MOD Coffeehouse — Restaurant in Galveston

I just had a very unexpected negative experience at MOD Coffee. Most baristas at other establishmentts give me a hard time when I ask them to add the Splenda while making my Americano, even though that's exactly the kind of extra service that tip jars are supposed to be for, so go figure. But I hate adding my own Splenda because of the mess, and, because, I find that putting the sweetener in the cup first before adding the espresso makes the coffee taste better. So, I'll often help out by handing my barista the Splenda so they don't have to look for any behind the counter. But because I didn't see the condiment island when I entered, I mistook the barista's stash of Splenda on the cashier counter as Splenda for public consumption and started to take a few packets to either hand to my barista or pour in my cup myself before he started my coffee. But instead of asking why I was taking the Splenda or simply letting me finish explaining my preference for adding the Splenda first, my barista admonished me for touching his stash and pulled the bowl away from me and actually pushed it under a machine so I couldn't touch it. The place wasn't busy and the barista was not in a bad mood. This was was just a case of him making a snap judgement that I was "breaking the rules" and letting that become more important than asking me questions and seeing what i wanted. So instead of providing good customer service resulting in a tip, this gentleman pulled the dk move of all dk moves, resulting in my walking out...

Here's a five-star review for MOD Coffeehouse:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"MOD Coffeehouse is hands down the coolest coffee shop in Galveston! ☕️✨ As soon as you walk in, you can’t miss the marker to the right of the door that shows the water level from the hurricane about ten years ago—six feet of water! It’s incredible to see how gorgeous the place has become since then.

The decor is super hipster, with unique furniture that makes you want to stay all day. There’s even a second room for playing games, which adds to the fun atmosphere. Plus, there's a mysterious loft above the barista area that intrigues me every time I visit. Rumor has it that a local ghost resides here, adding to the coffeehouse's charm! 👻

The outdoor seating area is spacious and stylish, perfect for enjoying a coffee while soaking up the sun. They even host live music outside every week or so, which is a great way to unwind.

Adjacent to MOD is a fantastic bookstore that even has little rainbow stickers to highlight LGBTQ+ titles, reflecting Galveston's vibrant gay and lesbian community. Next door, there's an ice cream shop and a Witchery, making this location prime for exploring.

With so many places to visit in downtown, MOD Coffeehouse stands out as a must-visit spot. I can't...

Don’t let the ⭐4.7 rating and 2,200 reviews fool you — my first visit here was terrible. When I asked about house-made syrups, the barista told me the only one was “cinnamon sugar,” which isn’t even a syrup. I tried to have a conversation and mentioned that I make my own syrups at home, but she flat-out ignored me — incredibly rude, especially when a customer is speaking directly to you.

Then, when my drink was ready, an older man loudly yelled my name 📢 as if giving a speech — even though I was the only customer at the counter — and he wouldn’t make eye contact. Very unprofessional and not personable at all 👎. I ordered their “Holly” latte (which is supposed to have cinnamon sugar, vanilla, and toffee nut), but I couldn’t taste most of it. Maybe a faint hint of vanilla and a little sweetness, but definitely no cinnamon sugar and no real toffee nut flavor. On top of that, the espresso was overly acidic, and the drink just didn’t come together 🤢.

It feels like they don’t actually care about customer service here — customers are treated as just transactions. For a place with such high praise, my first experience was a huge disappointment ❌. I would not recommend...