Revue Cafe

I like this café. It’s a peaceful place to study and it’s quiet and dimmed. The coffee tastes alright, and my friend ordered the almond coffee that had wayyyy too much almond extract that it tasted like medicine. We asked them if they could remake it, and they did, but was so rude about it. The workers have attitude problems and that wasn’t the first time.

I really hate to write a bad review for a local coffee shop, especially because I used to love going here when I was in high school, but this place just sucks now. I don’t know what happened. It used to be this cool, fun place to hang out and drink coffee but now it’s run by someone who obviously needs a lesson in customer service.
I get how the owner is annoyed by people who come just to read a book or talk to their friends, but that is apart of the business of running a coffee shop. Sometimes people come to buy coffee and leave, other times they just want to stop in and read the paper. By requiring customers to buy something each and every time they stop in, the owner is basically driving away loyal customers. I was going to this place for 15 years. By definition I was a loyal customer — why give me a hard time for the few times I stop in just to study, or meet up with a friend? Isn’t it more important to keep a base of people you can depend on, rather than nitpick?
Personally I think the owner is in the wrong business. Maybe she would have better luck running a McDonald’s where people wouldn’t have the expectation that they’re free to socialize and hang out.
Oh yeah, and the tea is just plain bad. She serves it in these oversized tall mugs, with scalding hot water. Why even bother with tea if you’re going to make it diluted and serve it so hot that it takes half an hour before the customer can even drink it?

Sweet coffee shop in the Tower District. I stop by at least once when I’m visiting Fresno. Always very friendly staff and many drink options. They also tend to carry sugar-​free syrups and soy and almond milks which is nice.

Coffee: Not too bad.
Service and Staff: A little on the rude side.
Cleanliness: ZERO! The place is filthy. Tables are rarely cleaned down, it is very dusty (I ran my finger over the ledge where the lamps sit to reveal the wood underneath). Sticky drink glass rings and fingermarks from previous customers where all over our table (and other ones). I did not even want to lean on it!
At one point, one waitress wheeled a mop and dirty water bucket THROUGH the food service area (normally one does this AFTER closing, NOT infront of customers). The other waitress also swept the floor around us, while we ate and drank, making the dust fly up, then she proceeds to sweep the dust out into the patio IN THE DIRECTION OF CUSTOMERS who were sitting outside… I was like «What the!!!». Again, DO THIS WHEN CLOSED!!).
One last thing: their wooden chairs in the front are quite old and have nailheads that stick out which tend to ruin and tear one’s clothing. Also, one time, as I was about to sit outside another customer warned me about their metal chairs. Upon closer look, I noticed the metal mesh of the seat broken and poking upwards, again, potential harm and ruined clothing. Please! GET NEW CHAIRS!
It has potential to be better and much much cleaner. I hope they read this and decide to make an earnest effort to better the establishment.
2 stars only for the good coffee… otherwise, it would be a one star.

One of my favorite coffee shops. Reminds me of drinking a cup of joe in a comfy dim lit house. Lots of booths, great place to study, great ambiance, live bands in the back and free Wifi.

I’m going to list the things I would rather do than go To Revue Café:
— I would rather have a root canal with no pain medications
— I would rather pass a kidney stone
— I would rather baby sit 4 ADHD kids who are wired on coffee
— I would rather wear crocs to every social gathering ever for the rest of my life
— Be able to express myself using only lines of dialogue from the movie Paul Blart: Mall Cop.
The only thing that Revue has going for it is the study areas, but the customer service is horrible. They treat me as if I stole their car and kicked their grandmother in the shin.
Save your money and head to Café Corazon instead. Leo (the owner of Café Corazon) treats every single customer like they are family and the coffee is better.

Terrible place. It’s dirty. The wait staff are air heads that can’t get an order correct. The food was average at best. The coffee was OK. Atmosphere is uncomfortable.

As many other reviewers noted, the space is bomb. You can chill out by yourself with a computer or book, or you can meet up with friends and share some drinks and food. The performance space has got potential, as does the front patio. They take their time making their drinks, so that is either a sign that they are trying to make them right, or they just are slow.

Every exerience I have ever had a Revue has been terrible. I kept giving them chances, mostly because I am a member of a group that used to meet there (we now meet at Coffee Lounge on 1^st street… they actually want our business and don’t treat us like criminals!) and because there was a reading I wanted to attend.
I’m never going back again, I don’t care how badly I want to see a reading (Sorry, TNE). The owner and staff are rude and mean. The service is slow and 7 – 11 brews a better coffee. They nickle and dime you, and if you want to have an event there, like open mic or a reading, they force the PERFORMERS to buy something or even they will be kicked out! Hello, Revue? They aren’t being paid anything and they are bringing customers in. Also, every customer must buy something, and they police this policy like Nazis. So that means, if your friend wants to pop in and get a coffee, you’re going to have to wait outside while he/​she finishes if you don’t want to buy your own coffee.
We had a group of fifteen come in once. There was no room for us except in the back. They refused to turn on the heat, and then the employee came back and announced loudly that she needed to check with each and every one of us to make sure we all had purchased something. So, we were all freezing cold, but be damned if we all didn’t buy something.
Go to Café Corazan around the corner. So friendly, REAL coffee that is hand-poured…and they like you! Or, Coffee Lounge at 1^st and Gettysburg. It’s not in Tower but it’s worth the drive! The owners are incredibly nice and they let you bring in outside food. And, they will gladly welcome your large group! They’ll even turn the heat on for you and not get all wound up one person in the group decides not to buy anything.

I wish I could separate my review of the atmosphere from my review of the owner. She is an absolute harpy; there is one very sweet girl who works nights but apparently the owner works days. I ordered a latte with sugar free syrup and she brought it to me saying that she didn’t have enough of the sugar free flavour so she made the rest using the regular syrup. Fortunately I’m not diabetic but I am in the food service industry and this is a big no-​no. You must always ask before making a change like that to someone’s order! She was very snappy and impatient when I questioned her about it, and I wish there was a way to make her answer for her behaviour without punishing the venue itself because atmospherically, it is my favourite coffee shop in town. Unfortunately her quarrelling, acidic attitude is pretty much unbearable.

First off, my rating is a 3.5!
Unilocal needs to add a half star increment…
I love it here. I love this because I can study and relax and drink my caramel latte and eat my delicious mesquite chicken panini in peace and I just love the vibe I get from this place. I love the colors, the décor. Feels classy and sophisticated.
One thing I do not like however are the baristas… They are okay. That’s it. The new one though is pretty uppity… She seems annoyed Everytime someone orders. Just seems rude to me. At least look happy… Or fake smile or laugh when a customer talks to you. They need to smile a bit more.
I’ve been coming here since Teazers got popular and it starting getting over populated with hipster morons and materialistic «OMG» girls so that is when I started going to the revue which was over a year and a half ago,
I still remember when this gay guy was the barista… He was theeee absolute coolest! Too bad he’s not there anymore… ohh welll :/​
I also miss Craig as the host for Open Mic Night. he was and is WAYYY cooler than that new man… Hes mean and not funny -.-
Over all, I loveeeee this place. I just wish the staff was a bit cooler and less well, idk. More talkative and chill and fun.

This is where I go when I want to get some work done. I’d suggest you bring some ear plugs or your own music to drown out the sounds of others, because there can be some noisy patrons who don’t care that you’re trying to read or write (and why should they, they paid for their food or drink and they can sit and talk if they want to). I prefer to work in one of the booths, they have an intimate feel. The back room is great though too as there always seems to be room to spread out somewhere, and the booths get snatched up pretty quickly.
The coffee is pretty good, but I think the atmosphere is probably better than their drinks. Not that they aren’t good they just aren’t life changing or anything like that. Luckily I don’t expect life changing when I order a $ 3 coffee. I’ve fallen into a habit of asking whoever is at the counter what their favorite drinks are, and I usually just order the one that sounds the best, or whichever one I haven’t tried yet. They haven’t steered me wrong yet.

I visited Revue Café when visiting a friend in the Fresno area. I think this is the hot-​spot in downtown Fresno… interesting.
The people who frequent this place are worth a visit. Drag queens, derelicts, drug addicts. So much entertainment.
My only real complaint? The barista made my breve so hot that it scalded my tongue pretty badly. :/

I absoulely LOVE the tomato bisque they offer during fall and winter. However, the staff/​service is a mixed bag. Sometimes they’ll bring your order to your table, and other times you’re expected to retrieve your order. WTH is this. Still it’s a small price to pay…

Its a great place to meet for coffee. (they got booths!) Or for browsing the net. The prices are good and unlike the Starbucks down the street, these girls know what they’re doing! Ok, the prices aren’t good. they are great and its a local business with a really friendly staff. Really. you can’t ask for more.
But wait theres more… On the weekends they tend to have a free. Yes free, show of a local artist in the back. And they also host Jazz Hop here also. This place is a gem!
I highly recommend this place for coffee. or just hanging.

While sitting on the patio enjoying the nice Fresno evening and coffee with friends, a street person asked my group for a cigarette. He was provided one and then went on his way. The barista working at the counter took the time to come outside onto the patio, and yell at us «If I CATCH you giving a cigarette to someone who hasn’t purchased something, you’re going to be asked to leave AND NEVER COME BACK!» We were completely shocked that she spoke to us in such a rude, confrontational manner.
After reading the other reviews, I’m not surprised we were treated this way. Apparently, this is is how The Revue treats their customers (charging for an outlet, really??). We will not be back, and they don’t even have to ask us!

This place is great. Nice to find a coffee shop that is different from the cookie-​cutter starbucks. A regular cup of coffee is 25 cents more but you are sitting in a nice environment. You can walk along Olive and come back for your refill of regular coffee and sit down and read a book. The little patio with the olive tree was great. great place to smoke a cigar and has a cup of coffee.
Less River Parks in the world and more places like Revue and Tower District. I will definitly go back and take people who have not been.
On a side note, the baristas were a bit «cold» but that didnt really kill the mood of the café or the time i spent there. Some reviewers seem to be a bit sensitive i think (poor babies). Never had lunch there but will soon and let you know how it goes.

I still prefer Starbucks. Their coffee is horrible, I can’t believe I even decided to get anything here. People make mistakes, and I forgot to ask for SoyMilk instead since I cannot drink regular milk, so after getting my drink and took a sip. I gasped and asked my friends, «Is this like Starbucks? Can I return a drink and get it re-​made?» They all shook their head no.
The worker was rude, I can’t believe I deal with these people.
And the fact that they charge .50 cents for using a credit card is ridiculous, my parents have owned and still own very successful businesses around town and these businesses are only charged 2%-3% for the total of the purchase price when a card is charged. This is just another quick way for these small mediocre businesses to gain Revenue.
Come to think of it, this place should change it’s name from Revue to Revenue.

trying to find an alternate to my coffee experience in Fresno has been very difficult, for now, I will stick to Starbucks. I would love to have Peet’s or Tully’s here in Fresno, but doubt that would ever happen.
this place is a coffee drinkers nightmare. horrible slow service, awful coffee, and a bunch of weird people hanging outside. Not for a great place for meeting friends, that’s for sure.

An object lesson in how not to run a coffee shop. The location, the set-​up – perfect. The coffee – tolerable. But none of this can overcome the incredibly off-​putting service. I’ve been slightly annoyed by the slowness and the attitude of the daytime staff here before but today’s events have turned me off this place completely.
Just when I arrived I got a couple texts, so I took a moment to respond, meaning that my bag was sitting at the table next to me, and I sat down for a few minutes before I ordered. No more than 5 minutes later, I noticed the older woman behind the bar glaring at me. I looked at her inquiringly, and she said (her voice full of suspicion) «Are you planning on ordering something?»
«Yes,» I said, still managing to smile. «In just a moment.»
«And are you saving a place for someone? Is that why your bag is sitting there and you’re taking up two tables?» (The place was empty except for one other guy – 10 of 12 tables were open.)
I said, «Uh, no… it was just a convenient spot for the moment. If the place fills up, I’ll certainly move my bag.»
I finished my text then and went up to order, at which point she walked away from the counter and into the back where she proceeded to clean something, making a point of making me wait. I waited. And after she filled my order, I said, «You know, that’s a really poor way to treat someone.» She snorted and slapped the pen down for me to sign my credit card slip. Then I asked her kindly for her manager’s contact information. She sneered and replied, «I’m not allowed to give that out. You can just leave a note with me.» Uh-​huh.
So that’s that. Lame. And I agree with Mark B. about the nickel-​and-​diming that goes on here, too. Silly. Oh, and I just read Cierra B.‘s review – could this curmudgeon be the owner! *bleh*