Ground Central is a clever name and all, but I'm going to start referring to this coffee shop as Double Threat. Why? Because they ALSO SERVE BEER. I wish more coffee shops in NYC would follow their lead, I've seen this in lots of other cities, and especially overseas. We're really behind the curve here, but good thing Ground Central is around to set the bar. I got a dirty chai latte and loved it -- slightly sweet, and I could still taste the espresso, which doesn't happen at other places that dump sugar and caffeine into a cup and hope for the best. It was a really well made drink. The space is great, it screams "cafe" as soon as you walk in, with the soft lighting and dark walls. It's a great spot for working and for quiet conversation with a friend or two. There's free WiFi and quality service behind the counter. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

Ground Central Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

5 stars for the lovely staff and coffee (they are always on point) but why is there NO AC in there? On a hot day we need some respite from the heat (obviously!!) No other cafe worth its salt would be without working AC. read more

I love Ground Central. The vibes are great, the employees are so friendly, and there is a lot more seating than you would expect from a café in Manhattan. The coffee is also good, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit there. Great place to get some work done! read more

Ground Central Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

OMG that almond croissant! I love a good coffee shop with fun chairs to just spend some time in to read. Ground Central has a great vibe, a peanut butter hazelnut coffee that is to die for, and the added bonus of selling my fav, Pure Green juice! I could spend hours here! read more

Good coffee and a pleasant space. Most people simply grab and go. I have always been able to find a place to sit and enjoy coffee while getting ready for the day. read more

I only really care about the quality of coffee early in the morning. But this is class regarding decor and excellent coffee hands down. Great staff read more

Ground Central Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Workers are not friendly and coffee tastes really bad - super watery and not worth it.

I walked 16 blocks out of my way, with my luggage in tow, to stop in at this location of Ground Central in between meetings. With so many coffee joints in NYC, especially Midtown, Times Sq, and Hell's Kitchen, why would I bother? Lemme tell you why... When you walk in the door at 888 8th Ave (an auspiciously lucky number!), you already feel like you're home. Cool music and friendly, engaging folks behind the counter make you feel welcome. This was my second trip here in a month (I'm from Chicago) and it's hard to imagine going elsewhere. Probably my favorite part is watching other customers. They can feel the vibe, dig the excellent music, and most all break out in song or dance. Baristas too. Today, I was greeted by a tall drink of water, Chad. He was very helpful, made smart suggestions to my broad, random questions (get the egg fritatta on brioche, BTW), and saved me from double dosing on my dirty chai. Seamless handoff to Olive, the barista with the mostest, where she made a flawless almond milk dirty chai. It was the PERFECT temp, smooth and balanced, and poured with love. No, really, check out the heart in my pic. :-) Food is top quality as well so don't hesitate to add sweets and savories to your Ground Central experience. You need this in your life. read more

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Nice branch of this coffee chain with a neighborhood coffee house vibe and friendly staff. Taking off one star because of regrettable decision to eliminate discount loyalty card. With a fancy new Starbucks reopening across the street, what were they thinking? read more

During a recent New York trip, this Ground Central was one of the closest cafes near me. Luckily, the great coffee and the lovely staff kept me coming back frequently! This Ground Central location is located right on 8th Ave, and it's moderately sized (having enough space for people working on their computers or meeting up with friends). The coffee was excellent, and from the Long Blacks that I tend to favor to the rare cortado that I tried during my trip, I did not have one bad drink from this cafe. While I did not spend a lot of time in the cafe, the lovely staff were welcoming and made every visit a joy! I will definitely return when I'm back in town and in Hell's Kitchen! read more

Guess what??? This place is serving up some of the BEST coffee/espresso in NYC! Yep, I said it!! Wanna know the best part?? They are serving La Colombe coffee! I about died when we walked in and found that out. What's even cherry on top of my new find?? They have sizes! Why is that a thing?? So many coffee shops, like La Colombe for example don't sell lattes in sizes. Sorry, I like a gigantic drink that I can nurse through my morning. They have small and large sizes for lattes. One size doesn't fit all, guys! Wanna know what else is awesome?? They have Oatly oat milk! Yum! I ordered my drinks like this, "2 XL oat milk lattes, extra hot". Do you know how many times they don't listen at coffee shops? Extra hot means, HOT. Well Ground Central baristas do their job well. My drinks were absolutely perfectly prepared. They are serving up some great food options too. I for one like the tea sandwich (minus the salmon). So thrilled to have a new option (new to me). read more

It's all about the Oat Milk Latte! Using Oatley Barista blend, Mr & I took the cue from the crowd & placed our order.....forego the regular milk & give Oatley a chance! Latte with an extra shot. Perfect coffee to milk ratio. Creamy & needed no sugar. Doesn't get better than that. We ordered this every morning we were in NYC. Paired with the spicy cheese biscuit for the Mr & the pumpkin muffin of the day for me & we're talking the perfect morning treats read more

Ground Central Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

There are inviting spaces to hunker down in. The drip coffee is very strong which is my preference. I like taking a break from the chains. This is an option if you are looking for a change. read more

Ground Central Coffee - Comfortable nook - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

I love this place!! The atmosphere is so cool, chill, and comfortable. The music playlist is amazing!! And I love how they have vegan and gluten free options. The coffee is amazing everytime!! Ugh I wish they had a location in my hometown!! read more

Ground Central Coffee - A vanilla latte, a cappuccino, and a vegan and gluten free pumpkin bread - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

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Reasonably priced coffee at an accessible location. Friendly service and sufficient seatings

Pleasant coffee shop on 8th Ave with good drinks, tasty foodstuffs, and a chill vibe. They have daily drink specials and a mobile app for easy ordering. Lots of comfy seating including a back room: hard to come by in midtown! Cozy and inviting. Check out their other locations as well. read more

The roast on the espresso beans is a little too deep for my taste, however their baked goods are pretty excellent. Somehow this shop has one of the best chocolate chip cookies. It feels like witchcraft, it's so good. It pairs well with a latte. Customer service is great but they need to update their POS system desperately. The tip must be chosen before the transaction can move forward from the electronic menu. And if you place your card in the system at all during this process or before it's ready the order must be placed all over again. It feels it but archaic in the age of technology that we're in now. This is one of the only places where I've regularly experienced this phenomenon. All that aside coffee is pretty great. Lots of great food items. Great customer service. read more

Great cup of coffee near the theatre district. Prices were good, the coffee was tasty, and the pastry was delicious (caramel pear, thank you!). They have a cute little seating area that's great to relax for a bit. read more

Ground Central Coffee - Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

This place is sooo cute! Its a great place to sit down and do work on your laptop. They have so many different options to choose from and even OAT milk! The coffee here is AMAZING and not acidic in my opinion. They also have some vegan snacks too. There's tables in the front and a couple in the back and a couch too if you want to lounge. read more

I loveee Ground Central!! It is one of my favorite coffee shops in Manhattan and I am a frequent here whenever I need to focus and get work done First of all, staff is super friendly and feel like friends. They have a pretty standard drink and food menu for a cafe but I feel like the coffee and teas are more reasonable priced here relative to the rest of the coffee shops in the city There is plenty of seating available, however, it is nyc so it does get packed pretty quickly. I personally love the seating in the back where the bookshelves are - so peaceful and something about it just makes me really productive Restrooms are also pretty clean which idk if it's important but when I'm working at a cafe I stay for a while sooo yeah kinda important to me lol Overall, love this spot and recommend if you just want to grab coffee or sit down to get work done read more

Very cute coffee shop in Midtown. I needed a place for an afternoon meeting that was conducive to a long conversation. Loved this location. The store has a nice ambiance - not too lit up and calm and perfect for a conversation. The front has high tables which are tiny but you don't need more than that when you're getting coffee. There are some couches/armchairs in the back. They were already taken when I got there but they looked comfy. We opted for a nitro cold brew and for a latte. Both were delicious and quickly made. The menu options were long and it was hard to settle on one. Definitely would come back here when I'm in the area. read more

Excellent coffee, and a really cool atmosphere. Will definitely go back next time I'm in the area!

Great atmosphere 5/5. I really do love the set up and vibe of this coffee shop. Very dark and cozy. If you're lucky, get a seat at the back - there's a nice big couch. You also would think they would blast the AC when it's super hot out but nope. It felt roughly around room temperature inside and the bathroom was even more hot and humid 3/5. The cold brew wasn't as strong 3/5. I really wasn't over the moon about their black coffee. If you're in the area, a good pit stop to sit and relax over drinks and pastries. read more

One surefire way to get me into your place of business is a play on words. Puns and creative names always grab my attention and one day while walking from the West Side to the East Side of midtown Manhattan I came across Ground Central. I could almost hear someone next to me nudging me with their elbow going "Ground Central...eh? Eh? Get it? Because we're near Grand Central!" and me rolling my eyes while laughing in spite of myself. With a name like that, I had to check this place out. The interior of Ground Central is not what I expected. I am so used to coffee places nowadays having bright wood and tons of sunlight pouring in. Instead, Ground Central looks more like a very comfortable gastropub. Dark wood and dark colors make up most of the interior and somehow it is very welcoming. The front area is where you order and pick up your food. The front has some limited space to hang out, but the back is where there is a reading room-like seating area to really sit back and relax. In between are the rest rooms. My go to drink here has been the Dirty Chai Latte. I've had it cold and hot, and either way they manage to make it tasty. There is a bit of bite (which I want in my Chai) but you can taste the espresso hit. They do use a premade Chai mix but I don't mind. Their service is always fast and friendly. Whenever I am near this place I make it a point to visit. You should too! read more

Short line. Good location. Reasonable price. I got a long shot (long black), and it was solid. My wife got a latte, which she said was excellent. Delicious, perfect temperature, good looking foam art. Solid find if you're in the area. read more

We had a vanilla latte and Americano. They were vary tasty. The service was fast and friendly.

Review only pertains to the matcha latte. Five stars for the space. Four stars for service. One star for the matcha latte, if it can be called that. It's mainly milk with the slightest hint of weak tea and barely discernible color. For something approaching $6, I guess they created it as an afterthought for non-coffee drinkers with a brand-appropriate price tag. They use a matcha mix, hence the nonexistent flavor. The barista was nice to try to add half a teaspoon extra for me after I tasted it, though it didn't make a difference. read more

Ground Central Coffee - Terrible excuse of a matcha latte--can barely taste the tea over the milk and sugar. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

We stopped by Ground Central in hopes of a quick breakfast and a cozy spot for us to study for a few hours. They had a lot of sweets (donuts, pastries, etc.) and open spots to study / eat. But, other than their menu selection and non-crowdedness, our experience was not that positive. The tea was normal. The scone was extremely dry and crumbly (way more than the average scone). And, above all, the place was so SO dark. We personally found it very gloomy and thus not a great space to study at. In the end, we left after eating. Your experience at this coffee shop might be better if you try other menu options and don't go with the intent to study, but overall our experience was "meh". read more

Ground Central Coffee - Green Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped in here on my walk to work as I saw it was a new coffee shop and I'm glad I did! They pulled me in with the offer of a free coffee with a pastry purchase. So I tried one of their donuts and got my cappuccino on the house. Staff was friendly, greeted me, explained the offer, and helped me pick out a pastry. The donut was really good, it was kind of heavy and I only ended up eating less than half but that just means more for later. Cappuccino was really good - strong! They even put a little heart in the milk froth which is a cute touch. Prices weren't bad for a New York coffee shop. The place was a little slow when I went in which was nice you could order your coffee without feeling rushed. Plenty of tables and chairs to sit at if your planning to stay! read more

Ground Central Coffee - Cappuccino and glazed donut - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

So good you will come back for more. We tried the bourbon coffee and it was amazing. The place is very user friendly and a great place to sit and enjoy a great coffee or tea with yummy treats. We went here twice on our trip because everything tasted great. The vanilla latte was amazing and the chai tea as well. Highly recommend and the staff is the best. read more

Has a dimly lit back corner of a library vibe. I got a cold brew to go so didn't stay long, but the cold brew is good and the seating areas look comfy. read more

Worst attitude ever by the barista! When I asked for the coffee art, the barista replied I do not "normally" do it for a cortado! read more

Ground Central Coffee - A cortado without coffee art, simply because the barista did not feel like making it. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped in after work this morning. Was greeted at the counter. Staff was friendly. Inside it was dimly lit and there was an area in the back to lounge. They sell little snack items and pastries. I also seen a menu for sandwiches and beer. Awesome! I loved that they have milk alternatives such as oat milk, almond milk, hemp milk and my favorite, macadamia nut milk. I ordered a small iced latte with macadamia nut milk. It was average priced for the area at $5.32. Would be nice if it cost a little less for a small. The coffee itself was nutty and smooth. Perfect blend of macadamia nut milk. I stopped in because I love searching for the perfect latte and I love the name. read more

Ground Central Coffee - Small iced latte with macadamia nut milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

LOVE Ground Central. Coffee is fantastic (esp the cold brew). Pretty extensive menu offerings and the line moves fairly quickly. Also love the different styles of seating and their "lounge" style seating in the back to accommodate different group styles. read more

Great little coffee shop. We got the lavender latte and were greeted by attentive staff. Would return!

Mediocre. Dark ambiance with hard rock music. Not the best place to sit and have coffee but fine. The chai tea latte was super sweet I only drank 2 sips. You're better off going to Bibble and Sip two streets down. read more

I stopped in for a simple drip coffee. I got friendly, fast service and good coffee. They have great places to sit and hang out. Really nice ambiance and environment. read more

Great vibe. Wonderful latte. Good pastries. Classic non corporate coffee shop. Hell's Kitchen highlight. Great murals with coffee Hell's Kitchen Broadway twist. Entertaining too. read more

Ground Central Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - New York, New York

It was a good coffee and good vibes. I do not know if there is anything special or great about the coffee or place. But it was just plain good. read more

This is my go-to place. Everyone is friendly, and the coffee is incredible. Get yourself a single origin!!