Energy Lab Cafe — Restaurant in Clermont

Not a great place unless you like to be told “how you should have your coffee” as if anything other than what they suggest is outrageous and wrong. You cannot have an opinion here at all. Here was a recent experience that was just completely dumb on so many levels, and never should’ve happened:

Me: “I would like my coffee with almond milk.”

Them: “No, you shouldn’t do that, it ruins the flavor, use regular milk instead.”

Me: “Well, I can’t have regular milk as I’m allergic. I would like almond milk or any other alternatives.”

Them: “Well, we are a special coffee shop and the flavors are very important to us, so if you want to DESTROY your coffee, I guess I will have to put almond milk in it.” (who the heck says that to a customer?)

...later...

Me: “Hey, can I have some sugar for my iced coffee?”

Them: “No, you can not. We don’t have that option for your drink - it ruins the taste.”

Me: “Okay, but I am your customer, and I paid for this drink. I see you have sugar right there and I would like some for my coffee.”

Them: “No, you can’t.”

Then you walk out of a coffee shop without getting one of the most basic of requests fulfilled: to simply have sugar for a coffee. Every other coffee shop in a 200 sq. mile radius would happily give you sugar for your coffee. Someone previously complained in an earlier review and the owner was so arrogant to the point where they left a response 4 times the length of the original complaint basically going back to the “you ordered wrong, and you‘re not cultured enough for our coffee” - yeah, keep having that mindset, and you’ll be out of business soon.

Learn to work with customers more. The customer is always right whether you agree with them or not. If a customer wants something one way, you don’t complain and moan and say how they’re ordering wrong. You listen to what the customer says, and that way you keep that customer. Due to my bad experience, I will not be coming back. To all reading this, unless the owner of this shop changes,...

Great potential, as yet unrealized. Its tucked away next to a bike shop near the lake. The laser-tag feeling entrance outside belies the genuine coffee shop interior. They've got a great setup and a good marketing identity. But they don't have wifi, which doesn't make much sense for such a good seating arrangement. I've been told it's intentional in order to encourage conversation, that it is what is trending in Brooklyn now. While that's some great intention, this is Clermont. It's a different place with different culture and needs. Other coffee shops in the area are great meeting places and have wifi for those working away from home. Seems like a missed opportunity for both customer and owner.

It's clear they want to be known for quality coffee. They are halfway there. Unfortunately their primary brewing method, while high tech and pretty cool conceptually, takes way too much of the oils/flavors out of the bean during extraction. The resulting cup presents as a little weak and ill-defined. Fine for some, but the lack of alternative brewing methods (e.g. Chemex, straight pourover, Aeropress, French Press, or even regular drip) severely limits their customer offerings. They offer only two bean regions at a time, which is fine, I guess, if not limited. Their bean storage (pre-preportioned clear glass vials) seems undermine their commitment to quality a little.

They boast a Slayer espresso machine (amazing), which says they're serious about espresso. I've not yet tried any of those offerings and so can't speak to it. It seems they are working hard to dial it in, though, which is great.

There's one guy who works there who is obviously well acquainted with coffee and has a passion for a good cup. Others however clearly don't seem to really care, which is a little disappointing.

Overall, a great little shop....

I love that this coffee bar is right off a bike trail and overlooks the lake. I stopped by after a bike ride to enjoy a much deserved coffee.

There is a place to tie up some bikes in front of the shop, but nowhere to secure a bike in the immediate view of the coffee bar area. I dislike turning my back on my bike, so this was a surprise. I do think I saw a makeshift tire slot holder for bikes with thinner tires in front of the coffee bar -- but you can't chain it up there, so that's not useful either.

Anyway, onto the coffee bar. This is a holistic cafe, so the option for sweeteners is really just honey. And they don't have options for cream either. I usually get a coffee with stevia and oat milk, I assumed that this combination would be offered here, but no. They told me they make coffee black, period. They can put some honey in there and they begrudgingly offered some steamed milk to add too (I didn't want it steamed, I just wanted a creamer-like addition to my coffee), but they serve black coffee. So, despite it being a coffee bar - you are limited on what you can add to your coffee (preferably nothing).

It's hard to rate this because I ultimately ended up pouring out my coffee. I couldn't enjoy the steamed milk and honey combination as a forced alternative to my normal sweetener/creamer.

Edit: I just reviewed a picture of their menu and it says they have oat milk, so I'm not sure what happened. Maybe they were thrown off because I just asked for a cup of coffee, not a latte or cappuccino. I am...