Nook Bakery & Coffee Bar — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Nook has some of the tastiest pastries and delicious espresso I’ve tasted in the city of Philadelphia. As an individual who cut her customer service teeth as a barista for a number of Internationally known brands (such as Lavazza) and local brands (Violet Crown) throughout Seattle and Austin; I’ve learned where to find clean tasting and high quality coffee. My background is also in culinary. Pastry is one of my areas of expertise. The croissants, scones, and ganache bars this company serves are exquisite. Clearly my qualms are not with the products. The service had much to be desired. It’s clear that there is a certain clientele that goes out of their way to ethically ignore the Starbucks down the street to come to a company that may agree more-so with stronger quality ethics when looking for a caffeine fix. Myself being one of those customers, I was unpleasantly surprised by the dismissive service I received from this establishment. When I place my order the young woman behind the counter corrected the order in which I politely dictated my request. Shortly after she corrected that I need to let her know whether I wanted my drink hot or iced before any other attributes of the drink—she asked for my name. When I gave it to her she mispronounced and misspelled it. I gently corrected her, only to have her tell me “That’s pretty much the same thing. I already wrote it but it’s not a big deal.” Ma’am. My name is part of my identity. To dismiss that in such a nonchalant manner, especially these days, is unacceptable. I had such a taste for the food that comes out of your establishment that I came out of my way to get to work early just to come and grab a bite from this spot. Don’t treat me like small details don’t matter. You can greet other customers by their correct name, but you’re okay with misspelling mine? There are some stark differences between your regular customers and an occasional one such as myself, but now I see why. Some of us are clearly not taken as seriously for whatever reason you’d care to come up with. In short, the deliciousness of a product is not worth my integrity or self respect…especially at luxury prices. Girl bye. Clearly I won’t return and I’ve informed my friends and colleagues of this morning’s unfortunate incident as well. Additionally, I’ve witnessed a difference in friendliness in how certain customers (outside of myself) are treated based off their appearances (take that as you will). I hope this resonates and you develop your customer service etiquette...

Really cute, quaint coffee shop offering both chocolates and coffee.

Atmosphere: The couches made the area felt very cozy and friendly, and they offer desks and electrical outlets too for anyone who needs to do work. When I came in the afternoon, the shop was relatively quiet, which is great for getting work done. With the additional comfy seating they offer, it's a really nice place to catch up with friends as well!

Food: Personally, I thought the latte I got was average and tasted a bit diluted, so I probably wouldn't go back for their drinks. The coffee did come out very quickly, though. Also, they did have a really cute assortment of all their chocolates, including hand-made truffles, which I would love to try next time! The assortment of pastries included several gluten-free options (predominantly fudge) that looked delicious, and very affordable ($1-2).

Overall: , mostly for the atmosphere and variety of pastry options they offered! I think there are better places in the city for coffee, but I'd come back to try...

I used to go here when Edna and Mike first opened up on the Walnut street bridge and just stopped by their current location for the first time in maybe 8 or 9 years on 20th street just now. I was so pleasantly surprised to see that not only are Mike and Edna still working here (as a small business owner, I have a soft spot for businesses where the owners still come in and work) but they have managed to improve every aspect of their business, which is impressive, especially since they have been open for so long now! They were both incredibly nice, as always, and their coffee is way better (Mike roasts their beans now and the quality is fantastic), their location is cozy, clean and super comfortable and the overall vibe of the place is fantastic.

I’m looking forward to coming by every time I’m in the neighborhood and am so happy to see nice people with a small business...