Starbucks — Restaurant in Mountain View

One of the best Starbucks I've ever been to. There are two seating areas, one quieter and cozier and conducive to studying with lots of outlets (one at each seat), and the other main one in the primary entry / ordering area. One of the things I really value is the friendly patrons -- I can ask someone to watch my stuff for a minute if I need to use the restroom and genuinely feel like my laptop is safe. It makes it much nicer to work there for a half or full day for that reason. Another reason I love this place is because the main barista is super generous. For example, a few weeks ago, my friend told me when you use the Starbucks app, you get free refills on drip coffee. (Note: It's true and a huge perk of going to Starbucks over other shops, esp. since you get a free drink with every 125 points -- 2 points per dollar spent -- in the app). Anyway, I had been at a different Starbucks earlier this particular morning and had a meeting at this San Antonio Starbucks mid-morning so I brought my cup thinking I would get the free refill at the second Starbucks. It turns out the rule of free refills only holds for the same visit. So if you leave and come back or go to a different Starbucks, you can't get a free refill. The head barista at the San Antonio Starbucks gently explained this to me and then said she would do the free refill anyway since I didn't know. Saved me $3!...

I went to this starbucks location, and ordered my usual. The staff is efficient, accurate and courteous, even sparkling with some personality. They have sufficient inventory.

However, when trying to find a place to sit down, I noticed nothing but food waste, dirt and filth. I went to adjust a cushion on one of their outdoor seats, and found underneath it a bird's nest created out of bird feathers and dry, henna colored balls of hair. Ugh! Disgusting.

I went inside to find another place to sit and the small table available to me was covered with flakes of the last person's croissant. I was able to handle that, and enjoyed a good tea and some reading.

I reported the finding to the staff lady and she said she would send someone out to clean it. Maybe it's just me, after a career in food and beverage and one of my degrees in it, but clean is clean and dirty is dirty, and anyplace in that business should be clean. It's a health issue, not to mention now, a public issue.

My recommendation is to get your stuff to go...

I had a lovely interaction with a kind employee at the register today and felt compelled to write a review. I know life in the bay is fast paced and hectic, we all live it, but just a reminder to show kindness and empathy to the people you interact with. A simple conversation or "have a great day" goes a long way. Also keep in mind that these employees deal with daily hordes of hangry uncaffeinated people in the mornings.

That being said, I live nearby and know that this store has gone through a rough patch in the past couple of months. It's a high traffic location and not the largest store. I am glad to see that they've increased the staffing to try and help out with this. I encourage patrons to approach things with positivity and if you're satisfied with the service to add on a tip to show it. Thank you to that employee for leaving a lasting...