Starbucks — Restaurant in San Diego

I was picking up my mobile order for a tall Cold Brew with Dark Cocoa Almondmilk Foam, a grande Lemonade and a Cheese & Fruit Protein Box at Starbucks 4150 Regents Park Row. Waiting several minutes wondering if the two drinks out since I got there were mine, I patiently asked the female barista if they were on my name, and she was like, “Oh! I didn’t realize you were waiting for a mobile order. “

Quite busy packing four drinks, each two in a separate paper bag which also had a carrier with handle inside that gave it extra support (how careful!), she just gave me all three (two drinks and one lunch box) without offering a bag or a carrier. Asked for a holder, she gave me a tray without handle instead, in a way that suggested she was too busy to care.

I put them on the tray, which was quite loose and had clumsily oversized indentations, and came back to my husband waiting in our car wondering why it took so long. Not knowing the tray was not firm enough to support my drinks, I put it on my seat to make some space for me to sit in, and was too slow to keep them from being spilled all over the upholstery.

Wiping all the coffee (and lemonade) stains hastily with napkins and wipes we luckily had and having no cup of coffee to sip at all was quite upsetting to us. Hesitant and resolute at the same time, I returned to the store and explained what just happened to another barista. He was nice enough to offer to make my drinks again and give some extra napkins (but of course, asked for proof first. How negligent I was not to take a picture first!), but not professional enough to apologize for what was caused by their negligence. Granted, it was not him but the female barista who was negligent, but not surprisingly, she also was prompt enough to make my drinks again, but not humane enough to SAY SORRY.

It looks like the coffee smell is gonna be in our car forever, and the seat feels weirdly sticky (we weren’t able to reach down the seat crevice ...). Apart from the stains which I have to pay to clean up, what’s more galling to me is they never seemed to care. I’ve been a regular at this location (my order history has the store name all over it), but realized this time the baristas working there are not professional nor care about their customers. I don’t think I’ll come back again. Too disappointed, I would rather bother to walk or drive a few miles more to visit many other coffee chains that would serve delicious coffee and have...

Let me start by saying I have spent $10-20/day at various Starbucks locations in the San Diego area, often needing to work on my laptop and talk to clients. I stopped in the Regents Park location as I have dozens of times over the years, and was there for no more than 15 minutes before the store manager “Truman” told me that if I didn’t make another purchase (I’ve had 3 coffees already today, and just ate lunch) I would have to leave. I needed 10 more minutes max to call a client, but he insisted that this new corporate policy would be enforced without exception. I asked Truman if he’d be willing to lose a customer forever over this, and his answer was “absolutely”. Surprised, I asked again. He asked if I was threatening him (hilarious). I told him that, yes, I was threatening to never spend another dime at Starbucks. He doubled down, saying “absolutely”. Apparently Truman doesn’t either understand or care about losing customers over this. No problem, it’s not like there aren’t plenty of other coffee houses to choose from. And that includes shops like Peet’s Coffee and Dutch Bros, to name just a couple, who don’t have the reputation that Starbucks has of burning their shots and microwaving stale, soggy food. Save your $$ and avoid Starbucks at all costs. They are the McDonald’s of coffee shops. Their product is average at best, but they have the most locations and think that makes them the best. They’ll soon find out that they miscalculated. (And provide some customer service retraining for Truman. His managerial and customer interaction soft skills need...

This Starbucks is in a prime, bustling spot in La Jolla, where weekday mornings often see a long line. Ordering in-app in advance is highly recommended—you can usually pick up your drink in about 10-15 minutes. They’re great about launching holiday drinks on time in early November, with festive decorations, themed gift cards, and cups available for purchase. Parking can be validated using the in-store machine at the counter, which is convenient.

During one visit, I ordered the Cranberry Merry drink but found it a bit too sour because it was missing the coconut milk. When I mentioned this to the manager, he was happy to remake it, and the corrected drink tasted perfectly balanced with just the right level of sweetness and tartness.

There’s plenty of outdoor seating in the plaza, which is pet-friendly, so you’ll often see locals with their dogs enjoying drinks under the sunshine. It’s a welcoming spot with a great holiday vibe and excellent...