Lord Hill Espresso — Restaurant in Monroe

Bad coffee, bad baristas, and tons of foam.

I’ve never written a review before but I figured after my experience here I would do my first. I’ve been here a few times and I’ve only had 1 good experience but the last 2 times were not good at all. On Monday September 23rd I asked for a 24 ounce chai eggnog latte with NO FOAM. The barista makes my drink hands it to me and I drive forward just a bit and stop because I can tell by the weight of the cup there is a lot of foam in the drink. I lift the lid and what do I see…well over an inch of foam so I reverse back to the window…I didn’t ask the barista to remake my drink (she also didn’t offer to remake it) I wasn’t rude, I didn’t ask for my money back I nicely asked for a spoon and cup because there is foam. I didn’t mind scraping the foam out myself that time because I figured she just forgot my order.

Well I come back to lord hill today Wednesday September 25th and ask for the same drink (NO FOAM) this time when I look again there is a ton of foam but it also tasted like they are cutting their eggnog with milk (to save money), the barista had also steamed the milk or the chai inside the cup itself instead of using a proper milk pitcher she clearly didn’t use a thermometer and pay attention to the temp because I also scorched my mouth. I had to leave to an appointment but I came back a couple hours later with the drink and asked them to nicely remake it and I’m met with the rudest customer service.

First the girl I’m dealing with is a tall older looking brunette. She is the one that made my drink on Monday the 23rd and she proceeds to say “we have to steam the milk blah blah blah 🤪” I informed her that I was a barista for 10 years I know you have to steam the milk I don’t need you to explain to me how to make the drink and what froth is…

She then decides to bring up that she remembers making my drink on Monday and how I drove back to get a cup and spoon (so you are mad at me because I drove back and grabbed a cup and spoon because I paid $7 for a drink (not foam) and on top of that I nicely asked for a cup and spoon to dig out the foam that shouldn’t have been in my drink in the first place?💡🤯)

So then the other Barista jumps in and says “I saw the girl make your drink and I just want you to know she didn’t aerate the milk so there couldn’t have been foam”. I told her that I have a picture and clearly she did aerate it because the cup is full of foam she responds with “well that’s fine you have a picture but I know she didn’t aerate the milk”

I will add that I do know that it’s hard to not get foam when steaming and you always get a little foam whenever you steam milk…BUT this was more than a little foam. It’s the baristas job to make sure they hold foam back with the spoon and if foam still forms don’t be lazy and scrape the foam off the top and fill the cup the rest of the way because that is what the customer paid for. Everyone’s struggling these days and when someone pays $8-9 for a drink and tip and that’s their little treat the least you can do is your job and make it right. Also if you just don’t know how to properly make coffee or can’t make a drink without foam just say so and I would have said no big deal and left.

I’m not being a princess I literally cant drink foam because it feels like hot spit and it grosses me out. I know it’s possible to make drinks with no foam…you are just either too lazy or don’t know how to make coffee. I’m assuming it’s both for the baristas at Lord Hill since they swear that these drinks in the pictures have “no foam”

First picture is from Monday the 23rd where the older girl says she held the foam back with a spoon. This picture shows the drink with a thick layer of foam still after I’ve scooped out over an inch of foam…second picture is from today September 25th when the other barista says she knows for a fact the milk wasn’t aerated by the girl who made my drink…this picture proves otherwise. Thanks Lords Hill for inspiring my very first ever review. You earned it

Sorry readers for the errors...

FALSE ADVERTISING! They claim to have milkshakes. I have been CRAVING a mocha shake since Tully's closed. I was so excited that I drove all the way around the traffic circle to go back after I noticed milkshakes on the reader board. I waited a long time behind another car, but that was fine because I was getting a mocha shake! When I got to the window, I specifically asked if they had real ice cream. The baristas said they had soft serve. I thought, "Great! That is what Tully's had." My husband and daughter heard me say milkshake and both wanted one. Then when she was making it I noticed she put ice in the blender. I was so disappointed. I spent way too much money on two frappuccinos that no one wanted or liked. My daughter forced hers down, but my husband only took one drink of his. Thankfully I said something in time that she had only made two. She offered to not make the third and not charge me for it. (Although she should have asked if I still wanted them at all.) If I wanted a frappuccino I would have ordered that. We wanted milkshakes! Milkshakes do not have ice in them! Change your reader board and be more specific that you have ice cream base that you mix with ice (just like every other coffee stand). I won't go back...

I usually LOVE this espresso stand, but whoever was the barista today was just not it. I asked for a matcha lemonade, which is a pretty common matcha drink so I didn't think there would be issues, and she made it with MILK so I drove away with essentially a cup of inedible yogurt. I went back to have her remake it and let her know that it's supposed to be made with water, not milk, thinking that maybe she was just new or something, no big deal. But when I got my remake, she added less milk, but there's obviously still milk in there because it's so curdled it looks like toxic brain matter. I don't know if they maybe use a matcha latte mix instead of just matcha, but if they do the barista should know that so when you order and specify no milk they can let you know so you don't end up with something disgusting or even a massive allergy attack!!! Very disappointed and pretty upset it took my whole lunch break so I can't even go back to get a refund or a normal lemonade since she can't...