Coffee Connection

Nice quiet coffee shop.
Tasty decaf, pleasant service.
Pre-​warmed cups are a nice touch!
I enjoy sitting in the greenhouse.

Absolutely amazing service, good food, lovely atmosphere. Called for directions, and the kind Yvette, a worker in the café, waited outside for me to arrive and waved enthusiastically as I pulled up! The food ranges from a simple cup of various fruits, to rich quiches, and cranberry orange muffins. I highly recommend visiting this tiny and tastefully comfortable café.

I finally was able to check out this place in the North Winton Village area and had a great experience. I went there to grab lunch and got a coffee on the way out. Ad a vegetarian, I was glad I had options from the menu. The staff working that afternoon were very welcoming, and did a nice job on making my roasted veggies panini. Definitely will go back here again, just a quick walk from my place and the atmosphere is very unique and inviting.
The do accept cash, credit and debit, but bring cash for tipping… can’t add it onto the charge card receipt.

Nice, relaxing, and aesthetically pleasing atmosphere. Quiet and lots of natural light. Variety of seating good for both comfort or studying. I enjoyed their food more than the coffee. Staff was nice but slow… and my smoothie was watered down and they gave my the wrong flavor.
Overall I still give this place a 4 because of food, atmosphere and the fact they have a Greenhouse attached to their café is nice and unique. Also, they have a great mission to empower Rochester women in need.
I definitely plan to return.

I’ve been quite the fan of the Coffee Connection’s Greenhouse Café in the North Winton neighborhood since my friend suggested it for lunch. While the coffee is what they’re known for, it’s the food that keeps bringing me back! I have never been disappointed. (But I wish they still made their spicy Thai soup!) I believe they make all of their own dishes now, even the quiche.
Today’s lunch was no exception: a lovely Apple, Pear, Cheddar Panini on wheat (yum!) with a delightful Italian Olive Salad on the side — which was the show-​stealer. A nice mix of olives, capers, red onion, and asparagus. The asparagus was quite good (very fresh tasting) considering it’s not yet in season here in Rochester.
The staff is always pleasant too. You won’t always see the same ladies, but everyone tends to be friendly. There is parking on the side of the café — make sure you’re in the right part of the small lot — but I recommend parking on the street out front instead. There is plenty of space and no parking meters to feed.
Tip for customers: Remember to bring cash for the employee empowerment tip jar. You can pay for your food and drink with a credit or debit card, but you can’t add a tip to either.

Quiet coffee house w fair trade, art, pleasant staff, and an actual greenhouse w tables in the back. Also, did I mention its primary purpose is to provide employment for women recovering from addiction?

Upon moving to a new neighborhood, I immediately regretted not having a coffee shop within eyeshot and 2-​minute walk away. Sure, it forced me to make coffee at home every morning in that French press I *had* to have. Then came that first morning where I was in a rush to a meeting needed coffee or I wouldn’t function through a day running errands. Eureka! I took to Unilocal and realized Coffee Connection was on the east-​side part of E. Main… Meaning in my ‘hood. A 2-​minute drive. And I was off!
There you have it – Coffee Connection is my nearby coffee shop for those simple swing in and grab a cup of joe to-​go days. I usually go for the Peruvian regular blend, which is lighter, much like what you’d expect from a homebrewed blend.
The staff, who are women recovering from addiction or hardships and transitioning to the real world, are all smiles. There are usually a few people enjoying coffee inside or working on their laptops. I’ve yet to do this since I live so close that I should just be in my own office. At least it’s here if I need an escape. Also, there’s construction going on with the greenhouse so I’ve avoided the distraction (assuming they’re prepping or spring/​summer). Last visit, the smell of bacon was in the air and it was hard to resist the urge to grab a sandwich, but I was already late so nope, saving it for next time.
Four stars for proximity and their mission!

Perhaps I caught Coffee Connection on a bad day but my experience was a letdown.
I chose it for the heated solarium they advertise on their site. However, it was shut down and full of snow. We sat in the room near the entrance and it didn’t look like the photos on their website. The chairs and tables were packed in there in addition to the sofas. There was what looked like a tarp above us. Maybe they are under construction? There was a fireplace in there too. I can imagine it being a cozy space with some rearrangement of furniture. However, it was cold and drafty in there. I recommend sitting in the same room as the coffee bar in the winter if you want to stay warm!
My friend and I ordered specialty lattes. The barista was a very nice man and he answered all our questions. It took quite a while for him to prepare our drinks (he didn’t seem familiar with what was in the lattes and had to look them up in a binder but I figured there was not surprising given their large selection of specialty lattes).
The lattes were unfortunately terrible. They were very bitter and not in a pleasant coffee way. Neither of us could drink the beverages but weren’t convinced that ordering something else would result in better drinks. However, they were reasonably priced ($ 4ish for specialty lattes).
Given the business’s worthy socially conscious missions (eg.
), I really want to support this place. I will give them another try in the spring.

A cute café in a greenhouse? And with great coffee? That was enough to get me a native Bay Area Californian who grew-​up with her choice of fancy coffee and hip cafes out of the warmth into a defeating Rochester blizzard for a single cappuccino in a cute café.
20 minutes of blizzard driving later, I arrived and it exceeded all of my café expectations. Cute café, great seating spaces, great coffee, shelves of books, and a good cause empowering Rochester women in need. There are two rooms in the café, the «greenhouse» room and adjacent room with a warm fire.
I will be trekking into the snow again for this café and can not wait to see it in summer.

Greenhouse Café has done it again– lunch today was really divine. There are always great vegetarian options on the menu. I had the tomato and basil panini with the potato/​kale soup. Both items were simple, yet delicious. I was so thrilled with the potato/​kale soup that I wanted to come home to imitate the chef’s recipe. She thinly sliced the kale (looked a bit like straw), and apparently seasoned the soup with salt/​pepper and a vegetable broth. Delicious!
Greenhouse/​Coffee Connection has a great social justice concept – I always feel like it’s worth spending my lunch money here.