This barista in Portland told me my order was 'objectively wrong'

I was at a shop on Division Street last fall and ordered a dark roast with a splash of cream. The guy behind the counter just stared and said, 'You're ruining the notes. That's objectively wrong.' He was dead serious. It was so weirdly intense for 7 AM. Has anyone else had a coffee person get this aggressive about how you drink your own drink?

2 comments

2 Comments

daniel_lane306d agoTop Commenter

Read an article once about how this kind of gatekeeping happens a lot in niche hobbies. It compared coffee snobs to vinyl record guys who get mad if you don't use a certain kind of needle. They said it's more about the person behind the counter feeling smart than about the customer's actual enjoyment. Like, my buddy got yelled at for putting ketchup on a fancy burger. It's the same energy. Let people enjoy things the way they want.

the_joel6d ago

Man, that's a whole vibe... got told my usual order of a black coffee with three sugars was "a war crime" once. The look of pure disappointment was kind of impressive, honestly. Like I'd personally offended their ancestors. At the end of the day, it's a drink I'm paying for, and I know what I like. Some people just take the bean juice way too seriously.