Grove Coffee

A church campus coffee shop that embarrasses the places charging double. I did not expect to write that sentence but here we are.

Grove Coffee sits on the campus of The Grove Church and the whole room feels built for actually staying a while. Vaulted black ceilings hold gold light fixtures and pendant lights which sounds like it should feel heavy but actually reads bright and open instead. Concrete floors meet marble top tables. The service counter is dressed with wood slatted paneling. Art portraits line the walls and tucked in one area sits a woven birdcage sofa cushioned just right for reading or just relaxing. Many seating spots have outlets within easy reach for plugging in.

Outside there is a shaded patio on one side and a grassy play area on the other. That combination makes Grove a rare find in the East Valley... a shop where a parent can actually open a laptop while a kid runs around close by.

Everyone working the counter is super friendly, the kind of friendly that does not feel rehearsed.

The beans come from Peixoto, sourced straight from the family farm Fazenda Sao Jose da Boa Vista in the highlands of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Four generations have worked that land at around 4200 feet. That is a serious pedigree sitting quietly behind the counter of a church cafe and Grove deserves credit for sourcing it.

I usually keep it simple here. A cappuccino or a plain espresso shot. This visit I went fancy and ordered an iced caramel macchiato, medium.

The first sip was honestly forgettable. Sweet and flat, as if the espresso and the caramel had not been introduced to each other yet. I gave it a hard stir and the drink turned a corner. The espresso pushed up through the milk and the caramel finally settled inside the cup instead of floating up. Once stirred it tasted like a slightly dimmer version of what that Peixoto bean is actually capable of (likely the commercial syrup or the build itself holding it back a notch). Not a bad drink. Just not the best use of a very good bean.

Still, the room makes up for a lot. Grove gives you a peaceful, welcoming environment with pastries, smoothies and teas on the side and I am already planning my next visit. Probably the cappuccino. I know better now.