Grouchy John’s Coffee — Great Coffee with a Smile

Don’t let the name deceive you, Grouchy John’s is anything but grouchy.  Their baristas are friendly and inviting, their coffee delicious, and their store welcoming with its 80s eclectic style.

It’s noon on a Wednesday and almost every surface holds computers attached to a new breed of cyber worker or e-student.  The walls are decorated with original art — from a portrait of Darth Vader under glass to a hand decorated skateboard to, my favorite, a massive clock of the Grouchy John’s logo, a disgruntled coffee cup à la the original Oscar the Grouch.

The coveted corner tables under the original art.

Grouchy John’s began a little over three years ago as a table at Las Vegas’s First Fridays.  Two local boys, John Ynigues and JJ Wylie, manned the table and eventually purchased and modified a trailer, turning it into a mobile Grouchy John’s Coffee.  Today they have their very own brick-and-mortar place at the corner of Maryland Parkway and Wigwam Avenue, complete with an interior loaded with computer plugs and a drive-thru for those in need of caffeine in a rush.

Their drinks include  “The Jedi” (white chocolate and coconut), “The Shirley Temple of Doom” (a matcha green tea cherry smoothy) and the very first drink I ever tasted from Grouchy John’s, the “Evil Monkey” (chai, espresso, and banana syrup), made by co-owner JJ Wylie.  If you like coffee, and are on the southeast side of town, you must come in.  Even if you’re not on the southeast side of town, you should make a special trip — this place is worth the drive. When you come in for a coffee, be certain to ask for a loyalty card and to check in on Facebook or Twitter for the double stamp advantage.  For a local place to relax and chat or to buckle down and work, you can’t beat Grouchy John’s.

Grouchy John’s Coffee interior – comfortable for business or pleasure.