SteamHeat Cafe At the Straz

This is your average coffee shop serving Buddy Brew. Located at the Straz Center, it’s basically meant for grab and go customers. The seating is limited to 5 stools at a small counter, a couch and chair and a couple tables outside. They have a variety of flavors you can add to your drinks, as most coffee shops do. They offer your basic drinks, such as frappes, cappuccino, iced coffee, latte. no fancy brewing methods, not even cold brew. The food looks pretty good. muffins and sandwiches made by the Maestro restaurant at the Straz.
I ordered an iced coffee, with hazelnut flavor. It was pretty good. Service was decent, though smiles cost extra I think. It’s an OK option if you’re at the Straz or taking a stroll on the Riverwalk and need to quench your thirst.

We enjoyed our visit to get a much needed cup of caffeine yesterday during intermission for Hamlet. The staff works hard to keep the line moving & it took less time to get through than I thought it would for sure! The board on the way in explains all the various types of coffee they have to offer & how they are «built». I really enjoyed my coffee pick me up & scone. I also like the fact that they use local coffee from Buddy Brew!

staff very good and professional and they know what they are doing… much better than SB’s… any of the bakery items that i have tried were fresh and delicious.
Great Job!

Baristas are friendly and happy to serve you! The shop is small but has positive vibes and definitely added to my experience at the Straz! It’s a far more personal experience than you would receive stopping at a Starbucks or corporations as such. They serve authentic, locally esteemed buddy brew coffee, have hot pressed paninis, and alcohol you can put in the drinks! Worth the stop!

The people who work here have one of the easiest jobs in the world. They make coffee. I used to be a barista and trust me, it’s not hard. I ordered a double macchiato and they didn’t know what a macchiato was. So I told them it was a double shot with foam on top. I asked for breve (half and half) and they didn’t know what that was. They finally rang me up for a «medium macchiato» which came out as a triple shot and the bill was over $ 5 for espresso. The incompetent barista had to ask me how to pour the half in half in. I normally would have just let this slide but the fact that after they asked me how to make a simple drink and I then I told them they overcharged me they proceeded to argue with me. All 4 of them. Why there were 4 baristas on staff at such a tiny café is beyond me but either way a double espresso shot without foam on top is only a couple of dollars. I asked them why I was charged over $ 2 for foam and they all started to belittle and argue with me. Again, I wouldn’t normally make such a fuss over a couple of dollars but don’t argue with me in front of other customers. Especially when I’m right and especially when you are representing one of the best coffee brands in Tampa — buddy brew. I will never come back here and I will never recommend it to anyone. This place needs an entire new staff that actually knows what coffee is.