Strouds

Sometimes life provides us pleasant little surprises. Maybe it is a break in the rain on a long road trip, or cancelled class on a day where an extra hour of sleep is all you need. In my case, it was a cozy little sandwich shop while on a walk during my lunch break from a long day at work. I stopped in and was greeted by two ladies who made me feel like they had known me since I was a kid, and had been proud to see me grow up. This kindness and enthusiasm hasn't waned throughout my many visits. Whether I'm the only one there, or one of twenty packed into the small space, I feel noticed and appreciated. This alone would make me a frequent visitor of the establishment, it is the delicious food that makes me an ambassador. Their chipotle chicken panini is fantastic, their grilled cheese is, surprisingly, refreshing, and their club makes you feel like it is a perfect summer afternoon, no matter where you are. Do yourself a favor and stop by one day, you won't regret it. Update: I initially wrote this review 8 months ago, I have gone here nearly every Wednesday since then for lunch. Now, I just have to call and say, "Hey it's Seth, I'll see you in a few minutes." and they start my order. One week, some people from work went out to lunch together and my boss said he was buying, I obviously leaped at the chance for free food. It wasn't until I was on my way to lunch that I realized it was Wednesday and I was headed somewhere other than Stroud's. Oops. I went in the next day to get my fix and was immediately greeted with, "Where were you yesterday?" and, "We were worried that you'd forgotten about us." and other friendly ribbing. Here's where things get interesting. I knew that I would be missing the next Wednesday as well as I had already scheduled to meet with an old friend for lunch. This time, they were going to be caught by surprise again, but in a good way. I arranged to have flowers delivered with a note offering my deepest, sincerest apologies for missing my second consecutive Wednesday. I don't write this to brag about sending flowers to a restaurant, an act some might deem ridiculous, but to highlight that these ladies are deserving of such acts. They make every trip fun and familiar. I walked back in the next week a mini celebrity. I was trying to recognize their kindness and they, in return, told everyone there, "This is the flower guy!" If I move away one day, they will be a big part of what I miss about this city. Thank you for all you do Becky and Cheryl!

To call a business a coffee shop certain expectations should be met. To be in any business the simple rule of giving customers what they want is basic. Phrases like "the customer is always right" , "customers first" and many others guide this. This establishment failed on both accounts. The salad was obviously old and the lettuce was therefore not crisp. As I asked to NOT have a plastic bag I was informed that I would get one regardless,