Fair Grounds

You know that Futurama meme? I just want to throw all my money at the baristas and shout TAKE MY MONEY because the drinks are
and the employees are all endearing in their own way. I want to take mushrooms with Veronica and go to drunk karaōke (oxymoron?) with Becca and make music with Talman (you dreamy 70s musician, you) and well, I could go on but every one makes Fairgrounds a groovy place. You don’t need my Unilocal review but there you go.

Great spot.

A lot of variety and the atmosphere/​location are phenomenal. I didn’t expect to have to go up the stairs but the lobby was great with advertisements for local events as well as newspapers.
After getting upstairs it’s a surprisingly cozy café with cool decorations. The coffee was great-​I got a Spicy Mocha (a Mexican chocolate with espresso!) and my friend got The Godfather (chocolate and tiramisu) he couldn’t stop singing its praises.
All in all, I will most definitely be back.

I bounce between the Nutella and Crème Brulee, iced or hot, with an extra shot when my world is crumbling.
The place is hipster AF with a pretty cool staff. I’ve never had issues with customer service either. Cool environment, fun people, great study spot– it’s just the coffeeshop vibe without the standard hipster crap service.
Hope you give this local spot a shot. I’ve only ever gotten coffee, but I see they have some vegan goodies as well if you’re about it.
Don’t hesitate to sit next to strangers either, (:

Passed this place a few times and never had a chance to stop in. Well today I’m so glad I did! This place is amazing! First, I love the atmosphere! It’s like walking into grandmas house and feeling welcomed. The staff is very friendly. I love the set up. It’s set up like a house! Lol. No other way to explain it. They even had board games and reading material. Now on to the main attraction. The coffee is superb! There are so many flavors I want to try now. If you think all coffee is the same, you are missing out. I will definitely be a regular here. You guys have made a customer for life!

Almond milk cappuccino tastes like garbage. Soapy foam. Seriously this is not hard to get right.

I like the vibe in here. Staff is not overly friendly but make drinks well. They have a good selection of drinks, extra points for their variety of non-​coffee drinks. My favorite is blueberry tea with lemonade.

Good coffee, college hipster environment yet again. The baristas are fun, but alittle bit on the slow side in preparation of drinks. Ordered a hot latte took over 10mins, i want to say its because they had 4 orders in front of myself. The menu is very clear to understand, the drinks are cleverly described. The sitting area upstairs is awkward, the lighting is good. The storefront is uniquely decorated, reminds me of a dorm with second hand furniture. This place isnt fancy, i will definitely give them another try. As i did like the coffee and that is whats important.

I moved to Norfolk a year ago, and Fair Grounds is one of my favorite places. Cozy seating, plenty of drink options (soy and almond milk for vegans!), desserts from My Vegan Sweet Tooth and Yorgo’s Bageldashery, organic and fair trade coffee, free wifi, and a creaky old building. Plenty of hipsters, but the crowd is a little more mixed early in the morning. Nice independent feel. Great place to head on a rainy day (or any day, for that matter). Prices fairly comparable to Starbucks.
Those with mobility issues should note that while there is a ramp up to the porch, the only way to get inside is up a staircase.

Great place to grab a coffee and vegan danish or bagel! Their prices are similar to what you would pay at Panera Bread, but their coffee, danishes, bagels and sandwiches are much better quality. I’ve been here before. I love the atmosphere. Friendly staff :)
I’d come more often if the prices were lower.

The cutest, local coffee shop. If I was still in college, I’d definitely make this my study spot. The caramel latte was good, too!

I frequent here quite often to get some studying done. Saw some comments regarding hipsters, while I saw a few, they weren’t a nuisance (although it does take a great deal to annoy me). I’ve seen interviews done here as well as just normal run of the mill conversations. Anyhow, they have different areas to seat including some on the first floor entrance. I normally just get their house coffee. I did try one of their sandwiches one day, not very remarkable though.
Yes the starbucks is literally across the street, but definitely go there if you like the feel that a starbucks cup make you feel somewhat more important/​significant.
Small parking lot in front of store is quite convenient.

This is the spot! I guess I would even say that if you’ve ever lived in Norfolk or go to ODU, this would be the coffee shop you frequent and remember for the rest of your life.
Hipster vibe? Sure. Cool furniture and tables? Check. Great coffee? Check. Great service? Check. Free wifi? Check. Cool place to chill your day away? Check.
Okay so now that the checklist has been checked, I’ll just go into my own personal story with this fine establishment.
One day, my girlfriend was feeling sick. I asked the waitress (the redhead), what would be a good drink for someone who was sick? She responded that the hot cider would be a good drink and told me it was on the house. WOW. What was funny was that that day I actually forgot my wallet in the car so I didn’t even have enough money to pay for the cider. The next time I came in, I left $ 5 in the tip jar.
The coffee and the atmosphere is what keeps me coming back. The amazing service is what will make me remember this place for the rest of my life as my first real coffee joint. Definitely visit and enjoy it while you can. Not all of us will live in Norfolk forever!

This place is just the perfect spot to come for coffee. Best part is that is no chain. It’s been a local spot for quite some time. So if your looking for something different from your local chain coffee spot, this is the perfect place. There are not many choices available compared to your Starbucks per say, but the choices here can’t be found anywhere else. All the choices are good ! The pastry are good here too. The service is pretty fast, friendly and knowledgeable you won’t regret it.

If you’re looking for a «swank» or «dive» place for coffee, this place is it. It encompasses the idea of a small place for coffee and conversation. They have a small parking lot that fits compact cars well. I have brought my truck out here, but it’s a bit sketch at times. So drivers just be realize that if you’re heading here.
The actual facility is upstairs. Another note — if you’re going up the stairs, pay attention to the fliers that are sometimes on the walls. They put up a lot of cool events that are local to the area.
Up entering, you’ll notice that each room is segmented with cozy furniture etc. This provides a nice atmosphere for conversation and ambiance.
When you order, there is food — it’s just on the wall to the left. Good note for future people :-)
Everything here is real good. Coffee is great, service respectable and I do like going here. My only quandaries are the seating is rather limited and sometimes the people there are rather snob-​ish. Try to come during an off-​time if you do go our you’ll be forced out the door from seating or just irritated from the numerous people who buy one coffee and stay for hours on to of hours on their laptops. They’ll walk away, leave their stuff and just be completely inconsiderate to everyone else.
As I mentioned, if you do go, try and off peak time to keep your experience more pleasant.
Food Taste: 4
Overall Service: 4
Value of food to cost: 4
Facility: 4
Repeat customer: yes

It really upsets me to have to do this. I have to drop the rating and I’m not even sure if I’m comfortable going back. I hope that this was a case of «when the cat is away, the mouse will play.»
I added a new dimension to my visit here and bought food. Specifically, I bought the veggie burger. The lady behind the counter was eating a slice of pepperoni pizza. When my burger came out, I asked the lady her to please cut it in half. She took my plate and put her pizza down. She placed her bare «pizza-​to-​mouth» hand on my sandwich and cut it in half. Then, brought the plate back to me, turned, and walked away. All this happened, also, without a word from her.
Can I just take a moment to say, *wtf?!* EEEEEEWWWW!!! Come the heck on! That’s just gross. I’m pretty sure that establishments close down for stuff like that. In fact, I was going to drop the rating to a 3, with the caveat to avoid food that may come into direct contact with hands. But, since this is a MAJOR infraction, the responsible thing to do is to really drop it to 1 and warn people. I mean, this is flu season… Gosh, there’s just so much wrong with what that whole situation!
If I were reassured that this was a one-​off thing and some training would be done, if change the rating. Because this place has so much good going for it. But, if this is like a normal, no-​big-​deal kind of thing, which I have to assume that it is (at least, with her), it’s just completely unacceptable.
If you must go, and I don’t blame you, go for the lattes. Go for the wrapped goods. Avoid the prepared foods, especially if you are immuno-​compromised.
Unless I catch wind of some retraining, I just don’t have enough trust to give more than two (generous) stars. :(

«All’s fair in love and war – and coffee.»
–South Park
I really try to stay away from chains, but my options in downtown Suffolk are slim when it comes to coffee. (We won’t talk about the Mermaid place.) So, when I’m visiting a big city like Norfolk, I have lots of options. The oldest independent coffee shop in Norfolk is Fair Grounds (FG), and it also seems to be the most popular coffee shop on Unilocal.I’ve checked it out twice now, so let’s take a gander at FG.
FG opened in 2001 by owner Elliot Juren (yes – THE Elliot’s Fair Grounds), but there is a new owner now named Mike Dimirsky. Located in the charming historic district of Ghent, FG is on the corner of Colley Avenue and Baldwin Avenue. The parking lot is small, but I’ve been able to snag a spot both times. The coffee shop is in the upstairs of an old house; there are lots of rooms and chairs, and it gives you that cozy feeling that invites you to stay a while. There is even a fireplace.
All of their coffee is Fair trade and organic, and all of their tea is loose leaf. I’ve tried the Nutella and the Crème brûlée – both were delicious, but they also have hot, iced, and frozen coffee and tea; smoothies; the magical hot cocoa; desserts; and sandwiches. In addition, they host events and fundraisers, while collaborating with community organizations.
FG is definitely a real winner. The prices are lower compared to that must-​not-​be-​named place, and you can’t beat the atmosphere. If I lived in Ghent, I would hang out here for hours, reading a book and drinking coffee. Next time you need (or want) coffee, check out FG. You won’t regret it!

I’ve been coming here awhile, it’s the coziness of the venue that appeals to me. It’s easier to study and do computer work when you have that soft yellow, comfy chairs, and relaxed people around.
This location is very much a «home» feel spot.

Fair Grounds has been bookmarked for long time. I finally got out of my rut of usual haunts and headed over to Ghent to experience this untapped area on Halloween.
I have unknowingly passed Fair Grounds before, but I would have never known since it literally looks like a home fitting for the historic neighborhood. The business is located off of the main drag of Ghent on Colley across from Starbucks. However the address is Baldwin. There is plenty of parking which is a big deal. I found the lot to be clean and in great shape. The sign on the outside says Elliot’s Fair Grounds named after the original owner.
The building is a two story circa 1920’s and massive. Bottom floor is a separate jewelry/​novelty store Texture. The exterior is a light green wood slat with burgundy awnings around it. An small outdoor area is to the side, but I found it is dominated by smokers and not suitable unless you want the haze of smoke circling your noggin. The front of the home has a beautiful wild flower garden. The steps leading up to the shop have Mosaic tiles in between the landings. I my opinion the property needs some up keep and is falling in disrepair.
I made the trek up the wood stairs to check out the coffee end of the business. Like other reviewers have noted you would think you had just entered a private residence. Many of the furnishings are 60’s, 70’s era spread around several rooms. One room is completely devoted to study space with a huge wood round table. The very front of the home has a narrow space that is walled off from the rest of the place. It was completely packed and I could not get a picture to share, however I could see those using it were cozy with there devices. Walls are a mustard stucco with white trim baseboards.
Now time to get a cup of java and I looked over the board and settled in on one of my favorite deserts Crème Brulee. The tall middle age bearded man was very polite and professional even with whiskers make-​up like a cat as my visit was on Halloween. There were pastries for purchase that looked good, but I was not hungry. A short black woman who was obviously a regular appeared to be a fixture at the place and chatted up the staff and regulars alike.
It did not take long before my mug of coffee was ready and smelled intoxicating. The appearance on top was really cool too! I found a seat in the main room around the fireplace. I sat my drink on a 60’s era table that I recall an Uncle having in there living room growing up. I fell in love with the sweet taste and found it very reminiscent of the desert I love. Customers around me had there heads buried in either a lap top, or book. I comfortably enjoyed my cup and people watched for quite some time. The area rugs over the wood floor boards made the experience very cozy.
Anyone that wants a completely anti Starbucks experience should run and run fast to Fairgrounds. The vibe is warm and one of a kind for our area of Hampton Roads I guess it’s not a surprise to anyone that it’s location is Ghent, notorious for historic, eclectic and cool offerings. I definitely want to head back soon and enjoy another cup of delicious goodness. But more importantly take in this exceptional vibe that is Ghent and Fair Grounds.

I love coffee shops like this. So quaint. So peaceful. So many people coming through yet everyone does their own thing. It’s like going to a house with everyone grabbing their own drink and taking a spot in all the various types of seating they offer. Read a book, surf the web or people watch.
The entire place was decorated for Halloween. Everything from the walls, décor among the open spaces, even the restroom (it’s just a sticker of a rat on the toilet). Nice touch!!!
One weird thing though. Three of us took a seat at the big circular table and Wolverine joined us and proceeded to get lost in his laptop with his headphones. After being taken back for a few moments we all proceeded to carry on our conversation and no one was bothered. It felt like a big college common area.
Cool spot. Probably my favorite coffee shop in the area. You can’t go wrong with any iced coffee drink.