I arrived about 8:30pm on 7/16/22 with my bf. They close at 9, but I already knew what I wanted…read more My good friend, Quan, is the executive chef here. This is a BOB - Black Owned Business! At night, Coffee & Spice stands out from the road due to the beautiful string lighting in the patio area. The parking lot is behind the restaurant. The sidewalk from parking lot will take to you to the patio seating if you go left and to the restaurant if you go right.
Upon arrival, we asked to be seated outside because the weather was nice and I was making a call; it was a bit noisy inside. We waited outside for about 5 minutes for the waitress to come back and get seated. She brought 2 waters. After being seated, I ordered candied yams as an app. It took about 10 minutes to arrive. The candied yams, which comes on top a buttermilk biscuit, was tasty! I think my only complaint would be that there was inconsistency in taste. To add, I wish there was more bacon throughout as it really balances out the the other sweet flavors, in my opinion. Or maybe I'm just a bacon lover and wanted to have some of the bacon flavor with each bite. Nonetheless, I ended up eating it by myself bc my bf didn't like it. When I made Exec Chef Quan aware, he said others have said the same thing but opted not to because of the fat back already utilized and its essentially meant to be on the sweeter side, which I understand.
Around 8:40pm, I ordered a strawberry lemon drop (alcoholic beverage) and the Crispy Turkey Wing. I got regular honey instead of the hot honey, because I'm not a fan of spicy food. My bf ordered a Mule and the Turkey wing also. The drinks came out about 5-7 min later after ordering. The strawberry lemon drop was DELIGHTFUL! My bf enjoyed his mule. The food came around 9:03pm. The Turkey wing was crispy and delicious. I think the grains that it came with needed some salt, but my bf said it's because I didn't get the sauce and the sauce added flavor. It looked nutritious and didn't taste bad. It could just be my palate, lol.
We ended up going inside because of bugs, which is a part of nature and is to be expected. However, once inside, our waitress never checked on us and another waiter finished taking care of us for the evening. I will note that I did feel slightly rushed at the end. The waiter asked if he wanted dessert after he brought our boxes but he also had the bill in hand. What if I said yes? Why not wait to know for sure or ask if we're ready for the bill?
To be transparent and impartial, our initial waitress was Alisha. I found out towards the end of my visit that Alisha is also one of the owners. While my experience, overall, was one of no major complaints, I did not like the lack of communication regarding who would be taking care of us. With it being the end of the night and/or having other obligations, I can understand needing to do other stuff. However, I feel it would only be "right" to say she's the owner, has things to do, and introduced the person who would taking care of us. In reflecting, she never introduced herself at all in the beginning, which should be a standard, even without mentioning that she's the owner. In my experience, owners who are present check in on customers to check in and to receive feedback, positive or negative. Nonetheless, teamwork was executed flawlessly. We never went without. Quan assisted us in the transition inside. I MUST add that another waitress, "Icy", was on point! While we were outside, I could tell she was working her ass off. I must give her praise! On Several occasions, she checked on us asking if we were good from the time we were standing waiting to be seated, all the way to bringing out our entrees. I frequently saw her running back and forth from outside to inside. Her dedication to providing the best customer service was highly exemplified!
Inside, there are about 9 indoor tables plus a bar area that faces outside. The inside tables had lit candles on them them, which contributed greatly to the ambiance of the restaurant. There are two bathrooms feature barn doors and are gender neutral. Upon walking it, the aroma was pleasant. I then noticed a lit candle. One bathroom has a frame with 4 deeds on it. I inquired about the significance and Alisha stated it was the deed to the house and went on to explain the history of the home and the items on the wall. It's a great story that I recommend inquiring about!
Overall, the restaurant is ravishing. I loved the decor, especially the aromas with the candles. The food was delectable. Customer service, overall, was satisfactory with teamwork being a highlight. I love that the menu changes regularly, with only a few items that remain constant. There will always be something new to try! For an app, two entrees, and two alcoholic beverages, it was about $60. If you haven't already, stop by and give them a try!
