Soma Coffee House And Juice Bar East — Restaurant in Bloomington

I come here a lot because it's right across the street from IU Jacobs, and it's the only independent coffee shop that opens early (they open at 6 am M-F and actually have food out when they open, unlike the nearby Crumble and Inkwell that open at 7/7:30 but don't have baked goods out until about an hour later). The baristas are always friendly. The place is spacious with a good amount of seating, but it can sometimes be hard to find a good seat inside because, as you would expect, students come to study/work and stay for a long time. I love their baked goods - they have interesting and unique offerings and everything tastes wholesome. Besides their Soma-made bakes (muffins, loaves, scones, dessert bars, cookies, and more), the bagels (I think from Gables) and Piccolo Dolci pastries are great, but they have these two muffins that are from a different supplier that I didn't think were of very good quality - I recommend avoiding the chocolate cheesecake muffin and banana nut muffin. I think the veggie/cheese sandwich is decent. It's just deli cheese slices with lettuce, cucumber, pesto, and mayo, but the bread is good and if you want something simple it's surprisingly satisfying. The coffee is pretty good. I am a decaf drinker so I appreciate that they have both decaf coffee and decaf espresso. They have a really good loose leaf tea selection and the teas are legit. Between the variety and quality it's the best tea selection I've found at a coffee shop in Bloomington. The quality of the chai and matcha are less impressive. I feel like there's a slight artificial flavour to the matcha, but to be fair, I've only tried it with flavour added, so maybe it's better unsweetened. When I asked for half sweet, that was better than regular sweetness. Both are still better than Starbucks. But I'd definitely recommend the loose leaf tea lattes over the chai/matcha. As mentioned in my previous review, some things are self-serve. It turns out they do have glasses and mugs available if you ask, but if you don't ask for dine-in, the default is disposable cups. Brewed coffee is self-serve, with your choice of (usually) two regular roasts and one decaf. If you want a toasted bagel, you toast it yourself in the toaster on the condiment table. It seems like you sort of have to know what to order here, but as I'm learning what's good, I really appreciate the offerings that are good, the comfortable unpretentious environment, and long...

I’m a 23 y/o senior here at IU, and visited this location yesterday to study for a very difficult exam. After being seated for less than 20 minutes, the “assistant manager” came up to me, headphones on and deep in studying, to ask if I was going to buy something…Concentration ruined, ugh…I was taken aback. I always spend money when I go to a café, but shame on me for not doing so the second I walked in the door I suppose... Maybe this location has an issue with loitering, due to its close proximity to the dorms? This could also explain the employees overall attitude. I informed her that yes, I was going to purchase a drink and a snack; Nevertheless, it was not a tactful or pleasant interaction, and I was unhappy to be interrupted in the middle of my work for what I consider an insulting reason…Does every customer receive this shakedown? Is it so uncommon to find a seat before going to the counter, that it warranted confrontation? Or possibly, am I just special? :) I’m no rookie to coffee shops, I’ve studied for hours prior to getting coffee and have never experienced this treatment anywhere. If I do return to this location, I’ll buy my coffee immediately, to avoid interruption and being mistaken for a loiterer…Overall, the place left a bad taste in my mouth, which certainly wasn’t from the coffee or delicious baked goods…It’s a shame, because I love the other two Soma’s in B-Town, and this one is the closest to my apartment. But alas, employees make-or-break the coffee-shop experience, and because of this, I will be going elsewhere...

As a new person to IU everyone talks about Soma so Ive gone 5 times to study or grab a snack (campus square) between classes. Chai is boxed contrate, which is fine overall. My biggest issue is the lack of customer service. The baristas stand in a huddle talking to each other and seem annoyed the you are interrupting their day by ordering. Most have monotone voices and neutral/bored facial expressions...half the time they just stare at you without saying anything until you order, let alone make conversation. Wifi has never worked. I asked and they said "limited to 1 hour then you have to buy something else"-10 min after I ordered. I asked if there was a code, "Nope" and turmed away from me.

Prices are steep but manageable. There was one manager/owner who came out of the back to talk to an older woman about the brewing process and he was really nice.

Overall if you need a quick fix and dont want the union lines...