Café Steam — Restaurant in Rochester

(9/18/23) The latte I ordered took 10 minutes to come out, even though the shop was not busy at all and there were 3 baristas talking the entire time. My drink had dried espresso running down both sides of the cup, which I noticed after picking up the mug when the plate slammed back down onto the table because it was stuck to crusted espresso underneath it as well. My pictures show the drink before my first sip, and after the plate dropped and I looked closely. As a former 3rd-wave barista, espresso can and does run over the cup lip easily, but it’s your responsibility to clean it up before serving. I am not sure how this was overlooked, again, as they were in no apparent rush.

(11/5/23) I went back for a drip coffee. The barista told me that the roast I asked for just ran out and offered to top mine off with the other one. I asked her to dump the half-filled cup and give me a full one of the other roast. For many, this would be fine, but I am going to be blunt; It is very common knowledge within the coffee business that you cannot mix roasts, as it ruins and compromises the integrity and flavor profiles of both coffees. I’m very unsure of Steam’s professionalism after visiting twice recently, though I will say that their beans have gotten better since roasting locally...

I love the Steam at Discovery place, same name, I figured same coffee quality. Nope. Not at all. I was very let down at my experience at the Steam on Broadway. I ordered a latte, and scone. The person with me placed her order too. We were staying at the cafe to drink our beverages. You never want to serve the 10 ounce drink in a 12 ounce paper cup of you have the option right. Well, I got mine in a paper cup😳. So instead of a latte, I ended up with a Cappuccino. That wasn’t at all what I wanted. I literally had a foam mustache as it was filled with foam & milk vs the traditional milk of a latte. I’m not sure where the breakdown occurred - if they simply used a paper cup for their convenience? If they didn’t know the difference between a Cappuccino & Latte. I was sorely disappointed in the beverage. I drank 1/4 and ditched it, won’t be back. Can’t recommend this location anyway. How can two cafes blocks apart be so totally different? I love the ceramic cups at Steam. Not some crummy paper cup I would get from a gas station. I almost had them re-make it, but decided it’s better just not to return to this location. So...

Amazing experience. Here is what I thought:

Espresso: Extremely bright and strong. Almost tasted like they used a light roast to make it. Additionally, it looked like they used a fine ground and really packed it into the cup hard. It was a unique experience since I have never tasted espresso like it.

Specialty drinks: Steam has some of the most unique specialty drinks I have every tasted. In my own opinion, a local coffeshop is no good if they don't come up with their own drinks. I can go to Caribou if I want a latte or mocha. Steam did not disappoint there. I highly recommend the following for a unique experience: Mayan: A coffee drink with pepper. Every sip initially tastes sweet like honey, then the pepper kicks in and bites your mouth after around 3 seconds. One of the most unique coffee experiences I have had. Melya: espresso, honey, chocolate. Given the bright espresso mentioned above, I could only sip this drink since it tasted so strong. I was served 2-3 ounces of liquid and it took me an hour to drink it (it tastes good cooled too).

Also prices are very reasonable, given...