EMISSARY CAFE — Restaurant in Miami

Revision - Not an hour after posting the review below, the owner reached out to me to apologize and explain the circumstances of what occurred. I really appreciate him doing so and while my initial experience today was not ideal, he did everything to make it right.

Dogs allowed or not? If not, the policy surely isn’t enforced regularly. My wife and I were there on Sunday afternoon and sat inside next to a large sheep dog and two women. Because of this we assumed dogs were allowed inside. There is no sign to say otherwise. Thus my wife and I decide to have breakfast there two days later.

My wife arrives before me and sits in the corner with our docile golden retriever. She orders the food to eat for here and when the food arrives it is in a to go container which was odd but then I realized they are trying to push us out. I personally ask for an extra cup for my coffee and they then tell me dogs aren’t allowed inside. I asked if they can make an exception as clearly this isn’t always the rule and to top it off there are no tables outside because a group of a dozen people took them all. He made a face that basically made me not want to be there anymore. I went outside and my wife ate some of her breakfast but was also turned off and didn’t finish it.

I’ve been there a few times before and the staff previously was always friendly and the coffee very good, but you don’t have a sign or a clear policy. As a coconut grove establishment I think they should be more...

I visited Emissary for coffee to eat and do work on my laptop for about 2hr. The cafe was small yet chic with a good ambiance. I purchased an almond croissant and latte which were excellent. The baristas were friendly. Service up until the end was good. Toward the end of my stay, I noted that my table stated no laptops and after about 30min I was asked to move to the back. There were no available tables. I am a busy working professional and have never been asked by any coffee shop to move to the back. Not to mention, a manager or owner came out several times and greeted the customers next to me but did not acknowledge me and I just spent $15 at this cafe. It was not until I came up to him and told him who I was and inquired about the laptop policy that he informed me that those were his friends. He also explained the laptop policy which I understood due to the small space but I was the only laptop person in the cafe who again just spent $15.

Here is my piece of advice to this manager and business. Please go back to the drawing board and review basic customer service skills. Second, as the only laptop person in the cafe who just spent $15 at your cafe, it is very rude and unprofessional to tell me to go to the back.

My recommendation, customers go here but be in and out or simply shop around for a better experience. This place needs to learn the essence of building coffee shop community and how to cater to different customers and not your "friends." ...

If you want to spend an hour with a croissant sandwich and a coffee while sending emails, this is not your place.

Updated to reflect the correct number of laptop seats

The coffee is Counter Culture and the croissants are from Flour & Weirdoughs, both are delicious! I have been about six times, and enjoy the vibe and the staff are generally friendly.

Today, however, I watched my very pregnant sister attempt to send some emails on her laptop. She asked if she could use her laptop for a while because all five seats in the laptop section were taken. A staff member said "yes," as long as it was not for a long time. Someone soon came with a label maker to put on the table a sticker reading" "No laptops." while she was still seated at the table. She felt very uncomfortable and felt compelled to leave.

I understand that every business needs to make money, and this might be standard practice in New York, but this is Miami, despite how many people might be moving here from there.

As a Miami local and long-time Grove resident, this kind of passive-aggressive behavior/policy ruins the spirit, cultura, and hospitality that Miami is known for.

I gave it three stars because I like the product and general vibe, but I was very disappointed by witnessing this experience...