Rise & Grind — Restaurant in Graham

Would have been 5 stars but...

This coffee shop is a great example of how an employee can affect a customer's experience. My family and I stayed in Ashford for a few nights and visited this shop on 2 consecutive mornings.

The 1st morning was honestly one of the best coffee shop experiences we have ever had! 5 stars for EVERYTHING. Drinks were fantastic, service was top notch (I think it was the owner), prices were reasonable for being so close to Mt Rainier.

2nd morning was quite the opposite. The baristas were different and it was honestly a pretty bad experience. I would have given 2-3 stars for the drinks/service. They forgot items, and gave us 2 incorrect drinks. Their attitude was also very disappointing. No smiles, annoyed faces, no eye contact. Not welcoming at all. It really seemed like they wanted to be anywhere but at that shop.

So, depending on who you get to serve you, you may have a fantastic experience or bad to average. I would go back again because of how great the first experience was but if I got service like I did the 2nd time, I would find somewhere else to...

I like this drive through espresso stand. The menu is extensive and looks thoughtful. Service was pleasant. That being said, if you like sweet drinks, read no further, this place will work well. If you're into cappuccino/latte/espresso without sugar, this is midling quality. The shots pull too fast and the milk is steamed similar to how Starbucks does it, so it's not the best texture. I write this both to give an accurate picture to anyone looking forward to what they could experience and to hopefully encourage the shop to keep improving, because they have a very nice thing going on and I wish...

Headed out of Ashford after staying in a cabin for the weekend with only a French press, stale grounds, and hard water. I wasn't willing to wait 55 minutes to get to a 'familiar' coffee shop so stopped here on the edge of town. There was another customer being served. The barista apologized for the wait, which was minimal and took my order and accommodated me by using my cup. Then she thoughtfully filled it with enough room below the top so that I didn't spill any as I replaced my lid. My Americano was excellent. Good temperature and more flavor than I'm used to with the chains....