The Mug
The Ugly Mug, located at 18450 Pilot Knob Rd # A, Farmington, MN, offers a unique experience that combines the charm of a cozy coffee shop with a surprisingly diverse menu and an inviting atmosphere. While not your typical coffee shop, The Ugly Mug stands out with its impressive beer selection and unpretentious decor. The space has a warm, well-lit ambiance, perfect for those looking for a relaxed place to hang out, study, or simply enjoy a cup of coffee.
One of the key highlights is the affordable and bottomless coffee option, making it an ideal spot for coffee lovers on a budget. With free Wi-Fi and a laid-back environment, it's a great place to settle in with your laptop for a few hours, much like you would in a traditional café. The Ugly Mug's menu is equally welcoming, featuring a variety of sandwiches, burgers, and desserts. Notably, the turkey-bacon-swiss panini stands out as a satisfying, hearty option for those in need of a quick meal.
While the coffee shop's location in a suburban strip mall might seem a bit out of the way, it offers a sense of tranquility that's hard to find in more bustling urban areas. The surrounding businesses, such as a dog grooming service and a tanning salon, add to the quirkiness of the neighborhood, and while it's a bit of a drive for those coming from Minneapolis, it's perfect for locals seeking a quiet retreat or a pre-trip break before heading to the zoo.
The clientele at The Ugly Mug is mostly family-oriented, contributing to a calm and friendly atmosphere. However, for those who prefer a more lively crowd, the quiet, family-centered vibe might feel a bit too tranquil. Nonetheless, the combination of great coffee, a relaxed setting, and a solid menu make The Ugly Mug an enjoyable stop for anyone in the area.
The Ugly Mug is not quite a coffee shop in the traditional sense, considering its (relatively) extensive beer selection and the bottles of ketchup and mustard prominently situated on each table. In terms of decor, it's basically what you would imagine Blarney's would look like if Blarney's was well-lit and people went to Blarney's to study instead of drink. More inviting than it sounds. However you want to describe it, the place features free Wi-Fi and all the coffee you can drink for under two bucks, so there's no reason why you can't bring your laptop and loiter like you would with your average Starbucks. Plus, the restaurant aspect can come in handy, since you're not limited to bland baked goods, disgusting reheated burritos, or sad little fruit cups to satisfy whatever pangs of hunger you might experience. The menu is unpretentious, with your basic selection of sandwiches, burgers, and desserts. In particular, I had a turkey-bacon-swiss panini sandwich which was quite good. I'm not going to engage in hyperbole because, you know, it's a panini sandwich. But it was infinitely preferable to the hours-old refrigerated sandwich that I might have had otherwise. To be clear, the selection of hot beverages is as extensive as you would expect from any coffee shop worth its salt. I just didn't have the budget to go beyond the bottomless mug, although the coffee itself is notably good. The obvious sticking point is location. If I lived in Farmington, I would probably come here all the time (and consequently bump up the rating to five stars). However, when people say the middle of nowhere, they aren't kidding. The Ugly Mug is in a legitimate strip-mall strip mall, neighbored by a dog-grooming business, a tanning salon, a place that appears to sell beanbags, a terrible looking pizza place, and an equally terrible looking Chinese restaraunt. (Oh, and a Subway, obviously.) Relative to its surroundings, the Ugly Mug does not compute. Also, because of its location deep in the heart of suburbia, the clientele is mostly family-based. This means that people watching is minimal, and that you're going to get the occasional annoying kid who does typical annoying-kid things like drop the same pair of dice onto the floor over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Kid haters might want to stay away. The 45-minute drive from Minneapolis to Middleofnowheresville just isn't going to happen for me on a regular basis. But if you live in the area, you need a coffee break before a trip to the zoo, or you're the "friend with the car" who agrees to ridiculous driving favors that require you to kill a couple of hours, then the Ugly Mug is perfect. All in all, just a really cool and relaxed ambiance. I would frequent the Ugly Mug often if there was a Minneapolis location. (Then again, this is also the kind of coffee shop that hipsters would quickly ruin if given the opportunity, so maybe not.)