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Bad Restaurant Coffee - Part II

Well, another very good restaurant over the weekend...... with the too typical undrinkable coffee at the end of the meal.

We had high hopes for this particular spot. There was a lot to like from the start: good decor; music in the background quiet enough to carry on conversation in a normal tone;  and, an attentive wait staff. As we were with old friends we hadn't seen in a while, and the restaurant was busy but not crowded, we intended to settle in for the better part of the evening.

The appetizers and drinks were excellent. More drinks and talk before the main course. I especially appreciated the service - attention when we wanted it, but no rush to move things along.

As we were in an excellent mood, we all opted for desserts. No sharing. They proved to be quite good.

Now came the big decision: coffee or no? As I was still recovering from restaurant coffee the previous evening, I decided not to spoil the meal. It turned out to be a wise decision. My partner's expression was enough to tell me here was another "I'm not desperate enough to drink this" moment.

Of all the restaurants where I've complained about the coffee, only one responded with any acknowledgement. I received a hand written note from one of the owners, thanking me for my comments and explaining what they were doing to correct the problem. It seems I was not the only customer who was dissatisfied. We went out of our way to eat there whenever we were in the area.

Since feedback is not usually greeted with any seriousness, it mostly just leads to crossing that particular restaurant off our list. Or, if the coffee is the only weak point, at the very least no longer having dessert. This shortchanges both the restaurant and me. Dessert is my favorite part of the meal, and it is generally a very high profit item for the restaurant.

One solution I am seriously considering is bringing a small French Press with me on future outings. Then ordering hot water and brewing one of my favorite coffees: either one of ours or one of the many great ones available here on ROASTe.com.  I'd even be willing to pay a BYOC fee. 

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REVIEWS & COMMENTS

  • HAHA

    samuellaw178 | Wed, 02/15/2012 - 01:56

    It's commonly known that restaurant normally doesn't have good coffee. They would need to put in a lot of effort into making it and normally people don't order coffee in the restaurant. Maybe you should wait till you got home to brew a pot?

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  • WOW

    Wakeknot | Thu, 02/09/2012 - 21:38

    I never thought of a corking fee for coffee at a restaurant. I might just drink it there if I could pull that off!

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  • CHICKEN AND EGGS

    EricBNC | Mon, 02/06/2012 - 03:56


    I am usually not that picky when i am eating out - the choice of food trumps the coffee

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  • SINCE I DON'T DRINK COFFEE

    hoonchul | Tue, 01/31/2012 - 13:38

    Since I don't drink coffee after 6 I don't have any experience with bad restaurant coffee-which I guess is a good thing. However I have had a lot of coffee from breakfast diners.

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  • BAD RESTAURANT COFFEE!

    Son Ton | Sat, 01/28/2012 - 03:06

    I feel your pain about the coffee in restaurants. I make it the rule not to order coffee in those places. Most people coffee is coffee and there are no differences between folgers and other brands.

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  • I DON'T USUALLY ATTEMPT

    GmanJenks | Sat, 01/28/2012 - 00:39

    I don't usually attempt espresso drinks from a restaurant unless I know who's making it. I will say that many of the better local restaurants do brew locally roasted often custom blends as drip. Why not turn your negative experiences into a positive, invite the restaurant owners / chefs to a cupping session and introduce them to what your customer want to experience.

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  • HA

    jbviau | Fri, 01/27/2012 - 23:57

    I wouldn't actually bring my own. How hard is it though for a restaurant to at least do drip or press well? Not very, IMO. Espresso is something else entirely.

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  • ITS HARD FOR MOST RESTAURANTS

    avaserfi | Fri, 01/27/2012 - 17:56

    I completely agree. Very rarely have I had good coffee at a restaurant. That said, I can sympathize. I know a few chefs in the process of opening their restaurants and many are starting to eschew offering coffee at all because they are starting to realize that the cost of machinery and training involved in producing good coffee is very high while the return is pretty low. Some are also focusing on more simple, less expensive brew methods. For example, I know one chef that will only offer French Press at his restaurant because it is far less expensive and generally easier to do well than espresso.

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  • I HAVE NEVER THOUGHT OF

    intrepid510 | Fri, 01/27/2012 - 17:48

    I have never thought of giving a suggestion, normally I find the drip products to be at least drinkable. However, I have never had an espresso based drink that I could drink with a straight face.

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  • I'VE JUST GIVEN UP ON

    Karrde | Fri, 01/27/2012 - 17:27

    I've just given up on getting good coffee from nice restaurant. Many times they're more expensive than the coffee shop and they just don't have the skill/materials to justify it.

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  • BAD RESTAURANT COFFEE - PART II

    Lisa | Fri, 01/27/2012 - 17:24

    Maybe make a suggestion to the store's owner or manager. They may not be aware that they are losing business because of bad coffee. Perhaps they can bring a French Press to the table or something.

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