This Starbucks is one of the only locations open after 6pm in the area (it is open 24hrs), so it gets very popular in the evenings.
I placed an order through the app around 7/8pm, and was given in-store or drive through as the pickup options. I selected in-store pickup, and when I showed up there was a line of cars backed up almost onto Northgate Way (it's a busy road, right near a freeway on/offramp). Luckily I had in store pickup and could bypass the line! Right?!
Not so much. I parked and walked up to the doors, to find that they were locked. There were employees inside, but I don't think they noticed me and I wasn't about to try and bang on the door or break my way in since the store was clearly closed to customers.
So I get back in my car, and to my dismay found that the drive through line is now backed up INTO the road and cars are waiting in the turning lane.
Due to the traffic, line of cars, and location, I had to drive several blocks away before I could turn around and get back to the Starbucks drive through. By this time the line had died down, thankfully.
I had ordered a short blonde drip - when I got to the window they told me they were out of short cups so they put it in a tall cup instead (no big deal).
Anyway, none of this so far is really where the low stars come in. The pickup options could be an app problem (and also, COVID), and you can't really blame them for how busy the drive through is or if they run out of cups.
Here is where the 2 stars come in - I drove off with my coffee, and then took a sip and it was DISGUSTING. It was so burnt and bitter that I could barely drink it (and I am not a coffee connoisseur by any means - I can drink almost anything and be fine with it, even the crappy motel lobby stuff in styrofoam cups). Besides, people order blonde roasts specifically because it is smoother and lighter than a darker roast. This was the opposite. But as I said, I'm not a picky coffee drinker and I had to jump through hoops and traffic and drive through lines to get this damn cup of coffee, so I powered through. As I got to the bottom, I was rewarded with a nice sludgy surprise.
Anyway, I was very disappointed by this experience. I'd clearly gotten some burnt, bottom of the barrel, old-ass coffee, very off par to all my previous Starbucks experiences which have been consistently neutral/satisfactory. read more