I come from a cosmopolitan city famous for its coffee craze, and inevitably I've become a coffee snob.
I'm afraid my first and only visit to Coastal Coffee Roasters will also be my LAST. My experience with this place was as unpleasant as it could possibly turn out to be.
First of all, I very much concur with what other Yelpers have said about their employees' professional attitudes and lack of training, as well as their coffee blend models.
I recently visited a friend in Charleston and we went to this place on a weekday evening. When we walked in, the cafe was deathly quiet -- except for a few laptop warriors scattered around.
Unfortunately, we didn't see or meet any of the "friendly" and "welcoming" employees that other Yelpers raved about. We had to deal with the only employee around, who was standing idly behind the counter.
I asked the employee a handful of questions about their coffee beans. At first, he was happy to perform the "perfunctory courtesy" of answering customers' questions. But a couple of questions later, he started to appear impatient and disdainful, as if we had just disturbed his afternoon nap and he wanted to kick us out of there ASAP so he could go back to his sweet dreamville.
We cut the conversation short and ordered some coffee. We meant to have some cakes as well, but the pastries at the counter looked days old.
It took the employee 15+ minutes to get us the coffee, and he was just as disgruntled when he served us coffee as if we still owed him an apology. To me, that was not just a lack of professional skills.
Where did the well-known Lowcountry hospitality go?
My friend and I both felt we were treated in a CONDESCENDING and completely UNSCRUPULOUS manner throughout the visit.
Moreover, we didn't enjoy the coffee, either. The Sexy Seven (only 6 types of beans in the blend, according to that employee) was so dark and burnt that it tasted like dirt. Their single-origin Nicaraguan El Porvenir light roast was way too mellow and bland -- such an ironic contrast to their super dark Sexy Seven -- and it lacked the rich body and bold character we were expecting. Neither coffee was worth the price, by the way.
We walked out of there as soon as we could, with a promise to ourselves to NEVER COME BACK.
I heard that this is a highly touted "local" business, and I honestly wish we had a better experience so I could give it a better review, at least for the owner's vision and the family's community engagement.
But I can't find anything genuinely local about it.
_ The owner was relocated here from the Northeast some years ago.
_ The coffee beans aren't from here (I know it's impossible to grow coffee beans in the Lowcountry).
_ Fresh locally roasted coffee? Well, I can't comment on the freshness. All I saw was heaps of roasted coffee beans sitting in bulk containers soaking up other smells from the store -- a big step down from roasted coffee packaged in moisture-proof bags.
_ There is really no originality in their coffee blends -- no Lowcountry / Southern uniqueness or local twist. They are apparently taking the Starbucks route. I almost thought that their Sexy Seven was made from a stockpile of all kinds of rejected coffee beans falling out of their roasting machines. (The new coffee shop on the Charleston peninsula called Saint Alban serves La Colombe Louisiane, a blend inspired by Southern cuisine. At least, that has some sort of Southern ingenuity in it.)
_ Even though their shelves are stuffed with local craft beers and merchandise, those all seem to be nothing more than a very perfunctory collection of generic "tourist souvenirs." The real local "gems" are not found there.
_ Lastly, I hope that not all of their employees are "locals" -- because some of them are obviously ruining the Lowcountry hospitality and lowering the bar of the coffee business.
Despite the terrible experience, after all, I'm glad we tried this place. The notably distinct contrast to my standard coffee experience will make me appreciate Seattle's coffee culture even more.
I thoroughly agree with previous comments by R.J. from Portland, OR -- this place has so much potential, but it's not taking any advantage of its opportunities. I wish them good luck. read more