Both locations need better espresso beans. Although the switch to a different roaster last year was an improvement, the acidity and bitterness of the roast is still difficult to ignore. In fact, it often gives me stomach pain. So why do I buy it? Because your shop is the closest thing we have in B-town to a real coffeeshop. With that in mind, please do us the favor of either getting better espresso machines or/and finding a new roaster (if you do, please stay away from the Bloomington roasters: there are no top-notch roasters in B-town). If you do some research, companies like Counter Culture, Intelligenstia, Buzz: Killer Espresso, Zoka, Kuma, RItual, Blue Bottle, Barrington will show you how to treat a bean. There are even roasters in Louisville (98 miles away) who could provide you with fine product (Heine Bros., Sunergos). So why settle for a mediocre product? Downtown location: your furniture, although quirky and thrifty, sucks. Some of it itches and some of it stinks. Some of it does both. And the smell from the burrito sewer upstairs is unpleasant. 3rd and Jordan: horrible Feng Shui. This place ends up way too crowded and is not a comfortable place to sit for an extended period of time. Although the staff is generally nicer than the Downtown location, it still is frustratingly crowded. NOTE: I used to order Americanos when I visited Soma, but I do not anymore. Why? Because most of your baristas water them down too much. I started ordering them with extra room to ensure that they aren't diluted. But often times the baristas aren't paying attention and the fill it up with hot water within a 1/2 inch of the lid. So when they would say, "is this enough room?", I would answer with a "NO". So what was their solution? To pour some off of the top. That means they were pouring out espresso as well as water - and I was paying for espresso that they were pouring down the drain. When I buy an Americano, I expect it to be stronger in flavor than coffee, but smoother than straight espresso. If I wanted the weaker flavor, I would just order coffee. read more

Aggressively, in-your-face quirky...but at least it's got character? I think it's doing its job; there kind of needs to be a place like this in a small Midwest college town. Other reviewers were harping on its dirtiness. I get the feeling they don't bust out the disinfectant spray too much around here, but I also didn't feel like I was going to get pink eye, either [My litmus test for filth. If I get the PE vibe, I'm gone.] I didn't think much of their baked goods -- quite bland. Trivia: Soma is, in fact, not a reference to San Francisco's Soma (South of Market) neighborhood. I can't imagine why not. read more

Too hip for my tastes. The "coffee" drinks are mostly bizarre, sugary concoctions that are more chocolate syrup than espresso. The baked goods are very mediocre. Not fresh or warm. The smoothies are really just juices. All way too expensive for what you're getting. There are too many coffee options in Bloomington to waste money at Soma. read more

This review is strictly for their coffee only. During my visit, this was the only place I found myself wanting to return to. I always get my vanilla (or hazelnut) iced latte w/ almond milk and it never disappoints. My bf took me to Hopscotch and let's just say this coffee shop is a bit more simplistic. They have shelves full of pastries (mostly vegan) and some scones on the side of the register. I've only tried their banana chocolate chip and it wasn't too bad! I believe they have happy hour from 3-4pm and their espresso is discounted. They also have juices and smoothies here which I haven't gotten around to trying yet. Coffee is always priority ;) Don't expect to find friendly service here. They're never welcoming but I don't care. As long as you get my order right then I'm ok. read more

Eclectic. College town esque. Coffee was so so. Sweets were unique but nothing noteworthy.

This is one of my favorite spots in Bloomington. I like to go for a quiet glass of peppermint tea, and one of their amazing pumpkin & chocolate-chip cookies. If nothing else, you need at least to check out their restroom! read more

Soma Coffee House - Homey inner room. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Bloomington, Indiana

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I could easily give this GREAT coffee house a 5 star rating, but that would be like walking on water. I don't even walk on water. No seriously, first time in this awesome, funky coffee house. This is what belongs near a great university, just as it is near IU here in Bloomington. It is what would work even in funky Leucadia, California, where I live. The Blackbeard's drip coffee is phenomenal, as are the baked goods. I had this drip coffee, along with a toasted poppy seed bagel with butter. Perfect, as I am sure their gluten-free baked goods are. If you are ever in Bloomington and you are avoiding those "chain-coffee" houses out there, do yourself a favor and stop here. read more

Pretty low key and has excellent selection of coffee/specialty drinks. Everyone here is kindda geeky or yuppy like...pretty chill. If you bring a mac, I think you get a 10% discount and if you wear patagonia jackets...you get a free coffee...and if you bring a sigg bottle with you while wearing patagonia and holding a macbook...you get a XXXXXXX read more

This place may be the only place that serves freshly squeezed juice. Very cool since we don't have a Whole Foods in town, or any other juice bars for that matter. In my opinion they have the best expressos in town, and possibly the best coffee in Btown altogether. The service is a bit spotty, sometimes the baristas can be unfriendly depending on whom you get. Price is very reasonable as well. I would recommend stopping by if you're visiting Bloomington. It definitely doesn't compare to the places I've been to at home or in Chicago, though. read more

What a disappointing coffee shop. For a hip place like Bloomington, a great coffee shop should be a no-brainer. However, Soma Coffee House has managed to mess it up in every way possible. When you walk into a coffee house you should smell a nice aroma of coffee and espresso brewing, however Soma stinks like a thrift store. The place was very dirty and disgusting, which might explain the inexcusable smell. The staff was absoutley horrendous! I got no welcome when I entered the door and they acted like they didn't want me there when I ordered. When I finally did order, I got a carmel Frapparooni, which is basically their version of a frappacino. My drink was just bad. I tasted no carmel whatsoever, and the whip cream was not sweet at all. In fact the entire drink was bland. A bad drink is an unforgivable sin for a coffee shop. My experience here was terrible, so do not waste your money here. I don't know how you can manage to mess up a coffee shop in downtown Bloomington, but Soma Coffee House has managed to do so. What a disgrace! read more

I debated giving Soma 3 or 4 stars. They undoubtedly have good coffee and options (smoothies, tea, and unique offerings like Dr. D's Tonic) which is why I'm giving Soma 4. Two downsides - the dt location has pretty poor service. They're always crabby or annoyed with me. I buy bags and make my office at home. When I buy coffee it's usually a specialty drink - a dry latte or a cappuccino. They offer a lot of specialty drinks - so if someone orders a dry skin latte there's no need to be annoyed - that's your business. Rant over. Besides the poor experiences I've had downtown, I've been to the Jordan Ave location twice and gotten great service. My favorite drink at Soma is Dr. D's Tonic, a lemon, honey, ginger hot drink that isn't too sweet and perfect for chilly mornings when you feel a little under the weather. I don't prefer their cappuccinos - they make them like a latte whenever I've ordered. If you enjoy black coffee Soma is great, if you want a specialty drink go to Hopscotch. read more

The music has gotten much worse/way less interesting since some of the old employees left recently. :/ Can no longer count on coming in and hearing some cool new tunes, which used to be one of the things I loved about this location. Coffee is still great, though! read more

An average coffee shop with a warm atmosphere and average coffee place foodstuffs. The barista was kinda cute but not enough to overcome his nonchalance. More than anything I like its name (because it reminds me of home) and its back door's proximity to that funky record store, TD's CD's & LP's. I'll probably go back. read more

If I could only find the equivalent in Chicago, I would be much happier. Soma was one of my absolute favorite places to frequent while at IU. Benefits abound: excellent artisan coffees, fantastic treats, cute tchotchkies (i have a postcard collection thanks to them), and they serve your coffee in a pint glass. I can't begin to count the number of hours I spent here studying, checking out cute guys, socializing, and figuring out life. Love you, miss you, mean it. read more

Espresso is amazing. Their barristas know how to pull a great shot. Make sure you go to happy hour, between 3-4 and get half price espresso drinks. I could take or leave the ambience. It's a little too college-towny for me, but the coffee, oh the coffee. read more

Soma has delicious coffee, a great college coffee shop atmosphere, and (with the occasional exception) a very friendly and helpful group of barristas. Like the barristas of any good coffee shop the majority of them will take the time to match your face to your favorite drink or drinks, and remember your drink pet peeves. They even carry almond milk now! read more

As a former IU student, I definitely suggest Soma to any coffee enthusiasts also looking to support a local business. Still surprised more people don't go here seeing as it's pretty close to Starbucks and it offers a very cool experience. I first went to Soma back in 2008 and tried their Dark Chocolate Zombie. I became addicted to this drink for some time, but eventually branched out to their many other specialty options. Also a fan of the Top of the Morning. Regular drop coffee has always been brewed very well and the tea selection is on par with their coffee. Their smoothies and fruit drinks taste great and the PB&J is awesome. In addition to their drinks they have great food selection ranging from homemade scones, biscotti and other baked goods. There are also plenty of vegan options, which taste just as good as the regular baked goods. The ambiance and environment is pretty cool with a definite trendy vibe. Not in anyway bad, but it's very much a relaxing casual place to either grab coffee with a friend or study in the back. Lots of outlets and seating both indoor and outdoor. Another perk is they are just downstairs from Laughing Planet and I believe you can take food from upstairs or vice versa. Having been out of town for some time I decided a while ago I would definitely visit Soma when here for the weekend and was not disappointed. read more

Stopped in at 7am. Very friendly, prompt and great dark roast coffee. Great atmosphere and overall cool place.

Unique environment with music that sometimes catches me offguard in a way that makes me want to ask the barista for a mix tape. The coffee is probably the best in Bloomington, but not on par with other coffee shops I think it tries to measure up to. (ie: Stumptown, Old Crown) One of my favorite parts about SOMA is the eclectic group of people that show up there - great for people watching and accidental eavesdropping. The staff is very knowledgeable and you're bound to see some of the same people working each time you visit, which is encouraging. My only complaint is some of the seating can be uncomfortable as the environment needs a good cleaning and some of the furniture needs to be replaced/fixed. The back room also has some strange temperature issues in extreme heat or cold. All in all, the shop's quirks give it more character. Overall, I definitely recommend visiting this coffee shop whether you're going by yourself or with a group of friends if you're downtown. Finally, soma refers to many things, but my favorite is a drunk in Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", which keeps everyone in the society at the same emotional level. I love this little secret: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soma read more

Very good indeed! Fair Trade organic coffees, expresso drinks and juice drinks. Homemade vegan muffins and cookies and scones. They used to carry the City Bakery's Croissants, but you will just have to go to their own shop on 3rd street for the croissants now. Great backroom when you don't need a window to see out, they have public games, books, and even a 1970's LiteBrite I donated, but someone will have to find a new Lite Bulb for that now since it has burnt out. read more

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I got the lethal weapon 2 smoothie. It was pretty good. I wanted to customize it by adding coconut to it but apparently even though the juices are fresh and made of real fruit, they're pre mixed and therefore they couldn't add it. It wasn't as thick as you would expect a smoothie to be. We sat outside on the patio waiting for our smoothie but apparently they don't serve outside. read more

I need to spread the word about an experience I've had at Soma: They have been my coffee place of choice since moving here, but I am no longer going to remain a customer there. A few months ago, I had a severe allergic reaction after eating a "chocolate decadence" cookie I purchased from the Third St location. The next day, I called to ask if there was a chance that the cookie had peanuts, as that is my only food allergy - as it turns out, it does, but it has never been labeled as such. I urged them to check their recipes and ensure all common allergens are labeled (they have always had peanuts indicated on some other products, which left me to assume that non-labeled products would be allergen-free). They apologized and agreed to re-label the cookie's allergens, but I was in store last week and noticed that this same cookie is still unlabeled as having peanuts. I called and spoke to the manager again, but this morning I visited the Henderson location to see the same unlabeled cookie! As a consumer with allergies I no longer feel that I can trust this business, and I feel obligated to make other community members with allergies or dietary restrictions aware that they need to take extra care to ask for recipes at Soma or avoid them altogether. read more

Just in side the front door, there is an old TV. Inside the TV is a fish tank. Inside the fish tank is King Kong. As other's have said, make sure you give the bathroom a peek, you won't be disappointed. Soma is my favorite coffee shop in Bloomington. It's right on Kirkwood, the whipped cream is amazing, and their espresso beverages are consistently tasty. Combined with the free WiFi, the grungy-artsy atmosphere, and the comfy spots in the back near the board games, this place rules. Reminds me of rock-and-roll dive bar if they sold coffee instead of booze. read more

Soma is my favorite place to get coffee and just relax. They have amazing vegan options and every shop is unique. Very quiet, peaceful and aesthetic experience. read more

I stop by Soma sometimes if I really need a caffeine fix on my way to class, but it's definitely not a usual thing. Soma is over priced, slow, and incredibly loud. The only upside I find in going there is that you don't get charged extra for requesting soymilk (and I'm lactose intolerant so that's very important to me). Moreover, I find that the service there also leaves me wanting. When I go into Soma, I expect for the servers to treat me as though my request for coffee is bothersome to them. But only more than one occasion I have had servers be flat out rude to me for no reason. I don't know about you, but when I'm paying way too much for my coffee, I'd prefer to be treated as just a minor annoyance - if they can't manage to treat me as a paying customer. read more

I would rather stab myself in the eye with a stick than come back here. I dropped in for hot chocolate which I eventually got along with a healthy dose of attitude and rudeness. For a customer service based place there doesn't seem to be much service. read more

First, the people who work here seriously need to get over themselves. I understand, you think the fact that you shuffled through the urban outfitters sales rack to get dressed on the way to work makes you superior to the customer. That's okay, but maybe you should realize that the customer is the person giving you money. It's a coffee shop, don't act like I'm interrupting an underground show in some grandmother's basement (which, in my opinion, is what the atmosphere is reminiscent of). Being condescendingly handed a cup to fill up when I order coffee seems a little reminiscent of dining hall experiences, but I guess the "barista" is too good for such a simple task. I had the drip coffee, which wasn't too bad. Unfortunately, the coffee was all I had that with because a piece of oatmeal loaf wrapped in saran wrap was $4. (my mind immediatly went to the yard sale at Ghost World: "You're crazy. It should be, like, two dollars!") I understand baked goods being expensive, but it seemed stale and... it was oatmeal in bread form? Not really sure where the high price point comes into play. And when I asked for the price I was snarled at, I guess because they prefer to just have people pay without realizing the cost. I really should have known better though. I'm sure my asking a question and interacting with the cashier was interrupting her not filling up my cup of coffee. Like others have said, its filthy, and the type of place that's inviting only for those who are part of the culture (or lack thereof) it represents and spend every waking moment there, forking out cash for overpriced beverages just to absorb the pretentiousness. Soma tries to be hip, and conversely comes off as unsettling, uninviting, and pretentious. I don't understand how people love the environment so much, but I can see why. The decor and staff aren't "wild," they're un-accessible and distasteful. Soma takes itself far too seriously, when in reality it's just a silly place. The most amusing part of all of this is that neither Soma nor its avid regulars recognize this. I'd need much more than free oatmeal loaf to stay for any significant period of time. read more

Alright, I guess I had some high expectations for this place, based on the reviews. And I've had coffee there a few times since moving here. The coffee itself isn't too bad (I've only had the drip) but the smell in here is something fierce. I guess since its right beneath Laughing Planet, It smells like cumin very often, which....to me smells like BO. Aside from that I Have an issue with the low ceilings. also pretty hipster, if you're into that kind of thing. I'd rather get my coffee elsewhere. read more

Had a great smoothie here and one of the best lattes I've ever had, which is saying a lot. Also tried a muffin with bran and fruit, forgot what it's called, but it was super good, very dense & filling. An interesting mix of patrons, including a dude who was sleeping and looked like he stumbled in with nowhere else to go...good for them for not kicking him out, didn't seem to bother the 10+ people in line on a Sunday morning. read more

I like supporting local coffee shops. I want to say Soma is my go-to spot in Btown, but the coffee doesn't have me running back. I do like their fresh smoothies a lot. Customer service is lacking. read more

Not bad, I'm just not a fan of the atmosphere. I like a chill coffee house. This place is just a little too hipster/pretentious for me. The coffee isn't bad. I would probably get it to go. If I am staying somewhere to hang out, I would prefer a much more open and welcoming place like Pourhouse. read more

Soma is located inside of the magical maze-building that also includes Laughing Planet, Cactus Flower, and TD's. You'll find perhaps the densest concentration of dreadlocks in all of Bloomington here, so if you still wear ties on your days off you probably won't enjoy it very much. Another reason not to like Soma is if you're an uppity coffee snob. I tend to view coffee more as a vessel for caffeine than an enjoyable beverage, so I can't quite speak to the quality of the beans on the level of some other dudes. But I can say I've had better coffee elsewhere. The specialty drinks are pretty okay, especially if you're doing some studying (ha ha ha you're just on facebook). Do you like crazy crap on the walls and wobbly little tables that could use a couple of matchbooks under the legs? Surly baristas, maybe? Let's drop the snotty tone and be real here for a minute. I've been making occasional visits to Soma over the last five years and it's been a decent standard. I like to break up mammoth study sessions into different locations, and Soma is usually a nice pit stop in between, say, the Monroe County public library and the Wells library. It can be annoying to show up and not find any comfortable seating, and the drinks are more or less "functional," usually trending slightly better than whatever you would get at a Starbucks or Tim Horton's or whatever. I like Soma, but I'm not crazy about it. The ambiance can get a little obnoxious at times, but if you're in the mood for a self-consciously hip anti-corporate coffee shop, it's a happy, cozy little experience. And despite what some other reviewers mention, I've never noticed a particularly bad smell here. It smells a-ok! Come on in and have a sniff! read more

the juice was good. the bathroom had me trippin though. I walk in and I'm like "woah". it was like being high, but i didn't need to buy weed and it was wonderful. I think I'll go back just to sit in the bathroom all day. the only bad part is they have a key for the bathroom which means I actually have to buy something. oh well, its worth $6 (a lot cheaper than actual weed). read more

This is a coffeeshop well worth loving. Comfortable seating, free wifi, generous espressos, a TV MADE INTO AN AQUARIUM, and best of all--a wall of printed out craigslist missed connections involving Soma. What is there not to love? Nothing, I say. Nothing. read more

I have to agree with the other readers' comments about Soma having an unfriendly staff. It's difficult for me to characterize their behavior, but the best I can do is classify them as faux-liberal. Quite a bit of hubris and closed-mindedness present in staff attitudes--- Way, way too much hubris given the average quality of their drinks. I'd have a better overall experience if I bought a latte at Starbucks and then had the barista punch me in the face. read more

Dirty, stinky, cramped, space full of hipster scum, narcissistic academics, great coffee, and better music. My kind of place.

Good, chilling grounds and tasty drinks. I sorta live here to be honest - but that's just because it's so awesome. Call it hipster if you want, I loves you Soma! read more

So many different drinks! It's hard to make a choice, but the mate latte is a safe bet. You can shy away from the vegan cookies, I haven't had the muffins though those look great. The chai was nice and spicy without being too sweet. Definitely the only coffee house I go to when I make the trip down to Bloomington. read more

I loved this place. Very earthy, very veg head. Pretty damn good coffee. Get there early or else every table will be occupied by a student. Kinda a bummer if you just want to sit down and sip coffee without staying for hours on end. read more

The vegan peanut butter chocolate chip bar. Seriously amazing. Soma's best kept secret. You don't even have to be vegan to appreciate it. For some reason they don't have it at the other location, but I'm just glad we as humans are capable of tolerating it's awesomeness. I'm eating one right now. Why am I even telling you this? I want more for myself. read more