Myth and Legend is a small, intimate coffee shop at the front of the EVOQ apartments. If you live there, you got a built in, overpriced cafe for trendy lattes and pastries. Why go to Starbucks when you can overspend here instead? No wonder boomers complain Gen Z are always broke. Having a coffee shop in this apt complex is convenient if you live there, slightly annoying if you don't (the best parking is reserved for future residents, though the rest isn't terrible).
The space itself checks all the boxes for modern coffee shop aesthetic, clean, modern, and pinterest ready. Their menu looks like every other cafe: drip, pour-over, French press, espresso, matcha, loose-leaf teas, hot chocolate, blended drinks, and the usual lineup of pastries and bagel sandwiches. It's okay. As long as their drinks are good, it's fine to have the old standards.
I ordered a $7 frozen blended matcha and instead of a smooth, blended drink, I got a giant iceberg in the middle of the drink. Basically, I was sipping watered-down matcha around a chunk of ice. For that price, I expect better blending than what I can pull off at home with a Vitamix.
Also, my cup had streaks running down the side from when he was pouring the blended drink into the to-go cup. Instead of wiping it off, the barista just slid it over like it was no big deal. Not malicious, just careless. I know he saw it. He looked right at it. But he handed it over anyway. $7 plus tip for a messy cup with a half-blended drink?
If the drink had been incredible, I might have overlooked the mess. But between the watery texture, unblended ice, sloppy presentation, and underwhelming taste, I left more disappointed than satisfied. I was still craving a decent matcha latte, so I went home and made my own. Unsurprisingly, it turned out better. Then I sat there, questioning my life choices: $7 + tax&tip down the drain, all because I couldn't be bothered to make my own drink in the first place. Classic.
On top of that, I ordered ahead using the app. The drinks weren't technically late. The app said 5-10 minutes. But they took the full 10 minutes. At one point, the order even showed as ready while they were still finishing one more drink. Not a dealbreaker, but still got me a bit impatient and got me nudged into a sour mood. I've been to plenty of places where they clean up spills, get orders out on time, and the drinks actually hit the mark. Maybe I'm just entitled and expected too much.
In addition, I ordered their Frozen Blended Iced Latte, which is basically their standard latte turned into a blended ice drink. Their espresso pulls are on the acidic side. That's not wrong, some people prefer it that way, if it was deliberate. But it might not be everyone's cup of tea (or latte). For those of us who prefer a smoother, rounder pull, it made the lattes a little too sharp.
To be fair, I know it's a little harsh to give 2 stars after just one visit. Maybe I caught them on an off day. But first impressions are everything. read more