Espresso Royale

Crummy atmosphere, crummy product, and especially crummy customer service. Thoroughly lousy. It’s odd, too, because it’s a great location, and with a little bit of effort, it could be a great place to hang out. But it’s not.

Typical café in college town. No latte art on my drink — sort of just through something together, and called it a latte — which is fine. Plenty of students come here to study — which is also who they taylor too.
Not a place to check out the coffee scene at all. If you just want to grab some caffeine as you rush from one place to next — pick this spot.

Stopped in to grab a cup of java and escape the cold for a while. The place was packed. Retrieved our assorted coffees and teas and had a seat! Nice place with free Wifi.

Couches are really dirty. Some chairs are about to fall apart.
Tea and coffee — nothing special to write about.

I’ll say it once, and I’ll say it again (this time for everyone to see): I don’t get the appeal of Espresso Royale. Sweet God. That feels good to put in text.
I’ve only ever gone there if folks I’m with decide this will be our coffee destination, or if I am suffering from studying-​induced amnesia and forget to avoid this place.
The thing is, the product is just bad. The employees cannot help that, in fact, the baristas are the most pleasant thing about the business. They’re attitude is warm, and almost makes up for the obvious lack of actual barista training. But alas, I’m paying for coffee, not just pleasantries. On that note, the costs are outrageous, and for what? Stale coffee, the thinnest lattes, cappuccinos that are definitely not cappuccinos, and a heinous up charge for lactose-​free alternatives. I’ve never made an attempt with their baked goods or sandwiches, as they’ve never appeared appetizing. Watching classmates fumble through crumbling muffins only affirms my lack of desire to try the food.
A tip to all: go elsewhere for your caffeine fix. There’s a Mighty Good at the end of State, Revive across the street, hell, I’ll go so far as to endorse choosing Starbucks as opposed to Espresso Royale. Don’t waste your money on this place, heed this warning, your wallet and tastebuds will thank you.

I am addicted to their mango iced tea! I don’t really like coffee so I’ve never tried coffee here. What i love about this place is the décor and the comfy couches… this place is so spacious! This place is never too crowded (unlike Starbucks and sweetwaters) so I love coming here to relax or study.

This is my go-​to for coffee in Ann Arbor. Granted, I’m not that big of a coffee fanatic and I like my coffee light and sweet. A tall of their flavored coffee always sends me out the door with a smile. If I’m out and need cafeine, this is the place I dip into.

Great location, especially if you get a window seat overlooking the Diag. Lousy coffee (esp. the espresso drinks). Few electrical outlets, erratic internet. Restrooms are never maintained and are disgusting (someone should report them to the health department).

Espresso Royale’s interior is reminiscent of a shitty Italian restaurant. Nothing is well kept. Seemed as though nobody had cleaned the place in a while. The bathroom was disgusting. Also, a large mug of tea will not come in a mug. It will come in a large uninsulated water glass that will probably burn your hand.

Not a Starbucks as far as service and product, cool concept though baristas have no pep

Just a message to management (if they actually read this): At least one of your tables is shaky. Internet is also slow even though it’s spring break and there’s hardly anyone here.

If you study or work in Ann Arbor you’ll pass by this place a thousand times. I really like the location and it’s a good place to pick up a cup of coffee or to study inside or outside. I used to never go here and then suddenly I started going a lot. It’s pretty convenient after a show at Hill or the Michigan Theater too.
The service varies widely but that’s probably true of most places. Sometimes they are very slow even if it’s not busy. Mostly though it’s decent. I wouldn’t sit there and try to have long conversations with the baristas but otherwise they should be pretty friendly.
I have been on a hot chocolate phase and at my last visit it was a cold winter day and the hot chocolate was perfect. The price for that at he last few visits seemed pretty high but I think in general most items here are cheaper than other coffee chains in the area. The Espresso itself is good too. The teas are delicious. If any item says mint try it — I have not been disappointed by their mint hot chocolate and tea.
I was going to knock the review down a star because at this location I wish they stayed open longer. I’ve gotten out of a show at 10:30 and then tried to sit here with a friend only to basically have 10 minutes to finish our drinks. That’s pretty sad on a Friday or Saturday night. It’s also bad for those who want to study on the weekday.
Otherwise it’s huge on the inside and spacious and a great location. I’ll review some of the other Espresso Royales too.

I’m kind of surprised by the poor reviews this place gets. Mostly I’m a Starbucks fan, so I tend to compare my experience at Espresso Royale to them.
Pluses: The Wi-​fi! The State St. Starbucks internet is horrible to the point of unusable. Espresso Royale has exceptionally excellent internet speeds. If you need to actually get work done, go to Royale.
Secondly, there is way more seating space in Espresso Royale. Like, amazing amounts of seating. Starbucks is usually really overcrowded and even with their new renovation, the seating is awkwardly small.
I also find that Espresso Royale is far more affordable. Its just a fact that Starbucks is overpriced.
Finally, I’m a huge fan of tea and they have amazing tea. I can get a really strong cup of Jasmine for around $ 2, which is pretty unusual. Starbucks has horrible tea!
Minuses: The coffee. Plain coffee is fine, but like others mentioned, the lattes and other drinks that Starbucks excels at are really terrible here. The food and bakery items aren’t really anything special either.
The staff can be a little snooty — the typical Ann Arbor hipster baristas that make a point not to make small talk or anything. I’ve also had rude baristas at the State St. Starbucks, however, so both loose points on that one.
Basically, Espresso Royale is a really good place to meet for group projects or sit for a while and do homework. Its cheaper, has better internet, and a ton of comfortable seating. The tea is really good too.
If you want good coffee and food and you want it to go, Starbucks is much better. Starbucks coffee isn’t even that great, so that says a lot. I think this place has 5 star potential if it fixed its lattes and bakery.

I always come here because I love the Vanilla Chai Latte with Soy. I order this exact drink in a size small and using my own coffee mug every time I’m here but somehow, I get charged something different every time. I usually pay $ 3.21 but sometimes it’s around $ 3.50. Today, I paid $ 3.85, so what’s up with that?
I’m not a huge fan of the coffee here. The baked goods are decent. I love that they have Washtenaw Dairy donuts here, especially the coconut one. The cinnamon coffee cake muffin is usually a good one as well. I love the almond joy muffin but unfortunately, I’ve only seen it once at the South University location.
Lastly, one would think that this place is great for studying, but only if you are studying without a laptop. They put a password on the wifi, yet the internet still doesn’t work.

Cheap /​fast /​good — pick two. Espresso Royale, you get cheap and fast.
Having said that, it’s SO close to also being good. There are at least two baristas that can actually make a decent latte. There’s a lot of turnover, so new baristas are often getting trained there. If I could make a single request for improvement: please teach the new baristas how to properly make Espresso drinks, and don’t serve the «training drinks» to customers until they’re up to snuff. I’d say 40% of the time, the lattes that I get here are lukewarm coffee-​flavored milk, with no foam.

Love that they have iced green tea, its not sugary which is fabulous. the large is SUPER LARGE for a cold drink !!
they have a great little selection of hot coffees about $ 2.50 ish for a medium, which is great !!! i like the medium to dark roasts, like the solidaro — its like if you are pickin a coffee from Ecuador i pretend im there for the day ! this coffee gets me AMPD UP!!!
i feel like coffee is a great price here, for the size you are getting

I stopped going to Espresso Royale for the most part by the end of last semester; the cappuccinos are way too watery and the atmosphere is rather dilapidated.
Yesterday, I came back with a friend from out of town who wanted one of their Matcha/​Green Tea lattes. Our experience was super weird. The baristas were surly, abrupt, and then proceeded to lecture me and act exasperated when they messed up my clearly articulated order twice. It’s not the first time this has happened.
I’m over Espresso Royale, going to stick to Comet, Lab, and Mighty Good!

Only got a cup of coffee, so hard to review this buttttt price was decent, place was huge with a lot of tables (including outside, which was nice to read, relax and people watch) and their post-​secret like bathroom stalls.
I’ll come again and try something fancy :)

Espresso Royale has good coffee and is very accessible to students since it’s right across the street from campus.
I’ve had regular coffee a couple of times and also a Spanish Latte and a Vietnamese Latte (I asked them to make their Vietnamese Iced Espresso into a hot latte instead — it’s my favorite drink in the world and most places can’t make it). I thought the Spanish Latte was perfect for breakfast. Of course, I get everything with soy milk because my stomach’s a little wuss when it comes to dairy.
I had a cinnamon crunch muffin and was a little worried because the outside of the muffin was dry and hard. But, the inside was moist and flavorful, so it totally redeemed itself.
I’ve liked everything so far, but I also feel like I’ve had to pay a pretty penny to enjoy the coffee here. I don’t mind paying for good coffee and I used to be a barista and know how much work it takes but. I drink coffee twice a day, and that would really add up if I visited Espresso Royale exclusively.
Wi-​Fi is free — always a plus.
What’s cool about this place is that there is a ton of seating! So much seating, in fact, that I haven’t even seen all of it. I’m scared to venture all the way into the back because I’m just sure that’s where all the cool kids sit and so I’m a little intimidated to check it all out.

Poor, poor Ann Arbor. You’re so impoverished of cafes and coffee houses. Not a single place has a great ambiance, outgoing barristas, or phenomenal coffee. Now that I have a car I can go whenever and do whatever I damn well please! But sometimes I get stuck in the ‘narb and need to get my study on to kill some time.
There are live plants that have somehow survived the lifelessness of the atmosphere! There are also a couple couches to improve your slouching capacity. The music is mostly ok though something irks me about 18 year-​olds playing Siouxsie, Cocteau Twins, and the Smiths. Is that wrong? Why I was listening to them when you weren’t even a notion in your mamma’s ocean! Someone get me my cane.
Most of the tables are two-​tops and packed in pretty tight. They pretty much always oscillate between defying gravity and succumbing to it. Get those napkins ready, fold ‘em up, and do some creative structural engineering underneath the table legs. Unfortunately levels are not included.
The tea selection is probably the best in Ann Arbor, sadly enough. They’ve got everything from Yerba Mate to ginger to white tea to about three or four green teas. Their coffee drinks are usually pretty heavy on the milk and light on the espresso. But they’re drinkable if you need the speed of caffeine.
Their food selection is not the finest. If you want a ball of sugar and fat, then try one of their tasty muffins. No I’m serious, they’re pretty good if you just want a huge chunk of desperate sustenance. Their wraps are wah-​wah. Don’t like the tortillas they use at all. Haven’t tried their panini.
Their hours are also appealing — definitely appeal to a student base closing later rather than sooner.
If you’re expecting a coffee shop where you make friends with the barristas and get to make eyesies at babes walking in or studying, this isn’t your destination (no babes here and the barristas are kind of withdrawn). If you want to put your head down, your headphones on, block out the world and get ‘er done, then give this location of Royale a try.
Kind of plain jane but enough to get by.