Mickey's Café — Restaurant in Morin-Heights

I wasn't going to write a review as I do not frequent this place all that often BUT given that my stupid Breville espresso machine broke down recently and is going to be in the shop (for two bloody weeks!) I Googled Mickey's hours of operation and out of curiosity began reading the opinions. When I got to Waldo Kev's comments, I got irritated and so decided to write this reaction piece.

Where's Waldo? Careful, he's lurking in your store ready to write a review if you don't treat him with the sycophantic deference reserved for nobility, monarchs and world leaders. His sense of entitlement goes beyond the absurd. He was not greeted in a manner befitting an emissary upon entering and in leaving. So bloody what? Perhaps Waldo, you've become addicted to reviewing- you're reviewing f**king MacDonald for God's sakes! Have you considered that your views are not all that precious? Maybe the employee did greet you but you missed it being so preoccupied with scoping out the place for flaws. Then again, maybe you weren't greeted. Could it be because you project the sketchy vibe of a dude ready to be critical at the slightest perceived slight? Perhaps the counter person was upset that day, maybe she was dating a narcissistic person (sound familiar?) who cheated on her and she still came in to work to serve entitled, complain-y clients like you- notice that you are the ONLY person to remark on the service.

I like Mickey's but try to not spend too much money for coffee and breakfast so I usually pass on these places. I respect the owner's courage for taking a tremendous risk on creating this beautiful space in this quiet village. But of course, there's always going to be people, like Waldo, who will come sauntering in, feeing like they can share whatever observations that flitter into their bored minds with no cost to themselves, requiring zero courage all the while formulating a delusional belief of self importance- he is a local guide after all. A title which has as much merit as a participation award- it has no value but Waldo, it seems has failed to pick up on this.

If you need that much acknowledgement/personal attention Waldo, go to a therapist or a brothel. Otherwise, drink your coffe and try asking the server, if she appears distant, how she is doing - has such an idea ever penetrated your...

EDIT (2nd Review): I've been back here twice recently and was pleasantly surprised with how things have improved. Not only is the coffee better, but I would say it's one of the better places to go for anything espresso-related between St. Jerome and Mont-Tremblant. The food has improved too as the sandwiches and wraps are now flavourful.

One odd thing is that the table service is incosistent. Sometimes they'll call your name to bring you your order and sometimes they'll bring it to your table. This is more of a nitpick than a complaint, but it comes across a bit disorganized.

That being said, this is now one of my favourite cafés to go to. It's beautiful inside and stunning outside if you prefer to enjoy your coffee and food outdoors. It's quiet and never feels too busy even with a steady stream of customers during lunch. Most importantly, the staff are friendly and service is relatively quick even with lots of people in the café.

ORIGINAL: I really wanted to like this place. The inside is cozy and welcoming and the large outside terrasses provide great views of nature. However, the coffee was forgettable and the food was simply not good. The latté I ordered was bland. It wasn't bad, just disappointing.

The food was the worst part of the experience. I ordered a chili and a grilled cheese sandwich. A small bowl of chili costs more than $10 with tax and tip included. Again, like the latté, it wasn't bad, just bland. A Wendy's chili, for half the price, has way more flavour. The grilled cheese sandwich was two slices of bread and a slice of cheese for $6 (tax and tip included). There was no butter, mayo, or oil to grill the sandwich: just the bread and cheese. On top of that, they used the end piece of the loaf flipped over so that it looked like a regular slice of bread.

At least the lemon cookie I had there tasted good. It's not a bad place for the ambiance it offers. However, you could get a coffee elsewhere and...

The food is good and the ambiance of the café is cozy, but the staff always look pissed off for some reason. Except for one friendly woman who served me the first time I visited, all other times, the staff look annoyed at having to serve you. I was a barista myself years ago and I was always delighted in introducing and explaining our menu items to our customers. Not only does this help improve the overall customer experience because people have a pleasant interaction and are more likely to order something they like, but it improves sales too. With this place, you get the impression that you should know exactly what you want, say it perfectly within 5 seconds, and then move quickly to the end of the line to wait for your order. No smiles, very cold, unfriendly and unwelcoming. It's too bad because otherwise this place...