PRESS Coffee @ The Boardwalk — Restaurant in San Antonio

Update: Issue resolved a few days later with a refund. Like I said, I still think this is a great cafe and a new favorite place to spend a morning.

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While I still love this cafe, I had an unfortunate experience yesterday morning and tried talking to the employees after who weren't the best with customer service. Actually, they were pretty bad. After ordering two drinks at separate times and tipped each time, I went to order a third drink this time and still tipped again if it means anything at all, but it really meant nothing to them apparently. Well the 3rd drink was a matcha green tea latte with coconut milk. I've had matcha green tea a bunch so I'm familiar, with how it tastes, but when I got this latte it was absolutely foul and tasted like fish - not anything also like the barista claimed when she made me feel like I didn’t know what it would taste like and that what I was describing was not straight up fish but more “earthy”. Sista, please. I swear it's like someone took some Omega 3 fish oil capsules and dissolved them in it. I went to talk to them about it and they neither offered to refund me or just make a different drink (perhaps of equal or lesser value would have been nice). Like I said I love this cafe and waited all week to have the chance to come in on a morning to enjoy this place, but this experience was really sad. I still even ordered another drink and paid for it after - hot herbal ginger peach tea that I know is good.

I don't understand why the employees weren't so responsive with offering good customer service to an unhappy customer. I didn't want to be 'that person' to say more while there, but it warrants this review.

I used to be a barista myself and it's very easy and simple to just toss a cup of something a customer finds fowl and make something else and be gracious about it. It's not that hard and shouldn't cost the company a fortune.

I had only taken two small sips from it too. It was essentially untouched so it's not like I was complaining about something I had nearly finished.

There are still things I love about this place. I just hope the owner or management might see this and consider having their baristas show some better customer service.

Like I'm really serious, that matcha green tea latte was so foul and I normally love me a matcha green tea. Maybe the milk was expired or just not blended well. They definitely shouldn't have taken my money for the 4th drink I bought after this to replace what I had just bought and was disgusting.

It's sad that my husband went up to say something first and they didn't offer anything helpful to say and then I spoke up and still nothing.

We may still be back. I loved this cafe previously and I've recommended it to my friends and family, but now I’ve totally second guessed that. Just have to be careful for what I order if I do come back and really lower my expectations for the people behind the counter. Nothing will be done if the fish taste thing happens again.

However, the regular latte I ordered at first with lavender flavoring was decent and the herbal tea I had after the bad matcha green tea is reliable. I still couldn't get the fish taste out of my mouth though and had to drink water for a bit. Should have brought a vial or mouth wash.

I know it was different employees then the last time I came to this cafe. Last time it was a guy who made our drinks and he was super nice. I hope this was a fluke experience and hope it doesn't happen again because I still want to give this cafe a chance.

Until then my Press Coffee experience is soured like the way that matcha green latte was...

I usually love coming here when the nice guy with glasses is there (super friendly and really upbeat & positive) but every time the woman is there I feel like I'm inconveniencing her. I try and smile and be friendly but its not reciprocated. Today she just kind of left my drink at the front counter while I was waiting for it, without letting me know. I was expecting it on the side or for them to let me know, as they usually do (& the guy even sometimes brings it to me), but the only reason I saw it is because I happened to look over. There was nobody in line so I didn't understand why it was just left there. They had an issue with the punch card and us doing a separate transaction for the first time so we can get two punches instead of one, but she could've just clarified the policy and it be done. On a previous occasion, when my white boyfriend went in there without me to grab us coffee, she was really nice to him and told him she was "so glad more people like him" were moving into the predominantly Mexican neighborhood, which took him aback. Since I've been there with him to get coffee, she has not been nearly as friendly he says. Im hella brown. I'm not saying that's why she treats me that way but it certainly feels like it every time I go in-especially because she was extra nice to the white lady in front of us, laughing and joking and such . I know you respond to reviews, so I hope this is not the case, but this is what my boyfriend and I have observed on a number of times since we come here almost every day...edit: you definitely contrasted my boyfriend with something "mexican" as he came right back and told me since he was really surprised and obviously offended. I gave you the benefit of the doubt but youve always had an ugly attitude toward me for no reason. we've never tried to take advantage of your loyalty program. We tip you well every day so we are doing literally the opposite of "taking money out of your pockets". If you pay your employees to be friendly then set a good example and be friendly as well. I dont think he and I are excessive in our affection and love for each other but if that is what makes you treat us bad, then that sounds like a personal problem and is bad for your business. He and I are also building our own business so I understand how stressful and time consuming it can be. However, your customer service skills needs some serious work. I can see that you don't take criticism well from your other replies. Instead of reflecting and growing from comments, you get on the defense right away. Wish you well but we definitely won't...

alll bow down to the great coffee barron . who insults his customers by calling them a raving lunatic . when aaking where their coffe is when waiting 20 minutes and didnt know that it was self service for tacos i clearly heard we will bring it out to you . that was at ten am this morning when i was waiting for a meeting . there was a stray cat i was petting . and it wandered off to another person and they kicked it to shoo it away and I told the owner witch now he calls me a raving lunatic . and he was saying i have been there before and cause trouble before . um for one i have never seen this place before and never been . check your transaction history . and i never once yelled at your bar tender for the coffee i asked politely where is my coffee then your owner proceeded to tell here is my money back when all i asked was where is my drink . sir your going to do this to the wrong person one day and you will pay dearly for it . so you can have your rich snob customers and hipsters from the college . i rather go to my local place where i dont have to even ask for coffee they bring me a cup and two bacon tacos for 3 bucks . so take your coffee and stuff it . and now i dont even want to meet wit my herbal medicine group now cause of you . so i hope you are happy you coffee barron who has a stick so far up your ass you have optical illusion that everyone loves your service and coffee. and i have called animal services to pick up that poor abused cat ...... oh and poor customer service by the way jerk .... so you can bash me all you want the truth will come and i hope your happy for saying someone is a lunatic when clearly you are the one that is .... i was there to ha e some time waiting for the group and i told the gentalman who is behind you in the herbal medicine home and now i dont even want to meet any more...