Avant Garden in Coon Rapids

Very cute coffee shop and bookstore with the most adorable outdoor space in the back.

Comfy cute Cafe, great for little dates to socialize or alone as well.

I love this little coffee shop! I used to stop-in and work half days from here. They rearranged their tables and it feels so cramped now. I love their coffee and the cozy atmosphere. I wonder if they were trying to discourage people from loitering. I just need more elbow room if Im going to set up my laptop and dig into returning emails. I love that they sell books, but the books take up too much space. Either way, always happy to support a local woman owned coffee shop over caribou or starbucks.

Walking through the book shelves I kept saying "oh I love this book" and "ooh Ive been wanting to o read this!" Meticulously curated with books that empower and expand the mind whether through queer, feminist or novels that stretch the imagination. What a delight! I spend a lot of time in bookstores and many of the books here I had never heard of. Besides, the drinks are delectable. I had the Dragons Breath jasmine and lavender tea latte and it was incredible. Discovered this book and these witchy pins!

Avant Garden has something most coffee shops don’t have. While you wait for your coffee drink, browse a hand selected library of recommended reads. You may find yourself deciding that a good paperback will go really well with your Vanilla Latte.

Love love love this little place. Nicest people in the world and seriously, best coffee and teas ever. I absolutely adore that it has transformed into such a charming and eclectic bookstore. Everything from food, to kids books, novels and seasonal reads, and often clothing and art, too. I’m so happy to be sitting here, working and sipping my Matcha latte. Thanks to the owner and Emily for being so sweet to my sister and me this morning, and for supporting her on all the socials as a fellow small business owner, too. I’ll be back (weekly)! 💜

one of my favorite coffee shops/bookstores. all the staff is very friendly and welcoming and make a point to have conversations with the customers which makes the experience better. i’m glad i found them a couple months ago!

Great coffee, relaxing atmosphere, and so many books! Employees are nice and welcoming. Make it a point to stop by! We will be back! Check out the back patio garden area

We love Avant Garden. The menu is awesome. The staff could not be sweeter or more helpful than they are, and we’re huge fans of the owner, Jenni.Watching it evolve and expand its offerings has been so inspiring and enjoyable. Each time we visit, we’re greeted by name (which is the most special feeling in the world!and we have a blast exploring what’s been added since our last visit.Can’t say enough great things about this business. If you’re in our sweet town of Anoka, we highly, highly recommend you check out Avant Garden. ❤️

Avant Garden is one of my happy places! Ive enjoyed watching them evolve into an indy book seller with amazing and thoughtful selections, as well as their hand-crafted beverages. AG is a safe and accepting place for anyone to hang out, from business folks to people wanting to jam on their instruments on their comfortable patio. I could go on, but you should just go and see for yourself! (Pictured: my husband and I snapped a quick engagement photo back in the day!)

Best little coffee house. Delicious coffee choices and very friendly workers and owner!

This is not the Avant Garden I have loved in the past.Strongly dislike the direction they’ve taken this business. My husband and I used to frequent Avant often but this will no longer be the case. Not at all the friendly, inviting environment it used to be. I guess if it works for you it is what it is. We just won’t be supporting or referring anyone. Such a shame.Also, they sell frozen drinks but don’t provide straws and don’t tell you such things until after they give you your drink. It’s fine if you don’t want to have straws, but you should probably inform people before they order. 👌🏻

This is my favorite coffee shop hands down and has been for years! They have great coffee, unique signature drinks, and a wide variety of flavors you can add to your drinks. The back patio is cool and the inside is cozy and a great place to meet a friend or do homework. Plus the baristas are super nice!

Great coffee and salads, amazing staff, and awesome atmosphere. Especially loving the new addition of books!!This is my #1 favorite local small business to support!!

One of Anokas finest gems. Warm atmosphere, great coffee and staff. A must stop if youre exploring Anoka!

Whenever I am in the area I make it a point to stop by and buy a book. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, great coffee, and comfortable space. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a good read. 10/10, will be back soon!

Coffee is great, so are the muffins; menu is reasonably priced as well! Books are intriguing.

Cute coffee shop with books to buy and read. I think there is outdoor seating in the back as well. Very friendly staff. Their drinks look like works of art.

Avant Garden was my favorite place locally to get coffee. Its really high quality stuff, just test for yourself by getting something here, then go to any coffee chain and order the same thing and compare them side by side. Avant Garden just has better coffee, hands down. Expanding to sell banned books was a cool idea and there are some really good ones here, but the bookstore part has become an amoeba thats overtaken and is dissolving the cafe. This is the canary in the coal mine.They took away so much seating so it feels like they just want you to come in, spend fast, get out. I hardly see any of my co-regulars there anymore. The booths are gone and theyre down to just the most uncomfortable chairs. If I do happen to find a seat to try to enjoy the atmosphere, its often interrupted by books slamming on the floor because they arent displayed properly on the shelves and its so crowded, people keep knocking books on to the floor. I keep thinking one of the tall bookshelves is just going to tip over and squish a kid.Im still getting over the loss of the panini press and the great menu they once had, and now they got rid of their pastry cooler. The W.C. is now forbidden, too. This place is in its final years. Ive seen other places in similar throes go under. A couple times recently theyve even been closing early. Soon Ill have to start going back to Munkabeans in Hopkins again, or Mocha Monkey in Waconia for any coffee remotely as superb as Avant Gardens.

This was one of my favorite coffee shops until the terrible service I received today. A mom with 2 younger children who just wanted a hot coffee & a few minutes to visit with a friend. The women who took my order was by far the most disrespectful & unwelcoming face for this coffee shop. I’m still in shock the experience I had. Needless to say, I’ll not be coming back nor referring anyone to your establishment. I’ve never felt so unwelcome & hounded in the way we were.

Books and coffee, what more could a lady want?! Cute coffee shop with books arranged by genre.

This place has nice atmosphere, baristas, and owner! There are a lot of books to look at and also a lot of different coffee options. The garden in the back looks great! Some of their options are on the sweeter side and others are much more classic if thats your preferred taste. It was a fun experience!

Love the coffee here, price is great and staff is very friendly!

Okay, I’m a bad resident. I’ve lived in downtown Anoka my entire life and this place has been around for most of that duration. I only just went in here today … and it was so good! I got the iced black currant tea with raspberry, so good. I also felt aligned with the values of the shop with the t shirts they were selling in the front in support of Roe v Wade. There’s books too, a nice little cafe to snuggle up and read a book.

Walking in i was loving this place but I stopped suddenly and was taken back by the only choice of books that were available to buy. The writings on the bricks in the booth in the back were horrible, degrading and some so racist that I felt like I was unwanted.Remember I have feelings too. I know from reading your response to many that you really dont care about others feelings

Very unwelcoming atmosphere. Couldnt get my cappuccino in a real cup because were in a pandemic...Really? July 14th-2022 when will you make a guest feel welcome?They took my order behind a plastic screen while employee making drinks 20 feet from us wore a mask. Cappuccino was almost okay.One ⭐ too high in my opinion.

Great atmosphere and the food/drinks are always amazing. Way better than any chain coffee

New favorite, hands down. So happy to have such a great little shop within walking distance of our new home. Great coffee and great book selection, too!

This is the co-best coffee shop (title split with another shopand now the BEST bookstore in Anoka. Great service. Good selection of drinks and teas. Delicious cookies and rolls. Very few tables and a loose grasp of the idea of iced tea (a tea bag in a glass of iced water is not iced tea).Go. Enjoy. Buy a book.

Service and coffee are always great! The atmosphere is second to none! Herban Wolf Sandwiches are back and the new bookstore addition makes it the best coffee shop around!

This is one of my favorite coffee houses. Unique drinks and small snacks. Now there are books. Whats better than coffee and books

Ive been coming to this wonderful, quirky place since I was a teenager (that was DECADES ago, yall), and what do I discover on my first visit back home in a while? BOOKS! As if it couldnt get better! Pick up your next favorite book and stay for their amazing and unique coffee and tasty baked goods. Totally worth a stop. Regularly, if possible.

Tried for the first time today and fell in love! Its so cute inside and the food and drinks were very yummy! Had the honey bee and Tuscan veggie sandwich! 😋 Will be back for sure!! 💕

I love independent coffee shops and Avant is fantastic. They have such fun decor and so many options! I especially love that they offer an extensive list of flavors, especially sugar free! Also, they have an adorable garden patio!

We have been coming to Avant Gardens since they first came to Anoka! Our special place to enjoy a delicious lunch! The place is quaint and cozy! The food is delicious! The staff is very good! We look forward to lunch here always! Thank you Avant Gardens for a wonderful place to meet!

This place is a total vibe ! Love the atmosphere... While the big brands are able to thrive in a commercial sense they lack the quintessential small business owned original coffee shop feel that Avant Garden provides. Love it ! Will definitely be coming back as well as recommending the Pure Bliss latte 💙🥰

This is the best coffee house shop I have ever been in very polite staff great atmosphere good prices on drinks and bakery and deli items awesome for socializing and a quick bite and or drinks coffee s sodas waters and more!!! Also great for doing homework and reading ect. A must go to place...

This is such a great coffee shop, I go out of my way to stop here to get a coffee and study! They have so many fun syrups to try and the espresso is great. The environment and staff are both so friendly, I will easily pass up the many Caribou’s and Starbucks’s on my drive to go here instead.

This coffee shop is absolutely adorable! It has a beautiful brick wall inside where you can stick notes and letters, has a lovely outdoor patio, and the drinks and food are amazing! I would highly recommend checking out this gem in Anoka!

They make a pretty good latte. The medium size is pretty generous. The grilled samiches are huge and very good. The only downside was that the place was pretty smokey until they opened the back door. Not sure how that will be once it gets cold. Nice place though

Ignore the most recent negative reviews of this local coffee shop! First off, it’s not dark and gloomy. Second, the staff were super nice and very friendly! Third, the coffee was spot on! I had the Organic French Roast and drink my coffee black. Was perfect. Plenty of seating, clean bathrooms, and good menu variety. I would possibly suggest re-writing the descriptions on the chalkboards as the tiny cursive made it a little hard to read when in a hurry. But I could just be old! Happy to stop here over any chain coffee shop.

I keep meaning to visit this shop more often, I love the atmosphere. They promote local artists with pieces on sale decorating the main wall, as well as merch for musicians. Coffee is quite good too, on top of it all. Really happy Avant Garden was able to open back up!

Love the atmosphere here! Everyone is so kind and the barista is just fine when you want to customize your drink. It has a cozy small-town feeling and the garden in back is absolutely magical.

I love Avant Garden. I have been going there since I was little, and have sat down and drank coffee with some of the most important people in my life there. The new owner is really great, and she cares a lot about the shop as well as supporting others. There are some really great items to check out as well as some killer coffee drinks! Nowhere else has nearly as many syrups or teas.

I love this local coffee shop. I’ve had all kinds of their coffee drinks as well as their non-coffee and seasonal drinks. I can’t say I’ve ever had a bad experience. The atmosphere is classic and warm and the baristas are always friendly and cheerful. I appreciate the display of local artists’ work in the coffee shop itself. The coffee itself is absolutely delicious and you can tell it’s freshly ground and brewed daily. Through Covid, I’ve been there a few times and they are following protocols very well. I feel comfortable coming here and highly recommend any of their drinks, hot, cold or blended. It feels good to support this independent coffee shop.

Good atmosphere. Calm. Very friendly staff. The coffee is smooth, and nothing is rushed, so its made to your liking.

Good coffee, friendly staff, comfortable environment-- but I couldnt wait to leave. The insipid, saccharine music was just too irritating to tolerate. I hope this is a fluke. If not, they really need to change the channel.

I met at Avant Garden with a friend this morning and we had a terrific time! I have been going to Avant for many years. They even serve hot pressed sandwiches, and treats from The Swedish Crown Bakery that is located right down the road. Local artists have their artwork up for sale on the walls that gives Avant a nice vibe. Overall, Avant Garden is a friendly and reasonably priced place to sip a caffeinated beverage!

This place is adorable and has so much character. There are many small touches in the decor that make the environment fun and comfortable. I saw some reviews about negative experiences with the staff so I feel like it’s necessary to add that they were kind and attentive to me, but everyone has good and bad days so it’s possible I just caught them at the right time. Overall my experience was lovely and the coffee was great.

I cant visit Anoka without going to Avant Garden, home of the Anoka Mocha! They have a comfy coffee bar and a beautiful outdoor area that is kind of Celtic in a way. The food is great but the coffee is to die for. The best in Anoka~ great place to study and sit in the sun! Words cant explain how wonderful this place is, go now and try it!! Just give the workers some patience, it takes time to make the godly drinks and food they serve.