Uncommon Grounds

Coffee is my thing… If you can’t make it the way I like, unless there is some other draw I won’t be back. Don’t let my shots sit and if it’s too hot you burn my milk and I won’t even drink the Breve Latte…
Train your employees to listen and if they knew how to use the espresso machine timing is everything… I was not impressed. Customers pay and continue to come back if they get great service and what they want. LISTEN and WATCH… It was written all over my face that the coffee I was handed sucked. Maybe ask if it’s good?

Must have changed hands. These photos are now of a place called Riverbend Café:
Still a good place. Wifi. They do accept credit cards now. Great smoothies. Organic coffee and a lot of little touches that all good local coffee shops should have. I don’t see any power outlets, but oh well. I’d suggest you support the free wifi by tipping in their jar.

Stopped in Saturday in need of warm cup of something. Went for the mocha latte and was beyond happy with it. Enjoyed the laid back coffee shop vibe. Went back the next day before heading home. Another reviewer commented it’s a little crunchy, yeah it kind of is, in a good way. Picked up a frequent card because I know when I come back to for a wedding here in a few months I will be hitting this place up again, pre and post hangover.

Love the coffee, the food, and the people! I definitely recommend giving them a try!

A little crunchy, just what the Berkshires is famous for. I have stopped in for a treat and café over the years and have had mixed results. Maybe it’s the atmosphere or maybe I am a weekend visitor who doesn’t know the ladies who works the counter.
Café is pretty good the baked goods are on par with a lot of the locally baked products. I asked for a dry cappuccino, was pretty good just not as good as I make one at home. Muffin top, well I don’t have the facility to bake and probably couldn’t bake this well either.
I will always stop in when in town and like the product.

I hate it here.
Extremely unfriendly staff. Every time I’ve been here (it took about 3 tries before I learned just not to go back at all) I’ve been served by the nastiest baristas I’ve ever encountered. They half ignore me, half sneer at me, and are completely unfriendly and unresponsive to my questions. I’d rather go somewhere where I feel appreciated as a customer.
On top of the rude staff, the coffee is awful. The last time I went I had a cappuccino that tasted so horrible I couldn’t even finish it. They were also out of not just one but THREE of the flavored syrups I asked for. After I was told that my first choice was out, I asked for the second choice, then the third, then it took a fourth try to find one they actually had. Why list them on the board/​menu if they don’t actually bother stocking up on them? They also serve stevia as a sweetner with no other choices like Splena, Equal, Sweet ‘n Low etc, and I hate stevia — I think it tastes bitter — but I have no other alternatives for sweetener aside from sugar which I don’t want to use.
To make matters even worse they don’t accept credit cards for any amount. I never have cash on me so this makes going here a terrible inconvenience as I have to stop and withdraw money somewhere just to be served bad coffee by rude staff.
If you want a good café experience — visit Fuel in Main St in Great Barrington. The staff there are friendly, the coffee is good, and they take credit cards. Nuff said.

I believe this adorable café is know called River Bend Café instead of Uncommon Grounds. .. the reviews it posts on the walls still say Uncommon Grounds (as does this current Unilocal posting), but the large sign outside and menus say River Bend. .. so, regardless of the fact that I’m not entirely sure what’s it’s name is, I do find it to be a fabulous little coffee /​sandwich shop in the middle of the Berkshires —
True to its advertising, it is certainly vegan friendly, although it still offers a lot of options for omnivores. And plenty tasty. And filling! !Even if the price may put you off at first (about $ 8 a sandwich) — please keep in mind that it’s probably organic and half of it will fill you up) —
The coffee is also organic. .. although regrettably, the cup that I had there recently was a little too charred. Hopefully, this is an anomaly, as this is certainly a cozy place, with it’s mismatched furniture and spacious room, to sit and read with a fine cup of coffee.
The backyard is excellent, too — a perfect place to either sit on their few outdoor tables or spread a blanket and picnic (if only they offered blankets!)
The café is also very kid friendly as well — offering shelves full of kid toys and books. It even has an antique-​looking changing table in the bathroom.
A few drawbacks, nonetheless:
1.) Cash only. Who carries more than $ 10 in cash these days?
2.) It serves corn chips with its sandwiches. I hate corn chips.
3.) It closes at 5. Five! What happens if we roll out of bed at 4? Many of us are in the Berkshires on vacation, after all…
Still, I’ll go back when I’m out there. If anything, an fun place to sit and chat —

Has great juices and sandwiches also is kid freindly!!!

I wish I could say that their organic coffee was awesome, since hey organic coffee. But I can’t. Also blah cinnamon rolls. Haven’t tried their sandiwiches, which are half carnivore half vegetarian.
On the plus side there is a great backyard with a wonderful view.

As a lover of cafes and walking and biking and urban environments, I am fairly happy to be out of Great Barrington, but Uncommon Grounds has a bit of the hippie/​artistic/​comfortable feel of a good urban café. There aren’t many places in the Berkshires where one can find vegan muffins and scones, nor much vegetarian food. Good baked things, good soups and vegetarian sandwiches, good coffee, cool mismatched tables and chairs, friendly staff, and an open and comfortable atmostphere.

Vegetarian food and organic coffee. Free wifi