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    Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes

    3.9 (342 reviews)
    Closed 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

    Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes Photos

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    COMMON GROUND COFFEE & CUPCAKES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes

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    Common Ground exclusively carries the Caffè D'arte brand.  Whole bags are available for purchase to take home!
    Marvin R.

    While going down 3rd Avenue in Downtown Renton, to the outside observer, it's easy to whiz by all the wonderful places to eat and not realize which places make the quiet impact every day. One of these places is Common Ground Cupcakes. More than just cupcakes, Common Ground, has other sweet treats like cookies, oatbars, and house made banana bread along with their gluten free blueberry and lemon bread. There are breakfast and lunch based sandwiches to be ordered if you are feeling even more hungry for a savory choice. But when you come in, it's still about the cupcakes! I definitely have my favorites on the menu. These include their delicious and visually stunning Red Velvet and Lemony Snicket! Common Ground exclusively carries the Caffè D'arte brand of coffee which they use in their drip, espresso drink selections as well as their special Caffè D'arte inspired cupcake. What's most critical is the comfortable-homelike atmosphere nurtured by these proud Renton small-business owners and their welcoming staff. It's what makes the regulars come back, everyday. So, if you are near 3rd Avenue and Wells Avenue South, don't just whiz by. Come on in, pull up a chair, and treat yourself to the offerings at Common Ground!

    We  pride cupcake and Van Housen cupcake
    Shalaya S.

    Stopped in for a Friday afternoon treat. They have a variety of cupcakes and drinks to choose from. There was a fun featured cupcake for pride month. I tried the Carmel Mocha frappe and it was nicely blended and the right amount of sweetness. I tried the van housen cupcake (vanilla cake with a chocolate buttercream frosting) it was good but next time I would cut it in half. This a great place to come if you're looking for a quiet place to work, journal, or get your artistic juices flowing. I didn't catch the older lady's name who was working but she was really nice.

    Cozy
    Laura M.

    Friendly and fast service. Yummy strawberry crisp fresh out of the oven- not too sweet. A local place with local vibe. Enjoy!

    Valerie W.

    Such a cute little shop in Downtown Renton! Came in here simply looking for a coffee...which was great by the way...prices are reasonable and whatever coffee brand they use is quite smooth in flavor. Staff are super friendly and you'll get caught up in all the delicious desserts they have on display. Their cupcakes are delicious! It's a cozy little shop with some seating, plants, and great sunlight. Perfect stop on a summer day or even when it's raining to come and get some reading done :)

    Kirston D.

    Found this place on yelp and was not disappointed! Quick and friendly service from the staff. The cupcakes were amazing, def going back!!

    Adrienne M.

    WARNInG SWEET FANS!!!!! This place is fabulous. I've been in the area for a few days and was scoping out sweets. I found this place with coffee, cupcakes cookies, and banana bread! All in one spot I couldn't be more happier! What a treat this was! I walked in and it smelled so good! It was cute inside clean organized well! The two young ladies behind the counter seemed happy to be there' That was refreshing! I asked for alittle help with picking out one cupcake because I knew I needed two but only could decide on one! They both said Gingerbread !!! Okay so I got One of those and a double chocolate. I ate them later on that night with the the roomies! Ok a sharer. I cut them into fours and we chowed down on them. Excellent! I must say very moist and flavorful cakes! I was so happy with my choices. Oh and the gingerbread was a winning there was 3 of us and we all fought over the 4th piece. See ya tomorrow lol Gingerbread here I come! Ps the gingerbread Cookie was just as good as the cupcake! Keep up the great work!

    Peppermint & Ube cupcakes
    Foxx I.

    I've been wanting to try this place out for awhile, finally had a chance after work. It very nice and almost quiet. The selection is limited. I believe it's a ma & pop place. The cupcakes are yummy. I had the Ube & peppermint cupcake. Ube was spot on yummy and the peppermint needed more peppermint flavor...it just tasted like a chocolate cupcake. The Caramel mocha frappe was yummy. I also had the Roastbeef sandwich and that was good. The bread is toasted and the balance of horseradish was perfect. The veggies they used on the sandwich was like a spinach mixed salad. Service was great. The wife & husband were very nice. I would go here again and try other cupcakes and coffee. The only down side of this place is the hours. They're only open from 8 or 9 am until 4:30. Highly recommend this place.

    Mini Coffee Cupcakes

    The food was good, but I came for the coffee cupcakes. The service was great. The ambiance is very social gathering place.

    the outside of the building
    Maki S.

    It isn't often (and understandably so, considering we're in an endemic and there's war etc), that you see business owners who genuinely enjoy what they do. This coffee shop doesn't just warm you, it's very cozy and warm feeling because of the owners. It's hard to describe, but upon entering I felt welcomed like I was visiting someone's home. They have a limited but pretty good breakfast menu. Their breakfast sandwiches can be served on English muffins OR bagels, which is neat. Their coffee is really good. They use Caffé D'arte, which if you don't know, has some of the best coffee beans (imo). Recommendation: try their seasonal specials. They have a raspberry mocha that my husband ordered and made me jealous. They are AAPI owned and support Pride (and this review was written in June), which is another reason to consider stopping by to support them.

    Red velvet, vanilla, chocolate, and coffee flavored cupcakes
    Gaby V.

    Stopped by to try their cupcakes and the bread was very moist and soft and the frosting was fluffy and not too sweet. The staff was also nice and welcome you when you arrive. My family really enjoyed the cupcakes so I would definitely stop by again.

    Blended Thai tea & banana bread
    Lauren S.

    I came to Common Ground to work during the (ugly) heat wave we had in Washington during the first week of summer. Ya girl doesn't have AC and is 8 months pregnant, so I had to migrate to a place that DID have some cool air instead of roasting in my house. This place is definitely very homey and comfortable. I was here for a couple hours and could tell there were a ton of regulars by the way the staff interacted with them. They've got some gorgeous looking cupcakes that I'm sure are dynamite - I didn't try any because I just wasn't in the mood, so I'll have to return for one! I ended up going with a blended Thai tea and a slice of the banana bread. The Thai tea was delicious. Not too sweet, very creamy, and blended very well! The banana bread wasn't my favorite. It didn't have any hint of banana in it at all... It was more of just a sweet bread rather than a banana bread. However, it was moist and tasty overall, so it's not a bad thing to order! I didn't spot a ton of outlets here but I did manage to find a table with some outlets higher up the wall. Something to note if you plan on coming here to work. Looking forward to returning some time to try a cupcake!

    Banana bread, cinnamon roll, ballerina cupcake
    Íc M.

    This place is really cute! The cupcakes are adorable, the cinnamon rolls are gorgeous and the hot chocolate is above average. They add CBD to your drink on request so that's a plus! The man and woman working there are super friendly and gave good conversation with a smile very comfortable atmosphere! It would be awesome if they gave you bags when you ordered a lot of stuff because on my way out I did drop my cupcake from the top of my mountain of items, and even though that sucked, they made me a new one with no problem! GREAT PLACE!

    Lemon blackberry cupcake.  Yas
    Jen M.

    Wonderful cupcakes here. The lemon flavoured frosting and cake had just the right amount of sweet and tartness, cake was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, and the berries on top were great. I think this is a seasonal cupcake, but with some of my favorite flavors, I was pretty happy. Coffee was great too - no fancy latte art for my raspberry latte and it did come kind of sloppy, but it tasted good - it was a little more watery than some other lattes I have tried elsewhere, but I actually liked it this way. Good flavors and there's a frequent drink card available if you ask. Atmosphere was definitely a little older in decor, but still - its a nice space and great place to meet a friend or get some work done. Definitely have a cupcake while you're here!

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    6 months ago

    Friendly, great pastries and cupcakes! Lattes are excellent. Love the funky ambiance!

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    2 years ago

    Espresso cupcake delicious!! Great banana bread, nice and moist. Seems to be dog friendly as well.

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    2 years ago

    The reseason i go to the Common ground coffee and cupcake In Renton, Wa because the workers know people order.

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    Ask the Community - Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes

    Does this place have vegan options?

    I'm sorry I didn't notice if they had vegan options. I'm not vegan but I'll definitely look into things like that next time I post a review. I'm still new at this.

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    Tasty Doux

    Tasty Doux

    4.8
    (300 reviews)
    7.4 mi
    $$

    Omg! This Asian Bakery rocks! I wish I didn't live so far away. I would come here all the time if I…read morelived in the area. So delicious! I had a cream puff, an eclair and a fruit tart and they were all fabulous. Sweet but not too much and the pastries were perfectly flaky. Also, the cream puff was way better than Beard Papa. Nice, clean modern place and the lady who waited on me was lovely. If you like baked goods, go here!

    My co-worker recommended that I try out this place as they have really good cream puffs. I'm a huge…read morecream puff fan and never had a fresh one before so I was really excited. We stopped by and when you enter, the smell inside is absolutely heavenly. I don't think I have ever entered such a wonderful smelling bakery. We were greeted by the sweetest female employee who was patient with us while we were trying to decide what to get. It was still really early so we weren't super hungry for sweets so we got a cream puff each. I got the pandan one while my boyfriend got the regular one. They were absolutely perfection, the filling was super yummy! I want to come back to try their other flavors. The macarons looked amazing and they have quite the selection as well as their cupcakes too. I will have to stop by more to get some more sweet treats. They have cakes too or you can order them as long as you give a few days heads up. They have a counter top to enjoy your sweets right away. They also have napkins just in case as well. They don't offer crafted drinks but had a few drinks in their fridge.

    Photos
    Delicious and colorful
    Delicious and colorful
    Perfect treat for a Saturday
    Perfect treat for a Saturday
    Tasty Doux

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    Bakery Nouveau

    Bakery Nouveau

    4.4
    (476 reviews)
    6.4 mi
    $$

    My favorite bakery in the most dangerous location in Burien…read more Not dangerous because of crime. Dangerous because it's directly across the street from my gym. Nothing says "great workout" quite like immediately replacing every calorie you just burned with one of Bakery Nouveau's twice-baked chocolate croissants. I prefer to think of it as strategic carbohydrate replenishment. Everything here is exceptional. The pastries are buttery, flaky, and somehow manage to ruin every grocery store croissant for the rest of your life. The coffee is excellent, the staff is consistently friendly, and it's one of those places where it's impossible to leave with only the one thing you came in for. The neighborhood feels safe, parking is plentiful, and the only real hazard is convincing yourself you deserve "just one more pastry." Five stars. My spin instructor may disagree. Bakery Nouveau is worth every extra minute on the bike.

    The service here is always top notch. Every employee I've spoken to is friendly and knowledgeable…read more The coffee is also delicious. I love that they make their own chocolate but I have yet to try it as I can't justify spending that much money on a chocolate bar. My favorite item is the twice baked almond croissant. The chocolate is delicious as well. They've gotten much better (in Burien, at least) at dialing in the perfect toast and not over doing it to make it a bit dry and bitter. I'm already planning my trip to pick up some more croissants!

    Photos
    (3/22/25)
    (3/22/25)
    Crunchy caramel cake Gelato
    Crunchy caramel cake Gelato
    BLTs

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    BLTs
    The Brewmaster's Bakery

    The Brewmaster's Bakery

    4.5
    (8 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    I would tell you that the peanut butter cookies are the best I've had anywhere, and even better…read morewhen eaten in big, crisp, buttery chunks alongside Haagen-Dazs vanilla bean ice cream; or that the blueberry lemon curd scones fill up the room with a divine scent after a few minutes in the convection oven. But I won't, because at this point in the review you can probably tell I'd prefer to eat them all myself. ‍ (To clear up the confusion noted in the only negative review here: The address on this business is not a bakery. The address is the associated Brewmaster's Taproom, which has an ever-rotating lineup of two-dozen-plus craft beers and ciders. The taproom has a -table- of goods from the Brewmaster's Bakery, unless I've eaten them all. The bakery also has a pop-up that travels around, to places like the tiny farmers' market outside Virginia Mason hospital in Seattle's First Hill neighborhood.)

    For a year I've been trying cbd treats and calming treats as well as cbd drops for my dog. Little…read moreold man (14 y/o Jack Russell) doesn't do well in the car so we started trying all the options out there with no success other than the combination of a Thunder Shirt and Brewmaster's dog treats. He's a picky eater and loves the treats, he asks for more when I can't give them even! I was apprehensive to try another cbd product because they never seemed to work, but man does she do her research here - I bought these at a farmers market in SLU twice, and while I have enough, I'm considering getting another bag next week just so I can keep one in the trunk for "emergencies". In short, don't hesitate here - great product, great people. Even if you tried them elsewhere, these are bound to work far better, and at a much better value (and local too!).

    Photos
    Your Spicy Mistress Granola. This one will make you beg for another beer!
    Your Spicy Mistress Granola. This one will make you beg for another beer!
    Brew Dog Treats
    Brew Dog Treats
    You a spicy Mistress Granola

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    You a spicy Mistress Granola
    Premier Meat Pies

    Premier Meat Pies

    4.3
    (156 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Excellent meal. Heather was a great waitress. Incredible thoughtful services. Ambiance was quiet…read morebut lively. Never a dull minutes.

    A Monday happy hour and the place was empty. It certainly didn't sound empty because from the bar…read morein the other room all of the employees were screaming! I mean, even the music was drowned out by yelling and cursing. I'm not surprised we were the only ones in the whole place with such a weird vibe. The food came out before the drinks, which is odd because I didn't think the cocktails were that elaborate compared to a pastie. The cocktails (fat badger and the black hound) were good. The pasties were good too (lamb curry and the steak & mushroom) but the price relative to have big they are doesn't make it the best value and unless you're looking for a snack you'll probably need 2-3. We decided to order more food because we were still hungry but our waitress never came to check on us and all but disappeared off the floor when my husband went to request her twice! She may have been in the kitchen both times, but it's still annoying to have to play scavenger hunt to find a waitress in a pretty much empty restaurant. She eventually did some back and we did order more and she walked away without clearing the empty plates. The drink my husband ordered arrived long after we finished again. I don't understand how a single drink takes 3-4 times longer than food. It might be fun for a game day or to save on cocktails during the happy hour, but otherwise I don't think it's something you need to go out of your way for.

    Photos
    Bar tables
    Bar tables
    Corn & Bacon Dip
    Corn & Bacon Dip
    Creme Brulee, yummy! Ordered another one Togo :)

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    Creme Brulee, yummy! Ordered another one Togo :)
    Macadons

    Macadons

    4.8
    (437 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    I have commonly purchased Macadons, both macarons and their ice cream macarons, during street fairs…read moreand at Bobae. I was pleasantly surprised (and amused) to find their macarons with custom printing at the "REVIVE I-5" booth at the University Street Fair. I was amused enough to write a separate review for them. The quality of the artwork and print colors are fantastic and vibrant with the rainbow colors. Please see photo. If I was interested in custom macarons, I would most definitely order some from Macadons. The flavor in this case is a simple vanilla, which has its charms, though I typically buy other flavors. The shell doesn't have the characteristic slight crispy, which is understandable since these are not fresh from the store. The inside is a very creamy filling that squished out on the sides as I bite down. Everyone has their own texture preferences. I personally like it less creamy. I normally buy their ice cream macarons, but these are still very good. The individual boxes make them great for small gifts.

    I'm not a big fan of macarons. In general I think they are overpriced and under deliver. But I came…read morehere for a drink and tried one anyway. It was incredible and full of flavor. I ended up bringing a whole bunch home for my family. My daughter who has food issues even loved them. That's a huge compliment. I'd for sure come back. Especially since it's quiet and a great place to work with a snack and beverage.

    Photos
    Monthly flavor -- Reeses
    Monthly flavor -- Reeses
    Ice Cream Macaron Thai Tea
    Ice Cream Macaron Thai Tea
    Macadons

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    Common Ground Coffee & Cupcakes - coffee - Updated August 2026

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