First, I want to say that the quality of what you get REALLY DEPENDS ON WHO IS WORKING the day you visit the establishment.
Some days, a manager will be working- and everything is delicious as far as the drinks go. They really know what they're doing, and everything is made perfectly and I am usually very pleased...
BUT- if they are not there, then I am almost always disappointed- which doesn't make much sense, seeing as how the managers do the training.
Basically- this place is the definition of "HIT OR MISS".
If you're lucky enough to get someone who knows what they're doing- then the coffee is great. They are one of the only coffee shops that carry pumpkin flavoring year round which is just delightful. They have a wide variety of other flavors, too, which really makes going there a treat! They have Fro-Joes, which is a frozen coffee drink, and they are wonderful if the machine is properly cooled... I've ordered those before, though, and when they've come out they've been nothing more than the consistency of warm milk.
They have food options- muffins, breakfast sandwiches/bagels... the food is okay. Nothing I'd go out of my way for.
It's their coffee that really makes a trip worth it. They have the sugar melted into your drink so you're not drinking sand- like at Dunkin Donuts... it's so delicious when prepared correctly.
MY BIGGEST ISSUE with Aroma Joe's is the employees. They only seem to hire high schoolers who have no sense of responsibility! I have waited for them to open up in the morning for more than a half hour and there have been no shows. They only have one person running the shop- SOMETIMES two, but usually just one- and if that person is late or a no show then you don't get your morning coffee. I had to message their cooperate office after the THIRD time I was waiting for more than a half hour before someone showed up, the third time NO ONE SHOWED apparently until 9:30 that morning (I spoke with the manager about that instance, and she was the one who came in for a 9:30 AM shift to find the shop unopened... apparently her high-schooler opener SLEPT IN.) One of the last times this happened, the young woman working was so rude to me- stating the reason my drink wasn't prepared properly was because she felt rushed-- I am sorry, but I didn't force you to open 45 minutes late! At that point, my loyalty to the shop was going to make ME late for work myself... I feel like if they had more people working at once, or hired more responsible workers then the trip to their establishment would be worth the higher price they charge for their items. The fact that they push their tip jars in our faces is the most hilarious fact of all... especially after particularly awful trips. I paid for my $5 coffee, after waiting 30 minutes for the shop to open, and when I didn't leave a tip on top of that I got a scoff and a slam of the window. Ridiculous!
Anyway, my advice is this- Take a chance and check them out... you just might get a delicious drink, but don't get your hopes up... This is NOT a holy grail establishment... you will not get consistent service. read more