Blue Owl Coffee

Atmosphere is nice. I ordered an English breakfast tea with no modifications. That's one teabag in a 16 Oz cup of hot water. The price? $4.95. The atmosphere is pleasant enough. The lady that took my order seemed rushed and imposed upon. After letting my tea steep 5 minutes it was bitter to the point I didn't want to drink it. I'm sure other hand crafted drinks are lovely here but this one wasn't. The price for tea was also surprising.

The experience at this coffee shop really depends on who the barista is. Some days, you're greeted with a smile and other times you aren't acknowledged. However, when a regular walks in behind you, it’s all smiles and plenty of conversation. I'm not asking for an elaborate greeting, but a simple good morning or any greeting shouldn’t feel forced, especially after I've already said it while waiting for my order to be taken. The taste of the same drink also varies. I genuinely wish the overall experience was more consistent and welcoming. Sometimes it’s pleasant, while other times, it feels like the barista just doesn’t want to be there. I understand that working in the service industry comes with good days, terrible days, and everything in between, but the inconsistency in quality is concerning and I hope it will be improved. Two stars only because the atmosphere is always pleasant. Good place for a quick meetup with friends, brief work meeting, or just getting some work done!

I've been a regular at the REO Town Blue Owl for about a year now. I think it's time I leave a review of one of my favorite spots in Lansing. To be honest, I never enjoyed or consumed coffee before I started frequenting this shop. After a few weeks of returning and ordering chai lattes (their tea lattes are excellent btw) the baristas put me on to some of their coffee specials and I was hooked. The same drink varies ever so slightly depending on who makes it, and I think there's a certain charm in that. If I wanted a cookie cutter experience I'd go to a chain like Biggby or Starbucks. I feel the same about the baristas, each having a unique personality that leads to a variety of experiences. I appreciate these authentic interactions. It reflects that they are allowed to feel comfortable being themselves at work and are not being pushed to strictly perform a script, which is yet another characteristic of local small businesses that I value. Most importantly, I can tell they care about making a drink that will be enjoyed. If you're uncertain about what to order, and they have the capacity to do so, they will take the time to explore what flavors you like and build you a custom drink. That's how I discovered that coffee made with the right ingredients, by the right hands, can turn your day around for the better. The atmosphere of the shop is cozy, inviting, unique, and charming. It's a wonderful third space to work, study, or draw with the background ambiance of people chatting and coffee being made. I love the historical aspect of the decor, the large windows looking out over REO Town and the smokestacks, and all the houseplants. If I could change anything about the shop, it would be adding more plants! Finally, this shop feels like a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community and that means a lot to me. Beyond that, they reflect and support the unique Lansing community in many ways. I love that they occasionally partner with the local Riverwalk theatere and make themed drinks for current showings. I think it's a wonderful way to uplift the arts community and bring attention to the theatere! I attended several shows because of these specials. They also rotate showcasing a local artist's work on their gallery wall. In recent times I have seen several of my favorite local businesses close their doors. This shop in particular hasn't been as busy this winter compared to last year. Sometimes they have to close early because there isn't enough patronage. I can only hope that leaving this review will help in some small way to encourage others to support this little gem of a local business where I've spent so many of my weekends creating art and feeling like a part of community. Thank you for existing Blue Owl Reo Town. My life has been better since I found you. I hope to continue to visit throughout the seasons, for as long as I live in the area.

1st things 1st, I'll say the good things, it is a nice place and cozy atmosphere. My coffee was good, despite not being made correctly. However! The girl working there had a horrible attitude. 100% opposite of friendly! Her tone of voice, posture and her expression all made it very clear we were an imposition to her. We felt rushed and very uncomfortable! We made our choices very quickly just to escape the awkward situation. House blend coffee, hazelnut flavor 2 sugars. Good coffee, black, no hazelnut, no sugar.....😭 I WAS NOT going to go complain to her! Lastly, she put both our coffees into into 2 cups stacked together, with the lid. It just kept leaking n leaking all over us. Many napkins were used to deal! Was better after we could drink it down, but damn, what a nightmare! Sooooo... we won't be going back, and can't say I recommend it, but im sure it would be a good experience, as long as you dont get her! Roll the dice if you wish, the coffee itself was quite good.

Place was overall just OK. If you are a coffee connoisseur, this is not your place. Look elsewhere. If you like Starbucks, and extra hot coffee, then you'll find this place to suffice. They have an assorted flavors which I was informed by the barista that are made from essential oils. Essential oils in a coffee?? disgusting. And I definitely tasted that essential oil part in mine. The first barista did not seem to know what he was doing and definitely Overheated my milk and scolded it. I had to ask for a remake due to the order itself being incorrect. The second coffee was made by a different barista and he did a decent job. Still a bit overheated. But the worst part was the flavor. Took a few sips and that was enough. The atmosphere was also not super inviting or exciting. Kind of a bit depressing. Leaving a review so that I know not to come back sadly.

First time visiting, I really like the atmosphere and very cool coffee shop in the Lansing area. Decided swing by to grab good coffee before go to work in the morning. Baristas are smiling and make you feels welcome. I chose brown sugar flavor latte and OMG that was most delicious latte ever I have but there are more flavors to try next time I come back. Definitely coming back.

Hands down this is my favorite coffee shop. Lots of variety in coffee drinks, and a bonus for me is that this is the only coffee I can drink with just a bit of cream and no sugar. It’s so smooth and no bitter aftertaste.

This is my favorite of all the Blue Owl locations. Staff are always kind and they make a DELICIOUS oat milk latte. As someone who drinks decaf espresso I'm grateful to have a neighborhood shop that invests in the good beans!

A coffee shop that knows how to do it the right way. If you appreciate quality coffee you need to stop by The Blue Owl. A creative vibe and quality coffee is a can't miss trip.

Very cute coffee shop! Been to the East Lansing location several times and this was my first visit to the Lansing location. A spontaneous muffin trip while strolling around Old Town. Got blueberry and sister got cinnamon. Very dense and yummy! Great ambiance for studying or catching up with friends. There isn't too too much seating, but found a small open table. Also PSA please return Burt the succulent :(

Friendly service, great location in reotown about a mile south of the capital building, good products!

Absolutely awesome coffee! Also fire playlist was playing the entire time. It was the twilight soundtrack so was super excited about that which is totally unrelated to the coffee but had to express how awesome that was!

Cute little corner coffee spot. Been here a few times and will be back. Service was fast and friendly.

Great little spot :) It is very cute, and good vibes. It is pretty close to campus, so its good place to study.

Cutest coffee shop! Just the atmosphere had a great vibe. The whole street does! There are not many already designed drinks hanging all over but some suggest seasonal drinks and flavor options. Lots of space for seating and we got our drinks quick! I was really worried about time as we we in a hurry but we were in and out! Definitely a great stop off the expressway since we don't like the bigger coffee shops over that way!

The cortado I ordered was yummy and pretty. Super friendly service. Indoor and outdoor seating.

I needed coffee and the blue owl did Not disappoint Cold brew with a shot of espresso and Carmel hit so good! Also the associates were pretty cool would've been a five but the sizes are small... I want large volumes of caffeine

Delicious coffee and many great locations to choose from! I love the affogato on a hot summer day, and the kids love the hot chocolate. Open mic nights at BO are a wholesome, community oriented (and free) fun time!

I had a simple latte which was well made with just the right amount of frothiness. The baristas were attentive and laid back, enjoyed the quiet friendliness. The venue was in East Lansing across from Jolly Pumpkin--liked the vibe there. I've yet to visit the Trowbridge location.

First time In 15 years on our trips back to Lansing that I've found a cute, good, indie coffee shop! Love the vibe and to see downtown indie spirit trying to thrive. I'm a mocha snob and this one was good, ot amazing, but well balanced, not too sweet, nice froth and smooth. Delicious, hearty blueberry muffin, too. Hope this place stays in business until our next trip back to The Motherland.

Fantastic coffee, friendly staff, unique, comfy & clean atmosphere. I love that they make their own syrups with a honey base & extracts versus premade stuff. We enjoyed an almond latte and an orange & brown sugar cappuccino. They were so delicious with the perfect hint of flavor that complimented the coffee well. The staff was super kind as well. We're from out of town, but if we lived here, we'd be regulars! Check it out asap.

Good coffee for a good price, tons of flavor options, fast service, we unfortunately went after all the food was gone but we would definitely go back!

We stopped here in route to somewhere else. A lot of the options were not available which was a bummer. The drinks we did have were great. The barista seemed a bit unsure of the menu options /offerings but we managed. The decor is very cute.

I adore this coffee shop! This is definitely the place to go! Yesterday was the first time I have ever gone here at night, and let me just say I was blown away by their open mic set up. They already have phenomenal coffee and an abundance of delicious & unique syrups, so adding music to the mix just made me love Blue Owl even more. I always try to switch it up and try different flavors everytime and I haven't be disappointed yet! Such a cool laid back atmosphere with art from local artists and great service! I love the vibe in here and it's a great place to study. I will be back for more. They have the best lattes in Lansing!

Great place to chat and catch up with friends or get some work done! I came on a Sunday afternoon and the seating in the front of the coffee shop was full but there's a nice long table in the back that still had space. Amazing coffee as well, I got one of their seasonal lattes which was delicious.

I love this original blue owl coffee place. The decor in this old store front in Reo Town is quite amazing . And their coffee matches that along with wonderful friendly baristas and wait staff. My only caveat is that often it is filled with computer staring folks. I should also add that the Blue Owl on East Lansing was my savior during Covid where you could pop in to grab a great coffee or latte -- again the staff there were wonderful.

Very good mocha with oat milk & toasted bagel! I'd recommend swinging by the REO Town if in Lansing.

10-19-24, Reo Town location, around 1:30ish. I've been a Blue Owl semi-regular since they opened in Reo Town. The staff have been good, pleasant and the selection of coffee & tea decent. The coffee is pretty decent, a bit bitter, but that's the norm in our area, one learns to order carefully to get what you want. I don't post many reviews, but lately this Blue Owl location has declined quite significantly--first the bench outside broke and was left with the broken seat for 4-6 weeks, the remaining wood is splintered and just waiting to stab someone's hand or lower; second, the very kind staff my buddy and wife liked was let go, minor I suppose, but relationships can make a business; third, today the place had 4-5 people sitting with their coffee's and we came in and placed our order and finally after 12-15 minutes our coffee was done--after 2 other sets of people ordered and picked up their coffees. When we got our coffee it was not double cupped, nor just one shot, I really wanted a coffee but the whole experience was diminished by the poor treatment and poor coffee. With the cool new locations it doesn't seem the owners care as much as they used to about Reo Town.

Excellent, small batch coffee. Best nitro pour in town, and their specialty coffees are fantastic.

Can get really busy on weekends and all the coffee options can be a little overwhelming if you're not exactly sure what kind of coffee you want to order. The cashier was super helpful in explaining which blends were what and which ones I'd prefer. My friends and I split a french press and enjoyed just looking around all the decor there. It may be hard to grab a table with how busy it can get but it's definitely a good local coffee shop to try out.

Sweet little coffee place near downtown Lansing. Friendly baristas, great ambiance and excellent coffee! Menu was a little hard to read bc it's on the darker side inside and it's not lit up--not a dealbreaker of course! I'll be back ;)

I love blue owl's coffee!! It is naturally sweetened which makes it taste so much better. They sweeten all of their coffees with honey and oils. And their dine in coffee cups are just so cute! The staff is super friendly and kind! They also offer a rewards system for every $10 dollars you spend you get a dollar off. The wifi is fast and reliable. The only thing I would have to comment on is the seating. I wish that they had more comfortable seating for those who are sitting and studying for a long period of time. Great place for a great cup of coffee in good old east Lansing

Great coffee, and great people. Blue Owl always has good vibes and friendly baristas.

We've been here a few times and enjoy it. The coffee is very good and the decor is very nice. Staff is friendly.

Katie Montel's favorite coffee house; she passed away unexpectedly at 34. Great place! Great people! Great memories!

Blue Owl is great! The staff is always so friendly. I always feel so welcome and the coffee is always great. Their latte art is also a plus :-)

drove out of my way to come here when passing through headed to GR. Their online said open until 10pm, and we came at 7pm on a Monday and they were closed. Their back door says they are open until 10 M-Sat and their front door says 7am-5pm. As someone passing through, this was frustrating since social media AND their website both don't show their hours or updated hours, and their hours online show they're open until 10pm. I find this very unprofessional and no way to run a business. If I could give 0 stars, I would. Doesn't matter if their coffee is good, unprofessionalism and disorganization is the best way to destroy a business. Do better.

I love this coffee shop! Its a must visit if you are in the area. They have a small selection of flavours for the lattes & they have quite a few different coffee methods. They can do pour overs or an Americano. If you are a coffee lover you will love blue owl. Its also a wonderful place to study. They have local art on the walls and I love the design they went with. Today I got the classic nitro. Its very smooth. Not overly coffee flavoured but it does have a slight bitter ending which is nice. I can see this pairing well with a scone or even a muffin. They also have cookies and muffins for sale which look delightful. Im excited to try more coffees! They have a "night owl" latte I had last visit. It has charcoal in it. Its actually quite good. You cant taste the charcoal but its black so that's really neat!! *** UPDATE!! Still love blue owl!! As a barista myself I still love blue owl and I love the sense of community here! The downtown east lansing bike coffee thing was a cute hit over the summer. I cant wait until I can visit again!! I absolutely love going to different coffee shops & talking with other baristas & talking about coffee. See you again soon

This crew understands the whys and process behind their drinks and it shows when they hand over my beverage. The cold brews are awesome! I'd recommend "Wake the Dead." Great atmosphere and a solid addition to the ReoTown community. Best cortado in Lansing/East Lansing area.

It's nice walking into a coffee shop that's just the label. Y'all had a really cool vibe. I will definitely be back to buying more coffee. Thank you for making me one heck of a latte!!!

Wonderful experience, good coffee, kind staff. Great place to work on a weekend morning if need be.

The coffee here is great. The chai tea latte is superb and authentic. My only complaint is the noice level. The music is exceptionally loud and the other patrons have no sense of their surroundings (which is not blue owls fault) It is still a super cool coffee shop worth checking out. If your studying bring headphones or go to a library!

Stopped in on our way through Michigan. The cafe is beautiful and spacious. Definitely a good place to get some work done or read a book. The baked goods also looked great in the display case. The barista vibe was a little weird. One dude was eating his breakfast behind the bar. The girl who served me was soft spoken and seemed tired (we've all been there). No soy milk but they use Pacific brand oat milk - I'd look into a different brand like Oatly. Pacific oat milk has a weird sour taste to it. Got a cold brew, which was perfectly balanced, and a black coffee. I was looking for some sugar or simple syrup but couldn't find it. Luckily, I didn't really need it in the end. I'd still definitely stop by again when passing through. PS Love the mugs.

The drinks have been fine- however every time I go here the service is bad. The first time, the barista told me my drink sounded gross (a latte with vanilla and clove syrup). Then the next time I'm in, my barista couldn't remember my drink order to save her life. I wanted to give them another chance so I tried to visit and the hours on the door say Monday - Saturday 7:00am - 10:00pm. With it being Saturday I assumed that meant the shop was open at 7:45am. There are no other signs posted about any sort of hour changes. I walked in and the baristas told me they were in fact closed and treated me as if I should have known that. When I politely told them that their door says they open at 7:00am they rolled their eyes and said flatly "pre-Covid hours" as if that was obvious. They have had over 3 years to change their sign and haven't? That seems so strange to me. I'm very disappointed and personally will not be back.

Great coffee. Had their nitro coffee from their coffee cart at the BWL Chili Cook-off. The nitro coffee was perfectly balanced and was strong! Can't wait for their brick and mortar store to open next year!

Chill. There are not a lot of power outlets so it might not be a good place to use laptops or charge. Light music, good for reading.

Really good coffee and people and cute coffee shop that's perfect for studying. The aesthetic is very nice.

Great place ! Good coffee . selection large seating area. Great service Reminds me of Friends- Central Perk Didn't take pics of coffeea

Freakin amazing. I thought the vanilla tea latte was the best, then I had an iced oat milk matcha with a touch of orange flavor. It's me new favorite drink and I crave it! Great atmosphere and really nice people.

Solid spot. A decent amount of seating in order to get work done, very cool décor, and some of the beverages are super unique. For the amount of people that were there, I was still able to conduct a conference call with my work. Worth checking out.

Sweet small cafe in Old Town. Friendly staff; delicious iced tea and coffee; easy vibe if you need to sit and work a bit, though it is small. Loved the eclectic feel.

Great coffee spot! My husband and I stopped in this afternoon for about an hour and a half to do some work. It was pretty busy around 1:30 but we got a table. I had the night owl latte with activated charcoal and lemon honey, really good! We are suckers for a really good latte. They have their own homemade honey sweeteners, some interesting options. For our taste, the normal amount was too sweet. I got my latte with a light amount and it was perfect. Will definitely go back next time we're in town!

Love the decor and both their tea and coffee drinks are great. Highly recommend the brown sugar latte!

I do not crime here as often as I should but for those of us downtown and in the Eastside neighborhood its easy to stay really close to home. We have fabulous options. That said so glad I did today. Fall special list's American Beauty is SO DAMN GOOD. Espresso shaken with ice and has honey, vanilla and a touch of rose. Those are petals.#Brilliant

Very pleasant service and an amazing Americano with steamed milk...or, as i was informed, a latte :-).

I'm not sure I'm crazy about this place. The space itself is gorgeous but the people working there aren't the friendliest. I couldn't even get a "hello". Maybe I caught them on an off day. I had one of their coffee cocktails and it was fine, but I'm not convinced there was actually coffee in it. ‍

I go here all the time to study and have always really enjoyed it. However, today is October 8th and one of the baristas has been playing Christmas music for the last 1.5 hours. Not only is that terrible, but also she is playing it off of her phone so the songs are not only terrible but the sound is also terrible.