Tara N.
Yelp
Ok, so I realize this is a low review as that's the true reflection of my experience BUT I see lots of potential in The Hive and will give it another shot on a less busy day. In terms of bringing my kid (18 months), I think it would have been more enjoyable with another adult since doors/space/ground was difficult to navigate or with an older kid who doesn't need a stroller for containment purposes.
I went in with my 18-month-old on Labor Day in the hope that I might be able to actually drink a whole cup of coffee since they have an outdoor play space. Alas, I got barely a few sips before leaving.
PARKING
Parking was not great. While there was lots of space, it was difficult to maneuver and it was on one of those dusty, rocky lots that doesn't vibe well with a small stroller.
VIBE & WAIT
When we got in, I was excited to see all the spaces! Lots of different areas that had different vibes - both indoors and outdoors - and that could be really fun.
There were 3 parties (7 people) in Iine ahead of us but it took about 15 minutes to get through the line which felt a bit long just for the ordering side of things. Maybe there was a particularly picky customer at the front or something but it was not fun since the door kept slamming loudly every 30 seconds with folks coming in and out. Then, it took another solid 15 minutes for the drink to come out. As an adult, it's inconvenient. As an adult with a toddler who is excited to go outside and play, 30 minutes of waiting around is rough.
FOOD & COFFEE
I ordered an iced butter pecan latte, half sweet, with overnight oats and strawberry-cheese danish.
== The overnight oats itself was tasty but half of it was just granola on top which is not really what I was wanting/expecting.
== The strawberry-cheese danish was not good and I ended up throwing it away. It definitely tasted not fresh - the 'corners' were hard and cold. The weird thing about it was it was the pastry itself had a cheesy taste - not like the sweet cream cheese you're expecting in this type of pastry, but like cheddar. I don't think the pastry was the problem; I think it was stored with/next/cooked with something that had cheddar on it.
== The latte was fine. Nothing to write home about but I'd get it again.
OUTDOOR SPACE
After our 30-minute shenanigans, we headed outside to play. I looked around for a ramp entrance/exit to the outdoor space but didn't see one (it exists! I just didn't see it). So, I'm trying to hold the door open with one hand, my toddler's hand in the other, and move the stroller (with coffee in the cupholder) over the step. Yes, you counted three hands, which is what it felt like I needed to successfully navigate. After we managed to get down the step without falling, we rolled over to the playground, the stroller bouncing along the way with splashes of coffee flying all over.
The outdoor space was super cute and the play space was impressive. There were seats around and in the play space for parents which was lovely/helpful. Unfortunately, all the seats in the shade were taken so I commenced baking in the Texas summer heat. Overall, the play space FAR exceeded my expectations for something that would be at a coffee house! There were a couple things that gave my pause like the rusty metal piping coming out from under one of the benches which is obviously hazardous but, ya know, kids can make anything hazardous so what's a metal pipe at the end of the day?
EXHALE
Alas, I did get to enjoy a few sips of coffee more leisurely than at most coffee shops as my little one played with a push toy and waved hello to other little kids. I got a few peaceful exhales which can be hard to come by as a parent. We didn't stay long, however, as the heat was blazing at this point. So, we jostled the stroller back through the outdoor space (again, coffee splashing all about), found the ramp (yay!) but still needed assistance since it was a heavy door, and again jostled through the parking lot and headed home.