Cristos Coffee Roastery & Cafe — Restaurant in Erie

Staff are not friendly for the most part. I came here to visit my sister as my mother passed away. One staff member, a rude boy, seemed to stare me down each time I came there. I have no idea why. Asked me to move from the counter where I was sitting. I explained my mother passed away. Very cruel and insensitive people work here it seems. Stay away from this place is my recommendation. Reply to a response from the Owner: No e-mail is necessary, best in public so others can see what kind of staff you hire. Very cruel. That young man you employ is very aggressive and insensitive. He staired me down actually the entire time and each time I came there. Your employees are weird!!! Tell them if they stare down guests, they are likely to look up at them and wonder why the hell they are looking at us this way. I did notice they were the ones who kept looking at me very often and actually tried to ignore them looking at me. Perhaps you have cameras to evaluate things. Yes, you have seating that if a person looks straight ahead in the space in front of them, they may be looking in their direction, it is ridiculous to think they are purposely staring or looking at them. Instead of treating your guests in such a horrible way, TALK to them in a kind respectful way. Do not stare them down because your staff have issues with themselves, and create a spot fallacy that everything is about them and them only. As I moved, from that spot to finish my coffee, your staff with this punky aggressive childish boy were laughing looking at me and staring at me, after I explained my mother passed away. Best to fire them all and get better employees. Only two kind people work there and were the two who were kind when I first came to visit. The rest of your staff there is really something very wrong about them! Hire more people who are sensitive and kinder people, people like Mila, and Sara, the rest of them i would recommend to fire all the rest!

Good morning to everyone here who reads this. I was so mistreated by this place, at a time of horrible grief, one week after my mother had passed away, that I believe I will look into suing this place for how cruel and insensitive the employees were. Especially for how I was spoken to and mistreated by this young man who works and is employed there! I am literally traumatized for the actions that happened yesterday here at this place! I believe I have grounds for a lawsuit for damages! I do intend to sue this place for how I was publicly treated and humiliated at a moment of incredible grief. How sick and insensitive the employees and this young, aggressive male employee were to me! I am literally writing at three in the morning because I can not sleep and feel very hurt and not so good after this experience! Yes, the owner wrote this response above, and says they will further mitigate what happened yesterday, I wrote them by email, and there has been no reply. The response by the owner maybe a lie, just a P.R. attempt to reply to what happen, to what your employees did to me, so to try to make it seems like you care or you did something. I still wait to hear back from you, the owner by email on this matter, and YES I want this "opportunity to discuss this further" and so you and your employees can "learn how [you all] can improve"! I am waiting to her back from you and waiting to have this discussion, either by email, and if not, than perhaps in the...

I've been traveling for the last five days (to Cali) and what I wouldn't give for a Cristos coffee right now.

I always google to see the best coffee places around me and look at reviews. So this review isn't for those who live in Erie, Colorado, because we know that Cristos ROCKS! If you live in Erie, care about coffee and DON'T know this fact, then GET TO CRISTOS!

No, this review is to boost Cristos visibility AND for the traveling coffee aficionados.

Cristos has everything that you want in a coffee shop. Tables to sit at or a bar looking out a window, free wireless internet, baked goods (OMg, fantastic), mugs, t-shirts, etc.

But what you care about, fundamentally, is the coffee. And whether you'll be treated well by the barista(s).

The coffee is amazing. I drink a "cortado" which is equal parts espresso and half and half. Before adding any sugar, I take a good drink so that I can gauge the quality of the coffee. Really. This is good stuff!

The cups are paper! I read every review for any shop I'm contemplating to see what they use and if the word "styrofoam" is mentioned anywhere, I look elsewhere. I don't put on airs, I try not to be obnoxious, but any way you slice it, styrofoam adds a weird chemical flavor and no serious coffee shop puts their nuanced, good-quality brew in styrofoam.

NO STYROFOAM HERE!

The baristas were knowledgeable and friendly.

I noticed on the shelves packaged beans and when I asked how old they were, the answer was that the owner roasts them at home and since beans lose all flavor and nuance after about two weeks, the beans are never old.

With my coffee purchase, I bought beans and have since used them at home and it's good coffee too.

I can recommend this coffee...

Cristos has a nice, inviting atmosphere, and their specialty drinks are definitely a highlight—they’re honestly the main reason I keep coming back. That said, they might want to step up their table maintenance. It’s understandable that things get busy, but I’ve never actually seen any of the (mostly young) staff out cleaning or bussing tables. A quick wipe-down and maybe some furniture cleaning would go a long way.

Service-wise, let’s just say it’s a bit of a mixed bag. The wait times can be longer than expected for a “quick” drink, and the energy behind the counter can feel a little… icy. The piercing looks from some of the young staff are enough to make me question my life choices, but on the bright side, I do feel slightly cooler every time I visit—just by absorbing the conversations happening behind the counter while awkwardly crammed in a tiny corner with five other customers. There’s also a lot of turnover, or at least a constant shuffle of different people working different shifts, so even if I wanted to bond with the staff, it’s not exactly easy.

As for seating, their outdoor area isn’t much better. The tables are very basic, always dirty, and constantly under attack from bugs—so not exactly inviting. And this is coming from a girl who always chooses outdoor seating, even in frigid temps. Even after a sweaty bike ride, it’s not my favorite place to sit and unwind.

That said, there are some redeeming factors. They have cute merchandise to browse while you wait, and clearly, it’s the place to be—whether you’re a housewife catching up over lattes or someone making a quick business deal. If they could tighten up the service and cleanliness a bit, it would be an even...