Starbucks — Restaurant in Encinitas

Bad location, overall. I would give a 10th of a star, but 1 star is the lowest google review rating option.

I'm a very patient person AVOID this location. A quick stop for a black medium coffee turned into a 40-minute wait in a no exit drive-through line and a lecture about pronouns for strangers taking our order from a hostile employee.

Very slow, causing a traffic jam and the workers are totally unaware of it, moving very slow, chit chatting, or on their phones, just not paying attention. Starting conversations via the drive-through speaker and not paying attention to the order are some observed behaviors that make the wait time so long. The cashier at the window appeared to be intoxicated. They were talking way too much, slurring, and their behavior was off. They had only about half of what's on their menu actually available, which adds to the ordering time. If you point out that they got your order wrong (a simple black coffee child hot), they make a big deal and start to argue. Simply telling the cashier #2 that we were still waiting for our second drink that "she" (cashier 1) still had in her hand as she was chit chatting with another staff member completely set off cashier 2 into a proper pronoun lesson - with all respect we were just trying to get out of there and take our tired Marine home for the day from his training, we weren't there to build a relationship with the employees. We had been stuck in the drive-through line for over 30 minutes. The location appears to be mismanaged. Some customer service training would help. Having the people at the window assist with order preparation, rather than having 5 minute conversations with people in cars, when the drive through wait is out to the street and about 30 minutes long, may also help. Paying more attention to getting the order correct and getting orders out will...

I’ve lived right down the street in Leucadia for almost 4 years now and regret every time I’m in a rush and I come to this location. The staff is always frustrated and quite frankly seems very overworked and undertrained (new people every 3-4 weeks). They fully give you an iced americano (water with x2 shots of espresso) instead of an iced coffee almost every time (like 8 out of 10 times) which is nowhere near the same caffeine amount - differing by 300 or so mg. I’ve seen it personally with my own eyes when I go in (removed any cafe seating/atmosphere btw) and have verbally corrected it multiple times just to be gaslit - them not knowing I was a partner for almost 5 years. If you’re in the drive through, prepare to have your beverages massively watered down (literally taste like nothing) or double the dairy to make up for complete lack of prepping the correct brews and management stocking and staffing properly. I worked opening shift for a drive through location next to a freeway 10 years ago (being a teenager) and we NEVER had mishaps like this. The standard has completely gone downhill unfortunately and I hope Starbucks can recover their quality that America came to love...

I visited this Starbucks today, and I was immediately struck by the prominent display of a rainbow flag hanging above the counter. While I understand the intent behind it, I found it deeply divisive and alienating. Instead of fostering unity, this flag feels like a political statement that excludes those who don’t share the same views or identity. It creates an atmosphere of division rather than inclusivity, and I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable as a customer just wanting a coffee, not a lecture.

In a country like the United States, I believe this space would be better served by displaying the American flag. The American flag represents unity, freedom, and shared values for all citizens, regardless of background or beliefs. It would create a welcoming environment for everyone, not just a select group. I left feeling disappointed and unwelcome, and I won’t be returning until this divisive symbol is replaced with something that truly brings us together as Americans. One star for the experience—focus on coffee,...