HG Higher Grounds Roastery and Cafe in Gilbert, Arizona

I need to honest. I was not expecting all the much going here. The ratings are good, but it visually doesn’t look like it would be that great of coffee based on the exterior and some of the branding I saw.

Looks are deceptive.

This is a hidden gem! Very good coffee, great tea, and great breakfast sandwiches! I would fully recommend giving it a try! I will be back!

The first thing you notice is that the coffee is great here; it smells great and tastes great. Its small seating area inside gives the impression of a cozy coffee shop but it is more than just a coffee shop. There is a surprisingly good selection of breakfast and lunch items on the menu. Outside seating area is much larger than inside. It opens early at 6am when you most need a strong cup of coffee.

Let me start by saying I love this coffee shop- they make the best baked goods. I would chose them over any other coffee shop. However, I've found that they will only give you fresh baked goods if you order through doordash. If you order on other platforms prepare for stale pastries.

Amended. I will sadly not be ordering from higher grounds again. Not only did I get stale pastries, they missed items, and my order was delivered to the wrong house although I ordered through their spot on website. Bummed.

Found this place tucked away across the street from First Watch. The coffee was excellent and the food was just as good if not BETTER than First Watch. Plus we did not need to wait to be seated. I had the Loco Moco Acai Bowl and my fiance went with the more traditional pancakes, eggs, and bacon. We picked up a cinnamon roll to go. We went right back the very next day for some avocado toast, tea, and a smoothie. Definitely will make this a regular place if we can. Looking forward to trying lunch!

The coffee and staff were top notch. Very nice inside and cozy.

The breakfast sandwich I ordered was tasty and I would get it again. The pancakes were a little over the top with a vanilla flavor. A little over powering for my taste. The size of the pancakes were huge and a good amount for the money. My kids will enjoy them.

I really liked the coffee and tea options. I will be back for the coffee for sure. Really great neighborhood spot. Definitely worth trying.

Had a Coconut White Mocha and it was good, my husband had a Lattè with oat milk and he enjoyed it. We tried the cherry strudel and we did not have it warmed up and should have. It was really good. The young lady behind the counter was very friendly and professional. This was our first time here and glad we tried it.

Great alternative to Starcucks and Dutch Hoes. The name is a bit strange with a dash of clever; I’m unsure if it’s just a cheeky play on words, a thinly veiled humble brag, or a subtle religious reference.

The coffee shop is in an inconvenient section of a suburban strip mall with limited parking, and from the outside, you have no clue what you’re getting yourself into. Upon walking in you’ll find their little Diedrich Roaster alongside the counter, which makes you wonder if it’s just there for show or if they actually use it. It’s hooked up to electrical and ducting, so I assume it’s in use, but probably not when customers are there.

I took a peek at their espresso machine, which was tucked behind the counter and covered in a thick layer of dust. It’s a Rancilio, which is a solid Italian machine, so props to them, but it’s a shame to see their showpiece neglected and hidden away. Maybe they prefer it that way, since from what I could see, it’s pretty filthy. If they can’t wipe the panels clean then my mind immediately wonders what the rest of their machine cleaning regimen looks like….

I ordered an iced Americano, black. Their roast seemed to be medium to dark, like past first crack but maybe not quite to second? Hard to say. It was okay, but somewhat nondescript, with no flavor notes popping or standing out for me.

I didn’t try their food, so no comment there, but the customer service was great, so they have that going for them. I’d say this is a solid 3.9/5 coffee shop, not bad, not mind-blowing.

Cute coffee shop with a great menu of pastries and food. Cappuccino is delicious - not too bitter, not too sweet. The cinnamon roll was delicious! A little too much cream cheese for my taste, but hey, I'd rather have too much than too little. Quick and friendly service. Perfect, cozy areas to enjoy a good book.

I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to visit this coffee shop! It is tucked in the parking lot across from one of my favorite Sprouts, a little cozy hidden gem. The shop vibe is industrial meets rustic with a high wooden bar, exposed piping, reclaimed wood, etc.

They have a nice little menu with breakfast, bakery, coffee, and tea items, with lunch items starting at 11:00 (according to their website).

I tried the Sunrise avocado flatbread, which had smashed avocado, arugula, tomatoes, and medium cooked eggs on a flatbread. It was delicious! The flatbread had a wonderful texture, like a crispy tortilla (but a little thicker) with a chewy center. The prices for everything were very fair.

I had only 2 misgivings with our visit. First, I ordered a blueberry muffin, and they heated it up for me, which was nice. However, it had a strong “freezer burn” taste. I don’t know if they are bake and then frozen or freshly baked, but either the muffin itself or the batter was rather stale (in taste, not in texture). It’s possible that having it heated up accentuated that flavor, but either way - we did not finish the muffin. After a few bites, I couldn’t stomach the strong freezer taste. My other small and admittedly very personal complaint was the sugar free syrup. I worked as a barista for a few years, so this is only a guess - but I believe they use a different brand for their sugar free vanilla syrup. They have a wall full of Monin syrups, which are some of the best! But the sugar free vanilla in my latte tasted a lot like Torani, which is much worse in my opinion. I could be completely wrong about this, and again, it’s just a personal preference on taste, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the SF vanilla syrup. I would probably just go with a plain latte next time.

Overall, we were very happy with our visit! I will definitely be back to try more breakfast items, although I will be avoiding the baked goods from now on.

Everything was so flavorful and made with quality ingredients! We had coffee, cider, blueberry muffin, a steak bowl, the peanut butter acai bowl and the French man breakfast sandwich. We could recommend all of it. We'll definitely be coming back again!