8th St. Coffee House — Restaurant in Wichita Falls

This is a difficult review to write. On one hand, everything about the shop makes me want to make this a place I frequent myself, but also a place to bring my family and clients I meet with in my downtown office.

The coffee shop itself is clean, neat, and comfortable in appearance. It is easily seen that a lot of care was taken into making the shop very cozy and welcoming, and create an atmosphere that draws people in.

I stopped in early this afternoon after an appointment in the same building. I walked in through the side door, and as a function of coming in the side door, I did not see any posted hours. As my son and I walked in, a very kind female employee informed us that the kitchen was closed but drink orders could still be made. That was completely agreeable to me, as I was only wanting some coffee before I headed back to work. My son and I were pointed towards the very extensive drink menu, to which we probably got a bit lost as there are dozens, if not over 100 options. As we were moving forward to place our order, a much less kind gentleman employee walked up and told us that they were now closed and we would not be able to order anything. I agreed and walked out of the shop to my car in an adjacent parking lot. Getting into my car, the clock read 2:00.

Being a small business is extremely hard. Bad reviews don’t hurt Amazon or Wal-Mart since you almost have to use their businesses, no matter what experience you have. Negative online reviews are drastically more impactful for small businesses than they are of corporate and franchise locations. My personal experience here today was not good, and it almost completely soured me on coming back here as a customer. I take personal responsibility for coming in close to closing, albeit I was unaware of the operating hours. Had I been told immediately upon walking in that the shop was closed, there would have been no issue. My issue is that a very kind employee tells me that I am able to order, and then a much more abrasive response from another employee when I am stepping forward to order. In that case, the second response comes across as though I was not being seen as a customer but as an inconvenience.

Despite having a bad experience today, it doesn’t feel right leaving a bad review when it is almost certain that had I stumbled in twenty minutes earlier, I probably would have had a great experience. A small, locally owned business probably shouldn’t be penalized for having a single employee that wants to go home after a long shift, especially when another employee approached the situation completely different and with much more grace. This place obviously does virtually everything right, and we should all support locally owned small businesses whenever possible. I’ll find a more convenient time to stop in for the male employee and give 8th Street Coffee House another chance, and if all goes well, I will change my rating according to the...

I'm from out of town and I've never been here before, so I didn't realize they closed in a few minutes. I didn't plan on sitting down, just grabbing a snack and drink and leaving. I was put off by their telling me that they had no food available while I'm standing in front of a menu. Something prepackaged would have sufficed, but she said they "don't have anything but chips," and points in the general direction of a solitary shelf of potato chips. I know they want to leave and all, but don't treat me like an idiot. Telling me they serve nothing to eat "but chips," is bullshit. They reminded me again after I paid that they closed in "three minutes." I assured them I was taking my drink to go. If you say you're open, be open. If you're that bent out of shape to have to service a customer within your business hours, set different hours. I wasn't impressed. The smoothie was good. Nothing phenomenal, but it was cold, fresh, and the closest thing I'll be getting to anything edible from 8th Street Coffee House.

*Supplemental on 9/4/16: I happened across this review today and was impressed by this company's response to this review. I really appreciate the time and thought put into the response. Although I still don't think the staff was particularly professional on that day, I'm certainly willing to give this location another shot the next time I'm in Wichita Falls. I also added a star to my...

If you're needing a place for brunch, I could not recommend this place enough! The food and the atmosphere really remind me of the various brunch places in Austin, and I feel like that helps it stand out more here in Wichita Falls.

They have a vary extensive menu, and they offer a lot more options and modifications than most other cafes. I really enjoy the California Breakfast Bagel sandwich, the Veggie Crossiant sandwich, and the Avocado Toast!! Very generous with the avocado too. ✨️ The pastries were average, and the cinnamon roll was smaller than the photos I've seen, which was disappointing. They also provide variety on drinks, but I found them most of the time to be a little bland. I usually go for a Matcha Latte, and it does have some sweeter already in it, however it is much more tolerable than certain other cafes. The prices can rack up quickly which might deter some, however I believe that the food is worth it!

The service can be hit or miss. My recent visits have been enjoyable, but there has been times when the person at the register has been curt or lackluster in customer service. But nothing down right awful.

I still find the plasticware and paper plates a little strange, but I understand that it provides less hassle for the workers and is cost efficient. It just takes some getting used to! It can get loud sometimes in the lobby, but that is to be...