Matcha Cafe Maiko — Restaurant in Orlando

It takes a lot for me to leave a poor review for a business. I like to give credit where credit is due. However, when customer service fails miserably and lacks integrity, it's important for businesses to know that certain behaviors are unacceptable.

Today's experience at Matcha Cafe Maiko in Orlando was a poor experience.

This was my first time going to Matcha Cafe Maiko in Orlando (Mills Ave), Florida. My daughter and I were excited to try the matcha tea lattes and was hoping this would be our regular cafe to order drinks. We ordered three drinks for three individuals and after ordering, I went back and asked the barista if they use any syrups for the Rose Matcha latte. Due to my allergies, I cannot consume preservatives and artificial colors, and I forgot to mention that when I was paying for the drinks (it was very difficult to hear the cashier over the speakers and the glass windows, so it slipped my mind to inquire in that moment when ordering). The barista said they use a syrup and told me she would check the ingredients in the syrup. I expressed to her that I could not consume preservatives or artificial colors.

We waited until we were buzzed (via their pager) to receive our drinks (there were two individuals who received their drinks before us). When she gave me the three drinks, she then told me that it does have preservatives and artificial colors in the syrup used for the Rose Matcha latte. I then told her that I could not consume the drink as I would have an allergic reaction. I asked her if she could make me a regular matcha tea latte without the syrup. She seemed annoyed at my request and told me she would do it this time but would not do it the next time I come back. I expressed to her that this was my first time at the cafe and I did inquire about the ingredients in the syrup. I also told her the other two drinks were fine (as they were for two other individuals who didn’t have allergies).

The barista made me a matcha tea latte and used the smallest size cup in which I asked her, why was it small when I ordered a large drink? She then proceeded to say that she had to make me another drink and therefore, is the reason I am receiving a small sized drink. This was extremely upsetting to me as I paid for a large drink (plus extra for almond milk). The Rose Matcha latte also costed more. I asked her before she made the drink if it had artificial colors and preservatives in it. I told her I could not consume syrups with artificial colors and preservatives. Despite the barista knowing this, she proceeded to make me the drink regardless. The ideal action on her part would’ve been to let me know that the syrup indeed contained preservatives and artificial colors before proceeding to make the drink for me, and to give me an option for a drink that did not have preservatives and artificial colors.

I was quite shocked at the barista’s behavior (she was a young asian woman) and I did not know how to respond to her behavior. I’ve never experienced anything like this at a cafe before. Needless to say, I spent $20 on 3 drinks and received poor customer service, and a disappointing drink unfortunately.

I called today to try and reach a manager. A manager was not available at the store for me to share this complaint.

Needless to say, we will never go back to this cafe after...

We finally got the chance to try Matcha Café Maiko, and it was really good! I always love trying unique drinks and desserts…and this place has both! We ordered both an ube/milo (chocolate malt) soft serve swirl on a cone, an ube/vanilla swirl in a cup, a black sesame latte with ube cheese foam and honeycomb, and finally a hojicha latte with regular cheese foam. Here are our opinions:

The ube and milo flavors of soft serve were awesome. Super creamy and some of the better soft serve flavors I’ve ever had anywhere. Milo (similar to chocolate malt) is a limited-edition flavor, so it might not be around always, but they change out limited edition flavors every once in a while. Apparently they have Thai tea soft serve which I am dying to try!!! Regarding the vanilla, we didn’t think it was as creamy as other vanilla soft serve ice cream (still really good flavor though), so we’d recommend you try other flavors before vanilla.

The black sesame latte was super unique - if you like sesame, this is the thing to get (be warned it is VERY sesame-y in flavor)! I know it won’t be for everyone, so if you’re looking for a safer option, any number of their regular milk teas, coffees and (of course) matchas would be great. The ube cheese foam was SO GOOD - like a better version of regular cheese foam! Honeycomb was a nice addition on top. 😁

The hojicha latte was interesting. We weren’t as big of fans for this one as other drinks in the past, so it might be best to steer clear of it if you’re unsure. Again, I’m sure there are some people that would love the taste of this (sort of like a smoky tea taste), but it just wasn’t for me.

EDIT: We have since come back and tried their new spring limited-edition Sakura soft serve flavor and it is incredible!! Best flavor by far - one of the best soft serve ice cream flavors we have ever had! And this was extra creamy - this was what we were wanting for the vanilla soft serve. Definitely get this if you see it as a limited-edition flavor!

All in all, pretty much everything was great, and we will definitely be returning! We loved the whole atmosphere of the place, and we can’t wait to try way more items from the menu (ESPECIALLY the Thai tea soft serve when it comes back!!) - this is a good place and we’d recommend...

Extremely Disappointed – Poor Service and Disrespectful Treatment

I’m incredibly disappointed with my recent experience at Matcha Cafe Maiko. I’ve been a loyal customer for a long time, and I’ve always loved their ice cream—but after what happened today, I honestly can’t recommend this place anymore.

After waiting 30 minutes in a long line inside a hot, crowded restaurant, I was given an order I didn’t ask for. I clearly requested three different flavors of ice cream, but they decided to swirl them all together. When I questioned it, the staff responded with, “Well, you didn’t specify that you didn’t want it swirled.” That’s an absurd excuse. I asked for three separate flavors—not a mix—and never once did I say I wanted it swirled.

What made it worse is that I saw other customers with similar three-flavor orders, and theirs were not swirled. So I’m left wondering why my order was treated differently. It makes no sense, and the inconsistency is frustrating.

I politely asked for a refund, and they refused. I had to go back and demand a refund in front of the line just to be taken seriously. Eventually, the employee said they couldn’t refund it back to my original card but offered to give it to me in cash instead. I accepted the cash, but by that point, I was already exhausted, overheated, and deeply disappointed.

It’s really sad because their ice cream is delicious, and I’ve had much better experiences in the past—this was nothing like before. If there’s been a change in management, it definitely shows, and not in a good way. The way they handled my order and treated me as a customer was disrespectful and unprofessional.

This experience was frustrating, time-wasting, and honestly felt like I was being dismissed and disrespected for expecting basic customer service. Do better,...