Luce Avenue Coffee Roasters - River Oaks — Restaurant in Houston

FINAL UPDATE: BACK TO ONE STAR: The new 'super coarse' grind still sinks like crushed granite. I can't make cold brew. I also tried making coffee with it using single cup brew 'Vietnamese iced coffee' drip brewers, boiling in a pot like cowboy coffee, and put some on top of grinds (50/50) that do float in my French press... No matter what I try, I get tasteless brown water. Total fail. Now the grind may be wrong for my alternative techniques but I should be able to get coffee out of these grinds somehow, but I can't.

So, final review, 1 star for customer service in the shop. 1 star for the coffee served in store which I didn't try, therefore I'm giving the benefit of the doubt there... BUT I'm taking that 2nd star back for no one from management taking the time to check and reply to reviews here. In fact if no one ever replies I may go paste this review into Yelp. (I'm late updating this, I should have done it weeks ago. Sorry Google maps review readers.)

I almost feel bad about not giving at least two stars, but then I think of my $20 (including tax $20, that's right!) and gas for my two trips there). That's for less than 1 pound by the way. I think it was 14 ounces, they said when I first purchased... That's right, not even 1lb. it's not on the package either (just checked, still in my freezer for some reason), which is kind of sketchy if you ask me.

(1st update) Updated from 2 to 4 stars for great customer service and replacing my beans. We'll see if the super mega coarse grind solves the sinking grounds issue. They do add some conditioning minerals to their water so this may account for their successfully floating the grounds at the same fine vs coarse level that failed for me. Hoping to update to 5 stars assuming i end up with great coffee (have not made with new grounds yet - don't worry they are airtight in my freezer until then, tomorrow). (It'll actually be 4.51 stars with deduction for no response here in like two days 8-p).

Original review --

I came by for the first time this last Saturday looking to try local roasted beans for my home cold brew. I used to use a Toddy, but the plastic cracked a long while ago and I've just recently started making cold brew again but now with my medium sized French press.

Anyway, two stars right now are for the nice atmosphere and the two very nice, patient and helpful guys at the counter who both answered my questions and helped me select some beans (I find I like my cold brew best when I use light roast beans, but anyway).

They asked and I answered that I was looking for beans for French press cold brew and a coarse grind. The gentlemen who prepared the beans confirmed my request for a grind for "French press cold brew" as he handed me back my order.

Anyway, to wrap up, the beans are certainly not a coarse grind, the grounds don't float and I can't make cold brew in my French press with this coffee.

So I think, so far, what I've learned here is that coffee only floats with a coarse grind (I had thought it was only for more water to ground bean surface contact for cold brewing) and that you cannot make cold brew in a French press if the grounds don't float.

I tried twice, the second time i didn't touch the grounds at all as I poured water into the French press but the grounds still stayed on the bottom. Both times I ended up with cloudy water after 12 to 15+ hours. I've made coffee with self ground at the grocery store beans (WFM, Kroger) twice now this week since then and the grocery store grounds float, whether stirred, poked with a spoon or what not (I assume due to the coarse grind). My hot coffee French press friend confirmed to me his grounds float too, so I think I'm not crazy...

I hope Luce Ave can address this as I'd love to add some stars on. And / or please explain what I'm not understanding here about...

I usually enjoy coming to this coffee shop and have been a regular long enough to build up rewards. Unfortunately, my recent visit on Saturday evening was very disappointing. I ordered an iced latte with one pump of hazelnut syrup, but the drink tasted watered down and had no hazelnut flavor. When I politely asked for a remake (something that has been done in the past when mistakes happened), the barista was dismissive and rude.

Instead of addressing the issue, she kept repeating “no exchange, no refund,” even though I wasn’t asking for a refund or exchange—just for the drink to be made properly. She also told me she used a fresh shot of espresso, which didn’t address the watered down issue, and reminded me she “only put one pump in” as if that explained the lack of taste. Hopefully using a fresh shot of coffee is normal for every drink you make, otherwise is it common practice at Luce to use old shots ?? Not sure what her point was here. I’ve ordered half a pump before and it still tasted stronger, so this response didn’t make sense.

What made it worse was the attitude. When I mentioned that I come here often in the mornings/afternoon, she insisted she had “never seen me” because she usually closes at night, which felt dismissive and irrelevant. The interaction came across as unprofessional and unkind, and the drink was still poorly made in the end.

I really hope management addresses this, because I usually like this café and want to keep coming back. Customers shouldn’t be made to feel like a burden for politely pointing out when their drink doesn’t...

If you are here for the coffee, it was actually good. I just had to come on here and share my experience so no one else will have to be embarrassed like I just was. Long story short, I brought my daughter in to use the restroom and as we were coming out there was a lady standing at the exit waiting for me to tell me that the restroom was for customers only because apparently someone already broke something in their men’s restroom. I have use the restroom in here before without any issues. Let’s just say had I been a WHITE woman with my WHITE daughter they would have said absolutely nothing to me. I don’t know what she thought we could have broken in a restroom for less than five minutes when in all actuality my amazing daughter was sweet enough to add the paper roll to their dispenser because they had the toilet paper on the back of the toilet and not where it was supposed to be. And for you all at Luce Ave. It’s HOW you approach people, just standing in front of the door as we are leaving out to let us know that the restrooms are for customers only, lady you did the most. Learn how to evaluate the situation, it’s probably not my seven-year-old daughter that is going to break your restroom. I proceeded to turn around and walk right back in there, bought myself a cookie and a coffee that I did not want just because I will never let my daughter feel like she’s somewhere she’s not suppose to be simply because we didn’t...