Caribou Coffee — Restaurant in Burlington

WARNING!!! VERY DETAILED REVIEW!!!! Huge coffee enthusiast to the point where I have my own espresso machine and homemade syrups. I’ve been to a lot of coffee shops across NC and a few other states. To start the atmosphere is very comfortable and the inside is very vibrant with its large windows and light colored wood. Very well branded as well. Upon ordering, I was very disappointed with the service. I would like to give this place some grace considering it just opened today ( July 7th, 2025). However, when ordering the barista that took my order did not seem to know what she was doing or what I was talking about. I took some time to examine the menu and asked if they had brown sugar or cinnamon (as powders or syrups didn’t really matter) and she said they did but they aren’t allowed to mix the brown sugar with espresso and its for oatmeal only??? Very odd to me. I asked about what flavors they offered considering there isn’t a list on the menu and she vaguely described the flavors to me despite pointing at all of them “some marshmallowy type, vanilla, caramel??”…etc. dunno why you’re confused if it’s in front of you haha. Anyways, I eventually just picked a vanilla shaker with cinnamon powder and asked for a 16 ounce. She did not know what I meant and asked what size was a 16 ounce despite the cups being behind her. The barista kept nervously laughing and acting very confused. There weren’t too many people in the shop either. Size options also weren’t listed anywhere. Got my coffee, I would rate it about a 7/10. Its very fully bodied and the flavor is there! However, the espresso itself may have been pressed to hard as it had a very burnt and bitter taste to it, reminiscent of the burnt taste of Starbucks (just not as bad lol). I came back to order a snack maybe 3 minutes later, mind you I’m at a table infront of the register. A different lady took my order and greeted me like she didnt just talk to me earlier while another lady was taking my order. She said she didn’t know? I was just speaking with you? I ordered my food and the lady apologize for my two minute wait which didn’t really warrant an apology and then proceeded to tell me good night….its 12 o’clock and quite bright out. Overall, the service was extremely subpar and left me feeling very awkward like I was asking for a lot. I just wanted an espresso shaker and sandwhich lol. The coffee is definitely good but not something I would turn to everyday but. A great alternative to Starbucks but doesn’t supersede the greater local shops in the Burlington area (the daily Grind, the blend and co, bee town cravings). Uncomfortable service but at least has good vibes once you get away from...

I prefer this place to Starbucks. The coffee and food is better and it’s a nice change of pace…but I feel terrible for the lovely staff - the management is horrid. I’ve spoken to some of the staff previously and have seen personally how they are treated - it is pathetic. The management allows them to be disrespected, harassed, and mocked, refusing to stand up for their employees, and I have seen management being blatantly rude when ‘criticizing’ their employees. Instead of giving constructive criticism, they disrespect employees and don’t give them a rundown of what they are good and bad at. They just complain, which doesn’t help employees improve. There is also a problem with poor scheduling from what I’ve seen. There never seems to be enough people scheduled when I go in and it’s busy. Poor staffing leads to longer wait times for customers and increased pressure and stress on staff. They’re fostering a work environment in which employees are treated poorly and are miserable. They are people with their own lives and problems - they don’t need poor management to add to that. Miserable employees aren’t going to be at their best. The management does nothing when their staff complains to them either - they couldn’t care less about how poorly the staff are treated. Additionally, the female shift lead (or manager, I just know I see her bossing staff around) that’s supposedly going to veterinary school should reconsider her career if she can’t even respect other human beings - I’d hate to see her working with animals. She’s the one I’ve seen treating the staff the worst, speaking in a condescending tone and being quite mean to them, and she always seems to be in a poor mood when I come by and she’s there. She should work out her own problems before coming into work again. Overall, I wouldn’t recommend this place if you want to support a business that not only respects and cares about their customers, but their...

Don't you dare talk bad about our Caribou location. Been going a few months. LOVE IT! Never have the workers made us feel like a bother. Every time they're always kind & smiling. Only tried a few food items. Not too bad, definitely wanting to try more. Never had an issue, even when we got a drink mix up. Not sure if we just said the wrong thing or what, but we were prepared to jus get a whole new drink(we always get XL). We apologized for being that person. NOPE, lemme tell you how SWEET these folks are, We got a remake AND No Charge! The gentleman behind the counter even was sweet enough to take the other coffee away! We always tip them for their work & will chose Caribou over Starshmucks any day. Thank you Burlington Caribou for your hard work & making our morning sweet treats after the...