Coffee Bene

Yeah… this place throws off a lot of my expectations of a coffee shop. It doesn’t belong in St. Paul, it belongs in the blank vastness of a outter-​ring suburb. There’s just nothing to boast about.
I realize now that The Coffee Bene is a chain and nothing super unique. But I didn’t know this prior to my visit.
Went here to get massive amounts of homework done with the boyfriend, aka in need of good Wifi and awesome, strong coffee. From the outside, the place looks cute and quaint. Once inside the décor was very blasééee.
The service seemed pretty friendly, one girl seemed like a assistant manager and the other was new. Being too outgoing and curious, I asked the experienced barista what was one of their best drinks that doesn’t have too much caffeine. She suggested something called a ‘CHAI CIDER’ that she really liked. So a chai mixed with apple cider. Uhh never heard of this one before, so I of course immediately got it.
Not a good suggestion at all. It tasted somewhere in between old Halloween candy and some poorly-​made alcoholic drink… ahh! No Bueno!
So after much deliberation, I returned it. Nothing else looked good on the menu, seriously. And the food was verry mediocre, definitely not made fresh on site like some of my favorite coffee shops. My boyfriend’s reg coffee was not very good as well.
Ah-​ha! So there’s more.
Yeah — Ignoring the drink situation you now have to deal with being logged out of the wifi *every hour* just to log back in with an encrypted, long code that you have to ask the baristas for.
Whether you’re writing a whole novel on your laptop for that needy literature class or reading endless paragraphs about macroeconomics like I was, it is never fun to be interrupted by a screen that tells you you have been logged off and have to redeem another code. Not my working style if you ask me.
Never have I seen a wifi sitch like this one. Please view the picture I attached for an empathic viewpoint… and management who view this, please change this feature for your shop.
I don’t believe I’ll be back. Not even for the Chai Cider… :p

Every day I go into this coffee shop I feel like I am a hassle to the workers. The coffee is not very good and you need a new wifi code every hour you’re there. I highly recommend Quixotic down the road.

This is my first time here, and I was MORE than impressed!
I usually ask the barista what they order when I go to a new coffee place becuase they know what they’re good at making. She recommended a latte with honey and cinnamon. It was DELICIOUS! I used my own mug, so we got to talking about how much more eco friendly it was, and we had a 10 minute conversation!
Ever since I walked in, there has been a constant stream of people, but never has anyone waited for longer than 2 minutes for their drink! When looking at good coffee shops, the speed of service is REALLY important to me.
The staff took really good care of me while I was here– the only negative that I have is that the wifi code is only good for one hour. I think that that makes it difficult for people to come and study here. I did not have to request another code; however if I had to buy a drink every hour, that could prevent me from studying here in the future. Being a law school student– it could get pricey to study here. I think there should be something for students so that we aren’t forced to spend $ 30 to study for a few hours.

This business definitely knows what they are doing and they are grrreeeaaat at it! I always study here and love the atmosphere on the weekends. This business is owned by Davanni’s, and if you are connecting to their wifi, be sure to ask for a code at the counter– they give you a little sticky with a separate code that is good for one hour. Sometimes they will give you another code after that hour, but it ultimately depends on how busy it is.
My personal favorite is the rocking chairs next to the fireplace you can cozy up in with a good cup o’ joe. Also, if you they have seasonal muffins, people! How rad is that?! The pumpkin muffins in the fall or a cinnamon roll if you are in a snacking kind of mood. Definitely try something new if you go here! If I may, I would suggest the frisky goat, or the chaider!

The service was downright rude. I asked if they had any dark chocolate and the person looked at me like I was an alien. The barista didn’t even acknowledge me. I thanked him after he handed me my latte and got no response, not even «you’re welcome.» The parking here is horrible though understandably not their fault.
The latte left much to be desired. No technique when pouring made it into a foamy mess of milk with barely a taste of espresso.
I guess I’ll stick it out for the one hour of wifi (really???) and then take my business elsewhere. I would expect a place like this with such proximity to campus to be busier this time of day but now all the other reviews make sense. Definitely won’t be coming back or recommending to others.

The staff is friendly & the prices are competitive but the quality leaves much to be desired. Their hot chocolate tastes like Hershey’s syrup & the croissant I ordered tasted like & had the consistency of smashed, dense, day old white bread. It’s not a place I could recommend.

Coffee is a-​ok. Staff are nice. BUT I go to coffee shops to get some work done when I am sick of staying at home. I take my iPad and laptop, and guess what the wifi code they give is good for only one hour, and one device.
How they give the wifi encryption code out makes me feel bad to ask for two codes, and I had to leave after an hour of using their wifi. I will go to different coffee shop.

This used to be my absolute favorite coffee shop. I loved to study here while an undergrad at UST. Great drinks, atmosphere and music. I moved away for a year and just moved back and was horribly disappointed today (my first time back). It is now a requirement that you purchase a new item every hour that you want internet access. This is very sad to me. You’ve just lost a customer. Guess I’ll have to find a new favorite coffee shop.

Okay, have been to this place once. It made a really good impression on me (and I hate all things related to St. Thomas passionately) though for three reasons:
1. Chaider. Half chai latte, half cider. This is life changing, you guys. Now I ask for this everywhere else and the barista smirks and goes, «uh okay» and I wanna just be like «WELL COFFEE BENE DOES IT». Seriously– it’s a must drink beverage.
2. Their employees! So nice, so friendly. I asked about the chaider and she told me she had never had it, but that her friend likes it. Honesty is important, ya’ll.
2. Their sign. See picture I posted. I died. Amazing. Coffee Bene may be the only good thing about St. Thomas.

I came here a lot in college. We Tommies have an unconditional love for Coffee Bene that it has never really earned.
I am reluctant to visit here again in the near future — the employees these days are rude AND they towed my car even after I patronized their establishment — which I have been doing for YEARS. They have great mochas, but it’s not worth it if they are going to be so rude to paying customers indiscriminately (my friend who was parked at Bene for the same amount of time did NOT get their car towed… where is the fairness?)
That being said, I would avoid parking in their lot here during peak hours. Better to pay a parking ticket.
I also would like to say that it is ridiculous that they do not have an open WiFi signal instead they give customers a highly encrypted passcode that is only good for 1 hour. That’s a little outdated; next time I’ll hit up the Caribou Coffee up the street.

I have mixed feelings for Coffee Bene… it’s really close to St. Thomas, which is nice because it’s close enough to walk to between classes. Also, their chocolate chip muffins, oh baby, they are good. The café itself has a pretty nice atmosphere and lots of seating with plug-in’s for laptops/​phones.
However, their coffee isn’t my favorite. I don’t find it any better than Caribou or Starbucks, in fact, it typically tastes closer to Folgers than anything else… And, although i have recently weened myself of my horrid coffee addiction, their tea isn’t any better. The espresso drinks are a little too sweet… or something, I can’t put my finger on it, but they all have a very distinct taste that I don’t prefer.
I’ve never tried their new «hot sandwiches», but I like the idea of them. Almost all of their bakery items are good though. The brownies are a definite winner, but are very rich and sweet, so be warned if you don’t like that type of thing! Their fruit smoothies are also really good!
Overall, I like to grab a muffin and a smoothie from Coffee Bene, not a coffee. I’d like to see their coffee improve, I expect more from a specialty coffee shop!

Dear All Coffee Shop Workers of the World: Who dos the music for? You or your customers?
Seriously, need to lose the Gwen Stefani, ear-​drum bashing radio station blaring at a level comparable to a shuttle launch. Decent coffee and atmosphere ruined by loud music that isn’t appropriate for the setting. Good god, ya’ll, if I wanted to hear loud pop music I would go to the friggin’ Gap at the Mall. And I am wearing headphones, even!!!
I’d consider sticking my head in the door next time just to check the volume before committing to a purchase.

Swung through on my way to run errands for a quick cup of coffee. Got my standard hazelnut latte and it was very good. Nice and hot, not too sweet, served quickly. From what I saw, I really liked the interior of the café and could see it as being a cool place to hang out with friends or settle in to read a book. I felt that the service was a bit on the slow side (only one person on the register who was clearly fairly new), but I also overheard one of the people say that someone had not shown up for work. So I’ll cut them some slack :-) Overall, a really nice little neighborhood coffee joint.

Open on New Year’s Day, props for that.
The coffee was a fresh, dark roast and the apple turnover was delicious (and if you can find a sizable pastry anywhere else for under $ 2 these days, please let me know). I consumed the above in some old rocking chair facing an LED fireplace (as in no heat), which was a new one on me. But the atmosphere was right. A few people studying, a couple of elderlies occupying the poofy chairs, and a thankful shortage of laptops.
Staff was pleasant and courteous. What else can you ask for? I’ll be heading back for more roasts and some other fresh bakery fare.

My first visit to this place. Seemed like a laid-​back and friendly atmosphere. A few tables with people playing the game «Go». I rather enjoyed hearing their 70s music (including Queen’s «Bicycle Race», and Gerry Rafferty’s «Right Down the Line»). My drink was a simple hot apple juice (they call it «cider», but it’s not actual «cider»); it was the same stuff you can grab off any grocer’s shelf in a large plastic bottle. The counter service was pleasant.

Some crimes can not go unpunished.
I went to Coffee Bene yesterday for the first time. I went there to wait while my car was getting an oil change at the garage across the street. It was 8:00am, so a coffee and a breakfast sandwich was in order. I was excited to see that they had breakfast croissants with sausage, egg, and cheese on the menu.
They boast 5 different coffee’s, but only had 2 of them available because of technical difficulties. No hate. Not their fault. I ordered a «Jamaica» with no idea what that meant — it meant gas station quality coffee with a hazelnut flavor-​shot. Again, no real detriment. My dad drinks that exact mixture all the time. I might’ve been more upset, but I had a coupon for a free cup of coffee so I didn’t care.
The breakfast sandwich that came out looked very appetizing. Perfectly melted cheese covering what I presumed to be a delicious sausage patty and an appropriately bland egg slab. And, actually, that was exactly what I got. If the sausage wasn’t as awesome as I thought it would be, it’s okay. I’m not one to complain TOO much about that, although it might be enough to turn my smile upside down when coupled with the fact that I’m drinking gas station coffee.
BUT … the croissant. Oh my god. That thing was gross. Very doughy and it tasted undercooked and not buttery at all. It had the consistency of an untoasted slice of Wonder bread. Soft, stupid, and it makes you wonder why you even bothered in the first place — yes, it actually tastes stupid.
I couldn’t finish my breakfast because of this awful croissant and that means that my breakfast was ruined. And, the lord protect you if you get between me and my breakfast. Know why? Because now I’m going to go on Unilocal and tell everyone that if I went to a random Burger King and ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese Croissanwich and put it next to the piece of crap you call a croissant breakfast sandwich, the one from BK will win every time.
Every single time. You are the lion that picks a fight with a full-​grown tuna and all 30 of its tuna friends in the middle of an ocean. You lose every single time.
To Burger King. They serve flattened tater tots for breakfast. They suck. And their breakfast beats the crap out of the crap you call breakfast. Only the smiling wait staff behind the counter saved you from the feared 1-​star review. Not going back here. And I still have another coupon for free coffee. I’m going to give it to the next homeless guy I meet and I’m going to tell him to avoid the sandwiches.

I am not a big fan of coffee shops that are a little too fancy. With all it’s immaculate settings and nicely crafted décor, it’s nothing but Starbucks on steroids. I prefer my coffee shops to have a more organic feel to it and Coffee Bene is not one of them. I’d rather go to Dunn bros or tea garden instead on Grand ave.

This is near my home, but it’s definitely grown leaps and bounds on my list of reg. coffee shops to visit.
If anything it’s the nice staff that makes me return, as they all seem to remember what the regulars drink, always a nice touch.
While it wouldn’t be considered «hip» in comparision to the more organic shops in the cities, it’s in a great spot, with nice staff, and they make it possible to use it as a spot to meet up with friends — or to read a book.

I had a bad attitude about this place when I first visited. I don’t know why. When I found myself coming back again and again… I knew I had misjudged. My 4 year old likes the place too — they are nice to kids! Not a usual coffee shop attribute. They have good muffins and I like their mochas a lot. Service is great. Its connected to Davinnis too, which could come in handy one day if I linger too long and need pizza.

My coffee shop reviews seem very similar… time to try something different…
Great location-​I can usually score a spot on Cleveland right in front on the shop, sometimes I get parking spot lucky!
Décor-​something I look for when I’m in any type of dining/​coffee/​food establishment. Very cozy and welcoming.
Coffee-​good stuff!
Service-​outstanding, they will suggest brews and their specialities if you ask. They have what looks like a nice selection of baked daily pastries, maybe one day I’ll give something a try.