Starbucks Reserve

Love this place! The employees are all pretty nice and friendly. Never had any issues getting my coffee in a timely manner. Most of the employees know who I am since I come in this location a lot. They tend to go out of their way to give me my order if I happen to be sitting down and not paying attention to my name being called. The store is clean and has plenty of seating for everyone to sit down and enjoy their morning cup of coffee. Anyone in the area I recommend you giving this spot a try.

This Starbucks was changed into one of the new "Starbucks Reserve" bar locations July 2017. It is one of eight Starbucks reserve locations in California, and one of three Reserve locations in the Bay Area (though I was told that a Tesla drove through the Los Gatos location... so count that as two now?). Very interesting concept. It's basically a high-end Starbucks, which is supposed to offer an "immersive" experience. To quote the Starbucks Reserve website: "Apart from the full-scale theatricality of the Starbucks Reserve™ Roasteries, our bars offer a more intimate small-lot coffee experience. These are the perfect places to pick up Starbucks Reserve™ whole bean coffee, enjoy a handcrafted Starbucks Reserve™ beverage and chat with a barista about all things coffee." Their menu items are thoughtfully-crafted. You can get a real affogato here! (with espresso over real ice cream -- not just whipped cream, as a regular Starbucks would substitute). The barista seemed extremely knowledgeable and well-trained. The only issue I had is that both restrooms were closed due to being "about to be cleaned" for over an hour. They had trash cans blocking the entry way. After waiting over an hour, one of the employees finally caved and moved the trash cans but the soap dispensers in both restrooms were still empty so obviously they didn't actually get around to cleaning them. I will update this review after a return visit in the future. 6/22 UPDATE: Their cold brew malt is amazing! It's like a milkshake made with real ice cream and espresso! They use chocolate bitters, but the chocolate flavor is very subtle and not overwhelming at all, which is great for someone like me who doesn't really care for chocolate as much as most people do. Tried the Vanilla créme anglaise macchiato for the second time, this time with less than the standard quad shot espresso they do for a venti because the espresso flavor drowned out all the other flavors, which are subtle. It's better with only 2 or 3 shots IMO if you're looking for balanced flavor. But I do appreciate the fact that Starbucks Reserve adds twice as much espresso to a venti as a regular Starbucks does! ☕ The restrooms were at least open this time, though they were out of toilet paper. Seems they could improve their upkeep. I know it's not a fun job, but someone's gotta do it. 🤷

Best Starbucks in the area. Exclusives drinks and coffee beans that no other Starbucks has. Some of the baristas really know about their craft. Give it a try.