Located in a great spot, I was excited to try this place. They had excellent ratings and it looked appealing when we walked in. There isn't a lot of seating on the first level, but they have stairs to an upper area which does have good seating and a good vibe to hang and drink coffee.
They had snacks but we were there just for the coffee. I was happy to see that they had a nice espresso machine and what looked to be good beans.
As usual, I ordered my latte. I always watch the barista prepare the drink and I was expecting something very good.
Now, what I'm about to share will probably only be cared about by the coffee nerds reading this, but the barista did something that should never be done at a place not named Starbucks. She was preparing my 2 lattes and she didn't use a large milk pitcher but clearly filled it for a large drink and not my normal size order (12oz std). Well, she poured the first drink, and then when she finished she started to pour the second drink but only had enough milk for about half of the second drink. She then proceeded to steam more milk and then once that finished, she finished pouring the rest of my drink. Wait, what?!?! I couldn't believe it. I was looking at her like she was nuts and she seemed oblivious. She handed me the 2 drinks (served in porcelain mugs) and I didn't say anything.
I took my drinks upstairs to our table and was in shock. She was able to draw a tiny rosetta in the first drink but was (for obvious reasons) not able to draw anything in the second. The saving grace here is that despite this major error in procedure, the drink was good. It wasn't great, but had a descent creamy flavor and at a good temperature, although a little on the thicker cappuccino side of the drink scale. I was able to drink it and it was better than I was expecting given her prep.
Overall I struggled with how I would rate this place. On the one hand, I can't believe the barista wasn't trained better and would do what she did. Perhaps she worked at Starbucks in the past and that was what she knew. Perhaps she just didn't care (which judging from the expression on her face, seemed likely). But, for a coffee nerd like myself this is a huge no-no. But, on the other hand, the finished product, however not great looking, was pretty good. I didn't need to add sugar. It was too hot or bitter. So, because I care most about the finished drink, I decided I wouldn't be as harsh as I originally thought. If back near that area, I would go back and give it another chance. I hope this barista gets more training as I believe having good techniques and consistent procedures leads to consistency good results. read more