GiraKofi — Restaurant in Stowe

When I was doing a bit of research ahead of our trip to Mount Mansfield, I stumbled across this place, which was conveniently located near our lodgings and seemed like a natural spot to grab some coffee and carbs prior to the hike. But as I looked at their website, I frowned slightly. Was this...giraffe themed? A giraffe-themed coffee place? It was. Never opposed to randomness like this (this was probably the first and last time I had giraffe blankets within eyeline while I ate a muffin), but this was the most uneven experience we had in Vermont. My guess is that would have been the case regardless of how many giraffe pictures were on the wall though.

The Millennial Chum and I popped in early this past Sunday, right around 7am. Aside from a few nearby gas stations, nobody else was open - definite plus in that regard. The overriding positive here was the muffin I ordered. I'd already had some coffee back at the hotel so I didn't end up getting an additional beverage here, but the pastries at the counter looked decent. This muffin was EXCELLENT; if our experience was limited to the muffin, this would have been five stars all the way. It was freshly made and still toasty, and the muffin top was the perfect amount of crispness and interior softness. Really hit the spot.

The rest of our time here was not as good as that muffin. The Millennial Chum ordered a very basic egg sandwich (I'm pretty sure it was literally just an egg and an English muffin or something to that effect) and an iced latte. We sat at a table near the window, commenting on everything we spotted with a giraffe on it. After a while, we were looking around because my muffin was gone and she still hadn't received anything. Keep in mind - it's early and there were maybe two or three other customers in there the whole time. Finally after 10 minutes, her egg sandwich was delivered, but no coffee. She had to go back up there and ask about it (they weren't helping other customers at the time), at which point they made the coffee. So that means they literally forgot one of the two items she ordered, and it was coffee from a coffee place! I don't think I've ever seen that before. And the cherry on top? They gave her a hot latte. At that point though, you take what you get.

The other issue is a little difficult to articulate. The vibe on that first visit was really off; I don't know how else to say it. There was a young female behind the counter, and also an older gentleman with an accent. I'm not sure what the deal was, but there was palpable tension between them and the female was in an obviously bad mood. I think generally when you pick up on something like that, you let it go and/or don't necessarily think too much into it, but it's hard not to think it had a direct correlation with the bad service. Interestingly, I came back the next morning to quickly grab another muffin and an iced (I was very clear on that) latte for the Millennial Chum and it was a completely different situation - it was just the female in there and she was in a perfectly fine mood, with no service problems whatsoever. I obviously don't know nearly enough about the back story there to offer much in the way of constructive feedback other than to say that as the customer, I shouldn't be able to pick up on that, either in terms of vibes or inadequate service.

The muffin was great. Loved the muffin. Still unclear on the connection between long-necked African mammals and coffee or how to pronounce the name of this establishment, but I'd at least come back for...

A Caffeinated Crime Scene

I walked into this so-called café with the simple, almost childlike hope of an oat milk latte—a drink that, by definition, is the union of espresso and steamed milk, frothed to a creamy, almost ethereal texture. What I received was not a latte. It wasn’t even a bad latte. It was a crime against caffeine: black coffee with a splash of oat milk.

This wasn’t a matter of poor technique or a rookie mistake. This was a wholesale abandonment of logic, reason, and the sacred art of coffee-making. The beverage I received was neither a latte, nor a cappuccino, nor any known member of the coffee family. It was as if someone had read about lattes in a poorly translated manual and decided to wing it.

As a café owner myself, I’ve seen lattes made badly—burnt milk, weak espresso, foam that could pass for dish soap—but this was something else entirely. This was a beverage so devoid of character, so utterly lacking in the basic tenets of its own existence, that it bordered on existential mockery.

The owner should, at the very least, enroll in a barista training course—and drag the staff along...

GiraKofi left us with mixed feelings. On one hand, the concept, interior, and general vibe are really well thought out — it’s the kind of place you’d want as your neighborhood café. But unfortunately, it’s missing some core elements.

First, there’s no espresso machine. Everything is prepared on an automatic coffee maker, which really takes away from the craft coffee experience. It’s hard to call a place a proper café when there’s no espresso bar.

Second, the attention to orders was disappointing. I ordered a cortado with oat milk but got regular milk. My wife asked for an iced latte with almond milk and received a hot one. These may sound like small details, but they make a big difference — especially in a coffee shop where precision and care should be part of the culture.

While the setup is promising, the lack of friendly, attentive service and the reliance on automatic machines left us wishing for more. Hopefully, they can address these gaps, because the potential is...