| rev:text
| - I visited Yola's Café for the first time and experienced the equivalent of death by a thousand paper cuts. While I liked Yola's family-friendly coffeehouse concept, a series of service missteps and lackluster execution of the food order made for a less than stellar experience.
While waiting for my wife to arrive, my daughter and I hungrily spied the butterscotch and chocolate chip scone in the display case on the front counter. We recently basked in the glory that is the oatmeal butterscotch cookie from Batch Bakehouse and hoped Yola's would provide us with a west-side fix for our new butterscotch addiction. Alas, it was not to be. The scone was overly dry and lacked the richness of the scones from the aforementioned Batch.
When my wife arrived, there were a steady stream of customers pouring into the café. After a short wait, a rather stoic gentleman took our order. He did not greet us, hardly smiled and did not offer any recommendations as we made our picks from the menu. Frankly, it was a little awkward. I did score the free 16 oz. coffee offered with a Yelp check-in (thank you, Yelp!). When we finished ordering, my wife and daughter each asked for a cup of water, which also drew a blank expression from our stoic friend.
We took our number and trudged off to a table, which the party at the neighboring table was using to discard their dirty dishes. All the unoccupied tables had dirty dishes and were in desperate need of a good wipe down.
After a short wait, stoic dude arrived with my daughter's fruit cup. At the counter, stoic dude told us the fruit cup contained strawberries, blueberries and pineapple. What we received was a cup full of cantaloupe and honeydew (which my daughter is not a fan of). To their credit, when I pointed this out, stoic dude took it back and we later received a large cup brimming with ripe strawberries, pineapple and grapes.
After another short wait, my wife and I received our sandwiches. However, my daughter and I did not receive our drinks and nor did we receive our water. So I trudged back to the counter, only to see a long line of customers waiting to order. While waiting in line, I noticed a water cooler that stoic dude failed to mention when we ordered our food. So I filled a couple of cups with water and trudged back to the table. Still no beverage order. So I trudge back to the counter to check on the status of the drinks. Still a long line, so I wait...and wait...and wait. Finally, I get to the front of the line. I ask stoic dude about my coffee. He instructs me to grab a coffee cup from behind the coffee carafes. C'mon stoic dude, you could have mentioned that when we ordered. So I grab a cup with high hopes that my beverage odyssey was about to end. Curses, foiled again, the carafe is empty. After a short wait, the owner finally indicates they are brewing more coffee. So I trudge back to the table and take a bite of my now cool egg sandwich. Then the owner indicates the carafe has been filled. So you guessed it, I trudge up to the counter and fill my mug. I inquire about my daughter's beverage. The owner indicates he is working on it. A minute later, stoic dude delivers the caramel apple drink. It is lukewarm and tasted like Juicy Juice apple juice with a faint hint of caramel.
For what it's worth, the robust Yola's dark roast is one fine cup of coffee.
I finally start eating the rest of my now cold egg sandwich. While I like the concept of serving the sandwich on a ciabatta roll, the crust was too soft and did not offer much flavor. The sandwich was small, slightly larger than an English muffin. The smoked bacon was paper-thin and did not provide much flavor or texture. The egg was under-seasoned and by the time I finally ate my sandwich, the greens were warm and mushy. In retrospect, I should have asked to have the sandwich replaced after my long beverage ordeal.
Other observations:
* The wi-fi signal at Yola's is excellent.
* The tables are densely packed, making the constant journeys to the front counter an inconvenience for you and your neighbors.
* On the table, there was a list of interesting beverage specials, including a salted caramel chai (yum). The problem: I didn't see the list until after I made my order. They really need to post this list by the front counter in a more conspicuous manner.
So, would I go back - maybe, but definitely not at peak service hours. I do love a good malted waffle, the signature dish of Yola's. However, if I see stoic dude behind the counter, I am making a beeline for the exit.
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