Boardwalk Coffee & General Store — Restaurant in Saint Ignace

We come to St Ignace often. We don't go to too many restaurants, cafes or coffee places. My husband is highly allergic to dairy and America doesn't care about cross contamination or what dairy products are what.. some batistas believe coconut milk is dairy. It's crazy. We don't like to risk a hospital visit. But St Ignace,It's one of our favorite places. We usually can do coffee places here. There was a by the water market going on this past weekend, so it was very busy all over town. When we come up here if Java Joe's isn't open we come here. It's a good size coffee café. The "general store" part is cute but everything had dairy in it so I'm not sure how good anything is. The pastries look like any other coffee place. The tea menu does look intriguing but I needed caffeine lol We usually just have a regular nice experience with decent coffee here. Unfortunately the day we came was a bit chaotic. Lots of people waiting for their orders for some reason the staff wasn't organized or had any sense of urgency. I've worked in a lot of restaurants over the years. As a habit I think restaurant people watch people, the good ones anyways. I also do to make sure they dint put dairy in my husband's drink. ...Instead of getting mad but to see why things are a wait. The cashier was super nice & friendly, she didnt know the menu (this drives me batty with food/drink places) She couldn't explain an Italian soda to my daughter , so I did and there was a language barrier she didn't seem to understand anyone and got a lot of things wrong. She was trying tho. Bless her heart. A tall gentleman with facial hair seem to be very lost, confused and not really present. The owner was focused on garage ,when I saw her. She was nice I told her how great her son was. I honestly didn't want her thinking he was the reason things were so chaotic. The young man (maybe 12 I'm not sure his age) He was impressive out of all. He was organized, he tried getting the staff to focus, the young girl kept interfering with him making the drink orders (cross contamination can happen at this stage), he kept trying to get her to listen to direction (and placing the drink order tickets in order not move them), he was extremely nice, cool and calm under pressure. The place needs 3 more of him. He's going to be a great business owner someday. The lack of clear communication, menu knowledge and knowing whom is strong where during a rush is key. Those things and experiences can take away from how good the coffee or food is. Just things that happen and can be different the next experience. Young people work differently these days We didn't really mind the wait like the others. The coffee was good and...

Disappointed by a Soapy Vanilla Latte – A Caution for Fellow Coffee Lovers

I stopped in at Boardwalk Coffee & General Store right when they opened, looking forward to a vanilla latte with white chocolate. I was greeted by a friendly staff member who let me know it’d be just a minute to finish setting up—totally understandable. I’m an early riser, so no rush.

While waiting, I ordered a croissant. It was pretty tasty for a standard GFS-brand product. I’ve spent over 10 years working in professional kitchens and I’m a bit obsessed with espresso, so I always try to approach coffee experiences with a mix of curiosity and high standards.

That said, the latte I received was deeply disappointing. At first glance, it looked fine—just a normal cup—but the flavor was off. Really off. It tasted like someone had ground up flowers and mixed them with dish soap. Some beans do have floral notes, which I personally dislike, but this was beyond that. When I asked the barista what blend they were using, they said it was a chocolatey roast—which made no sense based on what I was tasting.

So I asked if the espresso machine and milk frothing pitcher had been cleaned the night before. They said yes, but it’s possible that soap residue was left behind. I’ve cleaned many espresso machines myself, and I can say with confidence: if they’re not properly flushed and maintained, leftover residue can absolutely make its way into your drink—and into your mouth.

I got a refund and left, but unfortunately, the soapy taste lingered for hours. I’m not writing this to bash the place—everyone has off days—but this should be a wake-up call for the owner. Staff need proper training on how to clean espresso machines thoroughly. A mistake like that could make someone sick.

One more thing: I tipped before I even got my order, and I regret it. This experience is exactly why I’ve grown uncomfortable with the growing “tip-before-you’re-served” culture. The service at the counter was fine, but the product I received was borderline undrinkable. Tipping should reflect the full experience.

I hope this was a one-time error, and I truly wish the best for this small business. But if you're particular about your coffee or sensitive to cleaning products, you might want to proceed...

I’d like to start with I’ve been a barista for the better part of 6 years, including here when it was Harbor Hope. So I was excited to try the new place in town. I ordered an iced triple shot americano (3 shots of espresso, ice, and cold water, that’s it).. First, the barista was told by a younger guy (manager/owner maybe?) that she needs to use cold brew instead of espresso for it.. uh, no? I had to tell them that’s not what I wanted 3 times before they listened. Then the barista (she seemed very nice, just very inexperienced) struggled to pull a shot of espresso and was being treated very rudely by the older cashier and the younger guy, who eventually stepped in instead of letting her learn. I had to clarify that yes, to make an iced americano, you have to put the shots over the ice. Then he started asking me what kind of milk I wanted? The woman tried telling him that’s not what I wanted, he kept talking over her and trying to tell her she was wrong, so I had to keep LOUDLY telling him “No, I ordered an americano.” “Yeah, that’s a different drink.” “No! I ordered an ICED AMERICANO, not a latte. It’s literally just espresso and water. That’s it.” So finally he put the shots in the cup. And then.. and THEN!! Asks me if I want COLD water on top.. of my cold, iced drink.. like.. duh. Obviously I don’t want it to be hot water?? And it cost me $12, and it doesn’t even taste like there’s 3 shots in it. My advice: Save your money, go to Java Joes or something instead if you’re in town and wanting an espresso drink that actually tastes good and doesn’t cost $12...