Caribou Coffee

This is the biggest Caribou Coffee place I’ve seen. It has a great location in downtown Royal Oak at 4^th and Main st. There must have been 25 – 30 tables inside and another 6 – 8 tables outside. It is a major hang out place, I assume because of the free wifi, but there was also a guy painting with water colors at an outside table. Most of the people, professionals and others, we’re buried in their electronic devices. Many seem to have been bunkered down since lunch, with their beverages. Most of the tables were filled, and even the couches and big comfy chairs.
Otherwise its a pretty standard place, coffee and other drinks, hot and iced. A number of desert and other things to eat.
So this is a high traffic place, so either come early and grab your spot, or you might end up in the back.

I enjoy this location of Caribou mainly for it’s great big windows, good for people watching, or staring at the sky pondering life over a campfire mocha. This Caribou has a great atmosphere to it. I have never been there and it not been busy. There are times where I’m planning on staying but simply can’t find a seat! It is a large location too. The service was fast and friendly, great location, overall it is one of my favorite Caribou’s.

I don’t really come here for coffee. I’m kind of the opinion that spending money on coffee when you can buy a coffee maker is a waste.
But I do buy coffee here. I love Caribou Coffee houses, way more than Starbucks.
The atmosphere here is awesome. I just get a large regular coffee and get stoned on the caffeine, and just sit there watching the crowd go by while reading stuff on my laptop.
I just love the atmosphere. I like the people that drop in and hang out.
I tried going to the Starbucks down the street, but that place is very pretentious and just annoying.
I have to remember to give out 5 stars along with my bashing of other horrible places, so this is one of my favorite places.
Edit:
Okay, went from 5 to 4stars over the last 2 months. I love to come in and buy a cup of coffee, buy a refresher (give a tip), and just cruise the internet. But lately I go in and the internet is great for the first ½ hour, then it totally goes dead.
Sure, I’m not buying $ 20 worth of food and drink, but I just dropped $ 5 on a cup of coffee. Can’t I at least get good internet for 1 hour?
I can make my own coffee, so if you’re trying to force me out I can always not show up in the first place. The whole point of coming in is relaxing for an hour or so. Honestly, I know how to make coffee and it’s not $ 5 when I make it.

I feel awkward at other coffee shops as I come in and make a purchase and usually get to my school work then the barista at some point before I finish my drink will come by and ask if I need anything or sit and stare at me once in a while like I’m taking up space or something.
I come to caribou because of the relaxing vibe. I need a bit of caffeine and some time to work on my papers and things without fffeling like I’m being rushed and taking up a spot for someone else and being made to feel uncomfortable. Sure the wifi isn’t the greatest, but I have seen worse. Yes it is always crowded, but I manage to find somewhere to sit and most people are welcoming if you ask to share a table to do some work until you can find another spot. It’s not like everyone who goes in there sits there all day and isn’t willing to leave.
The best part I find is I often have more than one drink when I am here which if I were welcome at other places without feeling uncomfortable I would probably do, Anyways if you take your cup up and get another drink they give you a discount from it since they try to promote recycling.
Yes like everywhere else in downtown royal oak you need to pay for parking sure, but the nice thing is that if you wanna walk around after grabbing coffee there are plenty of other places to hit.
My personal recommendation for beverages is the campfire mocha milk chocolate. it is a hot cocoa ish drink with a coffee kick. very yummy and chocolatey for those who aren’t big coffee addicts.

If you want fast internet, this is not the place. After my third time experiencing slow-​as-​molasses internet, I think I’m giving up and writing this review.
Official results from
:
Download speed 0.28MBps
Upload speed 0.42MBps
Coffee is fine. Comparable to Starbucks 1 block away.
Atmosphere: Dirty log cabin chic. People seem to like it there though. Has a very casual vibe.
Bathrooms: Sharpie graffiti all over. Doors literally have dirty handprints on them.
Crowd: This coffeeshop is crowded at almost all times of day, but there usually isn’t a line to order when I’m here. It seems like a lot of wifi-​hounds like myself. But don’t they know that there’s much faster internet at the other coffeeshops on Main street?
Only plus thing I can come up with is that it has more of a «locals hangout» thing going on than Starbucks.

Love this caribou coffee! The Baristas are great! I come there often, and they remember my order and make it well. They have a nice fireplace. The location is ideal for people watching. They often invite bands to play there which is a nice touch. And they don’t care if you come in just to use their bathroom (or maybe that’s just because they know me and know that I usually buy something?)
Only downsides to this caribou. It feels like they close early. I think it’s 10pm on weeknights and 11pm on weekend nights. It’s really not early in the grand scheme, but it feels early compared to the rest of royal oak. Also you have to pay parking, but I guess that’s true anywhere in downtown royal oak.

I know this sounds weird, but there is something in the atmosphere that stinks there… no matter which one I visit. literally… like a b.o. smell in certain areas near the fireplaces always… maybe a product they use in there or something.
Otherwise, Caribou coffee is consistently delish. I have never had a drink I didn’t like and they have many many lite options which I love the idea of. Also, the service is always great! LOVE their happy hour specials. so genius to offer that!
Each location feels welcoming and comfortable, with loads of windows for natural light. Speaking of light… will the Main St Royal Oak PLEASE fix your flickering fleurescent lights so I can bring my business work there?! It’s killin’ my eyes guys!
Thanks for being great!

Being from California, I’ve never had or heard of Caribou Coffee before. This is my first time giving them a try.
It’s hard for me to taste the differences between coffees. So that I can’t judge. but from the atmosphere, packaging, and customer service, caribou coffee is definitely less corporate and more authentic, more relaxed. While having people rushing in and out at starbucks, caribou coffee is the kind of place you come in to meet with a friend or bring your laptop in and get your papers done. The seats are very comfortable and the views from the windows are great.

I have to say I am very happy that the staff found my wallet that was lost and called me to let me know they had it. I enjoy their smoothies and cappuccinos but that is about all. This location is very cozy with the nice fireplace and the sofas, tables, or bar stools to sit at. The staff is friendly but this clearly needs some TLC.
1. Clean and update the bathrooms. They are disgusting and dirty and look 10 or more years old.
2. Make a policy to kick out annoying hipster and scene kids that come in to sit and make a bunch of racket and noise and buy one drink for 6 people.
Other than those two complains I am fine with this location. Its very nice, in the summer the patio seating is very nice. The fire place adds to coziness during the cold months and when it is chilly.

This is my favorite coffee shop. I loved it when we lived in Royal Oak and would walk down to Caribou in the morning on the weekends (stop off at Hermann’s Bakery for some good pastries & donuts on the way). I love the atmosphere and people-​watching here. The coffee is good too. Try to get there before 10am on the weekends because it fills up fast.

Considering that my Fiancé is a manager at Starbucks, I’m a little biased. However, given it’s close proximity to my college, I tend to go here for a quick break between classes. The coffee actually isn’t bad, and the free wi-​fi is a definite plus. The people are friendly, and knowledgeable with the product, and that’s always a good sign. It does tend to get a bit noisy during peak hours, but that’s to be expected. Overall I find this place convenient for what I use it for during class, but otherwise I would rather go to Starbucks. Cheers!

For a while– I would drive out of my way to go to a drive-​thru Starbucks on my way to work… where I would then sit in the line for a million years. Since Caribou has switched over to this fabulous new chocolate as of late– I was lamenting that Caribou’s haven’t jumped on the drive-​thru bandwagon… then I realized that maybe I need to be a little less lazy.
The Caribou Coffee in Royal Oak is not anywhere near as out of my way as those drive-​thru Starbucks — and waiting forever for my drink is a thing of the past. Sure — you have to park on the street, but the meters don’t start running until 10AM. Woohoo.
I actually really enjoy the vibe of this particular Caribou for all of the reasons that Ryan finds it to be a headache. lol I think the random mixture of people who frequent this coffee shop is hilarious — From the businessy folks to the tweens, from the bikers to the ladies who lunch, from the students to the old ladies crocheting and everything in between. There was a guy in there the other morning painting a whole series of these awful landscapes. They were dreadful– but it made me smile to see the awfulness. The crowd of folks hanging out is interesting at all times of the day.
The staff at this particular Caribou are definitely friendly enough– but not so friendly that they make me hate them on an early morning. They are pretty efficient and sometimes put an extra chocolate-​covered espresso bean on top of my lid. :) My days of hanging out in coffee shops are a thing of the past– so my opinion might change if I were actually looking for a place to sit… But as an option for my AM brew or a stop-​in after dinner in R.O. — this Caribou is high atop my list. :)

My biggest complaint about Metro Detroit is that things aren’t open later and the businesses don’t operate like they would in a college town such as Ann Arbor, East Lansing or even Toledo. Even though there are a lot of colleges in the area, things tend to close no later than midnight and it doesn’t have the same bohemian, intellectual feel of a college town.
No place reminds me of this more than Caribou in downtown Royal Oak. First, I HATE to go in here because it’s always so busy. The tables are always full from open to close with a whole bevy of interesting characters, from biker guys, to business people, to fourteen year olds doing homework. It’s strange because this place is really quite large inside. There are a lot of table and chairs and they are always full. But it’s like there isn’t free wifi within a 20 mile radius of this Caribou. Why does everyone come here? I don’t know.
Second, I don’t understand the décor and set up. I get that Caribou is supposed to be more rugged and outdoorsy, but this looks like a hunting lodge gone wrong. The lay out is just awkward too. There are too many high-​tops that are surrounded by 6 stools. It seems rare that a group of 6 people would go to a coffee shop together and sit on uncomfortable stools. Ok, maybe the characters from «Friends» would. Oh, and that group of 12 year olds drinking coffee drinks and studying long division. I think they could arrange this better and fit more people.
These are my thoughts about this Caribou and I know they’re picky. Yes, it’s a Caribou. The coffee is good and the drinks are standard across the board. However, it’s so obnoxious in here, especially in the summer with the outdoor seating, that I can’t make myself go. I’d rather go to the locally owned one down the street.