19grams Alex – Coffee Roastery — Restaurant in Berlin

HORRIBLE , UNFRIENDLY , UNPROFESSIONAL and RUDE staff. If I could give 0 star I would. Me and my friend were there on Saturday 23.04.2022.

We went in and didn’t even pass the door or approached the counter yet. A women staff with short hair and glasses was screaming and shouting from behind the coffee machine saying “ We are CLOSINGGGGGG!!! We are CLOSINGGGGGG!! We are CLOSINGGGGGG!! While cleaning the coffee machine

“ We were suddenly approached her and this was our conversation

Me: But didn’t you close at 6pm”

and she kept saying Staff: WE ARE CLOSING

I asked her nicely again cause I was wondering if they were really closing or could I just buy a coffee beans quick and go. Me: you normally close at 6pm right??

Staff: Yeah it is now 5 mins before 6pm

I looked at my phone Me: No it is actually 10 min before 6pm Me: so… it means you are open.

And then she started to put this aggressive face and asked me..

Staff: What do you want??

Me: I just wanted to buy a coffee beans

Staff: yeah you can buy it

Me: But why you said “We are closing “

Staff: I said you could not drink here anymore in the cafe.

Me: No!! You didn’t say that. You were just shouting to us and said “We are closing “

She start to get louder and say Staff: What do you want from me I don’t wanna talk with you I just wanna go home.

Me: I don’t understand why did you need to shout “We are closing “ before we even get in and you could have asked us what did we want? I am not that kind of customer that come to the cafe 10 mins before they closed and sit in the cafe. ( and if I were, she still have to make me a coffee and I still have the right to sit till 6pm.)

Staff:: What do you want ?? You want your coffee beans just buy!!

Me: I just don’t understand why did you need to shout like that?

Staff: okkkkk… I am sorry (unwillingly apology)

Me: I don’t want an apology I want an explanation why did you do that. And why do you have to talk so loud to me , we are not in the market we are in the coffee shop.

Staff: Yes.. I was working in the market

Me: I didn’t ask you that.

As I think our conversation could not get any better. Me and my friend just left and still couldn’t believe if this kind of ppl who works in this industry were real. I mean… if she just tell us nicely in the beginning that they will close in 10 mins it’s possible only togo, and we would say we just only want to buy a coffee beans. Period!! I will have my coffee beans and she will just have a nice Feierabend.

19 grams is my favorite cafe, been almost every branch in Berlin. Also took a barista class there. All the staff are always nice every where I go. Except this women that I could NOT!! really stand her. Really the rudest staff I have ever experience. I have never seen her before in the shop in Alexanderplatz, which I always go there.

I take my time and writing this review cause I just can’t let this go and pretend that nothing was happening. I totally understand that she must have a very busy day, cause that day the sun were out and warm. And I think she was so tired and can’t wait to go home or at least enjoy the sun light after work. But do I really have to experience this kind of thing. She might already forget about it, but for me every time I go there I will always...

Atmosphere: Chill and Third Wave coffee atmosphere--without being pretentious or snobby. Ample indoor and outdoor seating, clean and minimalist. Decent playlist of retro and indie music. Edit 18.09.21: no more music strangely.

Coffee: Fantastic. Clearly the roasts are fresh (no more than a couple weeks) as some of the fruitier notes and volatiles that normally breakdown and disappear as a result of oxidation are present and delicious from the delicate to the pungent. I ordered the Flat White, then I ordered another Flat White lolz.

Food: The proper kitchen is open on Saturdays & Sundays only--but oh is it worth it! The eggs benedict were perfect in taste, texture, and portion size. It left me lipsmacked and satiated, but not overly full and slow. The toast was the perfect balance of toastiness and breadiness so it held up to the fork and knife abuse and egg yoke, but was still spongy enough to absorb said egg yoke. Hollandaise sauce wasn't overpowering, but rather just delicately complemented the meal. Three strips of bacon balances the richness with salty savory goodness that ensures you forgot how much beer or booze you had the night before. The perfect brunch.

Edit 18.9.21: they've swapped out the bread/brot used in the eggs benedict making it a chore to eat (sometime in July or August). It's not nearly as good as it used to be on these last few visits. It's a hard crostini or bruschetta bread that really begs for a steak knife to cut through as the provided butter knife struggles to get through the tough/hard crust and bread alike. The bread no longer absorbs the hollandaise or yoke like the previous bread did, so you end up sopping the sauce and yoke with the bacon strips if you ordered bacon. Unfortunately, I can no longer recommend the eggs benedict here on the list of items for brunch. The food is still prepared with care, and the flavors are still pretty great. But brunch should be relaxing and not a chore or challenge unless you're into that kind of thing.

Productivity: Ample indoor and outdoor seating with free wifi.

Other notes: it's a popular spot on weekends, so be prepared to wait up to 15 minutes for a table (without question, it is worth the wait!) Also, they accept debit cards here which is refreshing in Berlin where most places...

Always on the pricey side, this was once a relatively friendly and inclusive place. Now, alas, it caters exclusively to the upper class. There is no clear signage indicating that this establishment DOES NOT ACCEPT CASH, nor is there information written anywhere indicating prices for baked goods. When I asked about prices, a very unfriendly barista told me that everything cost "about 3 euros" and informed me that if I scanned a QR code, the prices should be listed online (assuming, I suppose, that everyone has the ability to purchase a smartphone for 100s of euros). I waited patiently for several minutes as he cleared dishes, and a line of customers grew behind me, then went ahead and ordered a baked good. He rang it up for 3.50 (assuming, I suppose, that the extra .50 cents was irrelevant). When I went to pay, he told me they only accepted cards. I protested that this wasn't legal in Germany, and he proceeded to very nastily inform me that it was. It turns out, he was absolutely correct: the law changed due to Covid, and it is now within the business-owner's rights to engage in business practices that actively exclude migrants, undocumented people, sex workers, and others working in cash-only or tip-heavy industries (including, for example, many people in gastronomy). Totally fair enough, and I was definitely in the wrong -- but I didn't say it with my voice raised, I didn't say it aggressively, I didn't make a scene, I was just genuinely shocked because I'd never encountered that before. To treat a customer with that level of aggression, nastiness, and arrogance is, quite simply, unacceptable. Also, if you're going to exclude so many of us, the least you could do is put up a clearly visible sign (and list prices in a clearly visible manner) so that we don't waste 10 minutes of our lives watching a bad-vibes...