Rembrandt's Coffee House — Restaurant in Chattanooga

I generally like Rembrandt's, though some of the staff is lazy and/or unprofessional (as in fingernails long enough to warrant a health violation), but I had a bad experience last Sunday that I'm pretty bothered about.

I ordered a bowl of soup and some toast, and they weren't busy, so I figured I'd have my order very quickly. Let's just say I'd go on to be extremely surprised and disappointed. After all, how long could such an order take if they're not busy?

Fifteen minutes into my wait, I texted a friend just to comment on how slow Rembrandt's was being. He's an economics professor who worked tip jobs in college, and he was quite baffled at the poor level of service.

Well, twenty minutes into my wait, I called the restaurant to see where my order was, and I got more very- bad service along with some dumb questions, frankly, like, "Are you here at the restaurant?" (They couldn't grasp the concept of my calling. Are customers required to get up and go to the counter with such questions?) I'm not sure why the staff's level of service was so bad, but it was. I spoke to Arianna, who said I was welcomed to pick up the order.. WHAT??? I told her that I didn't work there and that she/they could bring it to me. Then she said she didn't know where I was. What in the world?? I was at one of their tables, and I gave her my order number.

A few minutes later, I got my soup, after a grand total of about half an hour on, again, a slow evening. The clerk in question apologized and said they had run out of soup.

About a minute later, the manager in question came out and extremely-annoyingly asked, "What was the problem with the soup, again?" What kind of question is that??? She and I spoke on the phone, so I had just told her the problem----- that I didn't even have the soup. Her question showed that she either wasn't paying attention or that there was a bad connection somewhere, and if the latter were the issue, she should've articulated that. To sit there on the phone and give bad service and then to come ask that kind of out-in-left-field question is very cavalier and unprofessional--- very. She then said they had to heat the soup up, so to ask me what was wrong with soup I didn't even have was just self-contradictory and incoherent.

I called and left a message with Bluff View's operations manager, who didn't return my phone call. I called a second time and said I was disappointed not to hear back and that I'd write a Google review instead. I still didn't get a response. How disappointing.

For the record, waiting thirty minutes with zero communication for a bowl of soup is very-bad service, but their subsequent actions have been nothing short of atrocious.

PS-- If you see a response talking about how sorry they allegedly are for such low-grade, unprofessional service, I'd take it with a grain of salt because they didn't return said phone calls.... I still can't get over Arianna's asking, "What was the problem with the soup, again?" Again, that waa self-contradictory and incoherent...

Such a magnificent coffee house at an optimal location with such a phenomenal atmosphere and appealing aesthetic for those seeking a quaint environment to enjoy the delicacies a coffee house tends to offer. The neighborhood is quiet, and the front is easy to spot. The place is relatively small inside, but still feels spacious. The lighting is warm and the place is clean, with a clear system for customers to go through. What really peaked my interest was the variety of treats to choose from that extended a good ten feet of the display, and a three sided menu full of breakfast options and drinks. The pricing may be above average, however if you are choosing to enjoy your drink and treats there, you may be investing into the pleasant experience (and if you are lucky, you'll see plenty of birds). The pricing I would say is pretty fair, especially for what part of Chattanooga you are at. I got myself an almond croissant with earl grey tea, my partner got a chocolate Danish and white chocolate mocha. Now, the presentation alone was simple but pleasing to the eye. Nothing over done and not lazy. We chose to sit out on the terrace that is covered by a thin layer of greenery surrounded by fencing and a lot of green to take in. The tables are fairly spaced and are quite comfortable. Luckily for us, we got there before the crowd arrived so most of our time was in silence. We enjoyed the company of the many birds crowding the area, hoping for us to drop a crumb or two for them to battle over. My tea was delicious, as expected, and the mocha was smooth. Well made drinks, brought to us within a few minutes. My croissant was near perfect, with the right amount of flakiness and still so soft. The croissant was a good size as well, so I got my fill to go along with the hot tea. Overall, we had such a satisfying experience here and will likely be returning on our next visit to lovely...

I have been visiting Rembrandt’s since I was a high schooler (15+ years), it has always been a reliable place to hang and kill time before a concert or to celebrate with friends. I’ve visited twice now since the new remodel and been very disappointed.

This new remodel honestly depresses me, the cozy old-world European cafe vibe is completely gone, replaced by a “modern Millennial” style that hasn’t been modern for at least a decade. Sterile, grey, harsh overhead lighting, fake plants, TV screens everywhere. It feels more like IKEA than a coffee shop. Completely killed any warm ambiance which was their main selling point. At least they didn’t touch the patio outside which you can still enjoy when the weather is nice. Otherwise there is nowhere to sit.

They have also cut down their menu options by about 2/3rds, there seems to be far less to pick from. Thankfully they kept the tomato artichoke soup, but they now have only about 5 coffee flavors which they say are house made. I’ve tried two now, and they don’t seem to have any flavor at all. The sizes of their drinks are very small especially considering the price.

The service at Rembrandts has never been outstanding, but recently even that has taken a hit. The girls taking orders give nothing but blank stares and refuse to speak up even in a loud working cafe. I waited 25 minutes for one latte which seems excessive even during a busy rush. I asked the cashier for a to-go fork for my dessert (served in a plastic clamshell, no longer on a real plate), and she snapped that they didn’t have any. I know this isn’t true as I had stood there for 25 minutes watching to go orders being handed out. Not sure how she expected me to eat my chocolate decadence cake with...