Starbucks

Thank god for universal pricing. In the rich town og New Port, Starbucks has become a 7-​Eleven because they are cheap compared to others.

Another favorite hangout! After walking both Islands on this Balmy October day. it’s so refreshing to sip on an iced Pumpkin Spice Latte, made with coconut milk!

They are always out of several items and they over charge for special drinks.
I usually get a venti iced water with 5 scoops of matcha powder. Most places charge me for water + add matcha, some charge me for a venti iced tea, they charge for a green tea latte! Are you kidding me? You didn’t use any milk or steam any milk at all!!! You filled up a cup with iced water, added matcha powder to it, put the lid on, and swirled it around a couple times.
I’ve once been in 4 days in a row jonesing for a turkey panini to no avail! (How often do they get shipments?) anyway, I decided on a slow roasted ham and Swiss and it was dry/​burnt when I sat down at my desk to eat it. My coworker got one before work the next day and same thing. I think their oven settings are off. :(
I’ve been in the past two days looking for snowman cookies… none!
Long story short, I still go to this Starbucks because it is the only one on the island, but I’ve been working on the island for less than three months and have decided I’m sick of it and will stop at a location on my way in with a better selection and more reasonable pricing!

Seriously? Can’t get a cup of ice water with a purchase!

1. Coffee is good at all starbucks PERIOD!!! 2. THE SERVICE IS HORRIBLE… The tall heavy set guy with the mustache is rude. The guy in front of me wanted his drink a certain way. It wasn’t a difficult request. The guy had the nerve to tell him «oh, we don’t do that» I could not believe it. The guy walked out. He had a horrible attitude…

Properly the worst service I have experience in any Starbucks ever, the staff don’t really care about customers, they are very slow and rude, these girls are talking loud about the personal life … Awful staff

Great service. Room to sit all the time.

Ordered regular coffee not my usual latte and boy their coffee is bitter… maybe next time will get a lite coffee

Nice location as most starbucks they hire great staff. Wifi worked great not to busy on a weekday. Great seats that view the walkway. Linda, Stephanie and Lacey where so nice.

Perfectly located Starbucks when strolling on Balboa Island. These guys are always super friendly and this location is never busy but parking is limited on Balboa so its best to walk there and has become part of my morning or evening strolling routine.

Super friendly baristas! Steph is the best! I get a nonfat no whip hot chocolate and it is always AMAZING. really. I have never had a bad beverage here. I can’t say the same for other starbucks locations. There is only one ho-​cho that I have found comparable, which would be at Bittersweet in the Oakland hills.
The actual venue is a little bit cramped, so you have to squeeze past other customers, but no biggie to me. Kind of keeps with the feeling of Balboa Island.
Two thumbs up, five stars!

Your typical Starbucks! Friendly service and clean bathrooms! I stopped by here on my way to visit my friend to pick up some coffee for us to sip on as we caught up with each other. I lucked out in finding street parking across the way and was in and out of there in no time!

5 stars latte!
I don’t know what it is, maybe they use sea water… maybe I’m just in a better mood when I’m here… who knows… but something about their 1% milk (mix of 2% and nonfat) lattes here are remarkably better than the ones at any other Starbucks that I frequent. It doesn’t matter what time of day or day of week I get it, always taste the same… better than any where else.
Parking is a pain and there’s usually a crowd on weekends… but if you live on the Island or are hanging out there, I would stop by for a latte.

Although the food and drinks stand up to normal Starbucks quality, the bathrooms are always closed in the evening while they are still open. We’ve experienced this several times. They post a handwritten sign on the door stating the bathroom is closed. Last night, we got drinks there at 7:15 and they had just finished cleaning the bathroom. We had a potty training toddler that needed to use the bathroom and they refused to open it back up. We walked around the island and when we circled back an hour later, the bathroom was still closed. I suspect the staff does not like cleaning up after the patrons.

This might just bump Crystal Cove off my people-​watching Starbucks top three [edit: Actually, not going to happen. The people-​watching is great, but the barstools are just too uncomfortable]. It is on the main street on Balboa Island, and even on a slow weekday afternoon, there were plenty of people to watch; the coffee shop itself had a steady flow of customers, though most of them did not linger. The staff is very friendly and personable.
It is a pretty small shop; there is a long counter at the front with six barstools and plenty of outlet access; however, the stools are a little tall, and make it awkward to hunch over a laptop. Some slouching occurs if you attempt to read there as well — and I am a very short person, so I can’t imagine a taller person being very comfortable there for any extended amount of time (which is probably the idea). There are also two two-​tops in the back; I think I saw outlets, but it is a bit darker back there. The only outdoor seating consists of benches along the street by the front entrance.

…After crossing the street from the nearby Shanghai Pines restaurant (see my previous review), I proceeded to get to work on an assignment for business school at a place with a reliable and free wi-​fi connection.
It was at this Starbucks on Marine Drive, perhaps the only regular «chain retail brand» on Balboa Island, that I first discovered that they were selling a new item that resembled the old chocolate brownie frappuchino that got me hooked on the coffee maker back when I was 14 years old: the mocha cookie crumble frappuchino.
I immediately had to try it, as it had been years since there was anything that contained that much chocolate short of ordering an actual hot chocolate. I think it was the chocolate whipped crème drizzled with (more) chocolate that sealed the deal. This drink literally debuted that same day, as SBUX wasn’t selling it the day before.
I was able to snag a seat at the rear of the narrow café near the restroom and begin working. An obvious downside to working near the restroom in a narrow store is that you’re all up in other people business before and after they use it. Then again, unless you want to sit at the bar alongside the window, there’s no privacy or other tables to set up shop.
It also goes to show the resiliency of Starbucks. Even in some of the most uncomfortable and narrow storefronts, they’re able to set up shop and deliver a consistently good product.
It was a bit unfortunate that I had to work on something school-​related, as my frappuchino quickly started to warm up and condense (sounds like an oxymoron). It wasn’t until the condensation started to make contact with my laptop did I realize I had my priorities backwards: I needed to chug this delicious drink and then work – not sip it periodically and type simultaneously.
And while I had my laptop, I figured I might as well browse something that I enjoy reading as I plow through the drink. I pulled up Wikipedia and begin to read on baroque architecture. That’s ten times better than having to do regression analysis.

A perfect way to start your day in Balboa Island. My hubby and I arrived bright and early in the morning, so a cup of joe was the way to go! Ask them to warm up any of the baked goods and it will taste delicious. mMmmm…

When I make my annual holiday pilgramage to Balboa Island, a stop at this local Starbucks is always in order to get something hot to warm up.
This is a very tiny location and as we went early this year, the boat parade had not started. What a blessing! In years past it is so crowded that a trip to this Balboa Island location could take up to 1 hour during the season.
The staff was friendly and the baristas made a good mocha and a really perfect, according to one of my daughters, crème brûlée latte.

After years of patroning many Starbucks, this particular Starbucks above the rest deserves 5 stars. Excellent customer service and a huge shout out to the morning crews who have to deal with the crazy lines, the sometimes grumpy regulars (guilty) who can’t function with out their caffeine, and all the tourists.
I love the community here from the crew that sits outside in the mornings chatting about the latest news hanging out with their dogs. This is definitely a local Starbucks where the feel is more relaxed but that doesn’t mean the service is slow. Their sister store as you head off the island is much bigger but tends to leave you waiting much longer. If you have to wait too long here on Main St, Courtney or another team member will give you a coupon for a free coffee your next visit.
My needs here are basic: venti coffee with steamed soy and its perfect every time. I get in and out and on with my day.
PS, If you are headed to work, get in before 8, otherwise you get the kids, and families going to school and or tourists and the line gets long. They also revamped the store with Handi-​persons seating in the back and new décor, it looks schmancy.

Every time I visit a Starbucks, they’ve got something new going on and supposedly it’s all inspired by their baristas and everyday people like me and you.
What’s the latest bright idea? Starbucks rewards cards! Go online to their rewards section, fill out some info, and get perks like a free drink on your birthday, free shots, free swag, and other free stuff every time you swipe your card and visit any one of their locations. I would check it out if I was a regular but I’m not.
So what brought me here? Starbucks is the only coffee shop on Balboa Island and after walking around for a few hours and having ice cream earlier you could bet your sweet muffins I was cold. It was pleasantly warm inside and everyone and their dog and mother had the same idea. We stood amongst the others and ordered our drinks. An espresso truffle for me– espresso with their signature hot chocolate and a hot chocolate for my partner in crime. Unfortunately, we both got an addition of whipped cream and extra calories that we did not ask for but didn’t want to wait for new orders to be made considering there was a huge line of drinks to be made. A few extra calories can’t hurt, right? We still have more walking to do.
We enjoyed our drinks by the bar stools near the window and watched as life passed us by. Our drinks weren’t that great but the sales staff is pretty cool and friendly here. We finished quick and left before they could close.