Peaberry’s Cafe

* Don’t Expect Any Reasonableness Or Consideration Here *
I recently perused the Hartford Courant’s list of the best coffee shops in Connecticut. When business took me to northern CT recently, I thought I would try one on their list: Peaberry’s.
Unilocal says they close weekdays at 7:00. Their website says they close weekdays at 7:00. The «Hours» printed right on their door says they close weekdays at 7:00. But when I arrived there at 5:15, their doors were locked.
Strangely, 4 or 5 employees and/​or owners were standing there in their matching black t-​shirts, watching me attempt to open their door to enter. None moved, motioned, or did anything except stand there.
All their interior lights and their sign’s light were still lit. And there was no sign on the door saying they had decided to close hours early.
I checked Twitter to see if this establishment has a feed, and they do. There was a Tweet that was sent out about an hour earlier saying they would be closing at 5:00. But no explanation, and nothing like, «Sorry for the inconvenience.»
This rude Peaberry’s place expects us to believe they care about their customers? How it ever made the Hartford Courant’s list of coffee houses to try is beyond me, but that Courtant review must be taken with a plethora of caveats.
— Phil

Get a nitro coffee, no cream or sugar necessary! Cold coffee, strong and delic… mmmmhhhhmmmm just sayin.

I stop into this café on a weekly basis and am always met with a warm greeting and smile. I absolutely love the healthy food options that are available to me (try the avocado toast with S&P…so simple, but delicious). Also, the coffee is great. I always order the non-​fat latte.
I always notice large groups of friends meeting here for social gatherings and coffee. I myself have enjoyed sitting in the comfy leather sofas in the back and doing some work. It’s a great environment.

For the kindness of the baristas and the owner, Cindy Rowland, alone, I will be back to Peaberry’s. I appreciate the efforts of the staff and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere of this café.
The coffee is decent and will be crafted exactly to your liking by the baristas. After seeing a special flavor latte – vanilla cinnamon – I asked when I first tried this café if it could done as it was no longer a special when I stopped in and is not on the menu. The barista said, «Of course» with ease and got to work immediately. It had a good flavor balance of cinnamon and a touch of vanilla.
I decided to stop in again after a positive first experience, and was again greeted by kindness of the baristas and even the owner, Cindy, herself. I ordered a nitro coffee and a hot chocolate, with a vanilla cinnamon latte to go, while my friend got a dirty chai. The hot chocolate was too milky, with little chocolate flavor. The barista was kind and added whipped cream in a little coffee cup when I asked if I could have some on the side, but the addition of the whipped cream to the hot chocolate did not really do anything to the plain milky flavor. I also found the taste of the vanilla cinnamon latte to be more artificial than the first time and the flavor to overwhelm and mask the espresso. My friend thought her dirty chai was not as spicy as chais usually are, and we realized the vanilla flavor that Peaberry’s uses must have caused it.
The nitro coffee, however, is clearly a stand-​out here, like the great service. It is incredibly smooth and flavorful. It needs absolutely nothing added. It has an excellent consistency, too, as though milk has been added to coffee, though it is not in this. Once you see that square machine behind the counter with the big label «Nitro» on it, you will undoubtedly want to try it. It is guaranteed to be a solid choice. I have not seen this type of coffee anywhere in the area, and it is definitely something to give a try.
The café has a sizable selection of sandwiches and a decent choice of pastries, and all drinks can be specialized. My friend and I will likely not be back soon though, after our latest beverage experience, but we may try sandwiches on some time in the future, and of course grab a glass of nitro coffee.

Got two decaf coffees. Not very good. The ambiance is more like Cosi’s or Panera. The man at the counter was very nice. If we based the review on the coffee alone, it would’ve received less stars, but to be fair… we didn’t order anything else. The foods in the showcase looked delicious.

I have lived in Simsbury for 22 years before moving to NYC, but since I still have family here, I come back to CT on a regular basis. Before I left Simsbury, I frequented Peaberry’s many times a weeks, whether it’s for a quick coffee or a few hours of work and a client meeting or two. Over the last year or so of my return visits to Peaberry’s, I’ve become more and more disappointed, as a consumer that has been coming her for over 15 years. The store has lost its special hometown feel. Some of the tried and true items, items that have been great sellers over the years, have disappeared. The food quality has become generic rather than unique, and I’m sure that a lot of customers have left because of it. A few large groups that used to come in at specific times don’t seem to come in anymore.
Suggestion to the owner: bring back some of the older items and the hometown feel. Have a few community driven events to bring people back into the coffee shop and to engage the old consumers, and possibly bring back some of the ones you lost. Do this before you lose more customers.

Wonderful café! My family enjoyed a lunch here; the coffee was great and all of the sandwiches/​panini were delicious. There was a plethora of baked goods available, too — cookies, cheesecake, danishes — if you are only looking for a simple coffee/​pastry date. The barristas were kind and patient, and the atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming. Plenty of comfortable seating, inside and out. I would not hesitate to return here. Absolutely Great!

The food at this café is fresh, well presented, and of the highest quality. I recently got a chicken salad sandwich on sourdough bread (about $ 8, and it was very large), and it was the best chicken salad sandwich I’ve ever had! The textures and flavors all blended perfectly, and there was just the right chicken-​lettuce/​tomato-​mayo-​bread ratio, with very well done seasoning. The bakery items here are also fantastic (their lemon bread slices are to die for.) If you’re in the area and looking for a relaxed and simple but satisfying quality lunch, you have to stop here.

Just finished a hike with the girlfriend and stumbled across this place — very cute and warm. I got the caramel latte and is superb. I don’t want to finish it so it last longer

After a quick hike a friend and I decided to stop by somewhere new for a cold beverage. Before walking in I was expecting a cute and cozy coffee shop. This looked more like a Panera Bread with a random «cozy» seating area in the back. The set-​up didn’t have much of a flow or originality to it.
I ordered an iced latte with almond milk, raspberry and coconut flavoring. I could not taste the coconut at all and it also did not taste like almond milk. It seemed as though the beverage was thrown together. My friend got an iced green tea (not much you can mess up there). We checked out the food menu to see if anything looked appealing (it did), but the prices were way too high for a café.
The staff seemed disconnected from the customers. They weren’t very personal and it was almost as if it was a hassle for you to place an order. I most likely would not go back to Peaberry’s.

Peaberry’s has been a «home away from home» for me for 14 years. Although cappuccino, Iced Peaberry’s Blend, and teas are my usuals, the baristas will often experiment and offer something new. I give high marks to the lunch menu and bakery items, too (turkey/​Brie wrap!). The staff is welcoming and friendly and the new owners are introducing their own touches.

Cute little spot with a very cozy feel. Coffee is great and the breakfast sandwiches are delicious. For the indecisive/​spontaneous, they have a Flavor of the Day, which I love. Prices are reasonable so it’s a great local alternative to Starbucks & a perfect place to support small businesses.

I used to look forward to a lunch from Peaberry’s — a large hearty sandwich, chips and a pickle! I am sorry to see the chips that come with the sandwich go — but would be more accepting of this in light of rising food costs etc. IF the sandwich I usually get (veggie) hadn’t also diminished along with it! This sandwich used to have thick layers of carrots and spinach on thick, hearty bread. Now — the layers are thin at best, mostly the mayo sauce — it’s really not worth the trip. I read the response to a similar comment which offered rising food costs and minimum wage as answers, and I sympathize, but I’d rather they increase the price a quarter or so, because now it’s really not worth it at all…

Unbelievable rip off. I guess their New Years resolution was to piss off the regulars. I get lunch here at least once a week. The $ 9 sandwich used to be justifiable since it included chips and a pickle. As of today they have a sign reading if you want chips with your sandwich you have to pay an extra 1.25!!! Of course the price of the sandwich is still the same. Not sure why they think their food is worth it. Esp with their microwaved bacon and unfriendly service. Luckily Fitzgeralds is right next door. Fresher and more reasonable. Wish Truffles were closer– they include a salad and dessert with sandwiches!

I had the Turkey Tarragon sandwich and it was delicious. Very nice, chill place.

I’m actually giving the four stars just for the drinks. I think the staff rate around a 2. This is the place I go for a good dirty chai or café au lait. But the staff have a bit of an attitude like they’re too cool for me. If there was another place that was close and as good I would go there just for that reason.

My wife and I went to eat lunch here today. I had the chicken Caesar wrap and my wife had the chicken pesto wrap. Both came with a bag of chips and a pickle ($ 8.25 each). My chicken Caesar wrap was delicious. The chicken was cooked perfectly, there was just enough Caesar dressing and the seasoned croutons gave it a nice crunchy texture as well as flavor. Unfortunately, the chicken pesto wrap wasn’t good. First, it’s not pesto, it’s pesto mayonnaise and the wrap was so watery that it dripped out the wrap and made a pool on my wife’s plate. The taste was off too because it had a curry taste. There were sweet peppers in it which didn’t go with the sandwich. I ended up giving half my wrap to my wife. The atmosphere was nice, service was decent, and the place was clean. All in all it was OK.

Had lunch here today. It was pretty delicious! I had a buffalo chicken wrap and it was delicious even though it was cold. Yum! It’s like a family owned Panera, only they serve more types of coffee than bread. I recommend it!

The place is cute, the food and beverages are good, but the baristas and cashiers — every time I have been here — have been snide or, at best, detached. This costs them a star. Maybe this is the standard for the region, I don’t know. I hope not. But I honestly can not remember a time when a cashier has been friendly, let alone smiled. I don’t demand super cheerfulness from anyone, but an independently-​run shop should be more inviting than a Starbucks.
Also, password protected wifi. What is up with that?
I will continue to go here because I really enjoy their pastries and mochas, but their service leaves a lot to be desired.

Glad to up their rating to 3 stars. We did a big takeout order for 6 today and, unlike last time, it was handled flawlessly. The only weird thing we observed was a difference in the way we ordered and the way the order was being filled. We observed some questions back and forth between the person who took the order, and the person who filled the order– so something tells me their notation system ain’t crystal clear. We were there to settle any ambiguities on the way lady # 1 wrote the order, so lady # 2 could prepare the salads and sandwiches as we ordered them. But what if we weren’t there? What if we phoned it in? What if we ordered and ran next door to Fitzgeralds for something?
Thank heaven for small things, like getting an order right, even with a helping hand.