Hug in a Mug? More Like Hug in a Mess. I genuinely wanted to love this place based on the name…read morealone, but unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing coffee shop experiences I've ever had. From the coffee to the customer service to the overall cleanliness, everything fell far below expectations.
Let's start with the coffee, or lack thereof. I ordered a vanilla latte, and my friend ordered a caramel macchiato. Both drinks were essentially room-temperature milk with barely a hint of coffee or flavor. It was so unpleasant that we ended up throwing both drinks away.
The pecan roll we ordered didn't fare much better. After being placed into a styrofoam container, it was microwaved right in front of me. IN THE STYROFOAM. The result? A health hazard, plus a melted, chewy, overly gooey mess that was completely inedible.
The service was equally lackluster. The staff seemed visibly annoyed to take our order, and there was clear confusion about who would make our drinks. One employee disappeared for several minutes while the other, who had been doing nothing, finally stepped in to make our coffees, after a not-so-friendly exchanging of words about who would make it between the co-workers. To top it off, I watched another employee leave ice cream out to melt on the counter for at least ten minutes in what was an uncomfortably hot space.
Speaking of the space... it's in rough shape. The interior smelled of sour milk, ice cream, and garbage, likely exacerbated by the heat. The outdoor patio, the only seating option, is no better. Tables are sticky and unclean, fans are missing blades (with broken pieces piled nearby), and the entire area looks neglected and unkempt. It's clear there hasn't been any effort to maintain the space.
To give credit where it's due, someone in our group ordered a strawberry Italian ice, and they said it was "fine." But for everything else we tried, it was a complete waste of money and time.
I rarely write negative reviews, but this place needs serious improvements across the board. Between the lackluster coffee, poor service, and the overall unsanitary conditions, I cannot recommend Hug in a Mug to anyone, and I certainly won't be back.