I stop at Starbucks approximately twice a month. I am by no means an every day Starbucks visitor but on the occasion, I like to treat myself to one of their drinks. I stop in this Starbucks... More

I stop at Starbucks approximately twice a month. I am by no means an every day Starbucks visitor but on the occasion, I like to treat myself to one of their drinks. I stop in this Starbucks around 10am one morning this week and I found another customer placing a large order of gift cards, mugs, bags of coffee, etc. I was in no rush so I let her complete her order even though she offered for me to jump ahead. I proceed to wait just a few moments and then I order a chi tea latte. I sit down as I wait for my beverage to be ready. Quite some time passes, a wave of people come in and get there coffee and leave. They see me sitting, reading the newspaper. The barista asked what did I order. I reiterate my order and she apologizes. She prepares my coffee and then give me a coupon for a free beverage. I was grateful for her customer service skills and recognition of that fact that I was forgotten!
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I frequently go to this Starbucks as it is close to the Clybourn Metra station. And the lattes are usually decent. Today, however, I ventured to order a cafe au lait, which I consider to be a... More

I frequently go to this Starbucks as it is close to the Clybourn Metra station. And the lattes are usually decent. Today, however, I ventured to order a cafe au lait, which I consider to be a coffee house standard. Of course, what I got (and overpaid for) was a coffee with a "milk topper." Because I refuse to order a misto, the Starbucks made-up term for what is essentially a cafe au lait. "Misto" is also the brand name of an olive oil spritzer; "fritto misto," in Italian, is literally mixed fried. My second mistake was ordering skim milk. Everyone orders skim milk, which means it is never steamed fresh--or rarely--for each drink. Starbucks likes to heat milk and keep it on burners in order to serve many people quickly. This is why I usually order whole milk, as less people do so they typically have to steam fresh. Plus, it tastes better. Other than this incident, the food here is well-stocked and fresh, the service okay and the environment clean. Not very good for hanging out, though, as seating is sparse.
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