Starbucks

Yeah, super long line even early, early; but the team that works the drinks is super nice and efficient as hell.
And I’m not a Starbuck’s regular by any means, but this was one of the best Americanos I’ve had.

First, be warned that this is a very busy Starbucks and you may be intimidated by the long line. However, the staff is used to the long lines and tends to move people through rather quickly. I love the Starbucks inside the Hilton because Hilton honors members receive a voucher for free breakfast at the Starbucks… The voucher will get you bakery item (or oatmeal), a piece of fruit and a beverage. I love stopping here after I work out at the hotel gym… I can grab my breakfast and head back up to my room to get ready for my day.

So convenient right in the lobby at the Hilton! Spinach croissant — perfection!
Hot Café mocha w/​whipped cream — perfection! Highly recommend!

Super long lines here from the hotel crowd (since it is inside the Hilton). Best to go to one of the 1,000 locations outside the hotel doors. The guy at the cash register didn’t speak English well and they only entered half my order in. I couldn’t bear the line again to get the other half of my order so I gave up and went elsewhere for it.

I consider myself a Starbucks aficionado. Not the coffee, but the stores. For the past 4 years, I have spent hundreds, if not thousands of hours in Starbucks throughout California, and whenever I travel, I’ll visit Starbucks abroad. In 2011 & 2012 I did about 4 hours per day, 7 days per week in Starbucks for 2 months straight when I was reading for the bar exam. Suffice it to say, I know my way around a Starbucks.
This Starbucks provided the absolute worst experience I have ever had at a Starbucks. Period.
For starters, here is my Starbucks routine: I set up my laptop, get in line, order a grande iced coffee with soy milk, unsweetened. I go to my table, work for an hour or so and finish my coffee. After about an hour, I’ll get a refill, finish up working and leave.
So what brought me to the Starbucks at the Hilton in SF? Well, it just happened to be the closest to our hotel and it didn’t look too crowded, so i figured what difference does it make since all Starbucks are created equal. But I was very wrong.
Fundamentally, the reason I go to Starbucks is NOT the quality of the coffee. My wife and I had shared a cup at the donut shop down the street 30 minutes earlier, where our two donuts and coffee came up to about $ 3.50. A cogent argument could be made that the coffee at the donut shop was better. But I don’t come to Starbucks for the coffee, I come for consistency. Starbucks usually offers clean comfortable seating, slow but effective wifi, highly caffeinated iced coffee, free refills with a gold card, and competent staff.
So here was my experience: I show up and order. So far so good. Total came out to $ 4.57. I can tolerate paying double since we are basically in Union Square and not in the ‘burbs. My order was at the bar within a reasonable amount of time, but had about a thimble full of soy milk, so I asked for more, and the staff obliged. It was down hill from there. The coffee was weak, but not intolerable, so I drank it. When I went for a refill, the clerk responded that they don’t offer refills on iced coffee but they do on hot coffee. Okay, I’ll take that. Not so fast, I’d have to buy a hot coffee to the tune of another $ 4. Okay, whatever. I’ll take a grande ice water. The clerk proceeds to take my grande cup which has iced coffee and soy remnants and fill it with water, so I received a murky iced water. Gross. All the while, the clerk had an attitude like I was the one who was crazy, even though EVERY OTHER STARBUCKS on earth does refills on iced coffee. No joke, I have had iced coffee refills in Dublin, Chicago, LA, San Diego, and nearly every Starbucks in Orange County. Google Iced Coffee Refill, and the corporate website even says you can get them, it’s not like I make this stuff up!
If this is any indication of what Starbucks is becoming, I’ll invest in a coffee maker.

Bad server ever seen at other starbucks, I have no idea how this people become to a server, have they trained? I don’t think so.
Its test as a crab really. Sorry, just say my thought.

Ok please explain a sold out hotel Hilton Union Square offering a breakfast option that includes this location and then having a morning staff of three and a line down the lobby. WHY??? They also charge more which is ridiculous. The wait time was crazy. My iced venti café mocha was well made and my chocolate crossiant was good. I waited so long though it was silly. Need larger location and more staff in the cities largest hotel.

It is significantly more expensive than the ones right outside of the hotel, within a block. The staff was not helpful. Don’t go there.

Great Starbucks. Long lines in the morning because of the free drink options for hotel customers, but the baristas always work quickly on the drinks and have never waited more than a minute or two after ordering. Good food selections and are always fresh. Only negative thing to say is that they aren’t open after 7pm.

Welp The Mermaid (yeah I know no one calls it that… just trying to be creative here!) is pretty standard so not much to review in terms of food and drinks. Some standout points for this location are:
Location — it’s located INSIDE the Hilton Union Square, meaning it gets CRAZY (an understatement). If you’re smart, there are a handful of Starbucks within a block of the hotel. If the line is horrendously long, you’re better of walking to get a cup of joe.
Good customer service — the barista who served me, Mei, was cordial and doing her best with the ridiculously long line of customers.
Free wifi — standard with all Starbucks, but not just in Starbucks but in the entire lobby of the Hilton! Therefore, you can technically sit anywhere in the lobby to sip on your coffee/​tea! Great considering there are only two Starbucks tables!

It’s sad that such good service is overshadowed by price hiking! I’m assuming the reason for the outrageous prices is because of the location (it’s in the Hilton). No matter the reason, I will not be going back again to pay $ 10 for a venti skinny vanilla latte! The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because the staff is so friendly.

I wish I would have looked at the reviews before going to this Starbucks. It is totally overpriced. A banana cost $ 1.84. $ 1.84 for a banana — seriously?! They should not be able to do that. I am still thinking about sending a complaint to Howard Schultz.
The coffee was good as it usually is at Starbucks and the oatmeal was good too — but the pricing is ridiculous. There are plenty of other Starbucks and breakfast options in walking distance.

I came here twice. First time it was fine except they didnt have the scanner so I couldn’t pay from my phone (and I didnt have my wallet). Second time, their computer system was down. No credit cards and no starbucks card. Then this second time since I was paying with cash, I realized they charged $ 2.85 for a normal drip tall coffee!!! What a scam. I asked them if the price went up and they said it justs costs more there. Next time I will walk to one of the 5 other nearby starbucks.

This Starbucks is located inside the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel. I was there for a conference and ordered two oranges and two Tazo tea bottles.
Service was fast and friendly. I would have given this review 5 stars, until I noticed that my credit card was billed an extra $ 3 after a random audit of my statements. The slip I signed indicated a $ 1 tip, and the total was shown too. I could not figure out how I was overcharged by $ 3.
Called the number on the receipt, which routed me to the Hilton front desk. I asked to be transferred to Starbucks, but after several rings, nobody picked up. I tried again the next day with the same result.
For the overcharge, I have deducted 3 stars. I’ll let my credit card company take care of the overcharge instead of trying to sort it out with Starbucks Hilton — if only they’d pick up their phone.

I think this Starbucks should get more recognition than what they have on Unilocal.I am a regular because I work right across the street from them. It didn’t take them long to remember my name, what I like and to always expedite my order. They always welcome me with a smile and no matter if they remember my name or not they always are very friendly.
TIP: If your order is wrong for whatever reason, don’t be a douche and get all mad about it. If you tell them nicely that your order is wrong they will correct for you in a flash!
Recommendation: Grande vanilla bean frap with 1 shot of espresso (blended) and extra caramel. YUMMMM!!! Compliments of Carmen!

Stafff Friendly.
Drinks, standard but over priced (compared to the location 1 block away)
Overall, its a starbucks… however, if you walk a block towards Mason Street, there is a starbucks with the non-​Hilton inflated prices on the corner of Cyril Magnin and O’Farrell. The lines are long, but the drinks are cheaper…
Neither location does not food though, if you are seeking a toasted bagel or breakfast sandwich, go one more block to Powell Street and O’farell, they are a «full service’ location with the works…

Great if you’re a Hilton Honors member as you get a free treat or grande beverage here. Not so wonderful if you’re not a HHonors member and pay more to cover for their free drinks and treats.
The line in the mornings are SOOOOoooo Long. I ran to the other one 1.5 blocks down in the morning and found the line only ½ the lengths and went back to this one in the hotel lobby for fear that my coffee from the shorter lined but farther away SB would get cold. DUMB Move! (I hadn’t had coffee yet. I know. Hush) I come back and the guy who was in front of me had only moved half way through the line!
Ugh… The things I do for coffee…

Dirty small but convenient

Not sure why everyone hates this Starbucks… It’s definitely full of tourists, if you hate that. There’s a couch right by the door which doesn’t make a lot of sense, either. However, my drink was made quickly, and the staff is cheerful.

I have to say this was the most disappointing Starbucks experience I’ve had.
Every year I go to a one-​day conference at this hotel, and was SO excited this time to see a Starbucks onsite! During the morning break I dashed downstairs, was thrilled to see no line at all, and anticipated the joy of the late-​morning session at the conference sipping on a frappachino.
Sadly, the experience went downhill from that moment on. I ordered a caramel frappachino with no whip — and was asked for $ 5.35. I nearly fainted — HOW MUCH?! Ok ok, it’s San Francisco and in a hotel. Fine, my mistake for not anticipating to be robbed more than usual.
So there were 4 people working there, I was the only customer. Yet, it took 3 of the people to get my order put together (it honestly looked like one would start then forget what they were doing and someone else would take it up), the drink was poorly mixed (the taste was off) and full of chunks of unblended ice.
I was so disappointed and annoyed, that I passed on going back for an afternoon coffee there during the pm break and I made sure to tell others about my experience so they’d be spared the daylight robbery for a crappy drink too.