The Coffee Loft — Restaurant in Fairhope

After growing up going to this shop for years and being continuously disappointed in how it has changed each time I visit fairhope, I can’t give my recommendation to this place anymore.

I spent countless afternoons in highschool sitting on the couches (now gone) doing my homework and chatting with friends over a bagel and coffee. It used to be such a comfortable and inviting place. The drinks used to be better. The food used to be more reasonable.

Every time I visit coffee loft again, I have nothing but hope that the indoor seating area makes a return. With the loss of most third spaces that aren’t bars in the post covid world, it feels like there are very minimal chances for people to chat and get to know each other. I know there is still outside seating here, but being so deep in the south, the weather doesn’t often allow for that to be a comfortable experience.

The music is too loud, the line structure is confusing, workers seem rushed, and the food and drinks have become super expensive. I don’t blame any employees for this as it seems to be on the management for creating such an environment. I just miss the old coffee loft, as many others have said in the reviews. Sure, it seems like a cute chill spot to out of towners, but it isn’t anything like it used to be. If and when this place gets it’s spark back, I’ll gladly...

Love the coffee here! Their drinks are the best in town of the shops I've been to. HOWEVER, there is at least one employee there - the short, small girl, who loves to tamper with food and smirk when she hands it to you and then brag to her coworkers, not just at the time that she does it, but each time you come in. I witnessed this personally when she handed a customer something, then was laughing and whispering to another employee whom I knew. I asked what she said and she said, "I'll tell you later." Later she told me that the girl had either done something to her food, or the food was dropped and she picked it back up and used it. She was uncertain since the girl told whispered in front of customers but she stated that this has happened in many occasions with that particular employee and that she also points out customers who this has happened with in the past and laughs as she shares the stories of food tampering or contamination. This has taken the shine of our going here and I'm always skeptical when she works and feel like I have to watch them make my food now. I rarely go there anymore. While I would have given them a five-star, food tampering makes it barely worth two. I'm sure the managers have gotten wind of this but yet she is...

Won't go back.

It was an interesting experience. I've driven by many times and really wanted to try it. Parking was a pain, and walking in I was hit with the smell of mold/mildew and cleaning solutions. A bit off-putting, but okay. They do take Covid seriously inside, signs pointing where to go that seem to be a mere suggestion that people may or may not follow, and extra space between you and the employees. Menu looks amazing, like a candy shop for the caffeine addicted. Staff was not friendly, but rather abrupt, on the cell phone, or unwelcoming. The coffee... was bad enough to make me cry. I selected one of the lattes, and they did it with whole milk and extra foam, but either used the dregs from someone else's espresso or forgot the coffee altogether because it tasted more like a flavored milk steamer than a latte. The frozen coffee was just as bad, a hard slush that had more resemblance in taste and texture to cake batter than a frozen coffee. Once again the coffee part being forgotten. No...