Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Northampton

Not all Shelburne Falls locations are created equal. But this one! This one is EXCELLENT. I am never disappointed and, let me tell you, I am picky with my espresso drinks. And by that I mean you need to know how to make a proper espresso drink. Which is pretty uncommon. My espresso drink of choice is a Mocha Latte: espresso, steamed milk, chocolate of some sort.

It is extremely difficult to find a quality Mocha. But THIS King Street Shelburne Falls makes an EXCELLENT Mocha. I live in Vermont and if I am heading on 91 past Northampton during Shelburne Farms' business hours I am getting myself a Mocha!

I tried ordering if a few different ways. The "perfect" Mocha is a Medium because the balance between espresso, chocolate and milk is perfect. You can taste the espresso AND the chocolate.

You also need to use a quality chocolate in a Mocha. I don't actually know what chocolate they use here, but it's perfect. Not too sweet, but enough chocolate. (I don't like sweet. I'm not looking for a dessert type beverage in my Mocha. I don't go to Starbucks. Ever. )

My order is a Medium Mocha, whole milk, no whipped cream, extra hot. It is ALWAYS perfection. If I wanted a "larger drink" I Just order two. Because it's like baking. Sometimes you can't just "double" a recipe. You know?

I have the Shelburne Falls app. Which I LOVE!!! It is so incredibly useful. Because I am always on way down from Vermont to Connecticut to see my parents or heading back north. When I get close to the exit I place my order. I pull in, pick up my beverage, back in my car and on the highway. PERFECT.

I also often get a bagel.

Look. I live in Vermont. We don't have bagels. We don't have anything like Shelburne Falls. There are 2 places within half an hour of my home where I will get a Mocha. That's it.

If I am within easy striking distance of Shelburne Falls King Street I'M GETTING A MOCHA!!

Before I discovered the app I would order in the store. So I've interacted with a wide variety of people here. I have never come across anyone who was not completely delightful and on top of the entire situation.

The vibe in this Shelburne Falls is just excellent. KUDOS to the TEAM here.

My "food" order is a sesame bagel, toasted dark with either garlic chive cream cheese or sundried tomato jalapeño. I've also have veggie when they've been out of the other two. Oh! And the olive one! I've had that too. They're ALL excellent. I'll eat one of these bagels as a full meal.

It's honestly probably a good thing I live...

Coming at this as a former barista with a background in the service industry, and not some bootlicking corporate goody two shoes who can’t handle a lively discussion of Nietzsche’s finer points with some anprim postmodernist coffee warrior blasting Skinny Puppy at full volume to communicate healthy levels of antiestablishment fervor. And I’m also down with the giggle bunnies, and I don’t absolute hate all squares, cos I’d ultimately just like people to get along & be chill in this polarized time. What I universally love is coffee shops and little cakes. This place came recommended by a friend, so I went in today around noon, stoked to check out a new spot.

Said hi to the black-haired barista like a human. Nothing back. Just a dead-eyed stare. Drip coffee was $3-4 based on size. That was a little steep. Place smelled like chemical pastries, acidic burnt coffee & old bread. Not much in the way of places to sit. Felt cramped. Yeah, there was parking - that’s about the best I can say. I started to order a coffee, but this greasy bad tempered barista was just so cold to the point of rudeness, I don’t know if they were just having a bad day or if they just really hate their job or what, but damn, why take it out on a stranger? I entered in a great mood, jazzed to get coffee & a cake and say hi to a buddy who worked there (wasn’t there today) & this fool’s attitude was just sucking all the oxygen out of the already smelly place with overpriced coffee. I walked out mid order because the vibe sucked. Maybe they were on the spectrum or something, but I honestly don’t care - if that’s the case, get a different job that accommodates the basic empathy restrictions. Worst barista ever. Worst coffee shop. Except for the creepy one I used to work out where this awful dude was extorting illegal immigrants who lived upstairs into slave labour via blackmail back in SF, but I digress. This is literally the next worst.

(I don’t even count Starbucks or Dunkin, because 1 is a fraud, the other is just its “Friends In Low Places” cousin but still a blighting Death Star against small businesses & actual quality. And yet this place smelled like...

I accidentally go to noho location and it was always nice and the employees were kind, unfortunately the last time I came here I had an unpleasant experience. I tried calling in my order ahead and the phone rang and rang. I called again and the number was not working. When I arrived to order in person I asked if it was just a phone issue and I had bad timing. The girl working did not seem happy I was asking her any questions and she answered impolitely and said it was not her priority to answer the phones. If there busy they focuse on in store and online orders. Okay that's makes sense, yet the store was empty. While I was in the middle of placing my order a employee from the open kitchen yelled out something along the lines of, "Yeah with covid phone orders are not important enough. Order online next time." .... Little rude to yell that out and continue a conversation/interrupt my order. While waiting for me food I expected then to be running around since "there to busy to answer the phones" but nope the place was quite and the girl at the counter was just fiddling around. On my way out the same kitchen employee called out my order and as I'm reaching for it I hear under her breath and unpleasant comment (ill keep that to myself tho) and then proceeds to tell me to have a good day. I was unhappy at that time so I did not respond and turned to leave. Yet again I hear a unpleasant sigh. I don't think I'll be going back to that location any time soon. Hope these employees learn better customer service tacktics and not act rude over a simple question about phone orders. Still love Coffee Roasters where...