Customer Disservice
After one too many near-misses by multi-unit strollers and their fertility-drug crazed drivers, I left the sanitized streets of Noe Valley for the inner Sunset. The business district on Irving is the quintessential “Main St., USA”. Very self-sufficient, in that it is more resident than tourist oriented. Has the grocery, hardware store, shoe repair, low brow restaurants, and of course, coffee!
I’m a mocha fiend. I have a double or triple most every day. It’s an expensive habit, but it makes me happy and gets me out of the house for a few minutes. I have three choices in the immediate vicinity – 4 if you count the second Beanery store. [I discount other places such as Arizmendi here because while they offer coffee drinks, it isn’t really “what they do.” Rightly or not, I feel like I’m making a special request by ordering at these places.] Besides the two Beaneries, we have Cafe Evolution, and the requisite Starbucks. The former two outlets have some semblance of character, and make great coffee drinks at a reasonable price. Why then, do I frequently find myself at the corporate giant?
Cafe Evolution is tr
As a resident of the Inner Sunset, I have to vehemently disagree. First of all, you are ignoring the Canvas, perhaps for good reason since it as dull as the Starbucks. And for that matter there is also Tart to Tart, which has decent coffee and pastries… But more importantly, the Beanery has some of the best coffee around. I venture out to all those Mission and Cole Valley Cafes and I keep going back to the beanery for my favorite soy latte. The owners are really nice. They always say hi, even if you just walk by without buying coffee, and they are an integral part of the neighborhood. I’ve run into them at the supermarket and the gym and they’ve always given me a big smile.
You’re right, Beanery does have some of the best coffee. Perhaps if I were on a first name basis with the owners, I would feel differently about the general attitude. The ponytailed guy and the 40-something woman are always cordial.
And I did neglect the Canvas and Tart. The Canvas is an extra block away so I tend to forget about it. Tart has pretty crappy desserts if you ask me, but I’ve never ordered any expresso there.
You forgot to mention that our dearest Cafe Evolution – scene of many of my posts throughout late April and most of May – though wonderful despite the service glitches – *still* refuses to link back to our site.
Still.
No, I’m not letting it go. Granted, it probably shouldn’t be the first kink on their list of things to work out, but would it kill them to reply to the powers that be?
That said – try the pear salad or the chicken and cheese sandwich. They’re great.
Coffee wise – it’s good, though the decaf is usually brewed as an after-thought (meaning I have to wait a fairly long time for my coffee) and they’re eat-in coffee cups are so large that by the time you’re halfway through your drink, it’s stone cold.
But I love them. We have a complicated relationship.
I sugegst you venture out to the Misison. Theer are a lotof cozy little cafes’ that are tres cool and very friendly with a warm athmosphere. One of my favorite – because it is not gentrified by arrogant people – is La Solea Cafe’on 19th street @ Mission. This is worth while checking as they focus only on the community. They have lots of dance classes and activities in the cafe’ (there is a space for dance classess, yoga, etc) and every one there is very friendly and cool. I really enjoy going there and chilling out. They also offer free wireless internet and they recently added a fantastic menu offering Indian food for lunch at a very reasonable price.
Hope that you will swing by one day!
Andy