Commonwealth Cafe

Category:	Coffee Shop
Address:	300 Hamilton Row, Birmingham, MI 48009, USA
Phone:	+1 248-792-9766
Site:	gocommonwealth.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	7:30AM–3PM 7:30AM–3PM 7:30AM–3PM 7:30AM–3PM 7:30AM–3PM 8AM–3PM 8AM–3PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 13

Anthony Tamborello

I tend to write my reviews based on the food, so let me start by saying the service and atmosphere were top notch. I only had two things while I was there, which means this is a review of those two things. Let me begin by saying I am not a coffee drinker. Ive had little coffee that I would, having spent a penny on for one cup, spend a second penny on for another. That being said, Ive had one excellent experience with black coffee at an Ethiopian restaurant in Ann Arbor. It was flowery and fruity and shockingly good. I finished it without a gram of sugar aiding the experience, smiling the whole way. This is why I ordered the Ethiopian coffee as soon as I saw it on the menu. Being a Texas boy, I also tend to order Mexican or Spanish inspired food when I run across it. This is comfort food to me. "One Chorizo hash please." The coffee and food was delivered fast and hot. So far so good. As soon as I tasted their Ethiopian coffee I knew that 1) Ethiopian coffee isnt automatically good and 2) I wasnt going to come close to finishing this cup. It was bitter, burned and extremely unpleasant. I understand the importance of complex and challenging food, but this wasnt complex. It was one note: triple bitter with a bitter finish. My wife ordered a latte which I can normally tolerate, but this had the same overwhelming bitterness, only diluted with milk. If this is a fair sample of the coffee served there, then Im in no danger of becoming a coffee addict from their products. Fine, Im a non coffee drinker that thought the coffee was terrible, that hardly warrants a two star rating. Unfortunately the food that followed was nearly as disappointing. My hash was well prepared. The polenta was creamy and seasoned nicely. The potatoes were perfectly cooked. The egg was nice and runny. I enjoyed the spice of the salsa, there was just one problem, I could not find a piece of chorizo in the entire dish. Either it was left out or in such a small amount as to not lend a bit of its flavor to the dish. Breakfast is not difficult to get right, so mistakes made here count as double. Leaving out the key ingredient means I might as well have just had a bowl of grits with. My wife said she wasnt that impressed either. She complained that the potatoes were cooked on a dirty pan or griddle top so that there were burned bits of old grease on them, spoiling the flavor. She also finds it unpleasant when her poached eggs are still sopping with water. Use a towel guys. Thats just unnecessary. Im sure this place does some things right, but none of it was served to my wife or me yesterday morning. I cant say I would recommend this place. Im not sure if Id give it another chance. I know theres another brunch place on the other side of the block. Maybe that will be a little better. Not every trendy place deserves its reputation. I appreciate the effort, but the execution needs some real work.

Anjali

Im not sure if I can hang in Birmingham. $4.50 for a pour over coffee, and $14.00 for an avocado and egg on toast. That being said I knew eating in this posh city would be expensive and the food and the atmosphere was great. My friend got a delicious cappuccino with foam art and i had the Ethiopian light roast pour over with fruit pancakes which were delicious. During the week, there is plenty of parking and ample seating. I like the feel of downtown Birmingham, you just have to go in knowing you are going to be spending a ridiculous amount of money, no matter what.

Teagan Felerski

Commonwrealth is a definite gem in Downtown Birmingham. The ambiance is fresh and inviting. Friendly, patient, and energized describes the staff well. Although the baked good display is small, they offer a lot of unique and yummy goods. Their macarons are delicious. Their coffee is not over roasted to the point where it is just smoke like some other chain cafés. I did not try their food, but I did glance at the menu. The menu looked varied with common breakfast food with twists.

Aurore Henze

This reminds me of a little West-Coast in Birmingham, but it misses by a long shot. A decent coffee shop, the croissants are normally too dry for me. No easy parking, and the high prices would be justified but there are no organic, fair-trade selections. As usual, Birmingham lacks progressive choices in cafes and foods. I prefer to drive down to Bean and Leaf in Royal Oak, even though I live in Birmingham and can walk to ten different coffee shops here.

Marilyn B

I cannot speak to the coffee as I did not have one, I only at lunch there. The space is very nice and airy. I had the Mediterranean salad, which was extremely ordinary and served with three stale triangles of pita bread. That and a San Pelligrino soda cost me $13.00. If the salad were really good, that would be one thing, but it was quite mediocre and consisted of mostly greens, stingy on the add-ins. I dont think Ill be back.

Jane Beneteau

Their fried egg sandwich is to die for! The salads are tasty with an excellent light olive oil and vinegar based dressing, the kind that allows greens to go perfectly with any meal, from breakfast to dinner. Coffee is excellent. Staff is quick and friendly. Is it ALWAYS crowded and can be noisy. And the crowd can seem a bit pretentious at times. But its worth it for the food!

Fabian Garcia

Total cool hipster joint in Birmingham. Can get healthy eats, delicious sandwiches and of course some fancy coffee. Known for delicious pour over cups and the sweets. Commonwealth will leave ya satisfied for sure but you spending some extra cash as well. Unique beverages offered as well, they have solid service and staff is running around making sure spots clean for its guests.

Keith Albertie

Not too bad of a spot in Birmingham. Food is good to very good, price point is decent. A little modern, parking can be tough, and the service is average. Not excited about $3.00 toast, or a $3.25 coffee thats only 6 ounces...but its worth stopping in just for the Fried Egg Sandwich, its good!

A Private User

They serve Stumptown coffee, fabulous sandwiches and a great atmosphere. I have been waiting for a place like this in the Detroit area since Mercury Coffee Bar closed. The espresso is Amazing, though the sandwiches are slightly pricey. I plan on living here. Seriously.

Josiah LaColla

Had a day off and went for breakfast- was not disappointed in the least! Great decor inside, great food with a simple menu, good coffee and if youre lucky you can catch a parking spot right outside. If I was a trophy wife I would spend lots of mornings here!

Cris Josson

This place is definitely overrated. Food is nothing special , place is unbelievably noisy ! I just moved here from Shanghai and like many other places I went to in the area, compared to Shanghai amazing international food scene, this place is very ordinary

Lyndsi Schuesler

Macaroons are good (they are also gluten free) probably the most coffee options in the area. Food is very good especially for how fast it comes out. (Havent yet been there on a weekend, because its very busy)

Brett Valentine

Ive been to a lot of up-scale coffee shops across the country. Commonwealth ranks right up there with the best of them like Inteligentsia, Spyhouse, Speckled Ax, etc. Definitely worth a visit.