February 6, 2023 by Maddy Diem (’24)
A few days ago, I walked into Uncommon Grounds in Saratoga Springs, New York–a large café on Broadway, close to Saratoga Springs High School (SSHS). It’s loud, busy, and smells like coffee grounds. A roar comes from the giant machine in the corner, which looks like it is churning coffee beans. Eagerly, I got in line and looked at the giant menu on the wall. Someone called me to the cash register, and I ordered a bagel for $2 and a latte for about $6.
The service is excellent. The barista helped me right away. One review on Yelp says, “service is great, always a line but it is fast moving as long as people know what they want.” I second that notion. My bagel took a couple of minutes longer than my coffee, but it was still quick. They don’t have a large variety of food, and mainly offer bagels, sandwiches, salads, and coffee.
I took my bagel and coffee and tried to find a seat–they are hard to come by but eventually, I found a small seat near the big machine in the corner.The mood is perfect for the student type. I took my computer out, connected my headphones to my phone, and worked on homework. Another Yelp reviewer noted the versatile experiences that can be enjoyed at Uncommon, and said, “take your laptop, catch up with your friends or you want to just go sit there to waste some time and find your inner peace……this is the place to be.”
The lighting is low and calming. They have a great music selection that has all genres. They also have artwork hanging up all around and it is changing all the time. They are usually labeled with the artist and the name of the painting along with the price, and many are available to purchase.
It has a great schedule, open Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 9:00 pm, and Saturday to Sunday it is open from 6:30 am to 9:00 pm–so it is perfect for after school. Although the busiest times are during the weekends, a lot of students will be in the café after school, too, so it may be more difficult to find seating, especially in the winter.
After a long time, I decided to watch the motion of the restaurant. The tables aren’t regularly cleaned. There are crumbs on tables that people are sitting at. An employee went around and wiped the tables every once in a while, and took out the trash.
People were coming and going regularly. I saw an older man sitting on a portion of the couch with a computer propped on his thigh typing away. After walking through the cold, a group of college kids came into the café holding school bags and laptops with red cheeks and noses.
Leaving Uncommon there was a family of four, including what looked like a two-year-old holding chocolate milk and his dad’s hand. The father was also holding a cup of coffee. A young baby with a binky was being pushed in a stroller by her mother who was also holding a cup of coffee.
A lot of spots in the downtown area are local businesses with a family-friendly feel, including Uncommon. Although the café has several locations, they are all in the tri-state area and about a forty-five-minute drive from each other. Their locations include Saratoga Springs, Clifton Park, and two in Albany–one in the University Plaza and one in Stuyvesant Plaza.
All in all, it is an excellent spot to sit down and enjoy the people of Saratoga, and the food, or a good place to sit and study. The food was excellent, the environment was welcoming to those of all ages–just calm enough to be conducive to conversation or work, and–even if the tables have a few crumbs–I’d highly recommend Uncommon to any SSHS student.