Bluestone Lane 330 Madison Avenue — Restaurant in New York

The place looks run down and disheveled, only went in here as other establishments were packed and I needed something to eat right away due to my blood sugar. Ordered my food and another review from the same day (12/28) can attest the staff does not care one bit about your time. the worker took his sweet time talking to his co worker, who was nice, and even chatting with customers who walked in 10 minutes after I ordered, wasted both mine and his own time, whom chatted up a storm distracting him from making the most basic flavorless food on earth. They were “local guides” that were at this bluestone location “every week” but somehow didn’t know they ordered from the wrong location to pick up their drinks so he decided to stop what he was doing (making my order) to make their drinks (even though I had been waiting quite a bit at this point) and told them to cancel their other drinks to get a refund and drink he made them would be free. Every time he turned around to try to finish my order they would ask him questions and distract him even further. I waited in there so long my family waiting for me thought something went wrong, almost 25 minutes. I don’t know if this should be a review about those “local guides” who clearly aren’t so local, or if it should be about the worker...

My workday starts with a Bluestone coffee – and let me tell you, this isn’t your average cup. It hits hard, like a rocket-fueled punch of motivation. One sip and it’s like I’m flying through my tasks at work, absolutely killing it. Hands down, one of the best coffees I’ve ever had. Strong, bold, and consistently great.

The staff? Incredible. The moment I walk in, my coffee is already waiting on the counter – no words exchanged, just pure barista telepathy. That kind of service is rare, and it shows how well some of the employees know their regulars. It’s fast, friendly, and efficient – they deserve real credit for that.

But here’s the problem – the conditions behind the counter are a different story. No air conditioning in the middle of this brutal heat? The place feels like a sauna. It’s hard to enjoy my drink knowing the staff are working in what can only be described as literal hell.

And it shows – employees come and go faster than you can blink. It’s honestly sad because you can tell there are some really good workers here, but the turnover rate screams poor management. If Bluestone wants to keep delivering top-tier coffee and service, they desperately need to take care of their team. Better working conditions and better leadership could take this place from great...

I preordered a drink and a premade chia cup. When I arrived about 15 minutes later, the drink was ready but there was no food item. I asked if I should grab it myself, and they told me they were out and would need to make one. They asked if I still wanted it, so I said yes, of course, since I’d already ordered it, and asked why it hadn’t been prepared with my preorder. They didn’t have an answer, only that they were too busy at the time my order came in. They were annoyed with me for asking, and still did not proceed to make it.

What surprised me most was that no one offered a refund, substitution, or any kind of solution. I guess they assumed I’d just leave without what I paid for? I ended up taking a different chia cup instead, as I did not have time to just keep standing there, but overall it was disappointing service. I hope this was just a one-off experience, but it’s worth bringing to the...