Lovely spot. Food and coffee was good. however the young tattooed barista who took my order was incredibly rude and for some reason found enjoyment that my togo order had been ready long before telling me. Thankfully a younger gentleman brought it out to me. Only to see the barista with a menacing smile. someone please give this person a hug. Seems like she really needs one. read more

Love the food and the iced coffee! Wish they opened before my work shift started during the week but I make it work on the weekends & sometimes I'm a little late to work during the week read more

Charming cafe. Good parking. Nice menu. Gluten free offerings. Outdoor seating. Try it.

So maybe it's a bit far fetched giving a place 5 stars since all I purchased was a cappuccino to go. The large I ordered was cheaper than most of the places I visit on the regular in Saint Louis, and tastes just as good (although I'm mainly in it for the caffeine). Other than that good location, tons of parking, friendly barista, no wait, plenty of space if I wanted to stay for my drink. I guess my only wish would be that a coffee shop like this would stay open later in the day, due to my irregular hours at work, but oh well, I'll definately be back! read more

It was so good! Staff is super friendly. Great indoor and outdoor seating. Food was hot and fresh! Not much to choose from but everything we got was amazing read more

Very cute place. Workers are always happy and helpful. Food and beverages are always delicious!

I stopped in at Proving Ground while traveling recently. I had a smoothie which was excellent, enjoyed the seating with comfy pillows and left ordering a chai tea to go. Please and fast staff. It was a little hard to notice from the outside but I am glad I did. Nice change from the chain atmosphere. read more

The food was amazing and the coffee just as good. Staff was super friendly. My new favorite spot.

I enjoy everything on their menu. Try a homemade adult beverage for a change..they're very tasty!!

Came for the chicken tacos and iced nitro brew coffee. They were out of the iced nitro brew coffee, but the girl at the counter recommended the iced Americano, and it didn't let me down. I love their tacos, and they come with some delicious dressed greens. Excellent bang for the buck. Delicious, fresh, and healthy at a decent price. I recommend it! read more

Great food, great atmosphere, and great service. We really enjoyed eating there and plan to return.

Really glad I found this place. First time I stopped in I had a good Nitro Cold Brew, and a in house made granola bar that was fresh and delicious. I just stopped in again for a 2nd time for some cold brew and a light parfait. Absolutely perfect! Will be back! read more

Proving Ground - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

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Good food- made to order- polite and pleasent staff. Nice spot in columbia , IL for a meet up and nurtritious breakfast. all items on menu are splendid. read more

Great Find!!!!! Food is fresh and very good . Six of us all got something different and each meal was delicious. Bloody Mary's were also amazing . read more

Proving Ground - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

The flavor options are limited, but they are all made in house. I think the options are vanills, mocha, caramel,and a special one each month. Definately check this place out. I haven't tried the food yet, but the smells are awesome. UPDATE: I did try the chicken salad and mixed greens. Too good! The patio is dog friendly. read more

Great breakfast, service is fantastic, and the workers are always super friendly, and helpful.

Service was great, food and coffee was so delicious. Cute little spot! We will deffiently be back! read more

Proving Ground - Drunken Monkey pancakes - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

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Nice and cute little place, good people/workers, and amazing food and coffee! Also, kid and baby friendly.

Coffee: This is a coffee shop so should be at least pretty good. When we suggested going here with our friends, they said they had been there and the coffee was bad. But they were open to trying it again. I would have to say that the coffee is pretty darn average to bad. I had just a drip coffee which tasted pretty bitter and maybe old. Others got coffee drinks and said that it was ok and better than their previous experience. Food: We ordered several items off of the menu and the egg items were good. One was called the Morning Fixins and it came with potatoes (or you could sub fruit). The potatoes were a mix of sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. We found the sweet potatoes to not really jive in breakfast potatoes. We also ordered the French Toast and it was large pieces of a French Baguette that did not seem to have been dipped in an egg batter. It just had a small amount of syrup drizzled over it and some berries on the plate. It didn't have any French toast flavor or properties.... This was disappointing as our table had three orders of this. A child in our group ordered the Oreo pancake and it was very over the top. It has A LOT off Oreos crumbled on it and chocolate syrup added. read more

This is my favorite place in Columbia. Amazing coffee, food, and service. There is always seasonal flavors, and the atmosphere is so cozy.

The BEST latte I've ever had. The atmosphere is warm and welcome. I wasn't able to enjoy their food but I will be back because it looked and smelt so good. read more

Love the menu. 80% of what I have ordered/eaten is very good. Last time I was in I had a salad with mixed berries and a drizzle of fruity salad dressing. Not so great. I am still a big fan. Generous portions. Pet friendly on the patio with umbrellas providing shade and the excellent waitress provided water & bowl! I didn't plan to stay for 2+ hours but we were treated with A+ service and felt very relaxed. Will return this week. read more

Food is very good and service is excellent. A little pricey but a good breakfast choice.

I love the coffee here! However ordering iced coffee is a nightmare if you like milk/creamer/sweetener in your coffee. I always wind up with black iced coffee and the flavor I asked for and have to add half & half from the counter myself. I think just asking about that would help a lot! read more

Poor service provided by under-trained, underwhelming staff. Over priced for under roasted coffee and cold food on at least half my visits. And if you only have an hour to eat breakfast, spare yourself because even the typical breakfast item will take at least 30 minutes with only 2 staff members trying to keep up. If I am asked to pay this sort of mark-up, it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure good service versus the blasé attitude of the staff who all seem to be working their first job. At least at other establishments my Over-priced food is hot and my coffee doesn't taste like a hybrid of black tea with hints of the coffee bean. read more

In the two years that I have been stopping for coffee this is the third owner They have added an outside patio and alcohol Well that's not the problem The staff is not friendly The coffee was a little pricey and was average Not sure how long them will stay open Gotta admire them for trying read more

I have eaten taquerias all across Houston. This place is surprisingly good. Who would have thought choriZo with eggs black beans and corn topped with chives and pickles red onions along with potatoes and sweet potato chunks all mixed up in a hash would be good? I was pleasantly surprised. The rest of the clan has normal eggs and bacon and pancakes which were all good. This place is pretty good. I would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Proving Ground - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Best place for breakfast around. Everything taste so fresh! I love the vegetarian options as well as the Schubert's meats. Every time we go they have a different jelly for the toast so it's a kids fun little surprise. We need more places like this around Illinois read more

Absolute gem of a place! My husband and I loved everything we tried. I don't drink black coffee, but even I enjoyed his smooth bottomless drip coffee. My vanilla latte was perfection. And the fresh-squeezed orange juice tasted just like sinking your teeth into a farm-fresh orange! My husband's comment on the Schuberts Special (with over easy eggs and sourdough toast) - "I could literally eat this every day." The Oreo pancakes stole my heart from the moment I saw them on the menu - and they did not disappoint at all! And, after trying the above-mentioned OJ, I knew I wanted a smoothie for the road. Despite my distrust of green foods, I took the server's recommendation of the Green Goddess, and boy am I glad I did! The best words I could come up with to describe it were it tasted like sunshine! We will most definitely be back to this wonderful spot! read more

Just opened (March 2017) and went there for lunch. The food was really good, all locally sourced and original recipes. The Columbian Back Road tacos were awesome (I had the pork carnitas). They are open for breakfast and lunch, and per the name, have a good coffee bar as well. read more

Proving Ground - By the way, there were three of these, I just didn't take the picture until I had already eaten two of them. :) - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Lol my muffin isn't even cooked all the way. And I asked for crispy bacon and that also wasn't cooked all the way. So. Usually I eat here and enjoy it but lately they've been disappointing. read more

This is a great place for coffee and food in Columbia. They do single origin pour overs, espresso based drinks, and roast their own coffee. Also, the food has been great. I've been there twice and really enjoyed the salad and breakfast I've had. read more

Proving Ground - Spinach salad and I requested 2 eggs on top just how I like it haha! - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

This place is great with a lot of homemade goodness. We got the Oreo pancakes, drunken monkey pancakes and the match chorizo hash. The regular cup of coffee was delicious and the OJ tasted so fresh. We are glad we stopped in for brunch. read more

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Really great speciality breakfast foods. Very good sauces. Homemade. Cage free eggs. The best breakfast hash. OMG. MUST TRY. if you live in SOCO. please drive over read more

Proving Ground - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

Coffee and Food was fabulous and staff was very friendly! Seating is limited so be patient.

We have eaten here on several occasions and it has always been a good experience. Unfortunately today was not so good. My husband and I each ordered pumpkin spice lattes. I also ordered a sausage egg and cheese croissant. We waited a really long time (even though there was no one waiting AHEAD of us). My croissant comes out and I felt sorry for it. It looked awful. The bread was soggy and tasted stale. It didn't appear to have any cheese on it and it had zero flavor. Mind you our coffee still had not come up yet even though I had my food. My husband went up to the counter and mine finally came out. But not his. He sat back down and another woman leaned over the counter to another customer and said we are out of pumpkin spice. The girl who was making the coffees said she had enough for my husbands and the guy behind us. However when she made the next one she gave it to the guy behind us. Uh. Wait some more... by this time I threw my sad sandwich away as it was not at all appetizing. Finally, my husband gets his coffee. We leave and he tastes it. Warm milk. No pumpkin spice whatsoever. It's unfortunate that this nice small hometown place is starting to miss the mark. We won't be eating there anymore. read more

Great little place; friendly, clean, good food and coffee. Unusual offerings for such an unassuming location; I would have loved to try the cocktails, but it was 10 in the morning. read more

Wonderful food and coffee! Great atmosphere! I ordered the Gingerbread French Toast with no regrets!! read more

Proving Ground - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Columbia, Illinois

The food is to die for and the coffee is my favorite in Saint Louis. 1,000x better than Starbucks. 10/10 recommend Schubert's special for breakfast. read more

Nice little coffee shop, great food and coffee. Great customer service. Nice atmosphere. Will revisit.