Rook Coffee — Restaurant in Freehold Township

⭐ 1 Star. “Rook Coffee: where the beans are bold, but the experience is a decaf disaster.” ☕😐💸🧊🕳️

Let me paint a picture: It was a Sunday morning, birds chirping, caffeine levels at emergency low, and I, a hopeful soul, wandered into Rook Coffee in Freehold seeking salvation in a cup. What I got instead was a $6 cup of cold brew and an existential crisis.

🧊 The coffee was so strong it tasted like it had unresolved trauma. One sip and my left eye started twitching. I think I astral projected into a parallel universe where flavor was replaced with dark-roasted jet fuel and sadness.

🧑‍🔬 They don’t have milk. Not even a whiff. “We only use oat milk here.” Oh cool. So my choices are between plant-based froth and disappointment? I just wanted a splash of cow. Not to join a dietary cult. 🐄❌

☠️ And let’s talk atmosphere: industrial minimalist chic, or as I like to call it — “unfinished basement with ambition.” No seats, no music, no warmth. Just me, my too-cool-for-you barista, and the sound of my bank account weeping.

💸 Paid $6.25 for something that tasted like it had a personal vendetta against my taste buds. I asked for sugar. They handed me a philosophical lecture about flavor integrity. Sir, I am not here for a TED Talk. I'm here to wake up.

🧃 BONUS: Their menu is one line long. Literally. “What do you have?” “We serve coffee.” Oh. Thanks. That clears everything up.

Final Verdict: Coffee strength: Nuclear. May violate Geneva Convention. ☢️ Customer service: Aloof, distant, possibly AI-generated. 🤖 Vibe: If an Apple Store and a garage sale had a baby. 🏚️

Would I return? Only if held hostage by a vegan...

As always another great experience at Rook. I am almost a daily guest at the Freehold Rook. I don't comment as often as I should so allow this to encompass and describe my overall experience over the last few months since my last post.

It seems as the infectious, kind, polite and energized personality of Michael has spread to the whole team. The whole team is full of smiles (even when bogged down in the weeds) I would like to express my highest regards (this time) to Christine and Sean!

Each visit, I am greeted with Hi Jimmy, they pretty much know my drink, but sometimes I surprise them with a curveball. Today, I wanted to try something new and Sean took his time to make some suggestions with their flavor profiles (even though there is signage).

As always Christine runs the show. She always recognizes you and makes sure each guest knows they care even if there is a small wait. I am not sure if she is team leader, but she definitely handles herself as such and it seems as if the other team members respect her as well.

Once again, great job Rook and keep...

Had a cup of their Costa Rica and it ended up tasting weak and underextracted.

Single origin coffees served hot seem to all be done as a pour over at Rook. Cool. But I watched in horror as the barista filled a measuring glass with 16 oz of water (a notably large amount for their smallest size) and dumped it on the ground coffee in one pour. A minute or two later, my coffee was ready. I could drink it for nearly ten minutes because it was so hot.

The coffee itself seemed to be good. It’s not particularly cheap or easy to run a coffee shop using freshly roasted single origin coffees. Care was put in by Rook to get this far. But dumping 16 oz of boiling water on a bed of grounds is fumbling at the goal line.

They’d be better off getting a big commercial brewer. It would save them time and make a better...