Steep Brew

The coffee is satisfactory, it’s the service that is lacking. Which is a shame — this store is extremely convenient, as I could stop in & order coffee all the time, but simply don’t because the crew behind the counter are just indifferent & not that friendly. The weekend crew especially. Are they unhappy to be working for Whole Foods? What’s the deal? A customer shouldn’t have to worry about this or be given a reason or indication to do such.

I always come here to post up on my breaks for Lyft since its central, has parking, and is a good spot to work or read. The seating area is normally pretty full but there’s always an open seat or two. They also don’t charge extra for different kinds of milk which is dope if you’re trying to change it up! Usually whole foods would charge you for that. Not a perfect place but it always suits my needs whenever I stop by. Props to Sam for the mocha today!

Nice local coffee shop underneath Whole Foods
People were nice to me coffee was good

I’m a big proponent of tipping if you’re given great service or even just a positive attitude. I received the BARE minimum of customer service (read: I don’t think they said one word to me besides «size?») and decided not to tip. They were kind enough to give me an interpretive dick drawing in my cappuccino foam and laugh as I walked away. Seriously?

I do not know what compelled Whole Foods to get rid of the Peets Coffee formerly at this location but yikes, this place is a train wreck. For example, there’s always two people working but every drink (whether basic coffee or a latte) seems to take over 10 minutes. Or perhaps the ordering process, which for some reason always causes confusion within the staff and requires a lot of consultation — I’m not talking ringing up some skinny-​latte-​with-​two-​pumps-​of-​vanilla, but ringing up a medium drip coffee. Not to mention when you order the pour-​over coffee on the menu, which apparently is something they are not at all prepared for. In case you have any bright ideas about ordering the pour over, consider yourself warned: your order will kickoff a 17-​step process which begins with the staff hunting through their cabinets for the equipment.
Drinks-​wise they are hit-​or-​miss — the standard coffee is not that great and espresso drinks are average. On the plus side, they do carry and let you choose local beans (Ritual, Four Barrel) for the pour over, a nice touch.
All in all this coffee shop seems like just an afterthought and a backfired attempt by WF to make a few extra bucks of the café. I used to regularly pick up coffee at the Peets when grocery shopping but now usually first stop off elsewhere to avoid the hassle and get a decent cup of coffee. Not a very well thought out endeavor…