GRO Coffee in North Ayrshire

Extremely busy but the girl took my number and within 30 minutes we had a table. The menu is extensive,maybe too much but it's very,very good. The staff are most polite and helpful too.

Dined here this evening, having been here previously two weeks ago and had a lovely meal, drove all the way from Glasgow as we had such a wonderful meal and service. However today’s experience and service was very poor we waited over 30minutes for food to arrive and were very disappointed with overall service and food, as well as cold burger and chips and forgotten garlic bread which we were nearly charged for. Had no alcohol free beer and was left waiting considerable time for drinks. The restaurant wasn’t busy, two weeks previous it was packed and we had a quicker response with food coming out and better service.

Staff were nice, but lacked communication and were quite slow. We ordered cakes after our mains and after 20 mins we went up and said, the cakes were out on the plates but no one actually brought them to us! Food is pricy for what it is, definitely overrated. Had a great wee atmosphere and was quite comfy and chill. They were also very accommodating for dogs which was a great plus for us! I ordered the Steak Philly, it was not nice. One poached egg was hard and the other was still rawish (the white was uncooked), the avocado and Philly was like an inch thick and for me ruined it. Latte was really nice, mines was a bit cold but my wife’s was hot. It was a total mixed bag of an experience, hence the 3 stars. Would I go back…for coffee yes.

Love it here. Always a nice vibe. Staff helpful and polite. Food delish. Would recommend

Dog friendly. Plenty of parking nearby.

Best food and coffee in scotland so far. Had a delicious brunch. The cakes were tempting too. Nice setting with a great outdoor area as well.

Wouldn’t recommend. Slow service and unhelpful staff(the people at the 3 tables next to us were also unimpressed) Food is very overhyped and overpriced for what it is. Waited about an hour and a half for our food in total.

First time trying GRO in Irvine. As always it’s got such a cosy vibe. I ordered the bloomer with avocado and poached eggs then added a side of halloumi which cost me an extra £4. So I found that overly expensive. The food was lovely and fresh. They didn’t add any seasoning to the smashed avocado though so I found the dish pretty plain tbh. No pepper, no chilli flakes or lime etc so I was a little disappointed with the flavour. I also ordered the Bueno brownie. The middle was very cakey, whereas the rest was more gooey and brownie like. The bueno on the top was stale even though we went super early In the morning. I thought it was good but not amazing. Service was hit and miss too. Trying to get the attention of the waitresses was a nightmare. This place is also dog friendly which is a massive win! They have a doggie menu which is cute.

Lucky to get a table as it is very busy. Try to get a table away from the door as its non stop! The food was a bit late but plenty of it and quite nice so overall a good place to try out.

My wife and myself visited on Sunday 24th March 2024 , we had our grandchildren with us we waited 15 minutes to be served ,another 45 minutes for our food , when our food arrived it was Lukewarm,a roll we ordered had no butter , not good enough no matter how busy they are

As always, super busy and noisy incl loud music.

Visited Gro today, we were greeted by the server as we entered to be informed that there would be no tables for 20 minutes however we sat outside in the car and clearly seen folk get seated after us, to be honest the server that greeted us was rather incompetent and should’ve at least told us to wait indoors or take a name at the minimal. We ended up getting two doughnuts and two coffees to go, the person at the register was lovely the rating on service does not reflect her at all. The doughnuts were good. The coffee is nice too nothing special. I wouldn’t go back personally as we drove from Glasgow to visit bypassing much better cafes on the way.

Was after a plain cheese sandwich, they more than delivered! Very friendly service. I hope I need to charge my car again before I leave Irvine! The lemon meringue was heavenly! Given it is all made to order not a long wait either.

Lovely staff but food which was toastie n soup took 80mins to arrive after being seated. Not warned of the delay and after enquiring and told 5more minutes it was still another 15mins. The food was fantastic but time to wait is not ok, and that presumption that people have that luxury to wait is quite insulting. Would put me off returning.

What a great little find, popped in for a coffee after watching a beautiful sunset over Arran, n wow I was impressed, comfortable, the coffee was fabulous and the food was delicious.....I'd say spot on with the price too, Bravo 👏👏👏👏

Good food, good music, good ambience. Would recommend 👌

My gf insisted we visited GRO despite a one hour waiting time (other lovely-looking cafes just around the corner). We waited only to be offered a table outside. We got to our table and it was supposed to be heated but the heating did not work. I mistakenly ordered their Philly Steak (I do not recommend it) and it took 35 minutes to arrive. Not only that but it was cold and the meat was of very poor quality. Mind you, food is beautifully presented and the inside area looks great. If that's what you're after then it's probably a good idea, just not to eat good food. I'm sure most will have a nice time here and I wish I could be giving a good review, but bad experiences must be acknowledged too. As a side note. Some may not mind this but waitresses were petting dogs (outside area) and handling cutlery and food.

Gro was very busy when we went in around 11:45am we managed to get a seat in the heated decked garden area. We were served quickly, when the 3 coffees arrived we had to ask for sugar, the server asked if we would like white or brown, we asked for brown, she then chucked 6 sachets on our table. We had to ask for teaspoons, we received one, we asked for another and she went to look and came back to say there were no more around. There was no goats cheese available either. It's just not quite the experience we were expecting for a wee birthday treat for a friend. On the plus side, the portion was good.

Nice comfortable atmosphere. Great decor friendly staff. Amazing cakes. Very busy place but still with a relaxed feel. Dogs are permitted which is nice.

A lovely atmosphere, usually busy. The choice of food, cakes and scones is very good. On every occasion we've been, the service has really let the side down. The staff are usually friendly, but don't listen, so we left without the sausage for the dog, the water for the dog, both requested and acknowledged. We asked for our scone to be toasted, and assured this was no problem, but it didn't happen. When we mentioned this on paying, the girl at the till was completely unconcerned. It's a real shame as it's a lovely place, but we won't bother to go back.

Seems a bit expensive when you first look at the menu, but you get a very generous portion. Don't be dissuaded by the prices.

Twice in the last month the breakfast was cold sent back came out cold again next visit ordered 2 rolls on slice & onion no butter on roll and raw onion for £5.50 a roll i would expect butter ordered a scone tooknit back was not fresh had to ask for napkins tea spoon and sugar over priced for cold food and not interested when you complain will not be back.

We love coming here. The food, the coffee, the cakes, and the friendly staff can't be beat. Be prepared to wait for a table because it's so popular!

Breakfast wasn't as good as it was last time we were in, coffee is still the best I've had in a while.

Food was dripping with grease coffees where good

Really buzzing on cold dreach day. Friendly service

It's worth a visit of you're in Irvine. I loved that it's dog friendly and offered a dog menu. My dog is really nervous, so we were a bit on edge but managed to get a seat out the way of people, and he behaved himself. I did think the food was a little overpriced, but it was nice. We were lucky to be seated right away as we visited early on a Saturday, but I would say expect to wait if you're visiting later in the day.

Popped in to get takeaway today, wasn't anywhere near as busy as it normally is and was told it was too busy for takeaway? What on earth? Used to frequent often and brought down parents to try. Won't be back.

the place is complete chaos, which could be far better managed by taking bookings. the staff also seem completely disorganised with everyone trying to do everything - badly. makes fawlty towers look professional.

Had lunch/coffee here and it was very very good. Food is beautifully presented and has great flavors. Portions were of a very generous size too. We sat on the mostly enclosed back porch and because they have heaters running it was comfortable enough even in February. Atmosphere is really great here too. Would definitely come back if in the area.

Really slow and disinterested service. Very stylish but little substance

Card only - I don't think so. Cash is king and people need to wake up to this !!

Popped in on a Sunday and it was very busy. Not the places fault and that's usually a good sign. We ended up getting cakes and a takeaway because it was a long wait for seating indoors. They had a big cake selection and the food I seen coming out looked great on the plate. We got 4 cakes 2 coffee's and 2 kids drinks. Ended up costing £31/32 . Took quite some time for the coffee to get made which is understandable as it was busy and it's made fresh. We got 2 doughnuts that were huge but very stodgy which is fine but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I'm not sure I'd go back but then I'm thinking the place is busy enough anyways. Looks cool but too pricey and filled to the brim.

This is the closest coffee shop from the beach. The place offers a good variety of food in their menu. Decent and warm-tasting coffee, especially if you just had a swim. Generous serving of food with a customizable sandwich. The place could be very busy, especially on a weekend.

Noisy and busy with unhelpful staff. It used to be excellent, but lack of competition has changed their outlook. Only takes cards now!

First visit last week with friends very accommodating food was awesome a day huge portions. Had to take a doggy bag home

Awful experience. Was there with 4 year old. After ordering, waited an hour and 15 mins for food. (basically beans on toast and poached eggs!) Dogs take precedence for sure. Staff stroke dogs then handle food...really!!??Beautiful show case CREAM cakes left out on open counter all day..with dogs ( often wet) in and out literally every minute. Folk waiting 20mins even to get a table...but that's because it takes over an hour for food to come. If kitchen isn't coping..shut the door for an hour! Simple! You can guess I will not be going back or recommending. Gone downhill a lot.

Very disappointed after being told this was the place to visit the food was nothing special well over priced staff were running round like headless 🐔 card only payments which discriminates against anyone that has only cash 💸 will not be back 😢 😞 😔 😕 🙏

First time and won't be the last food was amazing staff are so friendly will recommend gro to everyone 🙌

It was a high standard place. The waitress who served us was most helpful. All the staff seem to be happy to help customers despite being extremely busy. A wonderful day, and my daughter paid for lunch, which was high quality.

This place is fantastic, a great atmosphere quirky and eclectic decor, the food and service were absolutely top quality and the desserts are among the best ive seen anywhere! A great excuse for a drive down to Ayrshire.

GRO Coffee certainly raises the bar when it comes to Coffee Shops. Excellent menu and and quality baking. Very popular and great atmosphere, went on a Monday morning, around 10:30 and it was buzzing, lucky to get a seat, stayed for another coffee and it was at a constant full capacity. Dog friendly place as long as they are well behaved. Will visit again soon and try out the breakfast menu, after seeing what was being served. Lovely young staff and very professional, would definitely recommend this place, five stars for atmosphere, food and service.

2nd visit. Busy, sat outside. There's heaters but not enough to warm the seating area. Ordered coffee which took a lifetime. Coffee cups chipped and I'm surprised whoever made the coffee found it acceptable to serve to a paying guest. Didn't fancy waiting another half hour for another so just accepted it. Food took an hour but was hot and delicious when it did eventually arrive.

Nice place, service bit slow but it's always busy and that's probably why

Gro is absolutely stunning wee Caffè, food & beverages are spot on and delicious as always. Staff are always polite, warm, and welcoming. Dani, as always, amazing service & amazing chats. Thanks for the wonderful birthday meal & the slice of cake! 💕🫶🏼

Dog friendly, amazing cakes and lovely setting. Very impressive area at the back with space for children to play

Lovely place, amazing staff,and added bonus of dog friendly. Can be busy at times, can carry out or sit in, had outside space with heaters.

It is the most awesome, homely, and tasteful coffee shop ever. Even pet-friendly.

Really nice place. Food was delicious and plenty to choose from. Staff were welcoming, friendly and attentive.

5 people behind the bar, 1 person working. 10 mins for a coffee which looked like a shot glass for £3.50 😅 trash

A lovely friendly welcoming place to socialise.

Great hot drinks , very busy and bustling

What can I say, great coffee, fantastic relaxed atmosphere and the friendliest of staff.

Very Nice Cozy and Warm Place with many options of food and Drinks. It would be crowded and you might have to wait but it's Worth it. I liked the overall vibe.

The place is convivial! It is nicely decorated. Bathrooms are cleaned accordingly. I tried sandwich and they were good! Patisseries are insanely delicious, but extremely sweet. There is a dog menu! Price is affordable and I always enjoy going there.

Kitchen is rank, don’t recommend

Breakfast was a ww but over the top for me.

Been here twice now and both times have been better than expected. What a great little place!! A dog friendly cafe with some excellent food, amazing cakes and a general good vibe. That’s not to mention the very friendly and helpful staff. Both times I have been the food has been incredible. First time I had one of the toasties. Second time it was a chirizo omelette with some toast on the side. Both are superb, they have such a good choice for the toasties. You may find this place can get pretty busy during lunch which is to be expected so you should make a booking if going bang on lunch time as you may need to wait a while otherwise. That being said, there is plenty of seating! Both indoors and outdoors. If sitting outside there are blankets on the seats you can use. Overall, I haggle rate Gro cafe and will definitely be back in the future. If you are thinking of going then go, you won’t regret it!

This is a really nice place for coffee and for brunch. We had the goats cheese/black pudding and we had the sausage in a bunch. Staff are lovely and the coffee (latte) was excellent.

Food is always fantastic and a great service.

Had a Scotsman burger with chips and a pot of tea. Food was very tasty and very filling, l couldn't resist buy a cake to take home from their great selection. I love that l can take my wee dog in cafe with me .

Great brunch. Braised beef with poached eggs was amazing

Always nice for a coffee ,cakes etc 😋

So nice they even served my dog

Big portions of great food. Gluten-free bread choices for Gro Luxury Chunky Toasties. The staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Second time there. Excellent.

Love this place so much. The West End of Glasgow that is not in the West End! Food amazing. Staff just as amazing and the the ambiance of the place is just perfect

This place is magic! The hardest thing was deciding what to orde as there are soo many tempting offers! Not to mention the massive cakes. All the staff were exceptionally friendly and everything on the Scottish breakfast was cooked to perfection. Had a nice indulgent Salted Caramel White hot chocolate as well!

Positives: Food and coffee were delicious Large portions and give you a tub for leftovers, if required Cakes look/taste great Lovely decor Not so positives: 1. They don't take bookings, so being told its a 40min wait after driving for an hour to get there, isn't great (although we were called within 20mins) Would be better to be able to book a time. 2. We were allocated a table by the door, and because its walk-ins only, there was a continuous stream of people standing next to us while we ate, either waiting to give their number to be called when their table was ready, or when they come back to be seated, so each person standing there twice, twice as much traffic as needs to be, and quite often the door would bw left open, which isn't great on a cold, wet November in Scotland 3. DOGS! I'm not an animal lover, so seeing so many dogs being let in at the 1 time, in such a small place, was a bit off putting, especially when a couple with a dog were allocated the table next to us. The owner had the dog on his knee and the dog had its front paws on the table for a while, before being placed on one of the cushions on the bench beside me. It put me off my lunch, so much so that I never finished it. We had planned to stay for coffee and cake, but this put me off, so we got cake to take away instead. I'm not 100% sure about the cleanliness and hygiene side of so many dogs in a small area that serves food tbh especially when some aren't just lying on the floor. Having a dog friendly area, and a non dog area, would be much better. I don't have a dog and certainly don't want to have to sit beside one as I eat 4. Service was poor! So, although our order was taken quite quickly, we waited over half an hour for our lunch, a toastie and chips, to arrive, and no apology for the wait. A table that arrived after us, received their lunch before us, which made us think we had been forgotten about. When we had finished our lunch, we were asked if we wanted a box for our leftovers, then whisked the plates away, but we weren't asked if we wanted anything else, or how the lunch was........we could have left the food for reasons other than being full, but not sure they want feedback. We waited 20mins before someone finally came up and asked if everything was ok. I advised we would like cake to take away and the bill and were pointed to the counter to get our cakes and to pay All in all, I was really disappointed, as I had seen so much about GRO on socials, and was so excited to go, but now I'm not sure I'd go back which is a shame. Expecially when the food and coffee were so nice

Visited for lunch and loved this place. So much on offer on the menu with lots of gluten free options available. Staff were friendly and attentive even though it was busy. Food was delicious with large portions. Cakes looked amazing but we were too full to try them! Would definitely visit again if we were in the area (we did try a few days later but it was full). Would suggest booking to avoid disappointment.

I'm somewhat of a big breakfast connoisseur and this was crazy nice, top 5 in my whole life for sure!

Such a great place in a perfect location for a stop off after a beach walk with the dogs. We sat outside and it was so cosy and the lights and decor made us all christmasy. The drinks and food were absolutely delicious, portions were huge!

We can all make mistakes. Food was a feast for the eyes and did not disappoint. Very busy place so i forgive the waitress for forgetting one of our party’s lunch. It was very quickly resolved however we had eaten ours before it arrived. We could have vacated our table 40 minutes earlier and let another group enjoy the delectable food that was on offer. Hey ho we can all be perfect. We definitely will be back. If we can get in that is.

Went for lunch, stayed for hours. The service from entry to end was absolutely delightful, servers are super friendly. Food was exceptional, great portions and the cakes were to die for. Everything served around us also looked and smelled insane, will be back to try the whole menu! Coffee was on point, would highly recommend the Nutella mocha. We sat outside - although we did have to keep our jackets on, the heaters make it bearable even in minus temps and the fairy lights and cushions/blankets provide a wonderful atmosphere for any occasion. One of our new favourites for dates and business meetings and everything in between!

Came first thing and had to sit outside due to it being so busy but the Christmas decor and heaters made it super cosy and gave it a great atmosphere. Staff were great with my wee one and very polite, food and drinks phenomenal as usual. My favourite part was the music playing in the garden greet playlist.

Saturday afternoon at Irvine Harbourside. Sun shining in November, and it's warm. Stroll down to the beach and then, of course, a visit to Gro. The place was jumping, a brilliant atmosphere, and the service was excellent. I had a mocha and strawberry tart. Delicious. The cakes are big enough to share, but when they taste this good, why would you

Cramped, busy place. We were asked to wait outside until a place was available- or make a reservation in advance. We were given an awkward table it’s big enough for 3. The waitress could not tell us what cakes there were. We went and looked. The person behind the counter could not take to order. We went back to the table and waited for the waitress. The cakes are large. The presentation was excellent. When we were there is was cakes/ donuts, pastry topped or filled with Nutella, Kinder, Oreo cookies and meringues. We chose a cinnamon roll topped with apple which was good, as was the mince pie. The Nutella donut was almost inedible to the Nutella lover. Of course we had to queue to pay. £20 for 3 seemed steep given the seating/ambiance. Loads of free parking. Close the the beach and the Art Centre. Popular with pram pushers and well behaved dogs.

Lovely drinks selection and staff are very friendly.

Lovely friendly place which welcomes dogs. Fresh food , I had Eggs Royale and the pooch doggy sausages - was a toss up between them and scrambled egg for him.

Brilliant place. Food was delicious, caters for families and dogs, and the cakes are amazing.

Great food, the cakes are unbelievable, take some home for later, you'll not manage it in the shop😆

Me and Mrs mac had a great lunch and flo the labradoer loved her sausages and pupachino

Great stop beside the beach for delicious cakes, drinks and snacks. Dog friendly too

I am so in love with this place. 1st impressions hit hard as you walk in through the doors and greeted with a beautiful fit out, a gorgeous selection of donuts and that smell of coffee! I am visiting from Australia and have found it hard to find a nice coffee shop but at GRO I have found my go to when staying in Irvine. The coffee is amazing, the donuts - delicious & the staff are lovely and very helpful

Cakes are out of this world ! Nice coffee's too. Great outside/inside seating. By this I mean you can sit inside, outside under cover or outside. Blankets provided. Dog friendly too! We'll be back !!

Excellent food and vibe only surpassed by truly outstanding coffee. Honestly couldn't fault a single thing.

Down in Irvine for few days met a friend here. Setting was gorgeous, food lovely. Even came back day we were leaving to get cakes to take home with me. Only downside would be that they don't do normal soft drinks which didn't suit one of my children.

They were very late in serving us,but compliments, as they apologise by giving our coffee,hot chocolate drinks free of charge plus 3 free cakes of our choices, so a great place who do look after their clients even when they have a bad day in the kitchen

Food spoiled by dog smell and dogs shaking rain off their coats onto food. Food looked great but didn't get to enjoy it. Cakes and baking looked amazing but all uncovered in dog friendly environment. Dogs sitting on seats ....

Sophie was our waitress and was a breath of fresh air. Served quickly with a smile and friendly chat. Manager material without a doubt. She could whip Ayr branch into shape. Thank you Sophie. Food was served quickly and was delicious. Many thanks for a lovely lunch. Credit to the staff and again..... Sophie you have excellent people skills and a joy xxx

A varied standard menu with a nice balance of savoury and sweet items, offering a choice for almost anyone. Despite this, I've usually gone for their specials, which rotate regularly and are are killer! (E.g. Toasted sourdough, with guac, grilled mushrooms, halloumi and chorizo, steak and poached eggs.) The sweet dishes are wonderful too, but might be too much for some. (The kids went bananas for the biscoff sauce that came with the waffles, but they couldn't finish them.) No reservations here; walk-in only; though they do run a very efficient system where they let you know how long the wait is, take your number and message you when your table is available. GRO is dog-friendly, so expect more than a few puppers kicking about. All have been well-behaved on my visits. Finally, the cake selections is ridiculously good! The size, quality and variety of them is difficult to describe and photos only do so much justice. Note that there weren't prices on the cakes when I visited and that they are comparable to buying a dessert. Completely worth the price, but it might be a surprise for some. Looking forward to my next visit already!

Tasty food with happy welcoming staff in an very pleasant atmosphere. They have given it an Autumnal feeling and they are dog friendly with pooches getting their own menu.

Great coffee and fantastic food well worth a visit

Good service.. food usually good..today was so hot in there.. friends steak was tough she didnt eat it..waiting to pay in the queue..after half a dozen ppl buying cakes..need seperate arrangement for people to pay for lunch..card machine at table for instance..

A great experience. Was recommended and praise was fully justified. Advisable to book ahead

Cakes are lovely along with the coffee & staff are lovely

Waited a while for our food but it was very busy.

Great relaxing layout with incredibly friendly staff. It can get busy due to how popular it is, but the staff will try their best to get you seen to. The food & drinks on offer are top of the range, whether you're popping in for lunch or dinner. The Scotsman burger that I had is quite possibly the best burger that I've ever tasted.

Absolutely superb Sunday Brunch, we went for the Stornaway Benedict and the Pulled Brisket, both were amazingly tasty, couldn't resist taking away some cakes too, it wasn't exactly local for us but well worth the trip and will be back

Nipped in today for some lunch and coffee for the first time. I can honestly say I was blown away with the design and atmosphere instantly. Who ever had the job of interior design in here needs a huge pat on the back as it’s the best I’ve seen in a long time to the fairy lights and autumn touches throughout and the warm cosy blankets on every chair it’s as if your in a beautiful cosy log cabin, It’s extremely cosy and warm and has a very relaxing atmosphere. The place was very busy for a rainy Tuesday lunchtime. The coffee was fantastic and I can personally say the toasties are delicious!! The ham is thick cut and the portion sizes were incredible. My only complaint was I felt it was a little on the pricey side. However I would return again for a treat. The cakes looked amazing as well! Staff were friendly and helpful also.

Hidden gem! The food is incredible and the coffees. The interior design is simply outstanding it’s cosy relaxed and warm! The place is slight more expensive than most but definitely worth it for a little treat! It’s also only card payments! & is also dog friendly.