Strange Brew

The coffee was eh okay, but the service was absolutely terrible. The owner is very rude and has little to no patience with customers. Heaven forbid I wasn’t quite ready to order my drink the second I walked through the door, so I got the eye roll & a huge sigh. In addition to that, I wanted to modify a drink without having crushed candy & whipped cream on top of my latte. I just wanted the flavor syrup. He had to put his 2 cents in by saying well that isn’t the drink, and it won’t be the same. No kidding, it’s not the EXACT same drink, but I’m the paying customer so if I don’t want candy & whipped cream I shouldn’t be lectured about it. He also made a comment to another female regarding her drink choice because she ordered it with soy milk & he recommended almond milk. Perhaps she has a nut allergy & can’t have almond milk. He just really needs to learn to keep his mouth shut & serve customers with a smile rather than with his snide remarks.

One of the worse places and worse service i ever had in a coffee shop. The owner is ignorant and rude as can be. One thing i do not want to hear is BS before i have a coffee in the morning. Just serve me what i am paying u for. No need to hear your problems and you attitude. You suck. Never will i ever go back there again. Unless i have to do a number 2 there. Using the bathroom. 1 star is to many. Try any other place but this one.

It was 12÷12÷15 around 5pm. The barista was very condescending rude by outright insulting me in front of my family (wife and kids). We just wanted some hot drinks for the trip back home and to have the kids use the restroom, since we came from a our train ride with Santa Claus at the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. We stopped in for lattes and hot chocolate for the kids. We were exhausted. I asked if the barista if he was serving hot chocolate. He asked if I was from Jersey. I replied that I was from Philadelphia. He then stated that it was the same thing since I didn’t know how to read a menu. Then he went on to explain how I was setting a bad example in front of my kids. We spent almost $ 13 and a $ 2 and some change tip. We were then denied the restroom for our 8 y/​o daughter and 4 y/​o son. (Not sure if there was a restroom or not for patrons, since I didn’t notice a sign) I will never go back nor will do I recommend anyone to show any patronage to this place. Not a good place.

Candy Latte… awesome! Great friendly staff! Cozy sitting area. From Hot Chocolate to serious coffee… they got you covered

We stopped by for coffee and sweets before our tour. Coffee was ok but the guy selling it wasn’t. He was rude and had no sense of humor. Place is nicely decorated. Nothing’s too special about this place.

The owner is a disrespectful and rude. One star because despite his douchiness the Oreo latte was good (even though when I ordered it he said I dunno that’s a lot of work are you sure). Thanks for making me regret walking in.

Worst experience in town. Ordered 3 drinks, got 4. Employees seemed under the influence and laughed when asked for a refund. DO NOT GO HERE.

Cute café, excellent iced coffee. Actually listened to me when I said just a splash of cream, something that Starbucks is still mastering. Tried to talk me into a latte or something «fancy» but eh, kept it boring.
Regulars were hanging out — for the long haul — and chatting with each other across the café. Kinda cute in an old-​school «Cheers» kinda way.
Old Pac-​man arcade game and Jimi Hendrix in the background wasn’t too shabby either.

Cutest little café in the cutest little town ever. This place has attitude, but in a friendly way which I dig. They play old school rock tunes and have the décor to match (and then also have a wall painted like outer space adorned with a massive stuffed octopus… just because). The employees are super sweet and patient, though they will sarcastically make fun of you. In my opinion, that’s like half the charm.
They have comfy couches and board games to choose from while you have your drink, and tonssss of yummy options + baked goods. My friend gave an emphatic thumbs up to the white hot chocolate and cinnamon muffin, and I fell in love with the chocolate hazelnut tea. I would’ve loved to try a handful of other drinks but for some strange (whee-​pun) reason they did not have soy milk so my lactose-​intolerant self was limited to tea. While the tea was great, I really wanted some hot chocolate :(In their defense they had almond milk but I’m highly allergic, as are many people. Grab some soy and you’ll be 5 stars.

Quirky place. Excellent selection of hot and cold coffee drinks. Every candy bar themed Lattes. Pac-​Man — Ms Pac-​Man and Galaga combo in the corner. Comfy sofa’s and cookies and pastries. Try the chocolate covered coffee beans.

Nice little coffee shop in the heart of town. Coffee was fresh and hot and had great service when we visited. Only thing that bothered me was the sink in the bathroom was broken but they did have hand sanitizer. Now I don’t know if they have a place to wash their hands behind the counter but I would like anyone serving my food to use soap and water before they handle my food or drink

Stopped in on a cold day trip through Jim Thorpe. Had an awesome peanut butter cup coffee that warmed me right up. The service was slow, but only because the barista was crafting each drink individually. The price was very reasonable.
I also picked up a small bag of dark chocolate covered espresso beans at the register which were great– they spoil easily and I did not expect them to be a hot item in a small town shop.
Gift shop was closed on my visit.
Will stop in again on my next trip.

On a winter outing to Jim Thorpe with a group of coworkers, we decided to stop in to Strange Brew to thaw and indulge in some beverages. A couple was exiting as we approached, and the man who held the door for us shook his head and said «Read the menu,» in an ominous tone. Thus, with some trepidation, I read the menu.
Admittedly, it was cold outside. However, I was well-​bundled and had done a lot of walking, so I was in the mood for something cool and refreshing. I couldn’t decide between lemonade or a fruit smoothie. When I got to the front of the line, I went with lemonade. The cashier (/​owner?) told me they didn’t have any. I asked for the smoothie and was told they didn’t have that either, because there was no demand for either of those items in the winter. I can understand that, but then why have them on the menu, without so much as a mark to indicate they aren’t available?
At that point I had no idea what I wanted, the cashier made no effort to steer me in the direction of something they did have that would satisfy my craving for something refreshing — if indeed there was anything like that available — and the line behind me was long and restless. I went with a bottle of juice from the refrigerator, and left disappointed. The décor is really neat though, so if I ever find myself in the area during the warm months I would give it another try.

As a quick update, I’d like to state that I was contacted by a shill of Strange Brew with a brief elaboration on why the service is so poor and why the bathrooms are inaccessible.
I’d like to elaborate a bit here: If your barista has Autism, I commend you for offering a position to someone with disability but would like to point out a glaring issue:
–Just as it’s terrible form to use a disability in a derogatory fashion, it’s bad to use a disability as an excuse. If you want to provide better service; hire a qualified barista and move this gentleman to a more suitable position. Given how long your lines get, perhaps he’d be better suited at the cashier position. Maybe management, given the insufficient talent staffing the establishment currently.
Also, assuming that the people in line are just urine-​filled tourists asking to use your John is awful form. It could be that they genuinely wanted to purchase a drink, but desperately had to make room first.
This establishment is shameful. Your management gives as many shits as your patrons are allowed and your service is awful. To apply icing to this overrated cake, your décor is abhorred and your attempts to sway online reviews is embarrassing. It’s the belief of this reviewer that your efforts would be better served correcting your flaws rather then take up a false banner in Autism’s name.
If I could take your stars away for all of the insulting things you’ve done and said as a company, I would. Since I can’t, I’ll post this updated review of your establishment.
Folks, there are better choices out there. That little historic town has a plethora of places that will let you take a piss AND sell you a better drink for less.

No, it’s not just you! All of you’s.
This well-​kept venue is like stepping into the innards of a jukebox from around 1968 to 1973, and all it’s missing is a gyrating female silhouette around some technicolor tie-​dye swirls, or a dude with a turtleneck sweater. The groove is genuine.
So why so many lukewarm reviews? Well, here was my latest experience with the cashier, who, I presume (from everyone else’s comments) is also the owner:
Me: I’d like a large steamed milk.
Him: Ummm… okay. Don’t get many of those.
Me: Well, it’s too late in the day for me to have caffeine.
Him: Oh, it’s never too late. You sure you don’t want a hot chocolate.
Me: No, I’d really like a steamer with one of your flavorings.
Him: (hesitation in his voice) Well, okaaayy.
My translation (what he REALLY meant): «At $ 2, I don’t charge enough for steamers to justify the exorbitant amount of expensive milk they require. So, I’m going steer you to something that costs me less.»
Yep, $ 2 is pretty reasonable for a steamer. But my large cup was only about ²⁄₃ full because of all the froth, nor was the steamer that hot. So really, I paid just the right amount for a marginal drink that the seller actively dissuaded me from buying.
How would our owner respond if Eric Clapton stepped in to order a steamer? This being Jim Thorpe, a postcard-​perfect town catering to more than its share of aging hippies, it very well could happen.

I’m so glad reading these reviews that it wasn’t just me. I was so floored by how rude the barista was — who turned out to be the owner. I hate writing negative things, but I sincerely hope he reads these, can reflect, and make an appropriate adjustment.
To the owner: — we know you’re trying to do good things w/​this place, but being rude to customers is ruining your reputation. There also appears to be some flaws in your product/​method that might be worth reevaluating. Would LOVE to write a new report after my next visit if things improve :)
My last experience went as such:
He started off by snide requests to pay in smaller bills — an ask that is totally reasonable but should be asked and not griped about in a passive aggressive way.
My friend and I got lattes… or at least that’s what they were supposed to be. Barely tasted like there was espresso in it and I think they burnt the milk. Anyway, after trying to enjoy it for a few sips and failing, we took them up to the guy and kindly explained that they tasted off and couldn’t we maybe just have some plan coffee instead. *silence* The guy was dumbfounded and when he spoke he took a defensive and angry tone. «I’m sorry if I take offense to this, but this is my shop and I make this every day» *more silence* We explain perhaps the machine is acting up and apologize but you’re welcome to taste it and see what we mean. *crickets* He then sulked off and dumped them w/​o tasting them. Pours us some of his coffee. In confrontational, he asked as I walked away where I usually got my lattes — I answered that I actually tend to make them myself (work @ a restaurant). *shrug*
And man! I wish I could say the coffee was ok. I guess it was just that. I’m not a coffee snob — but c’mon! It didn’t even smell like real coffee.
Neat atmosphere with a lot of potential but VERY poorly managed presently.

I never received my coffee because myself and the other customers were treated so poorly by the owner. He was so rude and told us not to make ourselves comfortable. Four other disgruntled customers walked out of the coffee shop with us. He yelled to people that came in after us, «No more drinks here!» And then another «don’t get too comfortable!» Someone ahead of us asked for decaf…“not at closing time!” Never again, he lost our business!

Friendly service and the coffee was great. Had a great time hanging out here with family!

I had the green tea frappé, and it was great. I read all these reviews about rude service, but the guy behind the counter was quite friendly to me and my husband. Quick service as well.
Casual place to hang out for a while. We were there almost 2 hrs using the wi-​fi (good, strong connection too), and they don’t care as long as you’ve bought something.

Extremely rude! After ordering 2 lattes the guy behind the counter gave me a lecture after I asked if I could use the restroom. He talked about how everyone asks to use it and he doesn’t have to let anyone in there. He then went on about it with all the other patrons of the coffee shop about how rude it was that everyone uses it. Here’s a tip, if you don’t want people using something, just say no.
My latte was just okay. Regardless I will never return. Worst customer service.
Ps they had a ferret in the back of the store. Pretty gross.