The best coffee shop on the South Side of Parsons.

We can't express how great it is to have this business in our neighborhood. Great people, great coffee and an even better feeling of community. Here's to many, many years of success!

Came here for the first time after hearing about the latte flight. The in house flavors are so unique and we loved each one we tried! The people are super nice here and there's tons of interesting items in the gift shop.

Rude

A lovely coffee shop tucked right across from the Parsons Library. Community Grounds is the kind of place that the neighborhood was asking for. Unpretentious, welcoming, and warm. The owners do good for the area and have the best events. It's great to see a space that is so welcoming of children and their exhausted parents. Their drinks just continue to get better and better. Do yourself a favor and stop in!

Community Grounds is such a bright and welcoming place! I got a tiramisu(!!) flavored latte and one of their scones and they were 👩‍🍳💋so good. great place to meet with friends and get work done.

This is my family's favorite coffee shop in Columbus. The coffee is great, the vegan soft serve is great, and the employees are amazing.

Family owned vegetarian restaurant with 90% vegan options. Cute. Has a large indoor space and a little patio. Plenty of food offerings including pizza and calzones and a couple of Puerto Rican dishes. As well as some merch for sale. To go ready sandwiches and sodas. And vegan soft serve with rotation of delicious flavors. Everything here is good. You cannot go wrong. Definitely recommend it. Say hi to Tara and Joel of you see them. They are the finest couple you would ever meet

What a quaint coffee shop/Puerto Rican Cafe! We ordered the hot and iced coffee flights. So fun! We were privileged to meet the owner of this cute little place. They went above and beyond to make our time there special.

What an awesome place. I was passing through and was touched by this coffee shop and its mission. Also, they made a wicked cortado—pulled a solid espresso shot. Would be back often if I lived here!

First time trying this place. Coffee is amazing and reasonably priced! Smoothies are made with all natural fresh ingredients. The most amazing part is the Suspended Coffee (pay it forward program). Individuals who are homeless, struggling financially or for whatever reason can come in here and get food or drink. The winter was especially challenging for them because the church had everyone leave by 6:30, and they are the only place open and warm for them to go to. Stop by for the coffee and food, then if you can, pay it forward with however much you can.

Love Community Grounds!! They are so kind and take great care to curate local bakery items, canned drinks, art, and more. They've got great coffee and tea, unique seasonal offerings, and delicious vegan food. My favorite is the oat milk softserve! I get some every week so I can try the rotating flavors. Highly recommend checking them out if you're visiting, or becoming a regular if you live nearby!!

Super friendly staff and excellent teas/coffee!!! I lived in England for a little bit not too long ago so I was absolutely stoked to see they carried a legit tea brand like Tea Pigs. Phenomenal espresso based drinks as well. I don't live in the area but I will be back!!

The owner is on higher grounds with his attitude, community minded actions and quality products n service. PERFECT place to have FEED & READ OHIO. This nonprofit group supports the community by turning the page on hunger. I'm PROUD to share with others my gratitude for the mere existence of a small business with such a WONDERFUL place to gather and munch and SHARE! Thank You!!!

Full disclosure: I run a nonprofit which partners with Community Grounds. However, this review is fully based on my independent experience as a customer. This is my favorite coffee shop in Columbus! The baristas are always so friendly and will offer their recommendations on drinks if you ask! Honestly, I typically order black coffee because their house blend is a delicious blend of freshly roasted coffee (from Brioso, coincidentally my favorite roaster). But sometimes I can't help but get one of their lattes - all of their syrups are made in house and are wonderful! And don't get me started on the calzones ☺️ If you're in the Columbus area, I highly recommend you pay them a visit!

My favorite cafe in town. They have amazing food, and the best vegan ice cream. The staff is always so friendly.

Great little shop with a ton of coffee and snack options. Their featured vegan soft serve ice cream of the week is nice, but only served on certain days and times of year. But when it is available, it's freaking wonderful! The staff is always friendly and the food is splendid.

This is going to be a long review, but it’s worth it, just bear with me! I grew up in Columbus but spent most of my young adulthood in Cincinnati before moving back here 3 years ago. Columbus didn’t feel like home for most of those 3 years until we started coming to Community Grounds. The owners are incredibly welcoming, the baristas all feel like friends, and with all of their inclusivity, we’ve finally felt like we’re putting down roots after three years back in my own hometown. Columbus doesn’t always have the most welcoming face, but if you’re looking for one, it’s on Parsons! The importance of a Good Coffee Shop can’t be overstated. It needs to be a place that’s welcoming for hours of work or socialization or those days when you need to ignore your gluten intolerance to order 4 calzones and cry in the corner for an hour. It needs to have good food and good drinks and options for people with dietary preferences. It needs to have baristas who were not once part of my college’s Socialist Alternative who then became weird bullies. Community Grounds checks all of those boxes and more! As an immunocompromised person, Community Grounds is also the only place I feel safe going over two years into the pandemic. The baristas are always wearing masks and there are multiple areas to sit so I can keep my distance from any plague-spreaders in the area. Thank you, Community Grounds!

Nothing beats a chai tea with a double shot of espresso on a rainy morning. They have tons of board games. This place is perfect if you want to have a cup of coffee or tea with friends over a board game and small talk.

Watch out what u getting, I end up getting cold sambusa from yesterday’s leftovers it’s more than twice

A most welcome addition to the South Side! Excellent drinks, convenient hours--especially glad they're open on Monday. It's become a nice habit.

Absolutely amazing community spot on the South side. If you’re a lactose intolerant dairy-loving human like me, you have to visit community grounds and get their vegan soft serve. It’s delicious and they have it every day of the week!

Next level customer service. I've stopped reading signs on doors under the assumption that masks are optional for vaxxed customers, but they were super nice about telling me that they've reinstated their mask policy. They didn't make me feel guilty at all, which is an accomplishment, since guilt is my default emotion. Also, I was presenting pretty femme today, but they defaulted to they/them pronouns when addressing me! I love that! The drinks are super good, and not all of their flavors are sweet. When I got the cardamom/clove drink, I remember thinking, "ah, this sure is... exactly what I asked for..." Don't be afraid to mix syrups if you have a sweet tooth. I got lavender/vanilla today and it was amazing.

The gluten free scone was moist and flavorful. The service was great. The ambience and things for sale are amazing - diverse and helpful. So good!!

I love the energy this coffee spot brings to the Parsons’ community. The coffee and pastries are locally made . I love that they have vegan options.

A delightful coffee shop! Love the message of inclusion and the items for sale. Plus, the vegan options are fantastic! Keep it up, folks :)

We only got coffee, but the server helped me pick a drink and the atmosphere was relaxing! I picked up a few stickers from local artists and plan to go back to try the food.

Yum! Cute little place. Easy parking. Quaint interior. Creative lattes and coffee-based drinks. Friendly staff. Hit the marshmallow mocha. Seasonal for March but if it was year round I would not be mad about it!!!!!

I've always been satisfied coming here, and I'm glad they appear to be doing well. There are several cafes in the area and each has something to offer, but Community Grounds is by far my favorite. Good prices, tasty drinks, and great bagels and treats is what they offer, and that's all I'm looking for. I was particularly moved to reviews them today after ordering an incredibly delicious calzone! Like really, really, good, the best I've had in Columbus. It had great dough, it was fluffy, but with a bit of texture. Filled with cheese, some spinach, and beyond sausage. Juicy, chewy, flavorful, just amazingly good. I've spent most of my life in a land of great pizza and Italian food, and this is right up there. I ate mine as a hand pie, rookie mistake. Be civilized and use a knife and fork, I lost some of the delicious sauce, and you won't want to do that. Pair with a drink and one of the prepared salads they typically have and you have a delicious, well balanced lunch. I understand the owners have a restaurant in Hilliard which is where these calzones are made fresh. I'm heading out there at my earliest convenience to enjoy the bigger menu.

Interesting multi use building. I finished my hybrid CPR and First Aid certification class in their mercantile area for my business. The other side you enter into initially really is a coffee shop!! That was nice. Quaint shop in a poor location though TBH...

no bull here

Stopped by for the first time today and was warmly welcomed by the staff who gave me a run down of the operation and provided some tips on the menu. The coffee was great. The vibe was great. The people were better.

I really want this place to succeed, but my most recent visit (Saturday July 22 2023) wasn’t great. I ordered a blueberry muffin that tasted freezer burnt, and while the barista was making my americano he sneezed and rubbed his eyes without washing his hands (despite the hand wash sink right behind him). I hope it’s just a training issue.

LOVE this place!! The chai is so amazing, and they have vegan soft serve! Not to mention lots of other vegan options. I cant wait to come back, I just got a drink to go but looks like they have lots of seating and like it would be a great place to get some work done!

I definitely encourage anyone in the area to support Tara and Joel and this community pillar of a coffee shop! Great people, and good variety for a coffee (and more) shop menu!

Community Grounds is just the best. The coffee and pastries are delicious, and there is also dope art, gifts, crafts, and zines! I like to come by for coffee before work. Recently my mother was in town and after 16 years of coming up with fresh ideas to entertain my parents in Columbus (I have taken them everywhere at this point) I brought mom to Community Grounds. She became your biggest fan, insisting we always get our coffee here when she is in town.

Absolutely lovely inclusive and community oriented coffee shop. Delicious coffee, vegan soft-serve, and vegan snacks. I love dropping by for coffee, or hanging out in the comfortable atmosphere. They also have local art, books, etc. for purchase. I can't say enough good about them!

I’m part of the community. I stopped by this cute little shop to try. I walked in the door and there were two people at the counter…the young lady looked at my twice ( while finishing up another’s order)….nobody ever said anything. What happened to a simple good morning, welcome, I’ll be with you in a minute? Not very communal.

We just happened to be staying in the area and wanted to support a local coffee shop. I ordered the cardamom and clove iced latte. It was delicious. The people working were very nice as well.

Love this place, and wish I could visit more often! Their coffee, smoothies, and vegan soft serve are delicious. And staff is always great, too. Highly recomended!!!

Nice little shop close to downtown. Affordable, clean and staffed with friendly people. They even carry coffee from "Grounds for Thought" a Bowling Green, OH staple.

I stop here on my commute from Columbus to up north of Akron sometimes and the coffee never disappoints. They make the flavor syrups from scratch which to me means they aren't as sickly sweet as the ones that come in a bottle at other coffee shops. Today I tried the food, I didn't know what to expect from Vegan food as I rarely have it, I was a little skeptical but wow was the egg scramble bun absolutely delicious, I almost went back in for another! Will definitely be back. Love this place! 💕

Coffee was delicious. Loved browsing the artwork and the little trinkets. The staff was super friendly.

Friendly staff, delicious coffee + house made syrups, great vegan/vegetarian breakfast and lunch options, and a cute atmosphere filled with local art and gift-able items. Such a wonderful spot. :)

Fun coffee shop with great art and fun souvenir type gifts for sale, but the service was mediocre and the coffee was overpriced. I ordered a white chocolate mocha latte and was quite disappointed when I tasted it after I got to the car. Couldn't tell what it was because it lacked flavor.

The person taking our order was so nice and great at explaining the menu options on 11/21/22 at 7AM. Food was great. Jalapeño cheddar bagel, Strawberry Banana smoothie and a stroopwafel. Yummy.

I've been here a few times and love it so far. They have a bunch of unique and interesting drinks on their menu. They have a few milk alternatives of varying prices, but soy milk does not have an upcharge, which is fantastic. Lots of vegan options in general. It's not too crowded and you can sit and enjoy your coffee in a ceramic cup. Wifi is available too. There's a focus on community, which I love as well.

Great coffee drinks and vegan ice cream/soft serve. Berry lavender was amazing with Graham cracker crumb sprinkle. Yum!

The calzones are so good! We also had a vanilla latte and the Acton! latte and both were delicious. Love that they don’t charge extra for soy milk.

OUTSTANDING vegan ice cream - the best I’ve had!

Love this place. Owner is amazing. There are always surprises on the menu. The coffee is delicious. I'd make a trip there everyday if I could. 🔥🔥🔥

The vegan soft serve is delicious! I took two friends who are not vegan and they loved it! Plus this shop is local and invested in the community. Super friendly service! It's a win win!

Great place

Delicious Southside chai and vegan ice cream

Amazing coffee, incredible staff. Great neighborhood joint

Excellent coffee. Try the Phil Cortado drink

Great job with masks and social distancing! Great coffee too!

Try the Southside Chai! This place practices community in every way possible.

Great atmosphere good food and drinks

This place has been amazing since even before they were open. I have rarely met a neighborhood coffee shop so invested in their community. Beyond beautiful! Even when life throws them curve balls, they have risen above it all. My kidlet loves it, too. Comfy couches with play area and toys! Great place to meet someone. Once the city opens back up, I am going to chill there one afternoon a week, for sure. Until then, it's ordering through the app and picking up some Grogg on the days I need a jump start! 💜

Lavender Berry ice cream is amaaaaaaaazing!

Wonderful people amazing stuff Always really kind and nice❤️❤️

Nice place. Good Coffee. For $2.75 it should be a 20 oz. Coffee!

I had a wonderful time. Joel was knowledgeable regarding the products and provided excellent service. The vegan soft serve with espresso poured over was a real treat. Yummy!! I highly recommend Community Grounds for coffee espresso smoothies tea snacks and merchandise.

This place is great so progressive! The coffee was so good the store and wonderful barista was so inviting!!

Today I visited this coffee shop for the first time. I ordered a white chocolate latte, and was very pleased with this choice. The barista was friendly and drink was quickly prepared. Parking situation for that area is a bit unclear. I ended up parking at the local library.

Community Grounds: Coffee & Meeting House. Great, high quality beverages. Good snacks, cookies, donuts, bagels, and the soft serve. The rotating flavors for the soft serve are always unique, and delicious. Vegan options too. Check it out.

Best coffee shop around! Out of all the places I've been since Ohio opened back up... they have been one of the best establishments following the new protocols! Keep up the great work! With the cool weather I enjoyed a warm Acton! today!

Vegan soft serve is AMAZING. Got pumpkin pie twist with vanilla topped with graham crackers. True pumpkin flavor and great creamy texture 💞

Great service & drinks!!

Great space with friendly staff and amazing vegan soft serve 😋 excited to try the coffee next time!

Fantastic menu with lots of great coffee options. Super friendly service, could not be better!

Good service

I went for the first time today and I left with a huge smile! I had the Mexican Hot Cocoa and Vanilla Marshmallow soft serve! The soft serve was delicious and the service was amazing! I will definitely be going back and I highly recommend!

I only drove by the place. I didn't go in. But I'm sure it's a great place to go for coffee 😁 ☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😀😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁☕😁

I've been meaning to come in for a while and so glad I did. They carry these nice soaps and art from local artists. The vegan salted caramel is on point! I hope them the best as they continue to grow.

The best chai i ever had! If you like it spicy like it's supposed to be, then give it a shot. Want to help make a difference in the neighborhood? Support small businesses like this one and others in the area. Skip the corporate coffee and get yourself the real deal.

I always pass this coffee shop since it is so close to my house. Today I finally stopped in to check it out and of course grab a coffee. It is spacious and very welcoming inside. A great place for meetings or just a coffee date. Also : They still have their pumpkin spice latte on the menu which absolutely made my day as it is probably the last place in town where you can find it! Go get one while they still have it!

This is a really great little coffee shop. The Family that own it are the nicest people ever. Its actually larger that I thought when driving by. The inside is bright and cozy. They have all kinds of fun random events to attend. They also agreed to host our Women Business Owners group. This place is a must visit especially if you love to support local businesses!

The vegan frozen yogurt is very very good!!

The best coffee and customer service i downtown South Side Columbus.

Best coffee in Columbus! House blend is smooth and robust medium roast. Add the great service and community engagement, and you have a superior coffee experience.

Amazing SPACE and incredible house coffee!

Delicious lavender Chai! Lovely zucchini sandwich too! Community Grounds, you've won a repeat customer!

nice

i absolutely love this place! i usually get the mocha with oat milk or the southside chai with oat milk. both are delicious! also they are super welcoming to families... we go in with our three young kids and always feel wanted. they even have a small children’s area with toys and games! bonus: this place is locally owned by a lovely couple who lives in the neighborhood :) it’s so great to have a delicious, family friendly, reasonably priced coffee shop in our neighborhood!

Super friendly owner. Loved getting a hot latte in a ceramic cup. Very inclusive feel to the place. All are welcome. Clean and bright. Would be a great place to get some work done during the week. And of course, they have vegan options.❤️

Usually, pretty good. Today's coffee was extremely acidic. I am going to call it a one off since I have usually had a good experience.

Service was quick and friendly. The chai tea was delicious as well