Starbucks

Oh Starbucks. Home of the red cup that has infuriated the conservatives everywhere and of course them supporting gay marriage back in 2012.
It’s by far not my favorite coffee place in The Ville, but when I’m down in The Highlands visiting Sink or Swim or another business I’m probably swinging by here too.
I’ve always received more than excellent service by the baristas and other employees working. Sometimes the wait is longer than I really feel like waiting to have some nice hot or sometimes cold coffee but I’m totally OK with waiting for my brew considering I normally look like trash walking in here due to me not being awake yet.
It is very cute inside the building and there is plenty of seating so you can sit and do some computer work or chat with some friends, I am in the minority and I grab it and run out the door to finish other errands around or to walk around the block to do some shopping.
It’s in a killer spot too, right next to it you can get your nails did, eat some Jimmy John’s, shop at Wal-​Greens or any of the other cool businesses up and down in the Old Highlands. I’ll continue to go here and get my not-​so-​strong latte when I’m too lazy to google the closest Heine Bros.

Starbucks. You know what you’re going to get.
For those of you of who are visiting from Uzibekistan and have never seen a Starbucks before, it’s a higher end coffee shop that sells all kinds of coffees, teas, hot chocolate and cider (at least in the winter), and insanely overpriced snacks and breakfasts.
For the rest of us. The thing that distinguishes this Starbucks from the other roughly 900,000 Starbucks in America is its location in the heart of the highlands area. From here you can easily walk to numerous restaurants and shops and it’s a great place for people watching. The employees are efficient and I have been able to find a seat pretty much every time I’ve visited here, which is almost worth a star all by itself.

Best thing about this place: early morning hours, even on weekends!
Some mornings, only a quick trip to Starbucks gets me going. I love that this place is open early and — as other reviewers have mentioned — the baristas are very friendly. Drinks are made according to the Starbucks «recipe» to ensure consistency in the quality every time I visit.
I’ve gone during the day as well to get work done and people-​watch, and this place can get crowded. It also seems to get loud with the high ceiling. I avoid letting the ambient noise bother me with a set of headphones and some music playing.
In the past I’ve seen «grounds for your garden» at this location, which I love. It’s a program where used coffee and filters that are packaged up and available for patrons to take and use for compost soil. As someone who grew up at a home with a compost heap, I know how good that eco-​waste can be for gardens and the plants that grow in them.
As far as a chain goes, this Starbucks does a good job of feeling like a local neighborhood coffee shop, even in the Original Highlands!

They’ve got some nice seating outside. In the Highlands so there is bound to be some good people watching.
I stopped in for a little splurge and got my usual iced vanilla chai. Twas delicious.

I can’t comment much on their fru-​fru coffee as I usually only get a venti regular coffee, such as Blond, House Blend, Verona, or French Roast, (which are fantastic, by the way). I can, however, tell you that they have great breakfast sandwiches! This location is clean, newly renovated, and in a prime location. Parking can be a bit tricky but if you are accustomed to navigating the Highlands you shouldn’t have any issues.
Pro Tip: If you park BESIDE Starbucks, upon exiting the facility, avoid the traffic light at Highland, Baxter, and Bardstown if you are wanting to head South. You cannot turn right on red and there doesn’t seem to be a sensor so the light takes an eternity. After doing this a hundred times I finally learned to either go around the block or cut through Walgreens back parking lot. In advance, you’re welcome. :)

Shared my table with 4 flies. They just renovated, you’d think it would be cleaner, especially for a slow morning. There are many better options within walking distance.

Friendliest baristas in town by far! :)