Ash Coffee — Restaurant in Atlanta

I was really excited to try Ash’s for the many vegan options on the menu. When I got there, I even made a point to tell one of the employees that I’m vegan and asked for a savory breakfast recommendation. She suggested the vegan breakfast sandwich, so I ordered that along with a chai latte with nondairy milk and a vegan cinnamon roll.

My latte came out and it was delicious. Since I was in a rush, I took the sandwich with me to eat in the car. After the first bite, the sandwich tasted good — but honestly too real. I know vegan items have come a long way in taste and texture, so I took a few more bites before looking down and noticing the slices of ham. It didn’t resemble any vegan deli meat I’ve ever had — it looked veiny, fatty, and undeniably like real ham.

At that point, I felt nervous and disgusted, so I turned around and went back to the café hoping to get clarification. I waited in line and when I got to the counter, I explained that I had just ordered the vegan breakfast sandwich and asked if this was really vegan. The employee just said “Oops, I’ll get you a vegan one,” and immediately moved on to the next customer. No apology, no acknowledgment of the seriousness of the mistake.

As someone who hasn’t eaten meat in nearly 15 years and has been dairy-free for 10, this was not just an “oops” to me — it was deeply upsetting. I also then had to wonder whether my latte was actually made with nondairy milk, and that was a pretty horrible feeling to sit with.

I left feeling disappointed, disgusted, and honestly sick to my stomach. For a café that advertises vegan options, mistakes like this should be taken seriously. At the very least, I expected an apology or for the meal to be comped — neither of which happened.

If you’re vegan or have dietary restrictions, I’d recommend being very...

High marks for the pleasant atmosphere inside this coffee and gift shop nestled in the heart of Virginia Highlands. There are many tables, counters, and lots of electric plugs for students and work from homers to use. However, the quality of the coffee is uneven at best. I drink drip coffee or cafe Americano, and the last two out of three cups I've had have been way too strong - think oven cleaner. In addition, the service at Ash is quite the contrast with other neighborhood spots, where baristas are invariably friendly - greeting everyone with a look in the eye and a inquiry about their day. The staff at Ash seem to have been coached to take the opposite approach, perhaps thinking that being aloof or distracted is the way to endear themselves to the denizens of VaHi. While the staff do the basics perfectly well, there have been incidents when myself or a friend has been ignored while a conversation couldn't wait, or when the level of surliness matched some of the least-pleasant encounters I've had in Northern locales like Washington D.C. or Boston.

I am committed to seeing Ash be successful - it is the most convenient and by far the most pleasant space to sit in VaHi in many years, but their staff needs to work on...

Stopped by with a friend for a chat and a coffee. Off the bat, although decorated with a few shelves off of merchandise, it was so crowded that people were bumping into me just while standing there to get my order, so no way to stop to look at things. I asked for a super hot latte and it arrived lukewarm. The pastry was pale and not particularly noteworthy (even more so for the price). My biggest qualm though was the inordinate amount of flies at the tables outdoor, despite the drizzling rain, that made it impossible to seat outdoors. A few more flies indoors at the window counter, but that was the only corner to escape from the super high speed fans. No staff doing the rounds (for the 1.5hrs we were there) to clean up or wipe off the tables. Might be just blocks from our house, but there are so many better options for coffee and pastries around here that I won't be back despite the...