Waverly, Iowa: Get Roasted Coffee Co.

Nov 12

As a remote worker, I’m often looking for a great place to sit and work, and coffee shops are always at the top of that list. I love having a little drink and treat to motivate my writing, and the atmosphere can encourage a feeling of creativity. After visiting or working in a coffee shop, I like to share about my experience so you can find the best coffee shop for you.

What you’re looking for in a coffee shop will vary depending on why you go—remote workers will need solid tables, outlets, and a great internet connection. Those looking to sit and read a book might want a comfy spot and good treats. And if you’re meeting up with a friend, maybe you just need a chill place to sit and chat.

In this article, I’ll tell you all about my experience at Get Roasted so you can figure out if it’s where you want to go.

About Get Roasted

Located in Waverly (college town home to the Wartburg Warthogs), Get Roasted is a cute little coffee shop. According to the website, “Get Roasted Coffee Company is Waverly, Iowa's premier coffee roasting company. Located on Bremer Avenue, we serve the local community with delicious coffee, drinks, fresh food and baked goods every day. We source the highest grade coffees from around the globe that are available. Once the coffee is received, we spend time perfecting each roast to fully bring out the natural flavors of each country of origin.”

Even though I love to drink coffee, I wouldn’t call myself a coffee connisuer by any means. If you came here for a thorough review of Get Roasted’s flavor profiles, or roasting quality, I’m so sorry to disappoint. (Though hopefully you will stay for the other information I have to share with you!).

This is a medium-sized coffee shop—more than a few tables, but less than sprawling. Get Roasted with a surprising trick up its sleeve—more on that later. For now, let’s run through what you need to know if you’re looking for a table.

Menu and available merchandise of Get Roasted

Inside and Vibe

The vibe inside Get Roasted is pretty plain Jane—Edison bulbs and big front windows let in plenty of light, and other than the sign and coffee anatomy chart pictured below, there’s not a lot in the way of decoration. If you’re the kind of person who’s driven creatively by a clean space, you might really enjoy this one. It feels wide-open when you’re sitting and working, and even the barista’s area feels bigger than what I’m used to in other coffee shops.

When we visited, we had no problem getting a table right away (although the first table we grabbed did not have an outlet, we were able to move to one that did a little later.) The tables along the walls have some outlets available, though not all of them do. There are also plenty of tables out in the main area that don’t have access to an outlet at all—those are more suited for those chatting or reading than trying to get some work done.

Although it was busy when we first arrived, it cleared out quick. I’d guess this place sees a lot more traffic during finals season, and less when the college kids are on break—but that’s not a scientific conclusion.

Additionally, the music wasn’t a bother here. My measure for this is whether or not I can hear it through my noise-cancelling headphones. I find the noise-cancelling to be a great feature, so if the music is loud enough to pierce that, it’s a problem. Luckily, the music here was quiet enough to be mild even when just chatting, and I was able to get a lot of work done.

Front-half seating and order counter at Get Roasted

Is Get Roasted any good?

Moving on! Maybe you don’t care about the interior or sitting down at all—you’re just running in to grab a drink, and you want to know if the stuff here is any good. (Or maybe drink quality is your priority in finding somewhere to work.)

You can check out the menu in that first picture, but Get Roasted is a drink-heavy coffee shop, with a few pastry options we’ll get to later. In other words, if you’re looking for something savory (or a good breakfast sandwich, like I love) you won’t find it here.

Drinks

Iced Mocha & Iced Matcha Latte

In an effort to make our judgement pretty even across the board, I get an iced mocha with oatmilk, and Theo goes for an iced matcha with dairy milk and honey. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to grab a receipt for the first purchase, but the total was $16.50. Based on the prices listed on the menu, my mocha was around $6.70. The matcha latte was likely around $7.00, with a tip around a little more than two bucks.

(I usually try to grab a receipt through the Square thing where you can put your number in. If you want a receipt here, you’ll have to tell them—they don’t turn the tablet around toward you like other places do.)

Food

Chocolate Espresso Scone & Raspberry Bar

Chocolate espresso scone (left) & raspberry bar (right)

After working for a little while, we got a little peckish and decided to try some of the pastries up on the counter. I love chocolate, so I went for the chocolate espresso scone, and Theo got the raspberry bar.

Both were really good, but I’d give a rose to the chocolate espresso scone. Not too sweet, rich and deep, it was scrumptious enough that I ate the whole thing. My only complaint was that the espresso flavor wasn’t that strong, but if they’d just called it a chocolate scone, I wouldn’t have been missing a thing.

Raspberry isn’t my favorite flavor, but Theo liked the raspberry bar more than the scone—tacky and sweet, it tasted just like how it looks. Like jam with the tasty crunch of strudel on top, and a soft, almost bendy crust beneath.

What to know before you visit Get Roasted

At Postcards and Pins, we understand the awkward traveler, because that’s often us. We always try to compile some information to understand before visiting each location. These are some things to keep in mind about Get Roasted:

Ask for the receipt during the purchase if you need one. Like I said before, the barista didn’t ask if I wanted a receipt or let me type my phone number in for the first transaction. (I could have gone back up and asked for it when I realized, but that’s awkward, right?) For the second one, I asked for the receipt before paying.
Grab yourself a book! If I’m being honest, this is my favorite thing about the shop! Used books for sale (and at a good price—swoon). I’m a sucker for a good used book, it always feels like such a steal. I got three used books for around eleven dollars here—two Rachel Lynn Solomon and one Jennifer Weiner—both in excellent condition. Plus, browsing books is a great chance to stretch your legs and take a break from working.
The restrooms are in the back. Head straight back, past the coffee anatomy painting and tables back there, then turn left after the bookshelf.
There’s street parking outside the coffee shop. We parked on the street outside the shop and didn’t have a problem finding a spot.
Outlets are iffy. Like I said before, some of the tables have outlets, and some of them don’t. We started at one without an outlet and moved when a table opened up. Don’t be afraid to move if you need to charge your stuff!
The Wi-fi password is posted. Oops—forgot to test the speed, but Theo and I were both connected to this one and didn’t notice any lagging while watching videos and downloading. You’ll find the Wi-fi password posted on the wall by the register.

One of three shelves housing used books for sale in Get Roasted

Final thoughts on Get Roasted

All in all, I thought this was a cute little place to get some work done. The area is a little rough (not a lot around, and there was construction when we visited) but inside the coffee shop is just fine. After working for the morning, we drove over to a little pond down the road and parked facing it to eat our lunch. It was a great way to end the day.

We haven’t explored Waverly that much, but if we get the chance, you’ll find more about it here.