This is the third of my Top 3 Starbucks in Birmingham. The loft area is spacious and offers a detour from the world of Five Points South. The staff always gets my order right (I'm not picky) and they are friendly. My issue is simply that you have to get buzzed into the restroom like an old gas station. And parking sucks. Overall it's my eclectic getaway.
(4)
Heather B.
The only reason I give this location three stars is the staff. The drinks are well made and the outdoor seating never lacks for entertainment. I also love the upstairs seating to relax and unwind. I find most of the staff here to be very rude and above everyone (I'm talking about a couple of people) most everyone else is nice. I do however love coconut milk so that keeps me coming back and the fact that it's down the street.
(3)
Jason B.
As a former student I use to frequent this store a whole bunch. What many people don't know about this location is that is has an upstairs seating area which is great if you're needing a place to unwind and study/read. If upstairs doesn't fit your needs, there's always outdoor seating which is amazing on Sunday mornings or early evening. This store is location in the heart of 5 points and an icon for many Birminghamians. The only downside of this store is the parking, but this is an issue that many of the locations in the area have. If you're ok with a short walk, then this is an ideal place for you to unwind, flip out your favorite book and relax. Oh, and did I mention they have FREE wifi? Good luck ya'll!
(4)
Tara N.
It's your average Starbucks. Not much room to sit inside, and this location is unusually hot every time I go there. Most of the time the staff is friendly, but there's been a few occasions when they were too busy chatting with each other, making fun of customers, or have been less than polite. I suppose as long as the drinks are made correctly (which they are), I can forgive their occasional lack of customer service skills.
(4)
Spence H.
I have lived near this Starbucks ever since I moved to Birmingham and have visited this location whenever I needed a quick coffee or snack. They have really fast service and all the coffees have been perfect as ordered. Since it's in the heart of 5-Points you have be prepared to find a parking spot, but if you live in the area it's a perfect place to swing by on a walk, run or bike ride. The only downside is that it can get a little crowded in the mornings.
(5)
Bruce K.
A smaller ground floor in a very busy intersection. There are some great tables outside and I *think* there's a second floor. I was here very early in the morning (look out for the homeless) and the staff was more than competent. Coffee, good. Sandwich, good. Seating area and Internet access, good.
(4)
Samantha M.
I'm not currently living I'm Birmingham just here for then weekend. Needed to get some studying and caffeine in my system so Starbucks was my obvious choice. Great location with beautiful scenery for a big city. I walked a few blocks from where I'm staying but parking looked pretty tight, but once again bigger cities have that problem everywhere. They had three seating options; outside, inside, and upstairs. The downstairs got a little loud for my studying taste and an employee told me about upstairs. Stay and very nice and coffee was delicious as usual.
(5)
Lama G.
When you need a warm cup of coffee for the cold Birmingham Days :) best!
(4)
Kathryn D.
I need to preface this review by saying that anytime I have been here, the baristas are super kind. I was totally burned by this place and won't be returning but it was, until now, somewhere that I went a couple times a month and never had any complaints about. I ordered a to-go traveller 24 hours in advance by calling this location and was assured it would be ready by 11:30am the following day. The coffee was for an important (to me) meeting and it was time-sensitive (I wanted it to be fresh/hot and I needed to move on to my meeting in a timely fashion). I arrived at 11:30 and the woman behind the counter gave me a blank stare which turned into a look of terror when I asked to pick up my order. No to-go traveller had been pre-made. She assured me it would only be '3 minutes' then proceeded to charge me for my order. I was nervous but figured she knew what she was talking about and that, maybe, they had enough coffee reserves that they could fill my order and brew new for new customers. Turns out, they needed to brew a new batch. Initiate panic. 5 minutes roll around and they realize that the new coffee they were brewing for my traveller was filled with coffee grounds (either the filter broke or there was none put in during the rush to make it). They had to clean out the machine and start over. Further, I watch someone scramble to assemble a carrier, bumping the plastic, uncovered spout (which I will eventually drink from) onto her dirty apron, her hands, a dirty dish rag, etc. Time was ticking and it was a train wreck. I was already queasy with nerves and the ticking clock... the unsanitary treatment of the carrier only exasperated the issue. I felt bad to cause such chaos but, at the same time, I called in advance and the panic I induced was avoidable. Further, almost all the other baristas who were there (4 behind the counter) avoided eye contact and any sort of small talk when they realized I was waiting for the to-go coffee. I wasn't being bitchy and didn't say anything negative but I was treated like I had a scarlet letter painted across my chest. The exception was a nice man who asked what my meeting about and wished me a very genuine 'good luck' and an apology. Many thanks to him for being so kind. I did, finally, get the coffee. I really had no choice but to wait since I had paid for it when I first walked in and had no other option for my meeting, but it was in a coffee splashed/stained container of questionable cleanliness which didn't look as professional as I had hoped. Further, I waited a total of 25+ minutes for it which made me late for meeting prep and was a major stressor. In the end, it worked fine and I doubt anyone but me noticed that the container looked less than stellar but, in light of this situation, I will never, ever visit this location again and will be hard-pressed to enter another Starbucks unless captive in an airport. If you can't take pre-orders, don't. If you would prefer people call one hour in advance, say that. I would have happily called day-of if this could have been avoided. But I didn't because I was told that I didn't need to. This location used to be a go-to when Lucy's was closed (as it is this week) but it won't even be a last resort now. I'll stick to coffee pot coffee for my next meeting and re-raise my 'local-only' coffee flag. Sayonara Starbucks, it was a good run.
(1)
Jeremy E.
This is an always friendly Starbucks, with a nice little patio out front, and cool loft upstairs to relax in as well. Love sitting on the patio and people watching in Five Points.
(4)
Garrett I.
All of my visits to this Starbucks location have been good. I have always found the staff to be fast and friendly. It has all of the standards of Starbucks with the fun personality of the Five Points neighborhood. No drive through and sometimes tough to find parking. Seating in the main area includes the normal Starbucks seating of tables and chairs and comfortable chairs but it also has a sweet outside seating area and a great loft seating area that is great for a longer stay. If you are near here and need a coffee fix or a place to hang this is a great option.
(4)
William P.
This location is interesting. Was there fit lunch, sitting outside and enjoying the weather. The plaza is surrounded by a nice church and an european building that host an Italian restaurant. The outside tables are placed closed together and it gets crowded when people are sitting outside, but nothing is perfect.
(4)
Patsy B.
I love this location. I had a Caramel Frappuccino and a cake doughnut. It was so good. I would recommend this location. To everyone, baristas were so nice and got me in and out fast.
(4)
Tony W.
Great service!
(4)
Terje D.
Small, but nice Starbucks in a good location. Lots of colorful characters around if you sit outside. Not much seating inside, but cozy if you can find a chair. Service is usually good, though the current crew does not seem quite as friendly as the previous ones used to be.
(4)
Chris B.
Very cute and hip Starbucks location in Birmingham.
Fave N.
This is the third of my Top 3 Starbucks in Birmingham. The loft area is spacious and offers a detour from the world of Five Points South. The staff always gets my order right (I'm not picky) and they are friendly. My issue is simply that you have to get buzzed into the restroom like an old gas station. And parking sucks. Overall it's my eclectic getaway.
(4)Heather B.
The only reason I give this location three stars is the staff. The drinks are well made and the outdoor seating never lacks for entertainment. I also love the upstairs seating to relax and unwind. I find most of the staff here to be very rude and above everyone (I'm talking about a couple of people) most everyone else is nice. I do however love coconut milk so that keeps me coming back and the fact that it's down the street.
(3)Jason B.
As a former student I use to frequent this store a whole bunch. What many people don't know about this location is that is has an upstairs seating area which is great if you're needing a place to unwind and study/read. If upstairs doesn't fit your needs, there's always outdoor seating which is amazing on Sunday mornings or early evening. This store is location in the heart of 5 points and an icon for many Birminghamians. The only downside of this store is the parking, but this is an issue that many of the locations in the area have. If you're ok with a short walk, then this is an ideal place for you to unwind, flip out your favorite book and relax. Oh, and did I mention they have FREE wifi? Good luck ya'll!
(4)Tara N.
It's your average Starbucks. Not much room to sit inside, and this location is unusually hot every time I go there. Most of the time the staff is friendly, but there's been a few occasions when they were too busy chatting with each other, making fun of customers, or have been less than polite. I suppose as long as the drinks are made correctly (which they are), I can forgive their occasional lack of customer service skills.
(4)Spence H.
I have lived near this Starbucks ever since I moved to Birmingham and have visited this location whenever I needed a quick coffee or snack. They have really fast service and all the coffees have been perfect as ordered. Since it's in the heart of 5-Points you have be prepared to find a parking spot, but if you live in the area it's a perfect place to swing by on a walk, run or bike ride. The only downside is that it can get a little crowded in the mornings.
(5)Bruce K.
A smaller ground floor in a very busy intersection. There are some great tables outside and I *think* there's a second floor. I was here very early in the morning (look out for the homeless) and the staff was more than competent. Coffee, good. Sandwich, good. Seating area and Internet access, good.
(4)Samantha M.
I'm not currently living I'm Birmingham just here for then weekend. Needed to get some studying and caffeine in my system so Starbucks was my obvious choice. Great location with beautiful scenery for a big city. I walked a few blocks from where I'm staying but parking looked pretty tight, but once again bigger cities have that problem everywhere. They had three seating options; outside, inside, and upstairs. The downstairs got a little loud for my studying taste and an employee told me about upstairs. Stay and very nice and coffee was delicious as usual.
(5)Lama G.
When you need a warm cup of coffee for the cold Birmingham Days :) best!
(4)Kathryn D.
I need to preface this review by saying that anytime I have been here, the baristas are super kind. I was totally burned by this place and won't be returning but it was, until now, somewhere that I went a couple times a month and never had any complaints about. I ordered a to-go traveller 24 hours in advance by calling this location and was assured it would be ready by 11:30am the following day. The coffee was for an important (to me) meeting and it was time-sensitive (I wanted it to be fresh/hot and I needed to move on to my meeting in a timely fashion). I arrived at 11:30 and the woman behind the counter gave me a blank stare which turned into a look of terror when I asked to pick up my order. No to-go traveller had been pre-made. She assured me it would only be '3 minutes' then proceeded to charge me for my order. I was nervous but figured she knew what she was talking about and that, maybe, they had enough coffee reserves that they could fill my order and brew new for new customers. Turns out, they needed to brew a new batch. Initiate panic. 5 minutes roll around and they realize that the new coffee they were brewing for my traveller was filled with coffee grounds (either the filter broke or there was none put in during the rush to make it). They had to clean out the machine and start over. Further, I watch someone scramble to assemble a carrier, bumping the plastic, uncovered spout (which I will eventually drink from) onto her dirty apron, her hands, a dirty dish rag, etc. Time was ticking and it was a train wreck. I was already queasy with nerves and the ticking clock... the unsanitary treatment of the carrier only exasperated the issue. I felt bad to cause such chaos but, at the same time, I called in advance and the panic I induced was avoidable. Further, almost all the other baristas who were there (4 behind the counter) avoided eye contact and any sort of small talk when they realized I was waiting for the to-go coffee. I wasn't being bitchy and didn't say anything negative but I was treated like I had a scarlet letter painted across my chest. The exception was a nice man who asked what my meeting about and wished me a very genuine 'good luck' and an apology. Many thanks to him for being so kind. I did, finally, get the coffee. I really had no choice but to wait since I had paid for it when I first walked in and had no other option for my meeting, but it was in a coffee splashed/stained container of questionable cleanliness which didn't look as professional as I had hoped. Further, I waited a total of 25+ minutes for it which made me late for meeting prep and was a major stressor. In the end, it worked fine and I doubt anyone but me noticed that the container looked less than stellar but, in light of this situation, I will never, ever visit this location again and will be hard-pressed to enter another Starbucks unless captive in an airport. If you can't take pre-orders, don't. If you would prefer people call one hour in advance, say that. I would have happily called day-of if this could have been avoided. But I didn't because I was told that I didn't need to. This location used to be a go-to when Lucy's was closed (as it is this week) but it won't even be a last resort now. I'll stick to coffee pot coffee for my next meeting and re-raise my 'local-only' coffee flag. Sayonara Starbucks, it was a good run.
(1)Jeremy E.
This is an always friendly Starbucks, with a nice little patio out front, and cool loft upstairs to relax in as well. Love sitting on the patio and people watching in Five Points.
(4)Garrett I.
All of my visits to this Starbucks location have been good. I have always found the staff to be fast and friendly. It has all of the standards of Starbucks with the fun personality of the Five Points neighborhood. No drive through and sometimes tough to find parking. Seating in the main area includes the normal Starbucks seating of tables and chairs and comfortable chairs but it also has a sweet outside seating area and a great loft seating area that is great for a longer stay. If you are near here and need a coffee fix or a place to hang this is a great option.
(4)William P.
This location is interesting. Was there fit lunch, sitting outside and enjoying the weather. The plaza is surrounded by a nice church and an european building that host an Italian restaurant. The outside tables are placed closed together and it gets crowded when people are sitting outside, but nothing is perfect.
(4)Patsy B.
I love this location. I had a Caramel Frappuccino and a cake doughnut. It was so good. I would recommend this location. To everyone, baristas were so nice and got me in and out fast.
(4)Tony W.
Great service!
(4)Terje D.
Small, but nice Starbucks in a good location. Lots of colorful characters around if you sit outside. Not much seating inside, but cozy if you can find a chair. Service is usually good, though the current crew does not seem quite as friendly as the previous ones used to be.
(4)Chris B.
Very cute and hip Starbucks location in Birmingham.
(3)