Inclusion Coffee — Restaurant in Arlington

I’ve been coming here for years, but less often as time has gone on, because:

The food isn’t worth the price (it’s acceptable if you don’t let them warm it up, because if you do, it will be blasted in a microwave, basically ruining it). Most of their baked goods are from outside companies that serve several other shops around the DFW, such as Pinch of Salt, but this is the only shop I’ve been to thus far that has made Pinch of Salt’s items inedible. My favorite example of this was when they warmed up one of their donuts. That thing came out the temperature of a dying star, and they plopped it in front of me as the now-liquified icing bled through the paper bag it was served in, onto their counter. Nice.

The service is hit or miss. It’s been more misses lately. If you’re lucky, your presence might be acknowledged within 5 minutes and all of your order will be heard the first time. I get that not every day can be a great day, but with the number of visits I’ve had with bad service, it’s not excusable by “bad days” anymore. They’d rather talk amongst each other or be on their phone or glare at you wishing you’d evaporate, it seems.

The coffee is even more hit or miss. That’d be fine if this was a gas station or an IHOP, but don’t put “coffee” in your name if you’re not going to care about the coffee you’re serving. I’m talking grounds in the bottom of the cup, the widest range of (poor) flavor from the espresso (I asked and they generally seem to use the same beans for their shots, so I guess they either don’t dial in, don’t clean their machine, don’t care, or any combination of the above). Don’t even bother with the drip because it will be room temp (if you’re lucky) and bland. Oh and don’t even try to ask for a pour over. They will try to talk you into drip, as if you’re a dumb toddler. Similarly, most times that I ask for 4 shots, they try to get away with 2-3. I’d be fine with 3 if I didn’t pay for 4. God forbid a barista has to be a barista. I also don’t know that it was ever explained to them how to steam milk. It’s usually oversteamed, leading to a gross texture and a curdled milk taste that overpowers any syrups (but hey, at least it hides the espresso!)

Now, all of the above I could tolerate in the name of a good study spot until recently. I am not someone to get upset to the point of writing bad reviews. The thing that has pushed me over the edge is the cleanliness. Food, coffee, and service are poor, but I don’t need these things to get some work done in good study spot. That’s what Inclusion was, at first. The upstairs floor used to be a pale wood and it is now almost gray enough to match the concrete downstairs. Don’t get glass tables if you don’t want to clean the visible fingerprints that accumulate on glass tables. The chairs are covered in stains (I hope it’s coffee!) The ceiling leaks in multiple places, and instead of fixing it, buckets and towels have been placed to catch the water. Fine, until the water overflows and the towels become mildewy. I wouldn’t bring this up if those leaks were fixed in a reasonable time frame but it has been years. And the BATHROOMS. Oh. my. god. It’s a biohazard. The sheer amount of smells and substances to be found is fascinating given how small a space the bathrooms take up! The last time I used one, there was what appeared to be blood AND fecal matter on the toilet paper. I’ve since been walking to the apartment complex bathroom so as to not catch a disease.

Side note, a fun game you can play here is to take note of a stain or piece of trash and see if it’s still there the next time you go. It probably will be.

Overall, I’m tired of hoping this place will ever be what it once was. I’ve tried, I’ve held out, but I just can’t anymore. With the amount of shops popping up across the DFW, I’d rather drive an extra 10 minutes than eat rubbery pastries, drink watery, bland coffee made by baristas who probably want me dead, and risk a disease by using the bathroom.

Sorry to those who work here that do care, but I hope this review can lead to much-needed...

The best way to see how a shop makes coffee is to drink it black. Their drip was good. I have had better, but this was MUCH better than at that grande green place. They were not doing pour overs when I was there, and when I asked which was better, their bulk drip or an Americano, they said, 'drip'. I'm not sure what that says, but what I had was good. Maybe a touch old as it had a very light metallic taste which comes with coffee that has been heated too long. After 1/2 of the cup, I had them add some half n half and sugar. Any off taste was gone. I'm not the normal customer 'type' for this shop. I'm not a younger adult (no where near old though), shaved head (ok, I'm bald), and lots of colorful tattoos (full back and short sleeves though no one could see them as I was wearing a t-shirt that covers all but the last inches on my arms). Most of the crowd didn't know what to do with me. I got many, 'why are you here' looks. The employees were at minimum nice, the person working the register was very nice. They answered my questions with ease. Based on a conversation with another employee, the may have been new. They did a wonderful job helping me get what I wanted. I liked the atmosphere, but felt the need to leave after my coffee as I felt like I was interrupting the vibe of the shop. I wanted to stay for a while and talk with my SO for a bit, but we ended up walking around and seeing the sights. The ham cheese croissant was just ok. But mostly due to it being warmed just enough to bring out the butter in the croissant (made it greasy), but the ham and cheese was still cold. Maybe not heat it at 100% for 30sec, but 50% for 1m or more? The mezzanine was pretty cool, but the vents towards the back were blowing so hard the box the croissant came in was sliding off the table. We were at least 20ft away from the vents. Maybe redirect them down to the first floor? Or run ductwork so the vents are above the patrons blowing down? I had 3 times where the box was almost in my lap. My SO was even sitting between me and the vents.

Regardless of anything that would be considered negative above, I still feel like this is a good place and is 5 star worthy. I'll go a few more times, in the hopes the vibes I experienced were just my...

Perhaps today was on off-day for the baristas on shift, but I was not impressed. Let me set the scene for you and you can decide how YOU would feel with this interaction for a first impression.

It was my turn to order my drink, as I’m speaking another barista takes her apron off and starts walking away as she says she is “not feeling it and leaving.” Meantime the whole conversation with the guy taking my order was grim and monotoned except when he said they were out of whipped cream which he said with a slight grin. I told him it was ok, I’d still like to order the Milk & Cookies Cappuccino regardless. Along with my cappuccino, I ordered the marshmallow fudge which was actually delicious! It is also the reason I didn’t deduct more stars.

Back to my drink order, it took a good ten minutes to be made and I’m not complaining about that fact. Quality coffee drinks do take a bit longer, I understand. Plus there was only one lady actually making all of the drinks. Still, understandable. I realize not every person that mans the counter knows how to make a cup of fancy Joe. When I received my cappuccino I was surprised at the small size and even double checked that it was mine. I didn’t tell the barista I wanted a small, he didn’t even ask what size I wanted for that matter. I have included a picture, the cup is only as big as the hand cozy!! Perhaps that’s just the size you get with a cappuccino that costs $4.25?

Anyway, parking is not terrible. There are spaces in front and beside but you have park backwards, thankfully I love parking backwards. Otherwise you’re backing into oncoming traffic and there’s no way to see around other vehicles. So please, obey the signs and back into your spot or else find somewhere safer.

In conclusion, I highly doubt I will return. There are many other coffee shops that excel in what today’s experience lacked. Perhaps Inclusion should hire new staff that actually are motivated...