Espresso Royale

Came here to do some work. It was reasonably busy and the line was long. I sat down and took my things out at a table near the counter. The worker behind the counter stopped what she was doing and rudely and publicly told myself and the person I was with we had to buy something to sit there. I told her we were and we were waiting for the line to go down. She gave me a nasty look and moved on. I finally got to the front and ordered a regular black coffee. It tasted burned and stale. Go to any of the other coffee shops on the same block.

The latte was passable. I think the 3.5 star rating is a little higher than it should be. But this is just my opinion it’s probably wrong. Or maybe not? Maybe if I’m in Minneapolis again I will give it another shot. Or maybe my latte just needed another shot? Maybe this is all my fault. Who knows.

Let me first say that the coffee here is actually pretty good, and the space is cool. But those two things are only part of what make a shop good. A big part of it is the employees. This place used to have rock-​solid awesome baristas and customer service, but there have been major changes in the last few months. Not all change is bad, though, but in this case, it absolutely is. The new staff and management are about as bitter and jaded as I imagine anybody in this industry can be. Sure, they’ll serve you your drink quickly, but they’ll do it with a scowl and a hoity toity «Take your coffee and get out so I can get back to being grumpy» attitude. Sad. I used to really enjoy coming in here. Now it’s just a place to get coffee that isn’t Starbucks. Community, people. It’s important. Get with the program.

Went to Espresso Royale once while visiting the cities. It has a lovely atmosphere for those wishing to study or read – especially for the bibliophiles who want to browse their lovely used books collection. They have a diverse array of loose leaf teas which I found exceptionally tasty and fresh. And their apple pastry was on point. I didn’t get a chance to try their coffee, however. Staff was friendly and hospitable.

They havent fixed their wifi issue and its been a while now. i really like the atmosphere, their coffee and tea drinks, and the location, which is why it is extremely disappointing they havent bothered to fix it.

Super cinnamon chai latte actually rocks my world. They make it best here. The atmosphere is also quite warn cozy. The only issue is that during peak study hours, it can’t be difficult to find seating.

I’ve newly been frequenting this place since my friends really like going here. I haven’t tried many of their drinks but what I have tried (the green teas) are good and reasonably priced. Not to mention you get 50 cents off your drink if you bring your own cup/​mug. Also the baked goods are pretty on par. Not amazing but not bad either. The negatives: if you look too close at anything besides the table tops it’s pretty dang dirty. Also, it’s warming up outside now, but it feels like late fall in here. It’s been much too cold in here on more than a few visits. I also find the music to be too loud for a place where people mostly go to study. Also the Wi-​Fi is very inconsistent. Anyways, there are my two cents.

Almond croissant good. Space comfortable. Coffee needs to be better for a place that specializes in coffee.

Two words: Latte Wednesday. I used to come here a lot as an undergrad and have started coming back now (as a grad student) before my Wednesday evening class — because a $ 2.50 any-​size café latte is just the thing I need to get through nearly 3 hours of group work. The only real downside is that it’s almost impossible to find a table/​seating here anymore. When I was an undergrad, I could study or work on papers here… now I basically just order to go — in and out. Whatever, tip your barista!

I was camping at the Espresso Royale on Goodwin Ave. or in the Union at UIUC during grad school. So, I was very excited to find one on campus here. Unfortunately, the three times I tried this place, the coffee was sub-​par. Couldn’t be more disappointed. Nice ambiance though, spacious and well-​lit.

Best coffee in Dinkytown. If you want to study with the students, you’ll love it. If you’re looking for a more grown-​up experience or expertly crafted flat white, you might want to venture elsewhere.

Good and cheap coffee/​lattes but man, if you hate people then maybe don’t work in the service industry. MOST of the staff are wonderful, just one red headed grumpy girl who treats people rudely.

I really like this place. I usually study here, it has plenty of chairs and some sofas. I like the fact that they have great books at very cheap prices. Even if you don’t read or buy them, their look is so inspiring! Most importantly, their coffee is really good. However, they need to have more types of snacks and more food in general!

I’ve been going to espresso Royale since my freshman year at the U. If you’re looking for good not overly sweet coffee this is the place to be. Be sure to check their «Dinkytown Regulars» menu it has by far the best drink options. It also has a great calm atmosphere to study in right in the heart of Dinkytown.

Much less crowded than Al’s next door — basically an order of magnitude more seating. Coffee is good and strawberry lemonade was thumbs up for college bound daughter. Good wi-​fi, outdoor seating and a liberal «camping» policy. In short, a good version of a campus coffee shop.

During my time as an undergrad at UW-​Madison, I would camp out at the Espresso Royal located on State Street almost every other day. For hours, I would either stuff my head with molecular structures for o-​chem, or pummel my keyboard while writing essays that analyzed Asian-​American literature.
Then, I returned to the cities, worked for a bit, and decided to become a Golden Gopher for grad school. During my time there, I occasionally convinced myself to embark on a journey from West to East Bank just because of my relationship with E.R. (Including in the winter!) But, like a person that travels abroad and becomes more or less «enlightened,» this Espresso Royal wasn’t the same. Rather, it’s just A-​OK, in my book.
*****
Drinks: I have no qualms with their cold presses, mochas, americanos, or chais. They’re solid and you’ll get a legit caffeine fix, but it’s nothing special.
Snacks: Pretty decent cookies! I like their peanut butter one.
Ambience: Tattered walls, poor use of space with their table arrangement, and the bookshelf in the back that looks like it’s going to collapse, they could use a few upgrades for sure.
Service: They get the job done.
WiFi: Surprisingly strong!
Overall, I think it’s a serviceable coffee joint, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to make a visit.

My wife and I were on a leisurely walk and decided to stop by and check it out. It’s a great place. The staff was very nice and welcoming.
Great coffee! Good place to hangout and spend a quality evening! Highly recommended.

My car broke down on New Year’s day, and I was stranded in Dinkytown for a few hours. Thankfully, Espresso Royale was open that day, so I was able to stay unfrozen while I waited for a tow.
The atmosphere was very «hipster”-y, yet comfortable, and I really appreciated the speed of the wi-​fi connection. I had a latte which was above average compared to the coffee shops that I frequent (Starbucks, Caribou, etc.). If I still was a student at the U, I’d definitely hang out here more.

Okay, I’m a Purple Onion guy. Don’t ask me why (their Internet SUCKS), I just like the space.
This is a smaller, hipper Purple Onion. Staff is a little less friendly, drinks are more expensive, but it gets the job done. The large size is HUGE. Seriously, my iced coffee made me feel like I was drinking a Seven Eleven Big Gulp. Props to them for having more outlets than Purple Onion or Publika. Their wi-​fi is good, too.
Oh yeah, the bathroom is a little gross, too. Looks sort of like a dive bar bathroom in there (despite my love of dive bars, this is NOT a good thing).
Despite these small flaws, it’s a totally adequate place to get a few good study hours in.

When I spent more time on the UofM campus, this was a go-​to spot for some coffee and a few hours of studying between classes. The tables are small but everything else was conducive to getting work done:
— most of the other patrons are here to study or converse at low volume
— the music is at a background volume, enough to provide a small distraction when you want to space out for a minute or two. Alternative and classic rock mostly.
So it’s not a library — it’s good for people watching, or doing the kind of studying where you’ll want a mild distraction every now and then.
The coffee and specialty drinks are above average and there are some tasty snack choices. I love the scones. Service is generally friendly and attentive.