Black Cap Coffee & Bakery — Restaurant in Burlington

I came in ready to be snarky, because Black Cap isn't Uncommon Grounds and oh gosh do I miss Uncommon Grounds, and I'm resentful of the jacked rent that drove them off Church Street. So this is the first time I've been to Black Cap.

I started just wanting their cheapest coffee and a spot to sit outside in early morning Church Street. But I walked in and any chance of that snarkiness melted away. It's like walking into that first room at the Wonka Factory: slightly overwhelming in a good way as you take in all of the delicious options around you.

People, they have the best baker in the northeast. Just look at the gat-dang lamination in this ham and cheese croissant. The seasoning on the top. The perfectly toasted cheese that crept out the ends. Every bite was a marvel of flavor and texture and crispy auditory pleasure. When was the last time you ate something that captivated every single one of your senses? I need to come back another time just to eat the darn thing without spending 95% of my attention being astonished at it. (And possibly bring a bib, because I am far too clutzy an eater to not get flakes of pastry all over myself in the process.)

Amazing. Just, superlative pastries. And all of the other entries in the thesaurus for "incredible." Do not sleep on this like I...

I’m a regular at Black Cap, but yesterday was meh. A few minutes after I ordered my drink, the staff member started catching up with a friend who had just walked in. They were talking about how it was their second week working there and how they like Burlington. Cool for them, but I was still standing there waiting. The staff member made and served their friend’s drink before even starting mine, even though the friend arrived after me.

After about 10 minutes of chatting, the staffer finally looked over at me with a weird, condescending look and said, “I’ll work on your drink now.” While they were making it, a second person they seemed to know came in, and they started chatting again in the middle of making my drink. The thing is, they were so distracted they messed up my drink, and I was not going to stand there another 15 minutes for a remake.

I was there to meet one of my UVM advisees about their first week on campus. I usually pick this spot for the vibe and good coffee, but after this I’m rethinking it. I get that you are excited about your new job, but taking breaks while making a drink to go chat with friends who just walked in is unacceptable, and it happened twice. If the place were busy, I would happily understand and wait, but it...

My fiance and I were visiting from NYC and decided to stop in here while touring Church Street Marketplace on 10/26 Saturday afternoon to get some nice hot beverages. The place was busy and appeared to attract a young crowd so it seemed popular with perhaps good service (college students, Gen Z, Millennials).

I was on a long line which was being serviced by a tall curly-haired guy with glasses. My fiance went to use the restroom. When it was my turn to order our drinks the guy didn't ask me for my name to write on my orders the way he did with everyone else. At first I thought it was because of the type of drinks I ordered. It wasn't until I was waiting at the pickup counter and noticed two things:

1. Other people who he serviced order similar/same things that I did but he wrote their names on their cups.
2. I looked around the whole cafe shop and realized I was the only person of color. Then it hit me what sadly happened.

Discrimination/racism in the form of microaggression isn't right. This form of disrespect needs to change. Also, the drinks are overpriced. Two small sized coffee's for almost $11 without milk is ridiculous. I would not recommend this place, especially to...