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Proving Ground Coffee Roaster & Café

★★★★½ 4.7/5 (100 reviews)
$$
180 Columbia Centre Dr, Columbia, IL 62236 (618) 281-6652 Website
Proving Ground Coffee Roaster & Café Proving Ground Coffee Roaster & Café Proving Ground Coffee Roaster & Café Proving Ground Coffee Roaster & Café Proving Ground Coffee Roaster & Café

Reviews (100)

Sharon Bledsoe
Sharon Bledsoe
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Visiting family in the area. This was a great breakfast choice! Everyone loved their food and the atmosphere was fantastic. We will definitely return when in town.

Ed Reggi
Ed Reggi
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

We had a delicious brunch. We sat outdoors in the outdoor seating and our meal was delicious.

Katie Himes
Katie Himes
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Iced vanilla latte and PG potatoes are soooooo good. I’m always treated with great customer service as well.

Steve Bromley (javapgmr)
Steve Bromley (javapgmr)
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I wanted something different this morning, so I stop by here on a whim. I was very impressed. They have an excellent menu for a small place and their coffee was beyond belief. I'll be back.

Katherine Niedringhaus
Katherine Niedringhaus
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

The best coffee and breakfast in town! Hands down!

Ashley Dover
Ashley Dover
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

Friendly staff and excellent food! The setup is a little confusing. I noticed that most people entering had to be told where to order and what not. When you first walk in you don't know if you should wait to be seated or counter order. You get the feeling it could be both because it isn't exactly clear. But for those wondering...when you walk in, grab a menu from the counter, step to your right to order, pick up you drinks on the far left, take a huge playing card table number stand and have a seat. They'll bring your food. But you have to get utensils and napkins at the counter. French toast comes smothered in syrup, but its the biggest slices of bread I've ever seen. My mom got three pancakes thinking they would be small or average sized. No. The were the size of dinner plates and looked like golden, fluffy perfection. You can also tell that the sausage isn't frozen patties. I took half of my french toast home, because it was too good to waste. To me, something like that isn't normally good reheated, but it sure was good cold :) I ate every bit :) Oh...you also have to take your dishes to a bus station, not leave them on the table. Refills have to be asked for or poured yourself from the counter. The food and atmosphere were great. We declined to leave a tip though. Servers earn tips, and this establishment doesn't employ servers.

Jen Wilhelm
Jen Wilhelm
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Chicken tacos are their best dish, but quality has declined in the last year. Pickled onions in their dressed greens are the bomb!!!

Kristi Waldo
Kristi Waldo
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Can I say delicious.

Pat Dickens
Pat Dickens
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Staff is excellent. Can get crowded indoors; outdoor patio is great in good weather. Highly recommend the PG Potatoes.

Lester Wulfert
Lester Wulfert
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

Chicken salad croissant was a bit soggy. Had to cut up in pieces to pick up.

Kim Gibson
Kim Gibson
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

My go to place in Columbia - friendly, accommodating staff, cozy atmosphere and the food is ALWAYS good!

Cassie Hopkins
Cassie Hopkins
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Best coffee I’ve ever had. They even make their own syrups! Amazing breakfast and lunch served all day long, Love this place so much. It’s going to be my go-to coffee shop from now on! Relaxing atmosphere to get some work done and enjoy a nice coffee. You can sit inside or outside. I highly recommend it.

Kara S
Kara S
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

Great spot with delish breakfast menu! Dog friendly patio and great service!

Kim Wright
Kim Wright
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

Serves solid well-made seasonal coffee drinks

Aaron Smith
Aaron Smith
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

+2 stars for the coffee. -3 stars for the copious amount of FLIES. Trying to focus on work in here is a nightmare. Constant buzzing and swatting. Put up a fly trap overnight or something.

Al_Pastor Bradley
Al_Pastor Bradley
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

The drinks are excellent and the store isb beautiful inside and out. Food is ight, just not really my thing but I can't hold that against em because the service is great.

Lisa Modglin
Lisa Modglin
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

I usually only get an Americano with caramel syrup, which is delicious, but today I stopped earlier so I got a veggie avocado today but subbed a fried egg. Perfection!

Adele Cowell
Adele Cowell
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

I have ordered quite a few Cobb salads from this cafe and they have all been delicious but today I ordered one to go and I was very surprised by the quantity of it compared to when I would eat in the cafe. I called And mention this to the lady that answered the phone and she said that their containers are smaller if you take it to go but yet they're still charging you the same price. I don't see any fairness to this at all. I was hoping to share this with somebody but there wasn't enough to share. Very disappointed.

MGySgt K
MGySgt K
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

First time. Now to be fair, I ate breakfast at noon. I got Schuberts special, Egg scrambled. Perhaps I didn't read the menu, but everything was chopped in tiny, tiny pieces, except the egg. It was all cooked kinda crispy. Way to crispy. I wanted to enjoy Schuberts meat. Got an extra Pancake. The pancake and syrup were nothing special. I believe just a box mix pancake and bottle syrup. My surprise was the coffee. I had high hopes for a great coffee. Not a nice coffee aroma. It was rather bitter and weak, simultaneously. Food was $$$. Place was full, all tables. Would I return. Truthfully, I don't know. 3 pro: 1) nice staff 2) simple menu 3) serve yourself coffee Cons: 1) the quality/lackof great coffee!! 2) $$ pricey 3) coffee house, should be quality coffee #1.

Nicky Chips
Nicky Chips
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Finally made it to PG and walked in to a short fast moving que. I grabbed a menu and saw a number of intriguing breakfast and lunch items. Quickly on the spot I opted for the 3egg Scram. The PG potatoes are a tasty combo of cubed potatoes, sweet potatoes, red onion and red pepper and the scramble did not disappoint. And the coffee was really good!