Rant: Got scolded at a cafe in Portland for calling the drip coffee 'average'

Went to this tiny shop on Hawthorne and told the barista their house blend was just okay compared to the place down the street. She snapped that I should 'keep my opinions to myself' if I didn't like their roasting style. Has anyone else been told to shut up about coffee quality before?

2 comments

2 Comments

wood.john7d ago

Did you ever try just asking them how they'd describe their own roast instead of comparing it? I had a similar thing happen once and I found that asking questions (even if I disagreed) kept things friendly and open. It's their shop, man, so sometimes you gotta let them have their pride even if the coffee is just okay.

piper_dixon457d ago

So like my friend Jamie went to this little coffee spot in Portland and the barista was super proud of this Ethiopian roast they were doing. Jamie took one sip and it was honestly pretty sour but instead of saying anything he just asked how long they let it rest after roasting. The barista lit up and started explaining their whole process and even admitted they'd been experimenting with shorter rest times lately. Jamie said it turned into this whole conversation about flavor profiles and the barista ended up giving him a free pour over of a different batch they were testing. I think sometimes people just want to feel heard about their work even if the end result isn't perfect.