more unique is that they roast their own coffee. What I love though is that their coffee is always freshly roasted. Like that day or that week! They have a bunch of different varieties and I’ve not had anything that I haven’t liked. The coffee has a very fresh taste to it. It tastes different than like a Starbucks because it just tastes clean and fresh. Probably because it was freshly roasted!
I usually go in just to pick up a bag of coffee beans to take home with me. If you don’t have a coffee grinder they will grind them for you. I love the way the coffee smells even in the bag! So good!
If you go there to meet up with someone or to have a cup just know that seating is limited and it can get busy. But you won’t be disappointed with your drink!
Another cool point is that Rowsters partners with a lot of the local restaurants to supply their coffee. So keep an eye out when you’re eating somewhere else. You just might be able to grab a cup there too!

Great coffee. Great atmosphere. Great staff. Enough said. This place is perfection!

I love trying local coffee shops especially while traveling, being in Michigan I didn’t know what to expect… this place however is outstanding, from the atmosphere to the double 8oz latte. I highly recommend going there if you want an amazing cup of coffee to make your morning.

I love this coffee shop! It’s small and has a very neighborhood coffee shop feel about it. I was in town for a week and came here all but one of the mornings. The baristas are friendly and seem to know everyone, there was a great sense of community feeling there in the morning. The coffee at Rowster is delicious, roasted in house and brewed using third wave brewing methods. One of my favorites is the Burundi. The cappuccinos are equally delicious. They also have pastries that are brought in daily. Do yourself a favor and order a scone! Seriously the best scones ever! They had a different flavor everyday and they were all amazing. One morning there was even a guy sitting on a stool playing the accordion. You don’t find that in many other coffee shops. When I’m in Grand Rapids I definitely make it a point to visit this place. Parking can be scarce, they do have a couple parking spaces in the back.

Really terrific coffee and pastries. The staff was also extremely helpful and patient with my Dutch friend who took several opportunities to describe in detail how a macchiato varies in Holland from what they offer. He seemed pleased that they were receptive as I understand his discussions were not so productive at Starbucks.

The hardest reviews to write at the places your frequent the most!
I love this place so much that I am a mug club member!
They do coffee right! They roast their own beans on site. They brew each cup on its own, no huge batches of coffee made or sitting out for hours. You won’t have creamer, or syrups or sugar or chemical sugar laying around to mask its taste. It is just pure great tasting coffee. It gives me a good buzz, which I don’t get from all coffee, but its purity is loved by your body!
The atmosphere is nice and chill. I personally like working on my laptop in the window. That way I can people watch and stare outside while processing thoughts through my head. Sometimes the music can be a little bass heavy, but I will take that over to cheesy music played at national chain coffee shops that remain nameless.
The baristas as super friends, and remember almost everyone that walks in. They are chatty and happy to share their knowledge about their coffee with you. Feel free to ask them about the different types brewing as to which one would suit you best.
If you ever go to Anna’s house as well, their specialty drinks are made from the one and only Rowsters :-)

Absolutely the best coffee I had in a while! Superb customer service. Please open a coffee shop in Chicago!

Such a cool place. An accordion player was providing lovely ambiance to the place and the coffee was very tasty. I will definitely be back.

First time costumer and I was ver satisfied, the lady who helped me was very nice and made me a latte that made my tastebuds jump! And the creation in the foam was such a magnificent touch to my morning! Thank you staff for your great hospitality!

Favorite coffee in Grand Rapids, hands down. I drink mine straight, and they do it right at Rowsters. They also have a mug club that I highly suggest becoming a member of because you’ll undoubtedly be back and it’ll save you a few bucks.

For me, the best place in Grand Rapids for coffee. Everything about this place is great. The ambiance, service, shop layout and most importantly, the coffee.
Over the past few years, I can’t think of a time where I left wishing I hadn’t ordered what I did or having been disappointed with the service. The baristas are knowledgeable and friendly and their pour-​overs are consistently excellent.
When it’s cold, it’s a cappuccino for me. When it’s hot outside try a coffee soda, fantastic! Really everything I’ve ordered I’d try again. If you make your own coffee at home, please try their beans! You will not be disappointed in the depth of flavor they carry. My absolute favorite whole bean coffee in GR.
An all around great coffee shop and a long time personal favorite.

Overview: A MUST TRY! I would go here everyday if I could!
My review style is to give a star for each of these categories and add it up to give the total rating for the business.
Service — excellent service!
Food/​Coffee — didn’t order any food but coffee was FANTASTIC! See pictures
Drink selection — real artisan coffee shops have small menus and that is actually a good thing! I didn’t even see a menu per say, just options of which coffee is offered for espresso drinks and pour over drinks. Less is more!
Ambiance/​Cleanliness — very chic. It has good amount of seating without people being in your business. Bar seating area is the best.
Parking — they have their own parking lot! YES!!! Finally a coffee shop in GR that would invest in parking! Thank you!!!

I’m in love with this place, music, cool people, cozy atmosphere and unbelievable coffee!

Oh Rowster, how I love your attractive walls and coffee smell wafting through the air.
Pour overs are done right here. Period.
An almond croissant and a pour over. Your morning is complete.

Delicious coffee, and a lot of things are made in-​house! I really loved the iced mocha I had ordered. It was one of the best cups of coffee I’ve had. The atmosphere is really relaxing, and the décor makes it feel really cool. Our barista was extremely helpful in having us pick a drink (although I felt like a dork having no idea how to order!) There is also a full espresso bar, which is really impressive in Grand Rapids.
My only negative is that if you’re not familiar with coffee this place can be confusing. There is no menu, so you have to be very good with communicating exactly what you want with your barista. (Also, don’t expect to get a blended drink.) Your barista will definitely tell you all your options for whatever it is you may want– so that makes up for it!

Gotta love the hipster coffee scene. No real menus in this place — just interaction with real people who know their stuff. Pour overs are great! Cortado was not sweet and hit the spot. Will definitely be back next time I’m in town!

Initially, I was excited to try this coffee shop out since I love coffee. However, I was not very impressed with the place: there’s not very much seating, no menu, and the barista was not friendly. We stopped by about 4pm on a random Wednesday after lunch to grab a coffee and chat. When we walked in, there were about 7 very small 2 top tables to the right, the long counter to the left, and 4 bar stools in the front window. The only place open to sit was at the window, so we set our bags down and walked up to the counter to order. As we looked around to order, we noticed that there was no set no menu, just some signs about the roasts of the day… my husband, who is not as picky about his coffee, looked at me confused. The barista said nothing to us; he could have said hello or asked if we had any questions. So I asked the barista about the coffee sodas that I had seen people post on Unilocal.He explained them to us: a shot of espresso mixed with simple syrup & sparkling soda. That sounded good after our heavy lunch, so we both ordered one… yikes, $ 10 later (plus tip) we got our drinks. They were served in pint glasses and were pretty tasty. I always like cream in my coffee, so I walked back up to the counter with my drink in hand. The barista took one look at me, saw the drink in my hand, ignored that I was standing there, and started making the drink for the person who just ordered. There was no «how’s your drink? is everything ok with it? can I help you?» So I spoke up and asked if I could add a splash of cream to my coffee. The barista looked at me like I was crazy and handed me a small carafe of half & half. Overall, I liked my beverage, but didn’t appreciate the lack of friendly customer service or the expensive prices. The lack of a menu with prices makes the place a bit mysterious, but also turns me off; I like to know what my options are…
I may give them another try and order a cup of regular coffee next time, but I’m not looking forward to paying $ 4. I’m also not a fan of serving coffee in beakers (Madcap does this also.) As a scientist that worked in a lab for almost a decade, serving coffee out of Pyrex lab glass not only doesn’t impress me, but it makes me feel like they are trying too hard to be cool or unique. I do appreciate and love good, locally roasted coffee, but at some point, at $ 4 for a cup of coffee, that bubble is going to burst.

If you’re looking for a venti-​half-​caf-​white-​chocolate-​hazelnut-​macchiato, you should start looking elsewhere. But if you like your coffee pure, black, and flavorful, you’ve come to the right place.
Rowster has no traditional menu – just three squares of modern art under the tell-​tale label: «POUR OVER». Today’s squares happened to represent Nicaragua, Kenya, and Ethiopia. All were light (or medium) roast. I opted for the Ethiopia.
My 12oz coffee was served in an insulated beaker alongside a small cup and saucer. It tasted light (but not watery), fruity (with blueberry notes), and decidedly tea-​like (a unique experience!). There was no trace of sour or bitter flavors that accompany a poorly-​roasted coffee. Rowster knows what they’re doing!
The atmosphere was clean and modern with plenty of seating (including window and outdoor seats). Nothing cushy, but it fits the vibe they’re going for.
I know they have limited espresso options, but I didn’t explore them. I also can’t comment on their food/​pastry options.
My one misgiving with Rowster is the price; $ 4 for a cup of black coffee is a bit steep, even compared to similarly-​pretentious coffee bars. It’s not outrageous, but it’s enough to make me think twice about going back (since I can roast an entire pound for the same price at home).
In summary, Rowster knows roasting. If you’re willing to spend $ 4 on a coffee, you won’t find a better cup this side of the Cascade Mountains.

I love this hipster-​y place. They have recently started to hang art on the walls which helps the ambiance.
I drink my coffee black. Best coffee around GR area. The seats could use some cushion though.