Starbucks — Restaurant in Live Oak

I don't usually drink coffee from Starbucks. It's just overrated, overpriced, burnt-tasting mud-water. About the only thing I can drink are the frozen drinks which are even more expensive than their regular drinks.

But today was special. My boss gave me a gift card for teacher appreciation day, and I had a little time this afternoon (unusual for me) without my kids around, so I thought I would treat myself before picking them up from school. There was a line around the drive thru, so I walked into the store. I stood next to the counter for a minute or two, the time it took me to look up the gift card in my email, and after waiting a couple more minutes while the employees engaged in their individualized tasks, a young lady turned around, and asked, "Are you here to order?"

The question took me aback. It was not a friendly greeting (which was not offered when I entered the store). Rather it was a rhetorical question, intended to startle me. I didn't have a response. In fact, my first impulse (which I resisted) was to say, "No, I heard you needed help holding down your counters, so I'm here just to lean on them."

She waited the standard 2.6 seconds before she continued: "If you want to order, you have to be there, not there." (Literally two feet away from where I'm standing.) And she turned and went about whatever she was doing.

Today, I got another reason not to visit Starbucks. I learned that even when I'm the only person in the store (with cars wrapped around the drive thru), if I don't stand in the exact pre-approved location (which is not marked), I'm not worthy of their time. They proved themselves not worthy of my...

I don’t usually don’t post reviews but I felt I needed to say something. I go to this location all the time since it’s on my way to work and it’s close to where I live. On Sunday October 2nd, I ordered my usual drink, came home and consumed it within an hour or two since it’s on ice. I was almost finished when I noticed something green under the cold foam and I thought it was mold at first. I grabbed a spoon and luckily it wasn’t mold but it was a salt packet. The drink I order is made with salt but how it made its way into the cup is unknown. Paper isn’t harmful but it’s the fact that if something else gets inside a beverage that can’t be ingested (like a do not consume package packet or parts of plastic) then that can be a problem.

Then, this morning October 3rd, I went again and the drink I ordered tasted off. It didn’t taste like caramel but it was toasted vanilla syrup (I think) I’ve had that flavor before when caramel was out but it wasn’t what I paid for and it was disappointing. I still drank it since I didn’t want it to go to waste and I was already on my way to work when I sipped it. I’m not a big fan of vanilla drinks so it wasn’t enjoyable. I understand mornings are hectic and baristas are working fast but customers also pay a lot of money here if they come often. That’s why I’m giving 4 stars since I think some areas can be improved.

The staff here are super friendly and the speed of mobile orders are very efficient here. I just think when we are in a rush, things can be missed and overlooked and can...

It is actually quite appalling that that these people still have a job in customer service. I am a customer service manager myself so it blows my mind that this can occur and we considered okay. We just went through the drive thru where we purchased a matcha green tea which I religiously get every day. Upon pulling out of the parking lot I tasted the latte and noticed a very disturbing fish taste and when I removed the lid it smelled terribly of fish. Having only just pulled away we turned around and were back in the drive thru 4 minutes later exactly which was 10:03pm. We explained the issue and the manager Sydney informed us that they were closed and we would have to come back tomorrow to get a new one. We asked if they could remake the drink and she said she could not tonight. To have a drink made with denatured matcha that tastes foul and then be told I will be inconvenienced by having to come back tomorrow because of 3 minutes after hours is unfathomable . Starbucks has been a brand I firmly believe in and even use as an example in my customer service training at our company, but after this incident I will not be returning to starbucks. Dont waste your time and at least go to a different store...