Starbucks

This Starbucks location looks nice aesthetically inside, but it’s not the best one I have been to The vibes of it were a little chaotic (probably a little extra chaotic during my visit since it was a few hours after the Penn Engineering 2025 graduation ceremony, which is why I’ll give it a 4 out of 5 instead of a 3 out of 5), but the baristas seemed like they were slightly all over the place

I have come to this Starbucks every morning for over a year, and I always order ahead. At times the amount of homelessness that they allow makes it impossible and unsafe to sit inside. Especially early in the morning and late at night. Despite all this, I think it is still the best Starbucks in University City.

I’ve been coming to this Starbucks regularly before heading to the library, but today’s visit was deeply disappointing. I was having trouble deciding on my order, so I sat down for a moment to think. Then I heard glass shattering behind me, a customer had accidentally broken something. She immediately apologized and looked visibly stressed. What shocked me was the complete lack of urgency or support from the staff. I was sitting right next to the counter and didn’t hear a single reassuring word from anyone. It took a while before someone even came to check, and longer still for a broom to appear. To my disbelief, the customer ended up cleaning the mess herself while the employee stood there. I confronted the staff member and said, “Why are you letting her clean? She doesn’t work here.” The response? “I told her she didn’t have to.” That was it. A few minutes later, that same employee came over to ask me to leave because I hadn’t bought anything, even though I was still deciding what to order. Apparently, witnessing a customer clean the floor while the staff watched was too disruptive for Starbucks policy. Absolutely unacceptable behavior. I expected better, not just as a regular customer, but as a human being. Great job on the employee training, really.

Horrible service. The woman at the counter had serious listening issues. I asked for a side of oat milk which I paid for the drink instead of paying for the syrup and having the side. Let me add the side wouldn’t be needed if the instructions were followed. I order my drink lightly shaken. Once the foam disappeared I had 2in of empty cup . This is why the oat milk is needed. The larger problem I have is after paying 10$ for my expresso and a cup of oat milk now the woman tried to give me less thn what I paid for. I paid for the oat milk drink I expect the oat milk drink not an inch of oat milk in a tall cup. Lady please get it together. I saved saying your name today but next time I’ll expose yur horrible service by name tag. Starbucks I’m a loyal customer I expect much better.. I’ll await your reply @ management

I hardly give 1 star but this store has no cruelty free or environmentally friendly foods aside from dairy replacement like oat milk. Protein bars and pastries all have cow breast milk or animal body parts and secretions. Bad for the animals, bad for our health, and bad for the environment. And the staff was also clueless about their food items without animals or animal secretions in them.

2 level Sbuxx located in the heart of UPenn campus. Can become incredibly crowded. Most people order ahead online; giant alphabetized order pickup area streamlines process. Upstairs: somewhat quiet seating area. Centrally located on Woodland Walk pedestrian path through campus.

For some reason the employee thought it was good customer service to put the orders down anywhere on the counter as opposed to the alpha section that matches the name on the order. On top is that, I guess she didn’t feel like calling out the names either which left it up to the customer to check every order. Great job😕

Multiple people behind me get their orders before me, they have preferences on who they serve first and it may be motivated by race or looks. The men that works there is pigs and need to be let go immediately, no professionalism. The entire team need to be retrained or revamped with workers who will do their job totally unacceptable

I enjoyed my Bacon Egg & Cheese Sandwich and Mango Dragonfruit Lemonade Refresher. First time trying both and I enjoyed it. The service was good. I had my drink and food with no time. I like all of the artwork they have at this location. Even the top eating area is nice.

This place is really slow. I waited several minutes to order, or even to be acknowledged. Then the actual order took even longer. They are swamped with mobile orders and not necessarily in a hurry about it. No interactions with customers at all. This place is convenient to me but I'll honestly be avoiding it unless I am having a super leisurely and unhurried morning.

The barista is very rude. The drink is not fully filled, asked for a remake but they refused to make one. The attitude of the barista is really really bad. This place is always crowded, your order will definitely be delayed. Please come here if you want to ruin your day.

Lovely staff. Very willing to give recommendations which is always appreciated for us indecisive folks!! Special thanks to Nolan and Jo for the upbeat service

Service is terrible. Coffee tastes burnt. Do not go here unless you want to be late to class or work.

This location gets crazy in the morning and around lunch times, even in the summer. Because of the high volume, they are often out of some things, like sandwiches and baked goods, so you can only really rely on the drinks. Some baristas are sweet, others are there just to get the job done. There are two levels which is nice for meeting with a friend or getting some work done.

Very rude barista. Only fill half of the cup because we ordered light ice, and told us "you want the cheap way"

Always extremely unpleasant and out of most items. The manager is very rude! 39th & walnut is a lot better

Horrible service ... !! After you ask for your order , they tried to put you on the spot by screaming to the person who took the order (cashier ) ... it is so unprofessional and so upsetting !! Never coming back .. if you walk a few blocks up .. there is a better Starbucks with so much better service !

WORST COFFEE WORST SERVICE. I have not been there in 2 years because of that. I decided to go there this morning and after spending $7.00 on a coffee and a danish, I threw it out when I got to my office. For some reason the girl decided to heat my danish in a dirty oven because when I opened it there were flecks of burnt something on it. I did not ask for it to be heated. The coffee was not hot. There was no half and half. I had to wait for that to be filled.. So why in hell would anyone go there???????????????

Coming from New York my standards are high... Not only is the service slow as molasses but mid way though my iced coffee I almost choked on the Baristas turquoise HAIR!!! I literally had to pull it out of my throat. The most horrifying experience ever! Just the thought of it sitting in my coffee the entire time gives me the chills.. On top of the fact I had to pry it out of my throat. The gentlemen before me had returned his cappuccino because he found a hair in his cup as well.I've been coming to Starbucks for years and never ever has this happened. Being a female I understand that our hair falls out all the time but as an establishment that Handles food and beverages this should never happen. I'm so very disappointed!

This place is always crowded. Don't go there expecting to get a seat, or expecting to be able to hear the others at your table! I've had generally good experiences here, and the location is perfect. The caffeine, of course, is what I frequently need. My preferred standby favorite is the regular Pikes Place Roast!

Most of us reading reviews of Starbucks generally know what's the menu and layout of the cafe. My review is more aligned as a studier. This location in particular has an ok amount of seating to study and zone out from the talkative crowd that is rolling through. For outlets, are scattered around the second floor and are mostly against the wall near the stairs but it is for a single and small table. If you have alot of stuff, I suggest you sit in the bigger rectangular table and find an outlet that your cord can reach. Bring good noisy cancelling headphones cause Starbucks usually has a constant flow of customers and noise as a result.

If I could give negative stars I would, the girls that just waited on me are rude and shouldn't be in customer service. I'll never go to this location again!!!

Staff is unenthused to the point of appearing beat down. Maybe it's the night crew or maybe they shouldn't be open till midnight if they are already prepared for closing at 10:00. Who knows, maybe all those things, maybe not. One certainty is that the experience here is forgettable. The conversations had by the staff, not so forgettable. Especially if you are sitting upstairs directly above the chatter.

They were efficient before students came back on campus, now it's a mess. It seems like they could use double their current number of staff. Some baristas are friendly, others are decidedly not. A better model would also help: like consistently calling the names out when orders are ready, and cycling back through names every so often of orders not picked up. My biggest gripe is that they are constantly out of almost everything. I'm talking basic things like cold brew and milk. I know Starbucks as a whole is experiencing supply chain issues, but this is way more than that. It has to be poor supply ordering, because surrounding Starbucks never have such extreme shortages. They also turn mobile order off more and more frequently. Over the past 10 days, there's been 1-2 days that mobile ordering was up and running. Some days I seriously wonder if they want to make money or not.

So I've been to this Starbucks a bunch of times over the last 5 years. I got two iced drinks today and some food for my friend and I. We changed the milk option from 2% to Whole Milk. I took a few sips of my iced chai tea latte, and I was immediately sick to my stomach, and I stopped drinking it. My friend drank some of his iced coffee (way more than I did of mine), and his stomach is also hurting and is very sick right now, up and down to the bathroom non stop. The drink is still sitting in my fridge right now still because I've been in bed for the last 4 hours since we got Starbucks, throwing up a lot and having the worst stomach pains and bathroom problems. I did not eat any of the food and I'm absolutely 100% sure it was the Whole Milk in our drinks. It was the only similar thing we both had and now we're both very sick. I've never had a Starbucks drink bother me until now.

They have the sweetest staff EVER! I ordered a mobile on the go order and didn't realize it went to the Perlman location. I told them what happened and they were totally cool with making my order at this location. I had a meeting and wouldn't be able to make it to the Perlman location. The baristas are also so sweet! They make sure you're satisfied with your order and let you know your drink will be out soon while you're waiting, which is refreshing because the lines can be REALLY long. The upstairs area is usually packed, but when you find an open space, it's a great area to relax or study. This is def my go to starbucks around the area.

This store must have really poor management The young women in the store were working in ridiculous heat with no ac - it was cooler outside!!!! And they were still quick and professional. It was terrible

Male barista was very rude. There was no line and was very impatient towards my family while we were ordering. When asked to remake a drink, he audibly grunted and mumbled at us, and when asked to provide a cup of water, forcefully slammed the cup into the water tap. For the nail in the coffin, instead of handing the cup to me, proceeded to slam it onto the counter, splashing water onto the table. He stormed off without apologizing.

The line moved fairly well and I got my drink pretty quick. Service was fine. This Starbucks seems pretty busy & full, so it's difficult to get seats.

I know it's really busy at this particular location but the cashier was extremely rude and my drink was... half full....... what. Even if it gets busy please don't show that to your customers.

Sure it's a global chain of cookie cutter coffee shops, but this one is clear proof that not all are created equal. My mochas are always a little off, the workers seem a little surlier than others, and the place is often packed thanks to it's awesome location leaving long lines. Totally skip this place!! Surprisingly (hint the massive sarcasm) there's a starbucks a mere block away on Chestnut. Clean, friendlier, tastier drinks, nicer seating. This is the place to go..

Lots of seating, great upstairs area for studying and hanging out. Could be a little cleaner - there were some flies in the dining area. Smack in the middle of University City, this location is usually full of students.

A Starbucks off the 3401 Walnut building. Lots of staff members, and a small upstairs with more seating where you can study in a slightly more comfortable space. The baristas here aren't the friendliest, but I've never gotten the wrong drink yet. Place is not particularly handicapped-friendly unless you use the main entry and sit at the bottom floor. No way to get upstairs. Bathroom is a bit dirty, though.

This is a great place to go if you want to wait for 20 minutes for a breakfast sandwich in the morning while the baristas sing to the music on the radio, while another assures you "it's coming." Great for productivity.

Love the location but Dominique is absolutely awful. A terrible representation of the company. She has a bad attitude every time I have been helped by her. Not only is she rude but she gets the order wrong 8/10 times. Almost seems like she's doing it out of spite.

As an observant customer on a first visit I noticed this particular Starbucks was filled with exceptionally friendly and happy team members and customers. The people behind the counter are very engaging and seem genuinely happy to see their customers. Upon a second visit, I experienced even more of the good energy and made contact with a couple baristas who made me feel very welcome. This is my favorite Starbucks! I will be back as often as possible while in Philadelphia.

Ahh much better (unlike the 39th street). Swift, efficient, clean. The youthberry granita is delicious!

Great service, especially by a friendly barista named Zah who was working fast to help a long with a smile on his face. Thank you!!

They forgot my order again. Same as other reviewers gave me a $4 gift card the first time round after I waited for 15 mins. The woman making the drink kept forgetting to make it even after I said something. Today they forgot my croissant and I waited again for 15 minutes. I walked out and went to United by Blue coffee shop around the corner. I got a coffee and rose flavored donut immediately for basically the same price and less of the attitude and waiting around. It's too bad, they use to be on top of good service. It really depends on the team and who's leading it in the morning as a manager.

This review based on multiple visits. I DON T LEARN! Be prepared for chaos and unacceptably long wait times. At one visit I ordered a sandwich which staff person forgot about! Today there's a super long line and one worker making coffees until another showed up. Why would anyone tolerate this AT STARBUCKS PRICES??? Unless you own its stock. This is my worst Starbucks experience AND MY LAST

I normally hate reviewing chains. But people should be warned about this location. I'll start off by saying that there are some nice and competent employees that work here. Unfortunately there are some ever changing employees that seem to drop the ball. This happens quite frequently at peak times in the morning around 8-10am and in the afternoon around 2-4pm. I've gotten used to taking a paper and standing around while I wait for my drink, only to have it not be made. To be fair, they have always apologized. In some cases I've even gotten free drink tickets. But this has happened more than one or two times. The most ironic was when I used my free drink ticket from a screwed up/not ordered drink experience the day before and then proceeded to get the wrong drink the next day. I get this place gets ridiculously busy, and that some people that go here are really impatient. But it seems like there are communications and morale problems here. Perhaps a change in managers and some team building might be in order. I'll stick to going to the Jazz and Java at the nursing school. They never screw up my order and it gets processed faster.

We were touring University City and needed a beverage before walking the Penn Campus and this Starbucks offered convenience and quick service. The line was almost out the door upon entry. We were impressed at how fast the barista's were able to expedite the line and provide drinks to the masses, including us. No complaints here. Drinks were fast and accurate and we were happy and on our way.

This place is like the Fort Knox of straws. Whenever I am in there I am literally reprimanded for taking a straw! Leave the straws out like most other Starbucks so then I won't have to reach for them or bother you to get one! On top of that the inventory management at this location is awful. There is no food essentially available after 2-3 pm despite the fact many students stop by into the evening. They don't seem to manage the staff well either. Frequently there are long lines and people leave bc it will take too long.

I have been here twice over the last 3 years. Got my latte and got out. No issues - but not a HG (Holy Grail) either.

I come from a Starbuck's family (ie we do not run on Dunkin). I've always had excellent service at Starbucks, so I was shocked at this location. I was in need of a caffeine fix, so I run over to this Starbucks somewhere between 7 & 8pm. I know that some Starbucks locations only make individual servings of brewed coffee after a certain time (I think 8pm), which is strange, but fine. I go to this Starbucks and ask the woman for a bold coffee, "We're out of that. Would you like Pike's instead". My response, "fine." ...a few seconds pass and she's standing there with a cup, "We don't have enough for a full cup. Would you like an Americano instead?" Here's what I wanted to say, "Are you kidding me? That word after Starbucks, the last time I checked, was COFFEE!!! I want you to get your lazy behind back there and brew another damn cup!!" Here's what I said, "fine." ARG!! What happened to the days when if Starbucks dropped the ball, you got a coupon for a free cup?

This location is pretty nice. Narrow entrance so the line formation can be sloppy but the seating is pretty scattered. The window seats is a must; you get to enjoy people watching lol. There is an upstairs seating area but that's mainly for students anyway.

Nice Starbucks with a lot of seating upstairs. It was a little crowded and loud when I was here since there's so much seating.

This location is dirty, the staff is consistently rude, and they put zero effort into preparing your order. I've tried this location several times, but I've given up hope. Many more attractive options in the area.

You know the song from Wicked that goes something like, "Loathing, unadulterated loathing" Yeah. That's how I feel about this Starbucks. Usually, I'd think it pointless to review a chain, but after two years of trying to run in here for a quick caffeine fix, I've got to wonder how one place can be so consistently poorly run. Gah, I don't even know where to start. If I were to try to defend it, I would say that it just can't handle all of the business it gets. It's tough to get a seat, and the lines are ridiculous. For a while, it seemed understaffed, but now they've got all kinds of people floating around. The line to order goes quickly with a cashier, a bakery server, and a cup writer all waiting to meet your needs. And then you wait for your drink. And you will wait. And you'll watch drinks appear with no one to claim them, because the drinks are consistently made wrong. Last week, after waiting ten minutes for my soy chai and seeing people who came in after me leave with their lattes, I asked, "Is there a soy chai coming?" "Oh, yeah," said the barista who had been singing and dancing behind the espresso machine. "I'm remaking it. I didn't realize it was soy the first time." In the time I'd been waiting, I'd seen the two baristas throw out two other drinks that they'd made wrong. I'm not an expert on fancy coffee-making, but that seems a bit inefficient, like something's going wrong here. Honestly, they need another espresso machine, and they need to shift some of their staff members to operate it. I'm not sure where they'd fit it, though, but something's gotta give. Like others have said, there's another Starbucks a block away on Chestnut with ample seating, friendly staff, and MUCH better service. It's quicker for me to walk a block out of my way than it is to wait through this hot mess.

Selena @Starbucks called me honey and I felt like I was getting my Soy Vanilla Latte at a Soul Food restaurant for a minute #ILoveIt #efficient #friendly

I really hate this place. I really do. If you just want an ice coffee you must wait inline for everyone getting a fancy warm milkyatto. They never have the Trenti lids in stock. Took me 20 mins to get a simple xtra large ice coffee. I think plain ice coffees should not have to wait with the fancy milk people.

If you're in University City and you want to go to Starbucks, this is the one to go to. The baristas work so hard to keep that long line moving along quickly and smoothly. And they are so cheerful while they are at it. It CAN be hard to find a seat, sometimes, because the place is small and it gets really crowded. But that makes it lively. Drinks are made right. Cream and sugar table is always well supplied. Despite the crowd, they manage to keep the place clean.

Much better than your average Starbucks! First, it's much larger with a very pleasant upstairs seating area. Second, it's open until midnight, unlike most other coffee shops here. Third, the service here has been very good with friendly baristas who actually seem to enjoy working here. Its definitely one of the best Starbucks I've been to!

All Starbucks are some variation of the same. The servers are all nice here, and like many places they are bad at spelling names. But they try. The space is nice here. They have a fair amount of seating upstairs and a small amount outside for those nice days. I had read about the Secret menu, which has so many items it's hard to believe all Starbucks can really accommodate the requests. On this day, I found that to be the case. I asked for an Oreo Cookie Frap. I was told, "Well, we don't really have Oreo Cookies." But, they did suggest the closest thing which was pretty tasty. Anyway, the problem with Starbucks, all of them, this one included, is they are too pricey. I had a giftcard, so whatev, I went.

Honestly, expect the slowest and worst service of your life especially if you're ordering food. Starbucks unfortunately changed their business model to favor mobile orders and totally screw over people who order at the cash register the old fashioned way. Expect waits of up to 20 to 30 mins for basic items, and then expect to get major attitude from the staff when you ask for status on your order or seem (rightly) frustrated that you've waited so long. Avoid this place like the plague. It would be quicker to walk to the nearest supermarket, buy food, and make it yourself.

I go to Starbucks everyday. I understand their business volume but still don't understand how they'd run out of coffee. I bought 2 grandes and they gave me the beginning of the batch before the rest of the dispenser filled up. It was so gross I had to chuck it. At $6 for 2 cups of coffee I would expect them to be prepared for my SIMPLE order and not give me "whatever" they had to send me on my way with.

It officially takes longer to get a mobile order than to wait in the line. If you mobile order during busy times, your food comes 25 minutes before your drink.