Saints Rest Coffee House — Restaurant in Grinnell

Bummed that this was such a disappointment but it was even worse because we went 40 minutes out of the way in order to try this place. I don’t know if the lady with tattoos and gray hair was having an extremely bad day or if that’s just how she is, but she was hands down the meanest/rudest/unpleasant barista(?) I’ve ever met. My mom tried to explain that her chai tea was not strong enough and not enough which seems fairly self explanatory. My mom gave a big frustrated sigh and was going to walk away and drink her nasty tea so I stepped in to facilitate communication. I tried to explain what the request was and The employee lady got SO frustrated that my mom wanted a stronger chai but wasn’t asking for it to be sweeter until we finally realized this place uses a pre mixed solution from a pump. Without that context I think it’s reasonable for your patrons to ask for a stronger tea. Also tea from a pump solution isn’t really tea, it’s a syrup. So that shows you the quality of ingredients they use. Once we figured out they use a fake syrup for chai, my mom asked for just a cup of black tea with milk, the lady SNATCHED my mom’s cup from her and walked away super mad. This woman needs training on how to communicate with customers and how to deescalate a situation if they see their customers are starting to become frustrated themselves. While dealing with all of that, my order for a plain latte got mixed up with a sweet cappuccino and I got stuck with a weak, overly sweet disgusting “cappuccino”. Will never step foot in this place again thank GOD.

Weird way to respond to legitimate criticism. Also a bit inconvenient to get off the highway and drive back upon realizing you guys can’t make a decent cappuccino. Maybe try being...

I had the pleasure of visiting Saints Rest yesterday for the 1st time. Our internet was out and I needed a solid place I could work for several hours.

First of all, the space! It’s adorable - a mix of old and new, lots of artwork up on the walls, tin ceiling tiles, and various types of seating available, too - from traditional table and chairs to comfy couches! It’s such a warm, welcoming space.

The lemon muffin was delish! I learned they’re baked fresh daily. Drinks - I had a large iced mocha and a few soda waters. Yummy!

If you need a place to set up your laptop to crank out some work, this place is perfect! Free WiFi - and there are extra power strips throughout - for just that very reason. Wow!

The best part though - the staff! I neglected to catch the staff members’ name who initially welcomed and helped me. I do remember Ren though! They were especially kind to me - sharing more about the cafe (pro tip they told me - it’s much cooler to sit in the middle to back of the place vs the windows in front of the stage). I had set-up my mini office at one of the tables looking right outside the windows. Ren noticed (it was near closing time mind you!) I had gulped down my water and brought me another. Wow! Definitely not the personal touch you’d get at some stuffy, corporate place (like Starby’s).

Overall, highly recommend — and, I will...

Been really disappointed with Saints Rest these past two years. The drinks are super inconsistent in quality depending on who is working. I get the same two drinks every time, but somehow it is always differently priced (and more than what is written on the boards). They started using concentrate for iced lattes which is disappointing. My first two years in Grinnell I really enjoyed the coffee here, but now I can only get the lotus drinks since they’re usually consistent (though they have been messed up before). I think the cookies are great, and it’s a nice place to study. I just wish the coffee...