Steff D.
Yelp
I really want to LOVE Blake Orchard. Because there are parts I do:
1) the location; I appreciate that it's on outer Forest, and there's always a tremendous amount of parking available on the side streets!
2) the interior; it's just such a comfortable and hip space with seating available at a bar or a table, an Instagram wall, and loads of sunlight pouring in from the huge windows!
3) the owner; she's passionate about what she's doing, and is such a warm person!
4) the smoothie bowls!; ooooooooh, I *love* these smoothie bowls (especially the Strawberry Bowl and the Summer Bowl [which are very similar]) and how generous they are especially with peanut butter and granola toppings. They're flavorful, they're filling, they're satisfying, and I genuinely always feel good after eating one!
However, the last three times I went were kind of icky (and I did genuinely wait to write this until I had several experiences):
1) I went to pick up two smoothies. There were four or five people staffed that day, and they didn't seem super busy (just kind of hanging out chatting with each other). After forty-five minutes of waiting, I went back up to the counter to ask when my smoothies might be ready. The woman was *so rude*: "It'll be ready when it's ready," was her response. Okay, maybe it was an off day for them...
2) The next time I went back I overheard a staff member be, once again, *so rude* to a couple trying to order. "Wow, why is it so expensive?" I heard the woman ordering ask. The staff member: "Because those are the prices." Woman ordering: "But the menu on your wall says the prices are between $9 and $11." The staff member: "Well those are not our prices anymore, bring it up with our boss if you have an issue. Are you gonna pay orrrrr?" YIKES.
3) The last time I was there, I decided to pre-order online so I wouldn't have to interact with the staff. I picked-up my bowl from the fridge (which BTW is such a creative way to keep their product cool and fresh!) and drove home. After a couple bites I started finding blue pieces of rubber throughout the bowl. I took photos (I will not be posting them here) and emailed the owner privately. She responded immediately that this was unacceptable, she'd talk to the staff, and refunded me.
So now I'm stuck: I crave their bowls (despite how expensive they are: nearly $20 for one without any additional toppings last time after tax and tip), but the staff makes me so uncomfortable, and while I'm sure the foreign objects in my last bowl were just a fluke, it makes me hesitant, you know?