Starbucks — Restaurant in Leander

Get Your Foam and Your Feelings Under Control

Look, my spouse and I are regulars. We know our drinks, we know this location, and we know when a nitro pour is off. On the evening of May 13, 2025, we ordered our usual: a nitro cold brew. What we got was half foam, half cold brew. The kind of pour that tells you the keg’s off or someone forgot how draft systems work.

I let the barista know—casually. He pours me another one, it had the same issue. He hits me with a textbook monologue about how “nitro cold brew is infused with nitrogen.” Yeah mate, no kidding. I was a chemistry major. I know how infusion works. Thanks for the TED Talk.

I asked if we could just switch to cold brew. The flavor’s off when the ratio’s wrong—and if you’ve ever actually tasted this stuff properly poured, you’d know it.

Apparently this was the "supervisor", Jason. His big move? Tells me, “I gave you two drinks.” Thanks, Jason. Math checks out. But let’s not pretend this was a solution.

At that point, I let it go. We sat in the parking lot, eating sandwiches and sipping our sad little nitrogen clouds.

But then—just when you think it’s done—comes the encore.

As we drive off, a barista named Bear waves at us from behind the counter. Okay, sure, maybe he is waving at someone invisible person in the store? Nope, even better, he walks to the front door, apron on, broom in hand, face practically glued to the glass, continuing to wave as we pull onto the road. Like it’s some awkward farewell scene from a movie. Except this wasn’t cute. It was unprofessional, passive aggressive, and pathetic.

All of that... because I gave feedback on a drink and asked for a repour or a different drink?

Jason said I could come back for a refund or a new one. That’s the bare minimum. But what no one addressed was the strange behavior from staff named, Bear. No accountability. No ownership. Just this insecure little display dressed up as customer service.

I guess they missed Starbucks' motto during their orientation: "To be the premier purveyor of the finest coffee in the world, inspiring and nurturing the human spirit -- one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time."

Here’s the thing: if you work in this industry, feedback isn’t an attack. It’s part of the job. If your team can’t take a little critique without turning it into theater, maybe it’s time to hang up the apron.

No need to be a whiner and take it...

Do I have to give this place 1 star even? Something over the last six months has happened to this location. It is by far the slowest starbucks i have ever visited. Last time i came in i skipped the drive through because the line was long thinking it would be faster inside. I was wrong. I waited 30 minutes. Part of that time was because the lady that was making the orders stuck my order sticker in a place she didnt remember. I went up to ask what place i was in line after a 20 minute wait and then she said i dont even have your order but then she found the order sticker put somewhere out of the line of production. I chanced it again today even though the drive through is long mostly because there are really no other coffee places in Leander, Tx. And i have been sitting in line for 20 minutes, have not placed my order yet, will probably be sitting for another 20 minutes and this drive through is such that if you change your mind and dont want to wait the extreme amount of time for fast coffee you have no choice you are stuck in line with no exit. This location is so horrible and they are losing a ton of business because the people inside the store do not know how to run it. Im suprised people will wait this long for coffee but then again its probably because they get stuck in line. Please leander open another coffee place with a drive through so we have...

I'm a 15 year partner with Starbucks and I've never been to a worse store. I am not exaggerating when I say that today I waited thirty minutes for three iced coffees in the drive through with three cars in front of me. Most of the time I was at the window. They communicated that the coffee was finishing up brewing and would be two min. We asked if they wanted us to pull up and no response. Then no communication just waiting. We got the iced coffees and they were made totally wrong. Sent them back in because we've waited so long I at least wanted the correct beverage. They gave us the wrong cake pops well and so we had to send those back as well. While waiting I heard the manager take calls from people in line behind us complaining they are stuck in a 25/30 min line. She told them she had a large order at the window. Three iced coffees and a few cake pops is not a large order. We received no apology for the crazy amount of time we wasted getting our beverages and I didn't appreciate the blame for the wait being placed on us as we were being honked at by the cars behind us. My sister lives in this area and frequents this store often only because it's the only store nearby and she says this is typical for this location. I work at a store in Fort Worth and am ashamed to see this kind of service happening...