Fantastic spot- lush, modern, and cozy all at once. Excellent coffees and teas (I didn't try the breakfast options but they smelled great), clean and comfortable family bathroom and unisex bathroom. Overall, a great spot to sit and work on a cold day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nafis Zahir
Although they were very busy, customer service was very good as was the coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Victoria Mack
Disappointed about my experience visiting The Reading Room. I had high hopes because it’s very cutesy but the service is really poor. I walked in and wasn’t greeted by anyone until I finally said “Hi! How are you?” to the barista. She asked if I’m dining in or ordering out & when I said dine in, she told me to find a table and she’ll be with me soon. She eventually came over to me to bring a menu but never returned to take my order? However, once I saw someone else walk in after me and order their drink at the counter while telling the same barista they’re also dining in, I left. Consistent service would be nice.
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
alena elissas
The food was decent and the space is nicely decorated. I’ve ordered their matcha, chai, and loose leaf tea. However, the atmosphere is not very welcoming. I’ve visited the cafe about four times now and each time the staff seemed to have an attitude and were a bit short with me. Some sort of annoyance towards people wanting to come in the shop in the first place (especially if you bring a laptop). Please also note that the wifi has not worked for me once. Part of me suspects that this is intentional to keep people from using their laptops? I may be wrong.
Overall, it looks very cute and cozy, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Judging from other reviews concerning discrimination, maybe there is another explanation for my poor experience…For that reason, I do not intend to return, nor would I recommend this cafe.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Sylvania A
The ghost lattes are such a cute idea and they were also very good. We got their matcha latte and chai latte and they were both amazing! It’s also quite a versatile spot. Perfect for brunch & lunch dates, or even just to go study.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mickie Garcia
Tasty bites and warm vibes! The space is a little tight but the staff were very attentive and friendly and the food was great. The turkey panini was nice and hot and went great with the tomato bisque. It came with a few pickle slices and small serving of chips and the bisque included some small pieces of a fluffy focaccia. Also got a blueberry Danish which may legitimately be the best blueberry Danish I've ever had. The blueberries were huge and sweet and the custard had the perfect consistency and sweetness level. Check out their happy hour. I will definitely be back for cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fatima Sidime
Love this place- not the cheapest but perfect ambiance for studying and the music is so good!
Val Croft
Great coffee shop which switches to a wine bar at 5pm. They are pretty strict that all laptops are turned off at 5. Their coffee and pastries are great! They also offer soups and other lunch like menu items. Cool vibe, great staff.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Lila Redler
The coffee here is good, although overpriced. I spent around $7 for a latte which I think is kind of pricey. I also had one of their sandwiches which I thought was good, but nothing special. The real hidden gem is when it turns into a wine bar at night!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
John Pignone-Reed
Izzy and grace literally made the best hot chocolate!!! Thank you both so much!!!!
This place didn’t feel warm and welcoming. It was my first time trying out this coffee shop. It was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon, which is great for business! However, the flow was very slow and lackluster. The cashier didn’t greet me, nor did she ask of my preferred size, which I later noticed on my receipt — which in her defense, maybe she was exhausted and burned out.
I observed the operational flow, as I sat and waited 13 whole minutes for an iced mocha and latte. 1 person took the orders, and the other person made the orders. There were also kitchen staff, who apparently only worked in the back. The pace was already slow, but, when the 1 person who was making the orders had to refill the water, pausing the orders, to go to the back kitchen, it made the wait feel even longer!! I stood, watching the ice melt in my cup, waiting for the 1 guy to return, to finish our orders.
Beautiful decor, tight space to wait, and overall slow service (or maybe just on a Sunday afternoon). There was no place to sit (inside or out), so had to take it to-go. All in all, worth checking out, and returning for a better outcome :-)
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Thurman Battle
Awful customer service.
Service: 1
Sonal Mirpuri
Was there from 4 to 5.30pm on Friday 18th Sept. The was buzzing and packed. Servers weren't maybe in the best of their moods, no smiles,the i dont care attitude , the internet wasn't working. Their matcha though is amazing as is their paninis and dessert station. I left an empty black bag behind and when I went back at 7.30pm the same evening to collect it, can you believe that the staff said it was gone !! How can an empty bag just go !! Even a huge Walmart funds and returns your things. So definitely the staff isn't right !!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
O m
Cool, chill little coffee shop in the heart of Decatur. I'd give it 5 stars, but my coffee arrived warm not hot and became cold pretty quick. The pastry I had was delicious would get again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Brigitte von Oppenfeld
The Reading Room hosted our post-wedding brunch last spring and did an amazing job. They provided a breakfast buffet and coffee service for our guests and were incredibly flexible with headcount and providing enough food for everyone. The nicest people and the best service. I have also been on the weekends, and they have great food and drinks and great live music too!
Fantastic spot- lush, modern, and cozy all at once. Excellent coffees and teas (I didn't try the breakfast options but they smelled great), clean and comfortable family bathroom and unisex bathroom. Overall, a great spot to sit and work on a cold day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Although they were very busy, customer service was very good as was the coffee.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Disappointed about my experience visiting The Reading Room. I had high hopes because it’s very cutesy but the service is really poor. I walked in and wasn’t greeted by anyone until I finally said “Hi! How are you?” to the barista. She asked if I’m dining in or ordering out & when I said dine in, she told me to find a table and she’ll be with me soon. She eventually came over to me to bring a menu but never returned to take my order? However, once I saw someone else walk in after me and order their drink at the counter while telling the same barista they’re also dining in, I left. Consistent service would be nice.
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
The food was decent and the space is nicely decorated. I’ve ordered their matcha, chai, and loose leaf tea. However, the atmosphere is not very welcoming. I’ve visited the cafe about four times now and each time the staff seemed to have an attitude and were a bit short with me. Some sort of annoyance towards people wanting to come in the shop in the first place (especially if you bring a laptop). Please also note that the wifi has not worked for me once. Part of me suspects that this is intentional to keep people from using their laptops? I may be wrong.
Overall, it looks very cute and cozy, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way. Judging from other reviews concerning discrimination, maybe there is another explanation for my poor experience…For that reason, I do not intend to return, nor would I recommend this cafe.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
The ghost lattes are such a cute idea and they were also very good. We got their matcha latte and chai latte and they were both amazing! It’s also quite a versatile spot. Perfect for brunch & lunch dates, or even just to go study.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tasty bites and warm vibes! The space is a little tight but the staff were very attentive and friendly and the food was great. The turkey panini was nice and hot and went great with the tomato bisque. It came with a few pickle slices and small serving of chips and the bisque included some small pieces of a fluffy focaccia. Also got a blueberry Danish which may legitimately be the best blueberry Danish I've ever had. The blueberries were huge and sweet and the custard had the perfect consistency and sweetness level. Check out their happy hour. I will definitely be back for cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place- not the cheapest but perfect ambiance for studying and the music is so good!
Great coffee shop which switches to a wine bar at 5pm. They are pretty strict that all laptops are turned off at 5. Their coffee and pastries are great! They also offer soups and other lunch like menu items. Cool vibe, great staff.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The coffee here is good, although overpriced. I spent around $7 for a latte which I think is kind of pricey. I also had one of their sandwiches which I thought was good, but nothing special. The real hidden gem is when it turns into a wine bar at night!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Izzy and grace literally made the best hot chocolate!!! Thank you both so much!!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This place didn’t feel warm and welcoming. It was my first time trying out this coffee shop. It was pretty busy on a Sunday afternoon, which is great for business! However, the flow was very slow and lackluster. The cashier didn’t greet me, nor did she ask of my preferred size, which I later noticed on my receipt — which in her defense, maybe she was exhausted and burned out.
I observed the operational flow, as I sat and waited 13 whole minutes for an iced mocha and latte. 1 person took the orders, and the other person made the orders. There were also kitchen staff, who apparently only worked in the back. The pace was already slow, but, when the 1 person who was making the orders had to refill the water, pausing the orders, to go to the back kitchen, it made the wait feel even longer!! I stood, watching the ice melt in my cup, waiting for the 1 guy to return, to finish our orders.
Beautiful decor, tight space to wait, and overall slow service (or maybe just on a Sunday afternoon). There was no place to sit (inside or out), so had to take it to-go. All in all, worth checking out, and returning for a better outcome :-)
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Awful customer service.
Service: 1
Was there from 4 to 5.30pm on Friday 18th Sept. The was buzzing and packed. Servers weren't maybe in the best of their moods, no smiles,the i dont care attitude , the internet wasn't working. Their matcha though is amazing as is their paninis and dessert station. I left an empty black bag behind and when I went back at 7.30pm the same evening to collect it, can you believe that the staff said it was gone !! How can an empty bag just go !! Even a huge Walmart funds and returns your things. So definitely the staff isn't right !!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Cool, chill little coffee shop in the heart of Decatur. I'd give it 5 stars, but my coffee arrived warm not hot and became cold pretty quick. The pastry I had was delicious would get again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
The Reading Room hosted our post-wedding brunch last spring and did an amazing job. They provided a breakfast buffet and coffee service for our guests and were incredibly flexible with headcount and providing enough food for everyone. The nicest people and the best service. I have also been on the weekends, and they have great food and drinks and great live music too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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