Black Rock Coffee Bar — Restaurant in Texas

I love the BR coffee bar. The coffee tastes okay, and I purchase the teas and shakes at Black Rock compared to the coffee. The coffee tastes over-extracted and bitter. I don't know why BlackRock makes coffee in this manner. The coffee on tap doesn't offer the elegance of a hot coffee from Starbucks or Joe Muggs or a local coffee store. My favorite blended coffee drink at Black Rock is the Jackhammer. Black Rock Katy suffers from high employee turnover, and the quality of the blended drinks are variable from barista to barista. On weekdays, from around 5 PM until the coffee bar closes, Black Rock staffs one barista working the restaurant. Why? They should offer a minimum staffing of two baristas at the coffee bar at all times. I observed high school students from Paetkow congregating at the coffee shop after they graduate from the high school hour. The high school students act with grace complimentary of Paetkow. When I stopped at the coffee shop, the barista offered my friend and I a two dollar discount for happy hour coffee. I have visited this shop several times in the year, and I didn't know the hours or the policies for the happy hour coffee discount. In the future, If this franchisee offers a two dollar happy hour discount, the barista should offer the discount to...

This review has nothing to do with the employees - they were all kind and did a great job.

I am tired of the “small talk for a tip” atmosphere at every small coffee shop. It’s very awkward for both the employee and customer to stare at each other at the drive thru window while waiting for the order to be completed and even more awkward to be handed an iPad that asks for a tip. I’m already paying $10 for a drink - why not just pay your employees more? I did apply for this job and was offered an interview but declined when I saw they only pay their employees $8/hour. That was also the offer made to me for having years of Starbucks experience. In 2023 that pay rate is ridiculous. It should not be on the customer to provide extra pay to the employees through tips. And the employee shouldn’t have to try and force a conversation with every customer at the window in hopes of a tip.

My coffee was great - but I think the owners should take a step back and realize how ridiculous it is to pay their employees so little and expect the customer to fill that gap. It’s unfair for both employees...

2 reasons I’m giving this a one star review

I ordered a Sunrise Fuel drink and it’s supposed to have orange juice, strawberry and passion fruit flavor in there (it has always been the same taste at other locations of Black Rock that I ordered in the past). This location give me a drink without orange juice! (probably just flavor syrup of strawberry and passion fruit only), no orange juice at all. I have to throw it away. It’s so wrong and not the same drink I’ve always been ordering at other locations.

They said they will give out free T-shirt for the first 250 customers on Thursday 7/13 (today). We showed up at 9:30 am and they said they run out. I don’t believe so, but can’t argue. Only you know what you’re doing.

I’m not going back to this Black Rock...