Burial Grounds

Category:	Coffee Shop
Address:	211 5th Ave SE, Olympia, WA 98501, USA
Phone:	+1 360-359-4285
Site:	burialgroundscoffee.com
Rating:	4.3
Working:	8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 8AM–12AM 10AM–10PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 11

Sierra Mosely

Burial Grounds is not your average coffee shop. If youre looking for a simple latte or mocha, go somewhere else. Burial Grounds has the widest selection of flavors that I have ever seen in a cafe, and their large menu of different concoctions is so much fun (and delicious) to peruse. In addition to their standard menu items, theyre constantly mixing it up with new seasonal specials that sometimes make it onto the main menu if popular enough. They also have the largest variety of alternative milks I have ever seen, with soy, rice, almond, hemp, and coconut milks all offered in addition to plain cows. The atmosphere is very Olympia. The cafe is filled with mismatched couches and chairs, tables plastered with comics and excerpts from Lord of the Rings, and art both permanent and featured. They have an impressive library, and a computer for patrons to use. The baristas have the punk attitude: be nice to them and theyll be somewhat nice to you. I dont mind the colder customer service, although if youre used to being catered to by subservient wage slaves then this is DEFINITELY not the coffee shop for you. All in all, Burial Grounds is a landmark of Olympia, with a very 90s grunge attitude towards delicious flavored drinks. If youre looking for a cool place to meet, or if youre looking to expand your flavor palate, I would definitely recommend checking this place out!

Kamie Gilchrist

Im giving them three stars because they DO have good coffee. Ive been coming here for years, long before they moved to their new location. Lately the employees have crossed the threshold between bad customer service and blatantly attacking patrons. I always feel like Im bothering them when I order and get snotty remarks when I ask questions that they apparently find to be stupid. The line crossing was just now, my boyfriend was trying to ask for the bathroom key and asked for it like you would anywhere else and I heard the two baristas YELL at him for not doing it the way they wanted and chastised him for bothering a barista while she was making a drink, like she couldnt be talked to AT ALL while working the espresso machine. I have had several similar experiences but never had they full on yelled at me like that. So Im never coming back. I work customer service as well and I know you get paid to BE BOTHERED. Not like we were even being bothersome. I usually dont leave bad reviews ever but Im just fed up.

Tori Poy

Pretentiousness with a side of attitude, sub-par service, and drab drinks. Fancy foo-foo latte art and hipster hangouts are a huge selling point, but not if youre a genuine jerk. Cafe Vita is better and theyll treat you right. If you ask for something that isnt on the menu, theyll make it and they wont make you feel like crap about it either. Id say to hire a new staff, but based on the responses from the owner, it trickles down from the top. Didnt you guys set up a GoFund Me so you could move locations (slightly)? Thats pretty lame to lean on your community for unnecessary BS when there are literally a million other much more important campaigns people couldve been pouring money into.

j spain Greene

Burial Grounds has moved to 5th avenue and with the move theres been a shift in the atmosphere. Certainly theyve always served excellent coffee concoctions; my favorite being the Ice Cold Corpse - and they still have a great menu. With the larger location, its gone from a boho vibe to a decidedly street feel. Many people flowing in and out are of the street scene - and while its a fine place to sit & sip, the occasional rowdy behavior may not suit everyone seeking a contemplative space. Filled with thinkers, anarchists, students and earnest coffee lovers. Definitely a true, old school NW coffee house experience.

Gary Murphy

Very busy which tells me something... they must be good! Loved the decor! "The Grave Robber" was an excellent blend of 6 shots and some other stuff, it was wonderfully made and surprisingly did not have an over powering shot taste!! I found my new fav! I only wish they had more bags of coffee that advertised the name "Burial Grounds," with permission of course, Id promote it through-out the funeral homes and different cemeteries and crematories. I will be back and donate some skulls for your collection! Sorry, not real skulls. Loved it, you guys are awesome!

A Private User

Best cafe in town! ^.^ The coffee drinks, the non-coffee drinks, the food are all wonderful and its awesome when the barista draws a skull in the foam of foamy drinks. They sell jewelry and other little things that are made by local artists - sometimes I see one of them stop by and collect their earnings. I feel at home at Burial Grounds and I dont even have to dress a certain way to be treated with kindness, attention, and respect unlike some other places in downtown Oly. There is an engaging atmosphere at Burial Grounds that just cant be beat.

Thea

Burial grounds has the best coffee in town. There is no bitter taste, the barista truly knows how to make each cup a work of delicious art. You can order a usual mocha or latte, but they also have an amazing menu of delicious flavored coffee with horror inspired names. Some of them include: Brendas brains, zombie defender, Rasputin rising. They also make art in the foam on top of your coffee. They have Wi-Fi and a small library. I have used burial grounds for studying during the day, and they offer a student discount. I love this place.

Kelli Brown

GREAT COFFEE, but the little blonde drama queen thinks our older, spend some money group is a PROBLEM on Sundays, so we are taking our coffee money and tie to Caffe Vita, where we ARE welcome. She is the ONLY employee that makes us feel unwelcome, and it is SO bad that SHE IS THE DEAL BREAKER. A group of adults spending money is WELCOME most places. This little gum cracking tyrant is a completely rude little jerk, and I will not return while she has anything to do with this otherwise wonderful place.

Silvia Caralas

This cafe is quite popular with college students and young people in Downtown Olympia. The coffee is supberb and has very interesting names, as does the tea. The constantly changing art on the walls is also pleasant to look at. The only thing is that it is not always the best area to get work done. It can get loud. However, if looking for great beverages, an eccentric atmosphere, and lengthy conversations , then this is the place for you

Spencer Space

Nice little place. Good art and nice music. I havent been since they moved to the new space, but Im looking forward to it. I found the last space a little intimidating. It was so small it was hard not to feel watched. Im happy theyve expanded. I found the staff very pleasant, and the barista didnt give me any weird looks when I ordered a cup of plain milk and a cookie despite being an adult. Good place, good people, good hours.

A Private User

Well, I havent encountered this infamous male barrista, but if he was as horrible as hes been made out to be, dont be deterred! Go back! I love this place specifically for how wonderful all the barristas are. That and their delcious tea lattes (the sampling Ive had of their espresso was good too). And of course the fantastic atmosphere. This is by far my favorite coffee shop downtown.