Red Owl Coffee Company — Restaurant in Tallahassee

Disappointed in Red Owl - Longtime Customer Let Down

I've been going to Red Owl for a while now. Whenever I'm in town, it's been my go-to spot -- especially when I'm near work and don't feel like going to Starbucks. I live in Crawfordville, but this location has always been convenient and reliable... until today.

Normally, I come here for coffee since they've never offered matcha before. But today, I saw it on the menu and got excited -- I'm a matcha AND coffee girl, so of course I had to try it.

Big mistake.

The matcha I received was absolutely disgusting. It looked like pale green milk and tasted like exactly that -- just milk. No matcha flavor, no richness, nothing even remotely close to what matcha should taste like. I seriously almost threw up. I've had matcha all over, and I even make it at home -- but I always try to support local businesses because I'm a business owner myself and have been for 14 years right here in Tallahassee.

But what really pushed me over the edge today wasn't even the bad drink. It was the terrible customer service.

I calmly explained the drink was undrinkable and asked if I could switch it for my usual coffee. I was told I'd have to pay again for another drink, and that they "don't do free drinks just because you don't like it." Let's be clear -- this wasn't a matter of taste preference. The drink was legitimately bad. When I asked if they could remake it better, the girl said they could -- but it would taste the exact same because "that's just how we make it." So... what's the point?

Then she said, "We're not trying to play in your face -- this is just our matcha. It's sweet and milky." No, it wasn't. It wasn't sweet, it wasn't matcha, and it definitely wasn't worth $8. Honestly, I would never drink that again even if it was free.

What upset me most is the complete lack of care or effort to make the situation right. I was running late for an appointment because of this and still got treated like I was the problem. All I wanted was a decent drink -- not an argument over $8.

After today, Red Owl has lost my business, my trust, and any recommendation I might have given. I won't be back, and neither will my family or friends. People always ask me where I get my drinks from -- and now they'll know...

I really want this place to make it. They took an eyesore of a small parcel and turned it into something really nice. The look, the logo, the music in the drive thru, the staff that assisted. I liked it. And this place is about a mile or so from where I live so within easy distance for a cold coffee drink. Over the years, local coffee has exploded, and though we are starbucks fans, we buy from local places as well (fun fact: the rise of the Starbucks franchise, unlike other types of franchises, has actually supported a rise in property value and a rise of local coffee businesses). As a brand new red owl customer, I really want this to work. So far, another family member gives it an 0 for 2 based upon the taste of the coffee. I'm at a 1 for 1 for my iced mocha, with a couple of small quibbles. I would certainly recommend giving them a go. If it appears they are training and treating staff well, I'll continue to make the occasional stop. Because I love...

This was our first time visiting this location, so we were excited to try something new. When we got in line, there was no one in front of us. We spent $20 on two bagel sandwiches and two iced coffees. The coffees were okay, but honestly pretty flavorless on the coffee side. We ended up having to park our car and wait 10 minutes for our sandwiches, which is weird since we were literally the only people in line. When we finally got our egg and cheese bagels, they were quite literally soaked and dripping in butter, which was greasy and completely unnecessary. We took one bite and threw the rest out. What a waste. We won’t be going back. Overpriced, ridiculous wait time, and...