Roast Coffeehouse — Restaurant in Omaha

I’ve been to Roast several times in the last few weeks as it has been a convenient spot to meet with colleagues. We had initially selected Roast in hopes that it might be relatively quiet but that weekday at 9 AM it was quite busy and there was only one small table remaining. It was nice to see how well they are doing and how many customers were there. We had picked it thinking it wouldn’t be busy when in fact they were serving many people that morning (so good for them)! I am not very educated when it comes to coffee but they were very helpful. When I ordered a cappuccino, they asked me if I would like it wet or dry. I sheepishly had to ask for them to explain what the difference was, which they did happily and without making me feel silly for asking. It took only a few minutes to prepare the drink and in that time I used the restroom. When I came out they remembered which order was mine and handed me my coffee. I appreciated them remembering the face that went with the order so they could get me my coffee when I wasn’t there as it was initially finished and called out. The second time I was there, a new employee was receiving some training at the register. I think most people might not have realized that the cashier was relatively new because his partner who was training him did so very skillfully. Again I ordered a cappuccino and he took my order. The trainer quickly asked if I would like it wet or dry. I sensed that was her way of demonstrating to him how to complete the order but she did it in a way that protected his pride and didn’t make me feel uncomfortable that there was a “new guy“ making my coffee. I appreciate when new employee training doesn’t subject the customer to longer weights or awkward exchanges and in this case it certainly did not. So kudos to the manager who was assisting him that day!

In addition to coffee drinks, Roast serves a variety of pastries. I have never tried their food so cannot speak to that. And I am not a proficient coffee drinker so I can’t speak to the quality of what they serve. I thought it was quite good but that’s the opinion of a relatively new coffee drinker. They have several size tables for different size parties. There are many tables for twos and fours and then there is a large table that would hold 8 to 10 people. Around the perimeter is bar seating. They have the space laid out nicely and in a way that could comfortably hold probably 30 to 40 customers. Roast is a great spot for the Aksarben area. I’m excited to see how their business grows with the completion of the HDR building that is under...

I am a student at UNO, and I cycle to school and work through Aksarben every day. I have always noticed Roast there on the corner, and being an avid coffee drinker, I decided to stop for a cup of coffee on this particular day. They won "Best of Omaha" under one of their categories so I was pretty excited to check them out. What I got instead was the "Worst of Omaha" attitude and treatment before I even walked through the door.

As I had mentioned, I cycle through there everyday and today was no exception. Aksarben Village doesn't really offer much in the way of options for parking your bike. I can think of 1 bike rack there next to the Cinema, which really amazes me being that its located adjacent to a college campus. Roast has an outdoor area that is fenced in, and on this particular day it was quite cold and windy so nobody was using it. I thought it would be fine to pull up by bike next to the fence and wrap my lock around their fence post to walk inside and try this coffee. I was wrong. Before I even locked my bike up (less than 30 seconds) a manager was walking out the door to explain to me that this was private property and that she wouldn't allow me to lock my bike there. I was genuinely taken aback. I was pushed away immediately as if I was some unsightly blight. As if me doing business there would offend their clientele, who from what I can tell cycling by every day, consists of well-to-do yuppies and loaded Baby Boomers. I've never seen the guy pulling up in a Porche be greeted by the manager before he even locked his car to run him off and make him feel unwelcome. Needless to say, I politely apologized to the manager, rode away, and I will never spend a dime there.

To be clear, this is NOT a review on their coffee or their food. I'm sure it's decent, maybe even amazing. This isn't even a review on the kids who make the coffee there, solely on the ownership. In my opinion, that kind of treatment is not what you would expect from a small business in Omaha, NE. It was more in line with what I would expect from a multi-national cooperation running in New York City. Unless you look like you own a house in West Omaha and want a cup of coffee before a long day schmoozing with clients, do yourself a favor and go elsewhere. There are plenty of amazing coffee shops and places who custom roast coffee in town that will treat you like a valued customer, rather than shooing you away like an eyesore. Unless you want "Best of Omaha" coffee with a side of "Worst of...

Ive been a barista for a few years and have the love for espresso drink since day one.

In my experience, only a few roaster in Omaha meet my expectation in quality of the coffee bean.

So far the only place that I go to to buy Beans for espresso drink is the Rally Coffee. Their espresso roast is between medium and dark but more of leaning toward the medium but still dark if you know what I mean.

Until I found out about "Roast Coffeehouse", I think I found my other options for espresso beans. First off, I dont like their recipe for drink. It is too light for me in term of flavor. I did ordered an ice mocha but to be honest, it felt water down. I then purchased the espresso beans and make a latte at home. I was very impress. The crema was very pretty and even produce tiger stripes looking crema. The taste seemed to be between medium and dark roast but this time, it is leaning toward dark but not "TOO" dark.

I would definitely choose this as a spot to buy espresso beans beside the "rally coffee". I would say they both nailed the espresso quality tho. However, I would probably need to try another drink from their menu to see if its water down like my first drink. Other than that, its not my favorite place to order a handmade drink.

Customer service wise, They are friendly and helpful in suggesting items and such. I like that they have big patio and the lobby was also clean.

I would also like their coffee bag to be design to be more attracted and fun but its just a cosmetic thing. I would be down to design their packaging (im a...