Pangaea Coffee Emporium — Restaurant in Poquoson

WOW. Hampton Roads has a great coffee scene, and although Pangaea is the new kid on the block, they’re already setting themselves apart from the rest. They’re located in an unassuming spot, inserted into an apartment complex…and not the kind you’re thinking of, with a bunch of trendy shops. Just a regular complex, almost as if it was the old leasing office spot. Don’t let the exterior fool you! As soon as you step in, you’ll be transported. First off, the ambiance, the environment, the vibe. I love me some greenery, and the way that they have put together and decorated this space is incredible. It’s filled out without being over the top or gaudy- everything is tasteful and thought out. It’s welcoming and comfy- no seat or space to occupy feels awkward. I felt like I belonged as soon as I stepped in. The drink options seem standard when you first look at the menu, but they take pride in knowing what they are sourcing, as well as what spices will coax the particular flavors out of them. The hot arabica coffee I had was burstING with flavor- I had it with whipped cream which was new for me, and it worked. One of the best hot coffees I’ve EVER had. I ended up taking two drinks to go- dragonfruit lychee (one with whipped cream-OOOOWEEE) that were delicious, incredibly refreshing, and with just the right amount of sweetness. Now let’s talk about what makes this place truly shine- the people. Jesse and Jay are the owners, and when you speak to them about Pangaea, the passion and excitement for what they are doing and their vision shines through. They are both Air Force veterans who took their love of cultural diversity and their experiences through travel, and created this space to showcase these inspirations through taste, visuals, and experience. They literally did everything inside of the coffee shop themselves, and should be very proud for what they’ve accomplished. A standard is also being set in their staff- Elli was my first point of interaction upon entering, and she was kind, genuine, knowledgeable, and quick to help with recommendations. I’m so excited to see them grow- they deserve it. There are future plans to expand into beer, wine, and food. Being celiac, I hope this also will include gluten-free, but if not, they’ve still made a regular out of me. Cannot recommend this enough- it’s worth the trek. Add this to your list of must-try...

Pretty bad customer service. Girl at the register had to walk away twice to get answers to my questions and you could tell she was annoyed by that. Maybe if they trained all their employees consistently, she would’ve known the answers to my questions which were pretty simple such as can you buy an entire Ube cheesecake? How many slices are in an Ube cheesecake? How much does an entire cheesecake cost? When I asked if they had a phone number after driving 30 minutes to get here, which I could’ve called and asked my questions on the phone and kept this unhappy employee happy, I was told that they do not have a phone number and that you could message them on Instagram or Facebook. Well, not everybody does social media and yes, I understand that it is 2025 but some people still like to have a phone number to call and should not be forced to use social media to contact a business that they’re trying to support and spend their hard earned money at. This girl took my to go order & then just started talking to someone else without telling me where to go to pick up my order but rather just let me stand there. To top it off, I had to pay $30 for three pieces of Ube cheesecake and an entire cheesecake which contains four pieces is only $20, what kind of sense does that make? To drive 30 minutes and burn diesel fuel to have an experience like that, has left a very bad taste in my mouth and I will probably never come here again, but rather just go to Anderson’s in Newport News where the employees are a much better experience. What a let down…WOW……

In addition, when I tried to joined their loyalty program, the screen went blank & when I asked how I could join, I was told I had to wait until next time & they can’t give credit for my purchase today.

To be a local business (I’m all about supporting local businesses) & to have customer service like this is embarrassing for them. Word of mouth is a very effective & free way to advertise which apparently they must be unaware of. I have a lot of contacts & network all over so not good for someone like me to have an experience like this as I will be sharing this experience with everyone I know & come into...

2 months ago: Walking into Pangaea Coffee Emporium was like stepping into a jungle! cascading vines and vibrantly colored plants filled the space, making me want to curl up with a book for hours. My partner and i were planning on grabbing a drink and a bite to eat, but a sign by the door caught our eye - only service animals allowed (we had our little yorkie in my bag!) slightly bummed, I ran back to the car to snag my partner's order while I soaked in the atmosphere. even though the pup policy was a bit of a letdown, the customer service was fantastic. we went with a hot and iced salted caramel latte - the caramel flavor was rich and perfectly balanced with the coffee.

We also tried their breakfast burrito, even though we're not usually burrito fans. Let me tell you, this burrito was incredible! we ended up enjoying our drinks and food in the car (after snapping a million pictures of the gorgeous interior, of course). Next time, we'll definitely leave the pup at home so we can fully experience the beautiful green ambiance and maybe try some of those tempting specialty drinks they have on the menu.

Edited review 5/9/24: I've always been a big supporter of local coffee shops, so I initially rated this place five stars. However, I recently had an experience that left me disappointed and has unfortunately changed my opinion.

I went in excited to redeem my rewards, including a $10 off birthday reward, but none of the staff seemed to know how to apply them. This resulted in me having to pay full price despite the rewards I had earned.

As someone who loves supporting local businesses, I understand that life is expensive, and these rewards can make a big difference for customers like me. It's disheartening to spend so much money to earn rewards, only to find out that they can't be redeemed due to staff not being familiar with the process.

I hope this feedback is helpful, and that the team receives proper training so others can easily use their rewards in the future. While this location and its sister store may not be my first choice going forward, I genuinely hope this issue is resolved to enhance the overall...