Starbucks — Restaurant in The Woodlands

I’m very disappointed in this location. On Sunday their posted hours are they open at 530am. For three weeks in a row I have ordered at exactly 530am via their mobile app and then gone to the store only to be told they are not open and that they would remake my order on a different day. On each occasion I have asked for a refund and been denied, being told that I would have to come back for the refund. For the first two weeks I came back to the store later in the day and the employee refunded me the drink that I ordered. I then asked that this be elevated to a manager because it was frustrating to have this be a continual problem. The Starbucks employee told me that her manager was on vacation and that she would not be acting on my concerns.

Ok, here is where the twist happened. This past Sunday morning 1/7/24 I once again ordered at 530 and AGAIN showed up to pick up my drink. Their store hours say they are open, their app lets me order, but the employee tells me that their management team has scheduled them incorrectly and are not open. I was frustrated, but decided to once again come back and ask for a refund. When came in later in the day I was told that they would not give me my money back. I was confused because this was how it was handled the previous 2 occasions. I questioned the decision and the barista told me that they could remake my drink but would not refund me. I was quite upset. At this point she got a team lead (I’m not sure, maybe it was just another employee) who decided that since I had mobile ordered the drink I was not entitled to a refund. He was condescending and rude. I got more and more agitated because it was STARBUCKS that took my money during their posted hours and then decided they didn’t have to deliver their product. This happened not once, but 3 times!!

I am writing this review because that male employee who decided to be condescending, belittling and made me feel badly (in fact, ruined my day) … it was unnecessary. If your company messed up, take ownership and make it right. I buy Starbucks almost every day and I understand that mistakes happen. What I don’t understand is your response, shame on...

This Starbucks is located at a very nice and convenient location. For the last few months, however, the quality of drinks I get from here is a hit or miss. For example, their chai latte varies in quality based on the barista. Some make it perfect, but some mostly keep too much milk in it without the right number of shots (standardization?). I expect consistency and high quality for a cup that now costs over $5. Hope this aspect changes soon otherwise customers will find other places with better quality of drinks. —-update on 4/7/25 It’s rare to talk about the same issue after a 9 month period. I had the same issue of lack of consistency in an order. This time it was the vanilla cream cold brew. We ordered via drive thru. The coffee wasn’t good. So, we went inside to talk about the issue. Instead of learning about the issue and replacing with an appropriate drink, the staff member started to argue that’s it’s the correct proportion as she can “see it”. When we told that we “drank it” and it’s not the correct proportion - she hesitatingly replaced the drink. I expect better customer service than this from Starbucks. If someone is coming from a drive thru inside the store, putting additional time for their coffee, the time investment is already more than the price. Please don’t argue with the customer ~ especially when they are right about the issue with the order! Better training for staff will help the location in maintaining the reputation...

I don’t write this lightly. I’ve been to Starbucks across continents, airport counters in Europe, back-alley outposts in Asia, the corporate flagships in big U.S. cities. I’ve been a loyal customer since the early days, when half my graduate school routine was fueled by a barista and a venti. So when I say this might be the best Starbucks in Texas and quite possibly the United States, it comes with receipts.

I’ve held off for four months before writing this review, just to see if the shine would fade. It hasn’t. This store runs like a symphony under pressure. It’s one of the busiest Starbucks I’ve ever stepped into, and yet service is flawless: real smiles, great attitude, drinks made right, and a space that stays clean no matter the chaos. They rarely run out of anything. On the off chance they do, it’s back the next day. That kind of consistency doesn’t happen by accident, it’s culture, it’s discipline, it’s pride in the craft.

Now, one note for corporate: we’re in Texas. Horchata should not be a seasonal flavor. It’s a year-round staple here. And if pumpkin and eggnog keep making the holiday rotation, let’s see some Coquito on the menu, this community would embrace it in a heartbeat.

This Starbucks is my default, even though another location is the same distance from my house. That...