Slave To the Grind

Gorgeous little café overlooking the main Ontario Street at the front, and the beautiful lake at the back. There’s not a huge amount of seating, but there’s a few chairs and tables, as well as two sofas in the rear area for those looking for a more prolonged visit.
There was a great selection of teas and baked goods, as well as –as the name suggests — plenty of espresso beverages and ground coffee bags to take home. I chose the hot chocolate and it was one of the best I’ve had! Thick, creamy, perfectly steamed and decidedly chocolatey: D
Staff were nice. There was a friendly, community vibe to the place and I am looking forward to returning on my next visit to Stratford.

I stumbled across this place when I was in Stratford this week — and I’m so glad I decided to give it a try! I love that they offered tea lattes made with real tea (not sugary mixes) as well as non-​dairy milk options (almond, soy, and coconut). My masala chai tea almond milk latte was quite good.

I’m a Stratford local, but with the high levels of tourism here in Stratford I know it’s important for visitors to use services like Unilocal and Tripadvisor to help distill the options… because life is too short for bad coffee. And it’s little gems like «the Grind» that benefit most because they’re a little more out of the way and they don’t have the ease of «location» that some of the other coffee shops in town do.
As the other posters have mentioned Slave to the Grind has without a doubt the best coffee in the city (my «go-​to» is the Co-​Op blend but I have yet to be disappointed with anything I’ve tried.) All their coffees are fair-​trade so you can feel good about your purchase. The snacks are always creative and delicious, and they are made fresh with local ingredients which is a bonus.
The shop is small and cozy, and the staff are always friendly and happy to see you (the same can’t be said for some other Stratford coffee shops where sadly snobbery still prevails.) It’s very probable that this sense of congeniality stems from the fact that it’s a workers co-​op so each of the members has a stake in the business and life is always better when you love the place you work. Take the time to ask what a co-​op is, you’ll leave more informed, and you’ll feel great about your decision to support not only a workers co-​op but also the small farms that benefit from fair trade coffee.
Leigh

When we travel, we tend to find a coffee shop we really like and make that our ‘home base’ for when we need caffeine, a snack, or just a place to sit and watch people go by for a while. This was our first trip to Stratford, and Slave to the Grind turned out to fit the bill nicely.
Great coffee, delicious snacks, comfortable atmosphere and friendly staff. When you walk in, the place seems a bit small, but then you realize there is a cute sitting area in the back with huge windows and lots of local art on the walls. The front area is perfect for watching people walk by on the street. For the vegans and dairy-​free folk out there, they’ve got rice, almond and soy milk to choose from, and usually a snack or two that is vegan-​friendly. For those in a rush, they have a self-​serve coffee bar, where you can grab a cup from the cash (and leave the money!), fill and go.
And bonus: you’re supporting a worker co-​op!
Even though we’re back in Toronto and have several awesome cafes within a short distance, I’m still wishing I could go back to The Grind this morning!