Caribou Coffee

I really liked this location, but it’s currently closed for remodeling and will reopen as Pete’s. I can’t say that I’m thrilled about this development.

Great service and tasty breakfast sandwichs. And with free coffee refills, you can’t go wrong!

Sometimes crowded… BUT the staff is very kind at this location. They may not know my name but I come pretty often and the recognize my face. Sometimes I try going to the caribou in downtown royal but it’s always overcrowded and loud.

We always stop by whenever we are in Detroit. Really fantastic service and excellent attitude’s by their staff. Coffee is excellent.

I’ve spent many a-​morning getting awakened by the nice people at Caribou. Delicious drinks (lately I’ve been enjoying the Campfire Mocha), nice wait staff, calm environment. The only bad part is trying to park when you’re already running late… and I can’t fault Caribou for my bad morning routine!

Friendly staff, cozy ambiance (a real fireplace!), discounts for bringing your own mug and… free refills on drip coffee! Downsides are a severely outdated bathroom lacking paper towels and soap, and cream containers that don’t get checked on very often.

Every October to December, Caribou Coffee becomes my living room/​office away from home as I settle in to write a novel in the period of a month or so. I consider myself something of a discerning judge of Caribous given how much of my late autumn is given over to fomenting chaos on the page and seeking serenity in my surroundings. Being here on a beautiful summer morning is a far cry from slaving away in the dark, grim greys of a November evening, so maybe it affects my fondness.
Be sure, Detroit metro Unilocalers, to give the Royal Oak Caribou a visit. The open floorplan really does have quite the cabin feel to it, though somehow manages to pull off airy spaciousness as well. This no doubt has to do with the full two walls (!) of tall windows letting light flood in. A cozy fireplace tucked in the back corner is surrounded by leather chairs, likely a popular spot when the weather goes chilly; I’d almost want more seating in that area, given how cold Michigan gets at key points of the year. The atmosphere is welcoming and surprisingly quiet, a very nice ambiance given that Woodward is a hundred feet or so in front of me. You’d never know.
The wide variety of tables is excellent, though only those along the outside have outlets; beware if you have a power-​hungry laptop like mine. Wifi is free and judiciously speedy for these kinds of places. I wish there was one or two larger tables for groups (measuring this ‘bou up as a potential writing group get-​together site? You bet!) instead of the singleton tables, but it actually works out well. Outside tables are set up on the sidewalk, so there isn’t a specially set aside patio area. There is still ample room to bask in the sunshine, and canine friends have their own water bowl I watched get refreshed two or three times in a morning hour. I also have to give props to the very tidy washroom facilities, which are set up near the pickup area and tucked down a corridor leading to the back parking lot. It’s a brilliant little design inclusion and keeps people from loitering around a chokepoint. Also stop to check out the pets for adoption posted on the corkboards down there; when I came in, two of the kitties were adopted, yay!
This particular Caribou has lots of parking in a private lot, both front and back, so getting a spot in proximity to one of the two entrances is not likely to be an issue. The friendly staff are happy to offer suggestions and modifications to drinks if you are calorie conscious, as so many of us happen to be. Oblivious in your own world of newspaper, facebook, e-​mail and latest book? They’ll discreetly come by and bring you a drink you forgot (oops…) or whisk away discarded cups and the rest without being too invasive, but they’re still open for friendly conversation.
I fall into the Caribou camp over Starbucks because I feel the atmosphere in general at ‘bou is more inviting, tolerant of long hours of writing, and the people generally quieter and less rowdy/​noisy than I sometimes find in Starbucks. Of course it’s always hit and miss with the clientele, so I don’t judge too harshly. Drinks here are very good, particularly the Northern Lites versions of popular ones like the ubiquitous Campfire Mocha or the delicious Vanilla Rooibos Tea (iced, yum!). Their seasonal ones aren’t to be missed either; currently the honey almond lattes (iced and hot) are popular, and I certainly understand why. Nom!
This ‘bou is a definite win.

Great service, clean facility and ample parking. If you like Caribou coffee then this is the location to head to. Enjoy the comfy leather seats by the fire or sit outside on a summer day, it’s a very comfortable atmosphere for relaxing and enjoying other’s company.

I simply adore Caribou’s Campfire Mocha, yet there is not a Caribou within 4 hours from my home. So when I spot a Caribou location, I’m like a bee to a sweet, chocolate-lover’s flower to get me some Campfire Mocha.
Seeing as how I’ve been trying to cut down on the calories, guilt had set in knowing that my beloved Campfire Mocha was probably loaded in calories. I asked the barista if they offered a sugar free or low calorie version, and she delighted me in the fact that she can offer substitutes for everything but the marshmallows. She became my new best friend for that minute, and my relationship with the Campfire Mocha was renewed once again.
Dear Caribou Coffee, please come to Nashville!

The Better Half LOVES the Campfire Mocha here. I don’t think Starbucks even has a comparable drink to it in her mind. So whenever we are near a Caribou Coffee, she wants one.
The staff was friendly, and we were in and out with our delicious calorie packed coffee beverages.

It’s closed

Who gives away FREE coffee and has power on the patio? How about live music and familes playing board games in the evening? This Caribou location.
I was displaced from my office by a multi-​day power outage and ended up at this Caribou location using the free WIFI for several days. These folks go above and beyond. There are enough electrical outlets for everyone, including when you are out front on the patio. When it slows down they come around with a pot of coffee and offer free refills. This place is always crowded with a great working vibe during the day and a relaxed atmosphere in the evenings. They also have a really nice meeting room available.

This is one of my usual study spots in the area. I used to go because it was less bizzaro and less crowded than the Caribou in Downtown Royal Oak. Nowadays it has gotten pretty crowded, so much so that the wireless crawls pretty slowly, and I sometimes have to settle for a wobbly table or a high top. One time a few weeks ago a strange woman just sat at my table — which was full of textbooks and flashcards. Oy.
So, the social atmosphere is sorta awkward, and less urbane than at the downtown branch. Sometimes people will conduct business loudly or play a guitar to themselves.
I am on a tea craze, and am not so crazy about the tea. But I mainly go to study, and because there are few better options I can think of. On a quiet night, there is no better place for me to study.