City Bowls — Restaurant in Homewood

I truly don't understand the allure to this place. Granted, I've never been to the ones in Huntsville area or otherwise, but surely this location doesn't warrant so many stars.

Firstly, when you come to the left side of the building, the door to enter is directly to your right- not the door immediately in front of you which would've made more sense. There's no signage indicating so, either, so prepare to look like an idiot pulling/pushing the door in front of you in front of a cafe full of uppity onlookers.

Secondly, the employees all looked and dressed like they had zero pride in their work and hadn't bathed in weeks. The girls were all wearing shirts that showed their entire stomachs (in 30-50 deg weather, no less). They just looked unkempt and disheveled and, had it not been for the lackadaisical welcome and service I received, I wouldn't have even mentioned it. You could tell they just didn't want to be there, and they made sure I knew they could care less if I was a patron there.

The only one who seemed to care was a young guy who kept rattling off the reason behind the café's name and how their beans were honestly and ethically sourced.

The girl who took my order got it wrong. It was a briar patch tea with honey. They added simple syrup. It wasn't steeped long enough so it tasted like someone dumped a tbsp of sugar in a cup of hot water (for $6). I know how it should taste because I've had it several times at my fave cafe in Hoover/Homewood.

The bathroom was dirty and had trash all on the floor. It looked like it hadn't been swept/mopped in ages.

The atmosphere was loud and chaotic. The music overhead was booming and was some terrible EDM wannabe Christmas music. Meanwhile, people were yelling over each other because they couldn't hear their conversations.

Needless to say, I took a sip of that nasty "tea", did maybe an hour of work, and got the heck outta there. All I can think is I hope their coffee is roasted with more skill than they used to botch a simple cup of...

The espresso coffee service is slow. We waited 6-7 mins for a latte. There was only one barista working the coffee bar—there was another alternating between taking orders and making food in the back.

The customer service of the barista we ordered from was poor. I asked if the employee could make me brewed coffee with one of their natural processed coffees. This location of HCR had at least 4 different varieties of naturals on their shelf. The employee looked at me with a blank stare and said “I don’t know what that is”. I told him a natural is also called a honey processed (I could literally see “honey decaf” on their shelf behind him). The employee said, “I don’t know, I just work here.” No duh—but you’re a barista at a third wave, speciality coffee shop. If you don’t know what a natural is vs a washed process, even though there’s literally four kinds on your shop shelf, you have clearly not been trained well or didn’t pay attention to that part of training.

Coffee quality of the drip and latte we bought was decent but not worth the price they’re charging for it relative to other coffee shops in this area of town.

The atmosphere is nice with a rustic modern vibe, clean and with good coffee shop music. Parking is a bit challenging during busy times.

Also the two girls working there were both showing off their midsection with short shirts. Just a bit odd given its wintertime and they’re serving...

Honest Coffee Roasters has become my sanctuary, especially when dreams turn into nightmares. Recently, I found myself trapped in the bureaucratic nightmare of the DMV in my sleep – the horror! Yet, amid the chaos, salvation came in the form of a dream, and the hero was none other than Honest Coffee Roasters' divine mocha coffee.

The dream was so vivid; the aroma of their mocha lingered, the rich ganache enticing my senses. It was like a beacon guiding me through the bureaucratic labyrinth. Waking up from that terrible dream, I couldn't shake off the craving for that heavenly cup of mocha from Honest Coffee Roasters. Whether it's the magic in their ganache or the overall warmth of the place, this coffee shop has a way of infiltrating even my dreams, turning them into delightful escapes.

Honest Coffee Roasters, you've earned your five stars not just for your exceptional coffee but for being the unexpected hero in my dreams. I wholeheartedly recommend this place to anyone seeking a taste of paradise, awake or in the...