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I’ve been here now 5 times and the only good experience and well made “Cortado” was the frist time and if it would have stayed like that, then this review would be 4 stars because their coffee itself is good but nothing to rave about. I always order a cortado. My frist experience was good, good service, friendly, place was warm and inviting, and I felt like this is going to be a great place. Second time I went they put my drink in a to go cup when I clearly said I will sit right there at the end of the bar and it tasted like water down drink, not fluffy foamy. Third time I went I got this vibe like I was not welcome there. I asked about wifi and i got chuckled at and they pointed to the sign but I was asking why the wifi doesn’t allow you to visit some sites or if they had a fire wall. Plus the cortado was mediocre again. Fourth time I went, I stop in after my run. I had high hope for this visit because it showed life with people and someone playing live music but I was sadly mistaken. This laid way to busy workers who seem like they didn’t want to be there and quality of my drink was just mehhh agian. Fifth and most likely my last time going there was a Saturday morning, me and my partner of cool places planned a stop here after our morning run because it was very convenient to our run plan that day. We thought hey this I will be a great stop for water and a coffee drink. My cortado has never been the same as the first time so I’ve realize that this is their norm now but my partner drank taste like it was burnt and they gave her the ugly looks when she made her order. She ordered 3 shots of Expresso with a splash of almond milk iced, they were like you want what? I say it’s my last time but I really do hope they stay open for a long time to come and get better. If I see them open still 5 months from now I’ll give it another try because I really did try to support local places and will give it another “Expresso shot” later. I say they need to train their staff on more than just the basic, customer service and delivery goes a long way when it comes to places like this. Make it clear that you order here and pick up here, or clear that it will be brought out to you etc. Help key in on drink making and every drink on the menu deserves to be made like it’s a special or something. Parking – 2 stars (it’s more of a if you’re downtown walk to spot) Coffee – 4 stars Skilled staff – 2 stars Service – 2 stars Consistencies – 2 stars Atmosphere – 3 stars Friendly – 2 stars Location – 3 stars

The Hive Java Lounge – Menu with Prices – 1505 George Dieter Dr STE 115, El Paso

Owners Nick and Zoe are very nice people! I went right at seven as they opened, yes they are opened on Friday’s. Drive threw is also available if you need to make it speedy. Not to worry if you order inside service is also quick, but outstanding. Very clean inside. They offer WiFi with purchase so don’t be stingy, password is available on your receipt! Coffee is really good, I tried the Cortado (I try it everywhere where sold.) Very good. Obviously Cortado is going to be a small drink in case you wonder. Simple bagel or waffle are available. You have the option to pick your own milk, foam, how sweet you want your drink. * Here’s the awesome part! Owner Nick has a gaming lounge next door. Or if your inside The Hive Java Lounge walk towards the back *Mario the character will lead the way. Phone repairs, computer repair, custom computer builds are also available just ask owner Nick.

CYM Coffee Co – Menu with Prices – 5404 NW 8th Ave, Gainesville

I love this coffee shop so much! They have delicious lattes and a friendly/helpful staff. I am in love with the atmosphere here and the abundance of tables and spaces to sit. I would come here every time to get coffee + study if they got better wifi. I have been present when Cox (I believe) has been out to fix the wifi, but there has been no change since. The wifi constantly wavers from a connected status to searching for the network. This makes it impossible to watch lectures or work in things like GoogleDocs. Please CYM, invest in better wifi that can handle high traffic!

Blum Coffee and Tea – Menu with Prices – 8522 Broadway St, San Antonio

Another coffee shop where you have to put in a little effort to find it, but the reward is great. Blüm is located inside a place called Paradox, which is a place I think you can rent an office, use conference rooms, and enjoy coffee. They call themselves a Coworking space. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure what Paradox is and does, but I do know it’s hiding an excellent beautifully lit and designed coffee shop. The coffee for sale comes in white bags emblazoned with their delicate, but lovely logo. The barista also seems knowledgeable enough about coffee to provide a solid recommendation for a drip maker. I bought the bag he suggested (retail price about $18) and I also ordered the cortado. The cortado was smooth as silk and didn’t leave a bitter aftertaste. The art was also charming, but rest assured, the flavor was what wowed me the most. Now that I know where this little secret garden–err–coworking space is, I think regular visits may be in order. The regular customers (one of whom I think works for Pulp roasters?) were also very sweet. I hope they stick around for a while. I think they have what it takes for the long haul! No gimmicks, just quality coffee and good service.

Esmeralda’s Café – Menu with Prices – 1058 W Club Blvd, Durham

Finally, a place that understands how to make microfoam for a great Cortado! Cocoa Cinnamon, you’ve finally got some competition! I walk in the mall, and have been seeing the sign up for several weeks now, and today is their first day. Good luck, and welcome! They were giving away free cookies with coffee, but the coffee was absolutely fantastic. They even brought it to my table. And porcelain cups, demitasse spoon, without having to ask. They are serving Carrboro Coffee, and showing it to its highest level. The several ladies working did not speak English as a first language, but they were kind, smiling, and really knew their craft. With the Mall’s free wifi, I may have found my new favorite place.

Nate’s Coffee – Menu with Prices – 125 Cheapside, Lexington

I finally made it to the store front! Tom was there, remembered me and greeted me with a smile though not seeing me in a bit. I was able to get my all-time favorite coffee drink a caramel cortado. Made just right and in the cutest to go cup (and lid available but no need to waste for me). It was delicious and Tom informed me it was a mixed origin house espresso roast. It was creamy, rich, bold, and beautiful roasted notes that we enjoy in our espresso. I didn’t catch the gentleman working the register’s name, but he was friendly and kind despite my awkward ability to hold proper small talk. We made jokes and related on our geographical similarities. They offered a point program for each purchase. The price of my cortado was ideal at a $3 price point and our final tally with a iced latte at just over $7 was great with the clean atmosphere, friendly staff, and delicious product. We then walked over to their booth at the cold brew festival where we tried their innovative cold brew “the recovery brew”. Which had great citrus flavor and a similar taste you couldn’t quite put your finger down on what it was. This place definitely reminds me of a place I want to visit again and again.

The Bean Stop Menu with Prices 1115 E Maple St, Bellingham

Today I came to the Bean Stop for the first time to grab an iced drink for some errands and I wasn’t expecting anything other than a typical drive up coffee stand but this place definitely exceeds expectations. The first thing I noticed was that you can get any size drink anywhere from an 8 ounce to a 32 ounce, this is awesome for me on days that I either want just a sip or need that big gulp sized coffee for finals. The barista was super nice, and the coffee is very well priced. I got a 24 ounce, iced London fog and it is for sure one of the better ones I’ve had. I always order a London Fog from new places because it’s simple, and difficult to get wrong. They use high quality tea and it was more flavorful than a lot of places that I’ve ordered the same thing from. This might just be my new coffee stop.

Ziggi’s Coffee – Menu with Prices – 2120 N McQueen Rd, Chandler

As a nursing mama, I choose limit my caffeine at the moment, however I still want to enjoy an iced coffee on a scorching day. I’ve discovered it’s hard to find a decaf that doesn’t taste like water. When I order a decaf here I still get that yummy coffee taste, just without the caffeine (more importantly a caffeine fuelled baby). I’ve found a lot of judgement for ordering decaf at other places but at Ziggi’s I’ve always received warm friendly service. They’ve recently switched to straw free caps for their drinks which I think is great. Their prices are comparable to other drive thru coffee places – we all know we spend too much money on coffee (and yet we still do) so I appreciate the loyalty cards. They used to do B1G1 free on Mondays, but they appear to have stopped doing that. I hope they bring it back. Oh and for those rough days they also serve 32oz.

Iris Bagel & Coffee House Menu with Prices 5801 Interstate 20 W, Arlington

I was really excited to try this spot, not only because I love supporting local businesses, but because of all the great reviews!! I have worked with coffee for years and love to try out new coffee shops all the time. Unfortunately, my partner and I didn’t try the bagels, so my review reflects only their coffee. I ordered an iced vanilla latte. I asked for the large (or tall which was listed on their menu) and she said it comes in only one size anyways. I thought it was perfect because it looked like a large which is what I wanted. Maybe I had too many high expectations because I was a little disappointed with my drink. I loved the fact that it wasn’t too sweet, however the coffee tasted pretty generic. I couldn’t taste any uniqueness about the coffee itself. It tasted pretty milky and watered down. I forgot to ask how many shots of espresso came in the drink, but whatever it was didn’t compliment the amount of milk it had. My partner ordered a cubano. He loved his! He only wished he could have more of it. Overall, the workers were friendly, and the atmosphere was very chill. I did appreciate the variety of flavors they had to choose from!

Highway Espresso – Menu with Prices – 5505 Old Redwood Hwy, Santa Rosa

The only thing that is good about this place is the bagels. This place is right by my house so I have tried to love it, but can’t. THEIR COFFEE SUCKS. The coffee itself is always very weak, even when I was assured it was nice and strong. They are not using the proper coffee to water ratio. I actually prefer the coffee from the gas station over this hut. Of the 8 mochas I’ve gotten no 2 have tasted the same, they should be at least mildly consistent. It’s like they have no actual recipe for the coffee or the mochas and they’re just eyeballing everything, but very badly. 3 times they got my simple, 1 item order wrong, once it was literally a black coffee and they put soymilk in it. The breakfast burritos are really spicy and rather under stuffed and the tortilla is mushy/gummy. I have worked at several coffee places of varying quality and the owners of this place need to suprise pop-in and taste everything and re-train people, because it’s clear some employee either doesn’t give a crap or doesn’t know any better. 2 stars for bagels and drive through. Those bagels are amazing and toasted perfectly with just the right amount of cream cheese.

The Aussie Bean – Menu with Prices – 112 E Maple Ave, Orange

Really wanted to give this place four to five stars because of the taste of the coffee. But there are some other things in the way of me making that claim. First I would like to start of with saying I have been here at least twelve times (I know that because I have already received an loyalty reward) and there are certain things I have noticed every time I have come in. 1 They don’t have WiFi, which is okay. I get the premise behind that. But the thing is still people come and work on their computers and phones because hotspots are a thing. So the idea behind having no WiFi so you talk to each other sounds cool but in reality you would have to ban electronics. 2 costumer service is below par. I wouldn’t say it’s bad. But I would say I never feel greeted welcomed or cared for what my order is. The thing about coffee shops, especially third wave is that a huge part of the experience is to be treated better than Starbucks or dunk n donuts. But when the service starts to feel more like dunkn you wonder why you pay the extra for the cup you are getting if the only thing is the taste. I usually tip at coffee shops being someone that has worked in coffee and the service industry. But I hate to admit every time I come I feel bad tipping because I feel like it encourages poor behavior. 3 ice ice ice ice. I saved the worst for last. So you would expect that you would be able to put your lid on and your straw in after getting an iced latte, cold brew or any other iced drink they may have. But you can’t. Every time I have gone I have had to put my hands in grab ice cubes out and throw them in the trash. So I can put my lid on and put my straw in. I have asked for less ice but when I do the cup gets three fourths of the way filled. And it makes me wonder I they really trying to save cost that much by putting that much ice in. It’s ridiculous. Portola, contra, Starbucks, and Philz coming in a sec. All do not have this problem. And they are all walking distance from this shop. I don’t get it. Just put like half an ounce more of milk or coffee and this would not be a problem. But instead I dig my hands in my cup to pull out the cubes making a mess on the counter and my hands. I hope they will fix this simple problem.

Rosebud Coffee – Menu with Prices – 2302 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena

I’m going to get this out there first before you judge me too harshly…I do not drink coffee. Or any hot drink for that matter. Unless you consider soup a hot drink? I don’t, but not judging you if you do…Anyways, growing up in SoCal and it always being hot all the time, I never had a desire to put any more hot into my body. Didn’t see the appeal in it so never developed into a coffee or tea drinker. You must then be wondering, okay then why are you reviewing a coffee shop? Well because this coffee shop does serve other things and I also come here mainly to work and be able to have wifi. So I will be reviewing those two things. They offer free wifi to guests. There is a limit for up to a maximum of 2 hours but you can just log on again once it runs out. I guess this could be a problem if you’re in the middle if downloading or up loading something or on a wifi based call or meeting, but hey it’s free! They’ve recently started to do kind of a co working type of thing where you can reserve a desk to work on for just $10 per day and it includes access to printer, locker, unlimited wifi, drip coffee, and 10% off on any orders. That’s a pretty good deal! The location itself is great, lots of free parking in the lot out back as well as free street parking. The place is huge for a coffee shop, with plenty of seating for people to meet or work on a weekday, with outlets for you to plug in devices nearby. They have community events that happen here, a small stage for presentations and a tiny art gallery of local artists’ work. I also like that they are mission driven and you support a cause instead of just being strictly for profit. The main reason they aren’t getting 5 stars from me is because the hours aren’t that great, I feel like they close a little too early. The lemonade is also super sour. The barista did ask me if I wanted it sweetened and I declined but dude I didn’t realize I’d be drinking straight lemon juice. So yeah, next time I would get that baby sweetened. Other than that, cool place check it out and support them!!

Breakfast Bar Of Minnesota – Menu with Prices – 319 N 1st Ave N, Minneapolis

It’s about the experience, and to help those reading this, the silverware is by the door, grab some on your way in. I get that they just opened, and aren’t going to focus on any larger efficiency or communication issues that could come up between the front or rear of the house. Nor is the rating really weighted on my partners colder french toast. Keep in mind that neither of us were in a hurry and it’s not based on how long the food took or things like that. So first off my partner was excited about getting the vegan jambalaya, and in a way that’s what made our decision to go there. We get in, get seated, and then the 1st waiter (we’re not sure who was actually assigned to us, if anyone) gives us menus and says they will get us water. Which, as a hint, is a great time and place to also get silverware to a table. Its also a great time to let a table know something ran out or isn’t still on the menue. They take a short 5 min to bring the water. It’s not a large place, there were 3 people working the front of the house, it’s not hard to bus waters to a table in an efficient manner. We then wait another 5 min or so for server 2 to take our order. They let us know that the vegan dish my partner wanted was 86’d, and then seemed to expect them to come up with a 2nd option right away. Which, was a French toast entree, sans chicken. At this point my partner also orders some coffee. As with the water, it’s not a large place and a regular cup of coffee out of a cambro shouldn’t take around 5 min. Again, not that we were in a hurry, but water and coffee are pretty simple to get out. So our food finally comes out and server 1 finally finds us. Saying a side of french toast and whatever I had, not the larger entree that was ordered unless 2 slices is the entree size. Not noticing that we didn’t have silverware, so we ask for some, and they head back towards the counter/kitchen area, ironically right past the silverware. Around 3 min later, totally less than 5 min, server 2 comes by and asks how everything is, which totally caught me off guard since we didn’t have silverware or napkins to eat with. Also it caught me by suprise because my partner had just got up to track down silverware. If the front of the house would have had any attention to detail and be somewhat on top of things this would be a 3 or 4 star review. The food was actually good, the kitchen did get it out in a reasonable time, and the prices weren’t bad. However we can get food like that any number of places in town. So if you’re going there, grab some silverware on the way to your table. It’s right by the door as you come in.