Starbucks — Restaurant in Redwood City

Update on Feb 2022 (5 stars): This updated review is overdue, but applies to app orders only. Service has vastly improved here at this branch. My orders are always ready when I arrive. The chocolate croissants (which really should be called pain au chocolat) are warmed perfectly these days, and the lattes are made well. I wish they'd expand their store footprint to have more indoor seating. Bonus is that the manager seems to really care about the community... recently someone left their debit card there and she asked around to find the owner.

Old review from 2016 (3 stars): This branch is kind of a hit or miss because sometimes the staff just can't seem to follow orders. Ask anyone who lives or works in the area and this is what they'll tell you. You ask for a pastry warmed up just slightly, and they give it to you cold (not warmed up at all). You order a Tall coffee and ask for it to be put in a Grande cup (because you want to mix a lot of milk into your coffee), and they just give you a Grande coffee. It's inexplicable because these requests aren't rocket science. In addition, I have ordered several matcha (green tea) lattes from here and they are never as good as when I get them at the Starbucks in Cupertino (along Stevens Creek). There's something off about the flavor, like it's weak and just not as bright and fresh. Perhaps their matcha goes stale because they get less foot traffic than the Cupertino location. Matcha should ideally be stored in airtight containers, but here I've seen them scooping out the matcha powder from open (lid-less) bins.

Starbucks has built its brand on customizability and consistency of service, so it's a little disappointing to see this branch falling short of that. As a result, some people would rather drive a little farther to the Starbucks branch at Bridgepoint in San Mateo. Here's hoping the Redwood Shores branch improves...

4:25 PM 7th of February 2024 drive-through experience.

Approach the monitor takes a minute to be greeted. Pull up to the window takes two minutes to be greeted, but wait I was never greeted and I went out of my way to say hello oh while she is immediately handing me over a drink and a pup cup that generally I’m talking 9.9999999% of the time is given after you pay. Stay silent window closes gone for another few minutes the money is inconvenienced to buy me wanting her to scan. My QR code gives me my change, and I am stand at the window and stares at me while I put my money away because I had already decided I was not providing a tip. But she waited for that tip. Does she know I am a world I known intuitive empath and her ignorant, entitled judgment on me immediately when she turned her back realizing she was getting no tip. Gave me my food which was sloppily placed into the bag as there was cheese everywhere, and proceeds to judge me again. I calmly drove away, parked my car and wrote...

This place is a hit or miss. Most of the time it's perfectly pleasant if you come when it's not busy. I've never had an unpleasant experience speaking with an employee until today, and I come here maybe 3 times a week. I bought a bag of coffee and asked them to grind it for pour over, not realizing that that's just paper filter and I don't have to specify the pour over part. But the fact that I did confused the employee (rightfully so) and so she asked someone else, who I assume was a manager (black hat and no apron) and the manager seemed to be frustrated at my question and had an attitude with me. She didn't say anything wrong necessarily but she was quite rude just because I didn't know better about coffee grind settings. Being talked to with such a harsh attitude left a bad taste in my mouth, and I'm a pretty passive person. Other than that, avoid this place when it's busy, they likely will prioritize mobile orders over in line customers and might forget about you...