Starbucks

Be aware, occasional shitty customer service.
Well, starbucks is a starbucks. They have almost identical menus all over the country and you really can’t get it wrong. Although i’ve been to a few that they simply messed up my order… Yes, this Unilocal review won’t change much but ima just write it so that people know who I am talking about.
Ellicott city location is my go-​to spot for Clover brewed coffee. The manager is extremely knowledgeable on coffee kinds and usually they are just nice people working there well i should say good service mentality. EXCEPT for this morning… I’ve ordered two drinks. While waiting, i’ve noticed an Asian lady who works at the pick-​up counter yelling at another worker there saying «you don’t worry about that. Just pay attention to the blahblhahblah…» I thought to myself hm… this person is having a bad day. Had no facial expression and had just unexpected attitude that I’ve never had! My 2^nd drink wasn’t coming out so I’ve called her a few times to see if they could check on it. When I said «excuse me» x 3 times (louder and louder) She finally looked up acted like she is annoyed and say Yyess? –_​-​… lady i know you heard me several times and just decide to ignore… and i explained my situation. and as i was doing so, i could just see that she is not listening. Well it wasn’t just me who was being frustrated. Another person calling for help like i did and she did what she did to me, IGNORING. The guy and me had an eye contact and just smiled away. Yes both of us was thinking hmm yea she is having a tough morning.
Well that summarizes my morning with this Starbucks. Oh wait. there is one more. So after I got both of my drinks, I said «thanks for your help» in a same tone as «excuse me» at same distance. Funny how that Asian lady said «your welcome~» immediately. Well, maybe a compliment is what she needed.

The employees at this Starbucks are seriously so awesome and nice. Last month, I sat next to an elderly man whom I helped connect his laptop to wifi and send emails. I did it because I wanted to help with joy; however, an employee walked over to my table later and handed me a $ 5 Starbucks gift card to thank me for helping the man. The employee said «thank you for helping him, even though he was a customer that I was supposed to help» and apologized for not having helped because the store was packed with a long wait line. It was totally unnecessary and unexpected but such a sweet gesture. Today, I walked in and ordered a latte and then realized I had forgotten my wallet. When I told the cashier that I had to cancel my order because I only had a little over a dollar left on my gold card, she said that the rest is on them and still happily made my drink! I’ve never had an unpleasant experience at this one.

They can’t seem to get orders right this evening to save their soul… I’ve watched them replace 3 customers drinks that were wrong and mine and as wrong too…

Depending on the time you come in, you can have a very different experience. Around 2, there may be a group of high school girls here to grab their PSL or Green Tea Frapps. Later in the evening is usually not as busy and you can enjoy a coffee in or outside.
Outside seating is personally not recommended because it is right next to route 40, so it is not the best atmosphere to enjoy a drink, but the interior is fine and comfortable.

I’ve been here several times before but today was just so disappointing. When we first got in line, the cashier was flirting with a customer in front of us after she had ordered and paid. We stood there waiting for a bit trying to move past this. We ordered two frapps and paid. Then three people after us ordered 3 more frapps. All three of their drinks were made before ours, plus a few other cold drinks. I was standing there now looking to see what they were doing, and I saw the barista use regular milk (i had asked for soy). She realized her mistake, remade the drink, but then put it in the same cup. Luckily I just have an intolerance to milk instead of an allergy or I would have said something. But what if I had an allergy to milk? You should still respect their order and have the decency to use a new cup. I will not be returning to this location and pay so much for such poor service.

I feel like the service is very good! One of my favorite starbucks to go to.

These guys are great! I drive out of my way several times a week passing other locations. not only for their clover machine but the staff is always pleasant, attentive and get my order right every time.

Bottom Line: Full service, stand alone Starbucks where the parking lot can be busy but the line moves fast.
If you are craving your caffeine fix, don’t be too deterred by the parking lot. The narrow strip of spaces in front of this place can make it look busier than it is inside. Besides, the line moves quickly thanks to an efficient and knowledgeable staff. Even if I am not exactly sure what I am ordering, they understand what I want. Also, they seem to have the ratio down for the right number of baristas taking orders v. the right number of baristas making drinks. After all, what’s the point of immediately placing your order if there isn’t a barista to make it quickly?
My sister loves Starbuck’s original chai (not the funky Oprah chai) and it seems to be harder and harder to find in EC. But, this location always has the original chai so this is now where I go when its time for a Starbucks run.

This used to be my go to spot but I’ve had a few bad experiences here as of late.
I was sitting on the couch with my feet on the tiny table which looks like a footstool and had a barista say ’ heeeeeeyyyy, heeeeeyyyy, heeeeyyyy, ma’am! (sharply and curtly) — get your feet off the table!’ this was said with the most harsh tone. I said ‘excuse me’ (i couldn’t believe she hadnt asked but rather bullied). She said without adjusting tone or attitude ‘Take your feet off the table.‘
I simply complied because I was appalled by how I was treated.
I frequent starbucks all over the state almost every other day — she was a manager — older woman with a widows peak– quite overweight and round.
Second –piggybacking on the craze of the online trend of matcha powder in ice water being $.85 — I went to this starbucks location to get my new favorite drink. At this point starbucks has caught on and they have a reminder for all employees to charge this as a custom tea which adds up to $ 2.85– I really could care less what it costs but the inconsistencies across the restaurants when they are a chain is a problem. I have emailed the manager and am awaiting a response.
These two experiences have soured this location for me and theres another location some 10 minutes away that I will give me business to. Be wary !

This is a great Starbucks in a convenient location although the parking can be bad at times due to the other businesses around it. I came a few times before the renovations and it is amazing how a place can look so different in a short time.
Knowledgeable staff that make correct drinks will help a business gain repeat customers and this location has that. Lines move quickly and service is great. I like this store a lot. I don’t always drink Starbucks but when I do this one is where I go.

This is the best Starbucks in the immediate area. The lines move quick and have never had a problem here

It’s a Starbucks. Been to one, been to all of them right?
Well not exactly.
This Starbucks is one of the fortunate few to have a Clover brewer. It’s a sophisticated coffee brewer (just Google it if you want to know the inner workings) that costs upwards of $ 10k! Supposedly, the Starbucks CEO came across the brewer in a NYC coffeeshop and liked the results so much that he bought out the Clover brewer company. So yeah, as of Aug 2013, Starbucks had 500 locations with Clover brewers with plans to double that number by 2014. So I guess you can say that this location is a little different than your typical Starbucks.
Of course, it wouldn’t make sense to have fancy brewing equipment if you don’t have high quality coffee. And to that ends, this Starbucks also sells single origin and Starbucks Reserve coffee. It’s definitely more expensive than your typical Starbucks cup of coffee, with a small (tall) cup of coffee costing anywhere between 3 to 4 dollars. At any rate, I tried two of their «fancier» coffees: an iced Kenyan and the Hawaii K’au. Taste-​wise, I’d say it’s more complex and smoother than your normal Starbucks offering… but it retains the dark, near-​burnt flavor profile that is found in all Starbucks coffee. It’s an improvement but I guess it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the extra cost. The Hawaii K’au was better then the Kenyan in my opinion… but was also pricier.
The parking here however sucks. The store itself is fairly small and has a large communal table inside and some bar-​style seating along the window.

This place is a Starbucks, so you know the deal with most of their products.
However…
These guys have a machine called a Clover. It’s some $ 12,000 coffee machine from a company (originally founded by Stanford engineers) SBUX bought out. It’s really amazing. Go in and get a Clover coffee.
Other than that parking kinda sucks.

Great location right off of the main road in Ellicott City. Business is always about location and this is a prime spot. The only downfall is parking. They have limited parking that they share with 3 – 4 other businesses which can cause a lot of traffic.
The customer service is great and the music is always bumping! During holidays they have decorations and its very festive too. They have outdoor seating for those cool summer nights. Bar style seating to watch the snow falling. And couches for the lazy couple to cuddle up together.
Very clean establishment and everyone is friendly. While standing in line during the busy hours, you can browse through their large selection of mugs, cups, and thermos. Service is pretty fast and theyre always consistent.

Clean and consistent. Great product quality. I originally reviewed them a little lower but in the last few months they have really impressed me. As good as you will find in Seattle.
AND they have the clover which is crazy good.

This is a clean and compact Starbucks. It has a good layout so you can line up to order your drink, pick it up and be on your way. Service is quick and efficient. If you want to grab a table, they have a few where you can meet up with a friend or check email/​FB with free WiFi. It’s not huge, so you may have to wait for a table. They also have a nice selection of coffee, mugs, gifts, etc., which you can browse if the line is long.

Does anyone review a Starbucks store? Well, I don’t care. I do now.
Either way, this location has recently had a revamping of its interior. In the past, I recall the chairs being moderately comfortable, but now they feel and look like they’ve been shipped straight from an Ikea super-​factory (Not a good thing for you people who think Ikea furniture is elite).
But perhaps the 2 most vexing aspects of this place are the lack of enough seating and the weird parking lot setup.
1. Lack of seating
I came here on a rainy Wednesday around noon expecting at least 1 open table, but was disappointed to swing the side door open and find that all 3 tables (That’s right. They have a whopping 3 full tables) were taken. I stood for about 15 minutes before some people left. Points lost.
2. Parking
There are like 5 spaces out front, and those fill up quickly. I’ve actually only parked in front of the store a handful of times. The other spaces are located adjacent to the building, and during inclement weather, can be a pain to make the walk inside.
Other than that, standard Starbucks fare. Quick service, accurate baristas, and the smell of espresso and coffee beans are all pluses, but they just can’t transform this place into any more than just another big chain coffee shop.

This is one of the busiest Starbucks I frequent. I come here on the way home from work to decompress and get my coffee fix (read my Kindle Fire or surf on my Apple iPhone 4, 2 of my fav toys, or just people watch). «My Getaway Place» I hope you have one.

Not bad. I saw outside waiting for a friend, and I saw people coming in and out pretty quickly with drinks in their hands so the service is pretty quick.
I got a caramel iced coffee. Nothing out of the ordinary. The place was pretty clean and I guess if you around 5pm on a week day, it’s not too busy. I don’t know about other times though.

Always too busy and noisy
And also taste of coffee is not good enough