A Cup of Common Wealth

When you first walk in, it feels like a comfortable coffee shop. As my teenagers say "It passes the vibe check". Emma was super friendly, and made a point of introducing herself. Great cup of coffee. Now the REAL magic happened when I walked in about 6 weeks later. Emma said "What's up Yemi?" I was a bit blown away, as she'd met me just ONCE, and recalled my name right off the bat. The atmosphere is friendly, inviting, and just feels like a hug...and not the weak "butterfly pat" hugs which are common among acquaintances. I'm talking the kind of hug among FRIENDS. The friendliness and genuine love which radiate from Emma, Bailee, and (owner) Sal make this THE place to get a hazelnut lavender latte (my usual) and step out of downtown and into the perfect exhale. Come here. Often.

After a long detour from my trip I was greeted with a pour over coffee that did not disappoint. Finally some real coffee on this long journey today. Service was excellent and the place was booming during trivia night.

Really nice people! Very good service and fast too! Very cozy coffee shop cafe vibes where you can go and chill out , study , chat or whatever you want! Definitely will be back 🫡

Stopped in for a quick espresso and cappuccino for my wife. Would go back for the coffees and the muffins. Our dogs were with us, very dog friendly. Nice, relaxing atmosphere.

If you're looking for more than just great coffee, Cup of Commonwealth is the place to be! From the moment you walk in, you're greeted by a warm, inviting atmosphere and genuinely friendly staff who make you feel like part of the family. Their coffee? Incredible. Every cup is brewed with care, from smooth lattes to bold drip coffee. If you're a fan of unique flavors, their seasonal specials are a must-try—they always deliver something creative and delicious. But what truly sets this place apart is the community vibe. You can feel the heart and soul they’ve poured into their space. Whether it's the "Pay It Forward" wall or the thoughtful touches throughout, Cup of Commonwealth isn’t just about coffee—it’s about kindness and connection. Local, passionate, and consistently excellent, this shop is hands-down the best coffee experience you’ll find. It’s not just a coffee stop; it’s a daily highlight. Support local—support Cup of Commonwealth

This is my first time visiting but I have heard great things from my daughter. I really enjoy the space and the tables outside next to the park. The different areas and the length of shop really add to the cool factors of this place. There are a couple of unique things that they offer here to stand out even more. Italian Sodas Several real food options for Lunch A great assortment of Bakery goods as Breakfast or treats. It took a bit to get my order because of a line with only one making drinks and one making food but all was worth the wait.

It is a cool cafe to try! 😍The staffs are super friendly and helpful. The coffee was nice. If you are looking for experiencing something special, it is a place to go 👍

Definitely a unique and vintage-y coffee spot. I ordered a light roast coffee and soy chai latte. The drinks were pretty good and I would definitely come back to try something else. Space is limited in the shop and the seating wasnt very comfortable. They are dog friendly which I think is cool.

Quick and friendly service. We were walking around before our reservation at Carson's and came across this local staple. I had a double espresso shot and the afiance had a cappuccino. In and out in 5 minutes. Great spot to sit and do some work

Really good coffee, really nice staff. This place gives "your favorite dive bar" vibes. Lots of paintings of horses on the wall

Super friendly staff, they're the only local spot that opens super early so it's a great post workout spot or pre work day meeting spot. Great coffee any way you like it and plenty of options, including the biggest mug of coffee I've ever seen. Dog friendly!

This place is located in downtown Lexington. It looks like it is decorated by someone who got super high one day and went to goodwill to buy some furniture. I found it very interesting that some of the decor consisted of coffee bags as well as coffee holders. My barista, Kennedy, is a real sweetheart and ended up giving me great visiting recommendations for my time in Lexington (he even wrote it on my coffee holder which I wish I would have put on the board). The coffee was great as well. It was a Colombian blend and very light. I like how they have a ton of different type of bean options at this coffee shop.

Under the same ownership as the local chocolate shop, I found this place had even more of the "pay it forward" thing going on. I couldn't even read through all the labels that people had prepurchased for variously defined recipients. I wonder how they ever get redeemed; how would you even know where to look? Anyway, they were out of what sounded like a good matcha latte, but I ended up with chai instead, which here was more tea and less candy than the last rendition of the beverage I tried, for whatever that's worth. I got an avocado toast, which wasn't one of the crazy ostentatious ones you sometimes see; it was pretty much literally avocado on bread, but that pretty much fit my needs. This place is open early for those that need a 6 AM wake me up.

Great place with a cozy cafe feel. Service was quick and friendly. Enjoyed my espresso.

Friendliest staff you could ever ask for. Coffee is excellent as you would expect. Ambiance is quaint with a worn-out feel with the furniture/tables. That is a good thing! Interesting note: This is the block NEXT to the old Mammoth Garage was located on Main Street. MG burned down in a huge fire on February 19, 1976. Over 100 cars were destroyed but fortunately no one was killed. I was 11 years old at the time and remember my father telling me about this fire. Many people who worked downtown lost their vehicles that day.

This isn't my favorite coffee. It's good, it's caffinated, but for some reason I'm just not in love. The ambiance doesn't put this over the top for me either. Come try it out for yourself!

Delicious coffees served with kind smiles by friendly people in a socially conscious environment. The prices can't be beat, we were shocked at the uber reasonable rates. Definitely worth a visit or few, if you're in the area!

Decent coffee, hipster spot, decent service and parking is convenient for visiting in the morning

A great little coffee and tea place in Lexington Kentucky. We stopped in for an excellent coffee mocha, piping hot with a great caffeine hit. Interesting bags of international coffee beans available for sale. Plenty of pastries available as well as tea. Service was excellent and the location ideal.

I feel as if I'm the odd man out in the list of reviews here since I'm not giving the place a 5-star review. But I have to be honest and say what I feel. My wife and I drive through Lexington several times a year on our way from Columbus, Ohio, to the Bowling Green, KY, area, and we always try to plan our arrival in Lexington so that we can stop somewhere for lunch. As we approached Lexington this time, I was looking at the Yelp reviews for a good local place where we could sit back and have a light lunch and that would not be terribly expensive. A Cup of Common Wealth came up, and the reviews were generally quite good. Never having been there, we decided to stop in before continuing onward. We are not terribly fussy, and we're happy to try everything from divey greasy spoon diners to posh fanciness. But this place simply did not do it for either of us. To say we were disappointed is somewhat of an understatement -- we were unequivocally in agreement on the fact that we'd never stop again. We walked in the side door where orders are made and saw that it seemed more like a coffeehouse than a cafe that served food. I had read on Yelp that they served sandwiches, but it actually took a little searching to notice that the sandwich menu was written in much smaller print on their menu board than all the drink choices. So we made our order -- we both asked for the pesto club, which came with chips or a piece of fruit. I also asked for a cortado to go. The total bill was over $26. I hoped that, for that price, the sandwiches would be outstanding. I should have made a picture -- they were thin, did not have bacon or lettuce as a normal club sandwich has, and were really rather bland and boring. And they were not the three-layered sandwich that a club typically is either -- they were more like panini. The ambience: The room where one orders at the counter looks basically like a cafe would look. Where one sits to eat, not so much. One room off to the side has a couple of cafeteria-style tables that look like they came out of an abandoned nursing home for the destitute. The other room has a bar along a window with a few bar chairs, and three tables around the storage and office area. It was somewhat dirty and really quite off-putting. The people who worked there were kind, which was a plus, but that's about all the positive comments I can give for the place. I give two stars because I like to support local businesses, and I really hope that this one does well. But if it were not a locally-owned shop, I would definitely give it one star. Will I be back? I think you know the answer.

Love the curbside service! That was a welcome surprise in this cold weather!! Fabulous balsamic avocado toast-next time I'll ask for extra avocado just because it was so yummy! The breakfast taco, despite being cold, was delicious! I mean- I couldn't stop eating it-finished it in the car! Hahaha

I love CoC! Delicious coffees, smiling faces, and supports the local community. Every time I've been to Cup of Commonwealth I have left happy. Lots of different coffee options as well as freshly made breakfast tacos and muffins using local ingredients. There are plenty of spaces to grab a seat and get a little work done or catch up with friends. Parking can be tough though if you don't luck into a spot on the street in front.

I've been meaning to stop in here when I seen that they took over after that falafel place closed down, but never had the opportunity until now. I came here when it was frigid outside before the Christmas parade started. I had the light roasted Ethiopian coffee with their delicious Nutella filled brownie and boy oh boy was that the best coffee and brownie I've ever had. It was just such a tasty blend, now I feel like I'm going to be a forever customer. If only there was a drive through, I'd come here daily. The service was so friendly and the atmosphere was very homey. Just felt relaxed and very invited by the staff. The coffee is just perfect, I can't get it out of my mind. Next time I may have to get a bag. Overall, this is a great coffee shop that offers ways to give back to the community by encouraging others to pay it forward. There's so many neat things in this little coffee shop. Check it out, you won't be disappointed !

I used to love coming for their iced coffee. Sitting outside or inside on a pleasant day. I never tried much else other than that. The coffee was strong and slightly bitter. So good. It's small though. Most people get to go. It's not quite feasible to study here, but it's nice grabbing coffee and walking around the little park nearby. The pay it forward is awesome! A selling point to this coffee shop. The owners are also really nice. They came and spoke at one of the meetings in the business college at UK. They're such down to earth guys that care about being good to others.

My mini me and I stopped in today on our adventure. She got a hot cocoa and I got a mocha. The two people at the counter were more than friendly and made her hot cocoa drinkable right away. I taste tested her hot cocoa and it was really good. As for my mocha it was really good as well. There were quiet a few people sitting there but the noise level was low. It's super close to the house and I've been wanting to go forever. My only issue is with stepping outside of the store to the sidewalk, you need to watch that you don't trip. Which isn't their fault that the sidewalk isn't in great shape. I'm a huge fan of supporting local businesses so I'm on a mission now lol!

Five stars for the drip coffee Five stars for the aeropress and chemex options Five stars for the motto Five stars for the rotating artwork Five stars for the shirts Five stars for the "pay it forward" wall Five stars for the friendly, engaging baristas I'm so glad I got my cup of joe from here.

There are some businesses that I will frequent just because the ethos of the place is so amazing. Recently, on a weekend trip to San Francisco, I ate at the same little French restaurant twice because the staff was so genuinely happy to host you and brought so much positive energy to your visit. That's what it's like at Cup of Common Wealth every day. And that's why I go every day. First, it's worth noting that their products are excellent. I'm a tea drinker, and they are one of few places in town that use loose leaf tea. The English breakfast is incredibly smooth, rich, and delicious. And after a few times there, if you have a regular drink, they'll start making it as you walk in, while they're asking how your day is going. Additionally, I cannot stress how gracious, friendly, and energetic the baristas are. There's a lot of negative energy in the world now, but this place is an absolute respite from it. Every one who has served me has been genuinely kind and engaging. They brighten up my day no matter what is going on. And it's also worth noting that they're an incredibly positive force in the community. They donate proceeds to various charitable organizations around town. And they are known for letting you "pay it forward" by buying a drink for a friend (and posting the cardboard sleeve with that person's name on the wall) or even for just someone who's had a bad day, or is a cancer survivor, or who is willing to sing a song for the patrons. This place is an institution and a blessing for Lexington.

CLOSING AT 1 or 2 IS RIDICULOUS. What a disservice to your clients. Is it because of parking? Who cares!! That cost is nothing compared to anything else especially a cappuccino.

Visited this spot on a recent road trip and cannot say how much I enjoyed the place. They have a great vibe right when you walk in and the employees are super helpful. They actually let me try each of their 3 different cold brews. Not many shops have 3 different cold brews. I ended up getting the cold brew that was brewed in a bourbon barrel. Definitely highly recommend. They source their coffee beans from quite a few places. A local roaster (forgot the name) and some national roasters (Intelligentsia).

Super rad and great coffee. Baristas make the atmosphere super positive! Made a great impression on this out of towner!! Get your coffee here and buy one for someone else. It's pay it forward in action. Love this idea and will be my go to spot anytime I'm in Lexington!

Great coffee- ordered cold brew. Friendly barista to help me find cool things to do while visiting. Well worth the stop for a cup

The employees were rude and asked us to stand in the middle of the road to give us coffee. They treated us like we had the plague and had no tact in customer service. Definitely would not return nor recommend to anyone.

5 stars for the culture this coffee shop is creating in the city! I know I can make coffee and tea to my liking at home so if I go to a coffee shop, it's for the ambiance or as a refuge from the bitter cold in Lexington. I'd forgotten how cold it is in KY, I like AL weather much better. I wish there were more cool coffee shops like this in Auburn. I love the community culture, the friendly staff, the outward focused business model, it's just awesome!!!

Fantastic place. The staff is friendly and talkative. My americano was perfect! I can't wait to go back.

Local coffee is better than corporate coffee, always. Super courteous staff. Cool ambience. Neat location. I hope they thrive.

I love everything about A Cup of Commonwealth. The workers are incredibly friendly, the coffee is great and they really focus on bringing the community together. There's nothing worse to me than a pretentious coffee shop, so it's a good thing that A Cup of Common Wealth is the furthest thing from it without sacrificing great coffee.

the worker lady was nice, got a 24oz cold brew with peach & cinnamon. it was so good. it feels like you're walking into a living room and that was neat

Fantastic coffee! Friendly staff. Great food and pastries. The community engagement with this place is more than most, with a few various free drink days or even the high assortment of pay it forward options. Stays true to what craft coffee is and should be. Keep it up!

Very nice coffee shop with friendly staff. We had ice coffee which was good. The prices are a little on the high side but it was a really nice place to sit and chill while walking around town.

Read Kevin P's review. It's extremely accurate. Yelp in Lexington has been very misleading so far.

Great Neighborhood coffee spot with a Huge Heart. Cup of Common Wealth serves Four Barrel, Stumptown, and many other delish coffees. For espresso, they have a special house blend. The day of my visit was the 3 year anniversary of a burglary (that occurred months after grand opening.). As a Thank You to the Lexington community for their support, every cup of coffee was complimentary. Wow!!

Adorable stop in downtown Lexington. Def must stop by and view their cool local layout/vibe. Minus one star as it took for what felt like an extended amount of time for a mocha and this was during the week....must point out the staff was super cool and it was worth the wait. Lots of construction going on around the store. Be patient and def find that parking spot and walk over. Worth it !

Filthy but I guess that's the vibe so I would be able to totally let that go but these people have almost no idea what they're doing. They act all spaz when u order a simple pour over which is clearly on their menu and not something I'm making up for them to do. I was happy when they had a Costa Rica option. I chose that. Then the barista told me oh, we actually don't have Costa Rica anymore and then said maybe I should just do the Columbia. I switched to a latte and I get that there might be a price difference but he made sure to get more money even tho it was an inconvenience to already pay for something he couldn't deliver to me as the customer. I then took a look at theyre beans right next to the brewing area and as u can see in the photo. Costa Rica is right there, they just didn't want to use the brain power to make it happen, but I get it, this horribly organized and super social justice coffee shop likely has an extremely organizers inventory tracking. Sure.

Delicious and flavorful pumpkin lattes! Nice ambience as well in downtown Lexington!

This was my first visit to A Cup of Common Wealth, so I can't say that I've had the fullest experience yet. Especially since I only had a small cup of coffee with a splash of cream and sugar in it. HOWEVER, the coffee was GOOD. I think I want to try a pour over next time. The woman at the register offered to proffer suggestions, but I was jonesing for just regular ol' coffee. It's definitely a smaller coffee shops with not a ton of seating, but it's a cozy and friendly atmosphere none-the-less. There's a lot of street parking near their location, which was nice since I can never find a spot anywhere downtown when I need one. They also have a really awesome pay it forward board, that I didn't even see until after I made my purchase. I love the idea of giving a complete stranger a pick me up during the day.

So great to know that Lexington has a place where I can get my cappuccino fix. Overall this is a good coffee city. I tried four places and these guys by far were the best. A little heavy on the espresso side with the blend but well worth it. The flavor was great. But even better was their place and their concept - pay it forward. Buy a drink for someone you don't know. I have always liked Lexington. And will definitely be back here next time I am passing through the area. Thanks for the great cappuccinos!

Definitely time for an update as this is my favorite coffee shop of anywhere I have ever lived or visited. Their coffee, drinks, and food are awesome and they have a great location, but the people are what make Cup of Commonwealth truly phenomenal. Every single person oozes goodness and kindness. My very young children beg to go see their "coffee friends," and I don't think it is possible to come here and leave without feeling better than you did when you walked in the door. I am a fan for life.

Maybe my favorite place I've ever gotten coffee. Fantastic atmosphere, genuine staff, good company, and the coffee/pastries were cheap and enjoyable.

I go out of my way to come every time I'm in Lex. They don't just have outstanding coffee but the friendliness of the baristas is what makes this place so memorable. I wish I lived here so I could come every day.

First time in Lexington and wasn't surprised at the amount of Starbucks, like any other place in the country. But I was surprised at the lack of other options. I looked a little deeper and found this place. A gem! The two baristas took time to introduce the shop and their community involvement-which makes you feel good even before the caffeine! Then they offered me samples of the cold brew, which were really damn tasty! Then they were open to my questions and recommended local restaurants and such. I bought an Americano, which was tasty and quite effective in the wiring department-zoooom. And I also ordered a cold brew to save for the next day in case I did not have time to return. Great experience! Laura was especially helpful and excellent.

Why 4 stars? Because it's a hipster haven. --- --- --- Some may take that statement as a negative, but not me. I am no hipster, but I love living vicariously through them. They know three things for sure: coffee, music, and décor. I guess the thing here is that if you don't have money to pay for a cup, you can actually just go by the honor system and pay for two the next time around? Also, people can just buy more than their own cup, for future customers that might not have the cash? I'm not sure if I got that right, but it's something like that. Sounds pretty cool, but an accountant's nightmare. Don't come here expecting to get any work done, as it's pretty busy and loud. That's not a knock, but just pointing out that it's more about socializing than spreadsheets here. Also there are dogs.

Dang! This is one FUN place! I walked in and was immediately asked how I was doing this morning. I, of course, said "tired". To which the barista said - well go check the Pay It Forward board and find a drink. Huh? Yup - they have two walls full of coffee selves to search through for something that fits you in order to get a free cup o' joe! How cool! I scoured the board for a LOUISVILLE CARDINAL FAN sleeve but alas - no love in the BBN for their baby sister. (I'm thinking that someone needs a sibling lesson in LOVE! You know, God put us together in this state for a reason! ) Picked up a sleeve that said "Any drink for someone that writes a Yelp review" - Whoop! That is so me! (Happy, happy, happy!!) And so now I'm standing here writing my review and laughing my ass off at the antics of the baristas! Love this place and love the positive vibes!! Will be back when I head to Big Brothers House!

I suggested this place for a coffee date with a friend since I had a coupon for a free drink. I was so blown away by the great customer service, and the drink I ended up with was fabulous! I came in uncertain of what "1 Free Drink" would get me, but the man behind the counter reassured me that I could get any beverage in any size I wanted. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I was happy to see that there were several options available to me. I settled on an Italian soda since we're in the middle of a winter heat wave, and the barista suggested several flavors and then recommended adding a shot of cream to the drink. It was delicious and appreciated how well he treated me even though I wasn't paying for my beverage. During my conversation with my friend, she accidentally knocked over her coffee and spilled most of it on the floor. The table next to us had several off-duty employees having a meeting about something else, but they immediately sprang into action, grabbing paper towels and offering to refill her drink at no charge. I was impressed at how quickly they took over the situation and how nice they were to us about the accident! Between the fantastic employees and drinks, I'll definitely be back in the future.

This is your Seattle Coffee Shop right here in Lexington, it is definitely Woohoo! As good as it gets! The owners are beyond extremely friendly and always interacting with the customers. The aroma of coffee can be spread across the shop easy. This shop is across the street from Thoroughbred Park which seems an uncommon area but they have made it work to cater to downtown and UK residents plus businesses around there. They have TWO huge pay it forward walls where you can "pay it forward" for coffee, there are some wacky cards on the wall that would challenge people to sing or dance in front of customers. But that is what makes this place fun and electric. I frequently have Mocha and Americanos and they really taste good. This place is definitely in the top 3 coffee shops in the Lexington area. The only downside that I can think of is space, it can fill up quickly during peak hours forcing you to share tables with others, but hey you might make a new friend here and there. This shop will get you right on the track as a thoroughbred and win the Keeneland race handily ;) *slurping some Mocha right now*

I accidentally wrote my review for common grounds under cup of common wealth, the best thing I can say about cup of commonwealth is opposite common grounds in many capacities so please read the common grounds review, which was two stars: This place gets recommended a lot because it's close to campus and has a decently cool location/physical building. It is also relatively inexpensive. However it fails at being a coffee shop in that it's coffee/food is average to-bad it has extremely unreliable internet, and a staff that gives 0 shits (okay that's par for the course at a coffee shop, but doesn't help it's case). I am still a customer on occasion because they have better weekend hours than the UK libraries (one star for those places), and every time I find myself in there wondering why they can't figure out the basics, I'm actually writing this review from common grounds, on my phone, because the wifi is down...

The two employees I dealt with this morning were very rude. They literally made me stand in the street to place an order. I will never go back. You need to rethink this strategy or just wait a while to open back up. Terrible experience.

Wonderful first experience. Upon entering, I was greeted with the phenomenal smell coffee. Joe and Mike introduced themselves and showed me the Pay It Forward board. I ordered a light roast refill and was excited that coconut milk was an option. I was them told that my coffee had been paid forward. Woo hoo - what a wonderful way to start a Monday. Looking forward to returning and purchasing an awesome mug.