Rhino Coffee House Langford — Restaurant in Langford

I’m not sure what’s more shocking: how bad this Americano was… or the fact that I watched the barista pour off the top layer of espresso with a straight face and still hand it to me like nothing happened.

Let’s break this down like a bad forensic case.

I asked for a 16oz Americano with extra room. Standard stuff. Instead of underfilling and topping up (which, let's be honest, is the logical move), the barista fills it almost to the brim with water first, pulls the espresso on top, and then—here’s where it gets wild—dumps out the top of the drink to "make room." Which means… yes, she poured out most of the espresso. And the crema. The very soul of the drink. Just gone. Like espresso genocide.

I politely asked for a redo, because watching your coffee get waterboarded before your eyes is just too much before 9am. She was polite about it, to be fair. But the second version? Somehow cold already. Either the machine wasn’t up to temp (poor calibration?) or they’re pushing way more drinks than their setup can handle. Either way, the result was sour, thin, and disappointing—like a breakup letter in liquid form.

And I say this as someone with a coffee background. I’ve pulled hundreds of shots in my time. I know what good crema looks like. I know what a properly balanced espresso should taste like. This? This was not it.

Oh, and the donuts in the case? Let’s just say they had the visual appeal of day-old spackle.

We actually came here when Rhino first opened and loved it. Back then, it felt like a fresh addition to the scene. But much like the rest of Victoria’s food and beverage world, it’s clearly gone through the inevitable West Coast quality-to-quantity pipeline: buzzy opening, then slow, unrelenting decline into mediocrity.

Victoria has a lot of bad coffee—a lot—so it’s saying something that Rhino still managed to stand out. But not in the way you'd...

I gave them a second chance, but they failed badly.

My first visit was shortly after they opened. I was genuinely excited to try them out, especially after having a great latte in Tofino. I ordered a matcha latte, but it turned out to be the worst I’ve ever had—and I say that as someone Japanese who knows green tea well. The matcha was low quality and extremely watered down. I politely asked if they could remake it with less water, but the barista rolled her eyes at me and handed back the same drink without any changes. I declined and left, saying “no thank you.”

After quite some time, I decided to give them another try—this time avoiding the matcha. I ordered a different drink, and they didn’t ask what kind of milk I preferred. Assuming whole milk (as most good local cafés use by default), I was surprised to see the barista using 2%. I asked if she could use whole milk instead, and she flatly said no. Even Starbucks offers whole milk as an option.

I considered canceling my order but decided to go through with it. Then I overheard the barista whispering to another staff member about me, saying “she wasn’t happy with 2% milk,” to which the other replied, “seriously?”—all while I was standing right there. They probably thought I couldn’t hear them over the machine noise, but I did. It felt incredibly unprofessional and rude to be talked about like that in front of me. I left saying, “sorry for being picky.”

The drink, needless to say, wasn’t great. As others have mentioned, the espresso is too sour and doesn’t pair well with milk or caramel, and there’s no richness in the milk either.

I can see them expanding rapidly, but honestly, they’re going downhill. I won’t be trying...

a complaint about my experience at your café on August 31st around 11:00am. I ordered an iced vanilla oat latte and, despite being patient during a busy period, the handling of my order was unacceptable and unsafe.

A drink was left on the bar without a name called out (i was asked my name when I placed my order) . After some time, I asked what it was, and was told it was a “triple espresso latte,” which was not mine. I continued waiting, but observed the barista stop processing drinks in order to adjust the music playlist, despite a long line of cups waiting and multiple customers still without their orders. Several people who ordered after me received their drinks before I did.

When I inquired again, staff appeared confused and asked me to repeat my order. They then said, “yeah, I think it’s the oat one.” This is unacceptable. I am allergic to dairy, and the casual, uncertain handling of my order put my health at risk. My friend had to taste the drink to confirm it was mine. Adding to this concern, my cup did not have a receipt or label confirming the dairy alternative was used, whereas my friend’s order was properly labeled. Given that there is an extra charge for oat milk, and more importantly, that allergies are a serious matter, this lack of care is deeply troubling.

Food allergies should be treated with diligence, not guesswork. The way my order was handled demonstrated a disregard for both...