Black Fly Coffee Co. — Restaurant in Holden

I was hoping this would be a great independent espresso shop, as this area really needs one. Unfortunately, so far I've had two underwhelming experiences here. Iced espresso drinks are watery with way too little ice, the espresso roast is a bit "brighter/lighter" than I prefer and the mocha is bland. The iced dirty chai is similar--very watery, didn't have any espresso in it (so not "dirty") and I was given regular cow milk instead of the almond milk I ordered, making it undrinkable for me. :( We also tried to order a latte, but they're out of the brown sugar cinnamon syrup. The baristas need additional training, which makes the lack of quality, flavorful ingredients more apparent. I am really hoping this place gets an overhaul, as I've been NEEDING (not wanting, it's a NEED) an espresso drive-thru since moving here from Seattle. It's in my blood! :) Please seek out a couple experienced baristas to lead and train your staff. If you're a coffee co that doesn't actually roast your own coffee, at least stock a darker, more robust roast for your espresso so your espresso-based drinks have more vigor. Also, a couple of the pastries on the drive-thru menu are ambiguous; I have no idea what they are solely by reading their names. Hamentashen? Rugelach? Ube cookies? Schnoobertubers? lol I want pastries. I love to eat. Please add a photo or illustration or some sort of context clues! :) I'm staying hopeful for now, as it's still early enough that this place has time to get it...

We are traveling through Maine and one of my favorite things to do is find coffee spots to stop at along our route. Black Fly Coffee Co. is conveniently located on 1A with an easy access drive through. Unfortunately, I think Black Fly has some kinks to work out.

Their electronic menu screens were having errors, the drive thru worker could not hear us through the drive thru speaker (made me flustered) and we found our order to just be “okay.” I ordered a regular drip coffee with a little milk and it tasted very watery - I wonder if they’re using the right ratio of grounds for their equipment or if they double brewed on the morning we visited. Our baked goods were yummy. Still! All fixable with practice. I wish...

Nice coffee spot! Great tasting coffee, great donuts, and a wonderful experience. Would go back again! A side note, the place is small and I imagine the owners work together, just the two of them. They got busy right after we showed up and the place was cramped and I think this will become a friction point in the future. May need to hire another hand during peak times to mitigate wait times and too many people being smashed into a small space. Overall, wonderful experience and best of luck to you both. It was a courageous decision to open a business...