Hardback Coffee Cafe

I love this place… but if your going to spend $ 6 on coffee. I’d rather go to Starbucks, at least there they don’t burn my coffee.

Okay Hardback. I discovered you because you’re not even a mile away from my home. But my gosh.
Customer service: C+.
One of the lady baristas is nice, but won’t make small talk.
The other two female baristas, e w.
–A little short one has such a horrible attitude
–and the café manager, is just so generic!
This elderly gentlemen that was there this past Wednesday morning, I could not see his name, but he’s the reason why you got a C+ and not a D-​. Such a happy, vibrant, man he was. I may just go in Wednesday mornings because the coffee THAT COFFEE!
The Coffee. Solid F.
1. My first drink was an espresso. Essentially it was just a bitter, burnt, semi acidic, pulverized and startchened coffee wanna be drink. Burnt, burnt, burnt, burnt burnt burnt burnt burnt burnt burnt burnt burnt was the predominant taste
2. Cappuccino: so I get a disclosure saying they’re not sweet and can come across as bitter. No really? Either you have horrible coffee (quite possible) or you can’t make a good espresso (proven). So I get it, I taste carbon and a bit of tannins. Milk was added, but did not shield from the inevitable.
3. After these two benchmarks, I pursued the stereotypical sweet stuff. So, I ordered a custom made drink with white chocolate and vanilla. Thank you for charging me nearly six dollars and for a bit of soymilk that I cannot recall asking for. As for the drink, it tasted like sugar. Expected.
4. I go in two days later, and ordered their special which was this almond who knows what. I ordered that, and asked specifically to NOT ADD THE ALMOND. What did they do? My first sip shouted «I ADDED EXTRA ALMOND JUST FOR YOU!»
5. Their pastries. Eww. I believe I saw the same strudels and danishes placed exactly where I saw them the day before for about 5 days in a row. That just screams FRESH.
Overall, take away that kind gentleman,
Solid D-​.
Not worth my time and will probably never be back!

I love going into Hastings and gettting a good magazine and then sitting at the hardback café and sipping my latte and reading my zine. Come after 7 and its BOGO Free!

Free WiFi. Good coffee. Great atmosphere. There is a limited amount of tables inside with a outlet available, so one may have to share with other people.
The bathroom is shared with Hastings and it is kinda iffy bathroom.