Capachi’s Coffee and Tea — Restaurant in Hot Springs

Quick synopsis: A local spot that seems to be a hidden gem with good espresso from a local roaster, a great atmosphere, and a bunch of different syrup combos and specialty seasonal drinks that hit the spot. Did I mention polite and helpful baristas? Check them out!

Long version: I've only been once, but I was impressed. As someone who drinks A LOT of coffee and espresso at home and out and about when I get the chance, I like to think I have decent input. The espresso is from a local roaster that is very good and the menu is right up my alley. They have all the normal flavors of syrup, but also include some of my favorite combinations like bourbon and maple. The atmosphere is actually one of the best in town and the barista was very friendly, talkative, and helpful even though we showed up 30min to close time. This place leans on the sweet side, but that can be remedied easily by telling your barista to be extra easy on the sweetener/syrup. I ordered the Maple Cuban, a latte with two shots in the 12oz. I asked for it not too sweet and it came out almost perfect. From the info the barista gave, the iced coffees and lattes are some of their best sellers amongst the college and high school crowd. I ordered a maple glazed scone to go. I'll...

My friend’s and I were visiting Hot Springs and decided to check out this coffee shop since it was close to our Airbnb. We walked in and waited in line for 20+min even though there was only 3 people in front of us, not that big of a deal but the baristas were talking amongst each other and messing up orders. We waited another 30-45 min before we finally got our coffees and bagels. They also forgot our kolaches and we had to remind them twice about it. We were the only ones left in the shop at the end and the baristas continued to work very slowly and talk about very unprofessional topics while we could hear them. The worst thing was that this coffee shop is located in a church, we didn’t realize that before we walked in. The baristas referred to us as “outsiders” which is extremely unprofessional and rude. They were definitely giving the “church-goers” priority over us so it makes sense why we had to wait so long. The food was also super bland and the bagels were nearly burnt. Coffee was bland with hardly any taste. Overall worst experience we had in Hot Springs for sure. I do hope those baristas think before they call people “outsiders” again because that’s not a good look for the coffee shop, especially for people visiting from...

The biggest saving grace was the service. The baristas were quite friendly. My cappacino tastes like weak instant espresso and the foam lacks a thick consistency. We planned on dining in with our coffee's but the atmosphere was uncomfortable (too spacious and felt more like a church lobby than a coffeehouse). The lid to my partner's drink was lackluster and didn't fit properly, leaking like crazy. The prices are not reflected in the quality and doesn't hold up to artisan coffee best practices. If Starbucks is the sad standard they still fall short. There is potential though and doesn't deserve a 1 star as far as I can tell.

On further notes: We are both vaccinated but we still like to see signs for ease of conscience that workers are vaccinated or wear masks. I also wish the Baptist affiliation was a little more clear on the website. I appreciate that it isn't shoved down the patrons' throats but there was just enough to make me and my partner uncomfortable. Maybe making the enterprise a coffeehouse mission or something would be a good use of clear advertising and giving back. (I would also know what to expect as far as coffee quality...