Chrome Yellow — Restaurant in Atlanta

Alright, gotta be honest with this review...it pains me to give anything less than 5 stars. Chrome Yellow is my go to coffee shop for beans by the bag and a drip coffee on the go. Despite this review I still recommend you check it out - their coffee is excellent and because 99.9% of the time I have a 10 of 10 experience, I had to share the real about this outlier 2 star experience I had.

Went in to the shop around lunch time on a Thursday, grabbed a cup of the Bolivia roast they had on drip - black, no cream or sugar - and went about my day. Took my first sip after the coffee cooled and it tasted extremely weak in comparison to every other cup I've received from Chrome. They're usually right on the money with how they brew their beans, giving you all the notes and flavors you expect and pay money for. Not the case on this day. The coffee tasted extremely watered down, no flavor notes, and hardly any acidity. I had the remains of their Ethiopia Koke Honey in a mug from the same morning and having been brewed nearly 7 hours earlier it had more punch and flavor than the cup I had just received at the shop.

Did the percolater not have enough coffee left to fill the cup so the barista put hot water in my cup? I don't know, but that's what it tasted like and Chrome never delivers a weak cup of coffee. Typically, the barista staff will let you know if they're out or low on a drip brew and ask you if you want to hang out while a new batch is prepared. They didn't say the Bolivia was low so I'm expecting a cup with full flavor and punch, not a weak K-cup coffee.

Anyways, it is what it is, but no one wants to pay hard earned money for a cup of coffee and receive a subpar product. To be clear, I'm not expecting a world champion barista cup when I pull up at lunch time and get a 12oz drip coffee, but I do expect a full cup of coffee, not coffee with hot...

Time & Date of visit]: Weekend afternoon

[Location/Ambiance]:

Parking - The adjacent street feels a lot narrow, as parallel parking I hit the left curb when turning the wheel hard right to reverse. Try to just aim for a bigger opening if you have a bigger car.

Inside - It can get stuffy and pretty loud with the number of people inside. Not a quiet cafe if that's what you are looking for. This place is more for socializing.

Outside - Shared community picnic tables in the little patio section. But- a lot more quiet if you need to make a phone call or be away from the noisy inside.

[Service]: Fast type - pay and pick up at the counter. The baristas are pretty nice all around. Though I didn't ask for a crazy complex order.

[Food Highlights]: Chai latte - pretty tasty but I would still ad more cinnamon if I found the shaker.

Old Fashion donuts - This is a twist- new style donuts on old fashion. These are different than the usual yeast kind, more dense but not like cake donuts. Good for dipping into coffee to sop up for a bite. Not sure if I liked the berry more of the smores. But the lemon glazed was also good. Just depends how much of a sweet tooth you have.

{Summary}: Great hangout cafe. Good drinks and desserts. Also, Eat Me, Speak me popup food items are available for a limited time if...

I wasn't able to stay for long, but I loved my short visit at Chrome Yellow early this winter. The shop was just about to close for the night, but the fellow behind the coffee bar made sure to spend time on us. He told us about the coffees the shop offered, what was still available (because it was late in the evening), and which coffee might be a good fit for what we were looking for. (This is what salespeople are supposed to be like! Good listeners, educational, and out for your best option.) The guy sold us two cartons of cold brew to take home, and we loved what we tasted! My husband and I had never had cold brew before, and I've been meaning to come back for more!

We moseyed around the shop a little, too, before leaving. It was all too pricey for me right now, but I'd be interested in hearing about how the quality and sturdiness matches up to the price tag. I'm reaching the point in my life where I'd rather pay more for something that's going to last, and I'm curious to hear more about whether the clothing sold at Chrome Yellow fits the bill. I can't comment on that for now, though.

Again, GREAT service, excellent coffee, and I'm looking forward to when I can make it out to the area again for some more cold brew! I have 0 complaints whatsoever from my short stop at...