Rating
In a word
Awesome
Cuisine
Think ‘Chef’: simple and really high quality American-style bagels, sandwiches, handmade cakes, muffins and salads; served in a surreal faux Hilda Ogden living room in a blink-n-you’ll-miss-it location on Penryn’s Commercial Road. Sarah uses local suppliers wherever possible, and delivers on big flavour.
Appeals to
Excellent value, and a quirky setting mean that this cafe appeals to all. Its quirky appearance and modest price range make it a cool hangout for students. When the ‘tache and I went, there were some older ladies drinking an afternoon cuppa, and a couple of bright young things who work in the local office spaces, as well as us reprobates, so it’s a real all-rounder. With a toybox, and ‘your Nan’s lounge’ kind of feel, it’s a relaxed space for people with kids, and a great stop off for a really tasty pastrami, good coffee and friendly service.
Commercial Road in Penryn is , as its name suggests, a place of industry. It’s also the main road going to Falmouth, where volumes of traffic pass every day. That said, the human traffic is a little lighter in this area, despite its riverside location, which means The Grind and Pie is a sort of tucked away secret that people in Penryn are hearing about through its reputation for tastebud tinglin’ sarnies at thigh slappin’ prices.
From humble beginnings as a disused warehouse, the owner, manager and chef Sarah has gradually built up the space to include more seating in the year she has been open. She’s even gone as far as to be all continental with an outdoor seating space. Eclectic in its appearance, The Grind and Pie has a homely feel in each of its compartments. A booth complete with toybox makes a safe space for little ones to play, whereas the ‘lounge’, complete with flying ducks is as en-trend kitsch as it is nostalgic.
The Grind
Set in Penryn’s hot-desking warehouses, the grind suggests both coffee and the daily grind, so wins out on punnage just like El Jefe in Chef. (I’ve had a movie watching kind of weekend).
There are several small tables and a bar space by the counter, where you can sit and read the papers and relax over a cup of Illy coffee. I watched a documentary recently called A Small Section of the World, documenting the lives of women in Costa Rica who set up ASOMOBI: a foundation for improving the lives of women around the world through growing and roasting high class coffee. This coffee is sold to Illy, and it’s stories like this that make coffee taste even better.
The Pie
Hand made in Cornwall, The Grind and Pie stocks Grumpies pies, in a variety of flavours. These make quick take out snacks for people from the surrounding offices, and students who are meandering around the town. Sarah spends the weekend baking the desserts, brownies, muffins and various flapjacks, with as locally sourced as possible ingredients.
The menu
Sarah has some core sandwiches and bagel combinations which are pretty much residents at The Grind and Pie, Penryn, and she often makes Spanish tortilla and fresh to-order salads, using a variety of ingredients. Ham and pickles, American mustard, and salty pastrami are just some of the bold flavours waiting to go into subs, bagels and toasties. 
What’s it taste like then?
Well, despite choosing not to eat a lot of meat, I really enjoyed the saltiness of the halloumi and the buttery smokiness of ham, with the crunch of gherkins and leaves. The real winner was the pastrami and melted cheese with lashings of mustard. Being American influenced the flavours were big and well-matched, and the ingredients were really fresh.
The brownie was rich, buttery and really soft and left me wanting to try out the muffins and other goodies next time I pop in there.
The Verdict
Being that the food is essentially American diner classics, this typically English sixties style décor made for an usually kitsch setting; the contrast not going unnoticed. Great food being made simply and served with a slice of comfort and nostalgia makes The Grind and Pie Penryn a quirky place to sit and chat with friends, and maybe even make new ones in its different sections.