Waterbean Coffee Exquisite — Restaurant in Gastonia

⭐☆☆☆☆ — Beautiful Café, Poor Service Experience at Waterbean Coffee (Gastonia) I recently visited Waterbean Coffee in Gastonia for the first time, and while the café itself is absolutely beautiful, the experience was very disappointing overall. The décor and atmosphere were lovely, but the service and attention to detail were far below expectations.

When ordering, the cashier seemed overwhelmed but tried her best despite a long, constant line. I ordered a large coffee and asked if they could make it “light and sweet” with six creams and six sugars. I was told they had half and half, which I agreed to use. My partner ordered a tea, and we both ordered croissant sandwiches to go.

Our name was called three separate times, which was confusing for a to-go order. The first drink was served in a mug instead of a to-go cup, and when we corrected it, the blonde barista behind the counter seemed frustrated but transferred it into a paper cup. Everyone dining in had mugs with plates, yet ours came without — small detail, but it stood out.

The second drink came unlabeled and in the wrong-sized cup. We only knew which was which after opening them. Thankfully, a kind gentleman working in the kitchen area noticed and helped make things right — the only staff member who seemed genuinely kind and attentive. However, when the second drink was fixed, it came back in a white cup covered in stains and splashes. The coffee tasted bitter and unpleasant, and the cup was filled to the rim with no room to add cream or sugar. This was frustrating since I’d specifically asked for my coffee to be prepared at the front. Instead, I ended up making it myself at the back station.

What bothered me most was the inconsistent and sometimes unfriendly customer service. The barista behind the counter seemed selective in how she treated guests — giving plates and extra care to some while being dismissive to others. One of the most upsetting moments was seeing a disabled man politely ask for a to-go plate. Instead of helping or asking someone else to, she told him to “wave the woman down” when she came out of the kitchen. That was disappointing to witness.

When our food finally arrived (after our name was called for the third time), the croissant sandwiches were delicious — hot, fresh, and full of flavor with a great house sauce. The food was honestly the best part of the entire visit. However, again, the sandwiches weren’t labeled, so we had to open them to see which was which.

I also noticed some kitchen staff with long hair not wearing hairnets. As someone who’s worked in customer service and food service for over 20 years — and as a licensed cosmetologist trained in sanitation — I can say that proper food safety practices are important. Hairnets should be mandatory when preparing food.

Overall, the café felt understaffed and unorganized. The cashier was struggling, the counter worker was overwhelmed, and the kitchen staff seemed under pressure. The space is beautiful and has great potential, but the service and quality control need serious improvement.

Suggestions for improvement: Serve all drinks from one order together Label drinks and food items clearly Ensure cups are clean before serving Provide consistent, friendly customer service Add more front-of-house staff to help during rush hours Require name tags and hairnets for all employees Improve organization and workflow

It’s disappointing because I’ve been a loyal Waterbean Coffee customer in Charlotte for years and have always had great experiences there. Unfortunately, this Gastonia location did not meet the same standard. The food was great, the drinks were mediocre, and the service was poor.

For such a beautiful and seemingly upscale place, I expected better. Customer service is everything, and I truly hope management takes steps to improve. I might give it another try in the future, but based on this visit, it was not the relaxing or enjoyable morning we...

This was our 2nd trip to Waterbean. I ordered a pumpkin Stove Latte with whole milk. My wife asked if they could make the Snickerdoodle with Oat Milk and make it hot and they said they could. The Pumpkin Spice came out first. It tasted like hot milk. I couldn't tell there was any coffee in it and the "pumpkin spice" also tasted weird. They didn't tell us which drink they have is, so as we asked and they told us it was the Pumpkin Spice, my wife noticed that the barista was making a child drink. She said, "Of that's the Snickerdoodle, it's suppose to be hot with Oat Milk". (She is lactose intolerant). They said, "Oh. Hot? Do you want the cold foam on top? My wife said, "Is it made with Oat Milk?" They said, "No, but without the cold foam it's just white mocha, because we put the flavoring on top of the cold foam". So, she opted for a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I had not said anything about the fact that I didn't care for mine. When she got hers she said, "It's watery. I didn't even taste any coffee". I then ordered for "2 separate espresso shots" to add to our lattes. They brought me a double shot in one cup. Ok, so we split it and added it to our lattes. My wife said, "This tastes like muddy water out of an old boot". They just weren't good, no matter what we did. I really, really wanted to support them and I want them to be successful, but I can say that we won't be back. Makes me sad. The place is beautiful and maybe their...

This location is very nice of course but I have to say that the coffee is nothing special, I would pick Panera a Starbucks etc over this place any day.,. I feel horrible to have to say this but I have to be honest McDonald's frappes and coffee is even a hundred times better. All that we got were two frappes a bagel with cream cheese and a croissant and waited for 55 minutes and this was after the rush on Saturday morning we paid for our items at 11:56 and did not walk out the door until 12: 55. Yes the atmosphere is beautiful and you can tell that someone put money into the interior / exterior but that doesn't make the coffee or the food taste any better I did ask for a toasted bagel and all I got was a warm bagel. My husband got a Dubai croissant (chocolate croissant) he did like that.,.. we live in the Trenton Mill apartments right behind the coffee shop and probably will not go back... I do understand that they did just open 2 weeks ago and they are trying to get everything figured out but as far as the quality I'm not impressed and waiting an hour for a bagel and croissant seemed a little much.. especially that the rush was already over with. Not to mention it was right at $30 for two frappes a bagel with cream cheese and a croissant. Great job...