2008-01-27 00:54:27 The people that frequent this place are rude and it really turns me off. I don't ever plan on returning - it's not worth it to me and I don't need to experience the sad side of humanity. You're not that cool, Mishka coffee drinkers! It's not cool to do rude things and be so full of yourselves! —ChristyMarsden
2008-01-29 12:51:57 the entire staff at mishkas is a group of completely incompitent, arrogant, and disgusting people. They're rude and have no idea what it means to be in ......CUSTOMER SERVICE. if i were the owner i would fire everyone that currently works there and find a brand new staff. —RayLo23
2008-01-29 19:42:27 Had a wonderful visit there today. The staff was very friendly and helpful and efficient. My drink wasn't quite as good as it normally is, but still very enjoyable. They're one of the best places in town to get good fresh beans too. —WesHardaker
2008-02-10 20:53:53 My girlfriend and I decided to check out Mishka's cafe this afternoon to get some coffee and do some studying. We had never heard about "the rule" before so we grabbed a seat up front since all the seating in the back was taken. My girlfriend ordered a large drink, which they had no problem charging us for even though she already had her laptop open.
They put the drink out without announcing it was ready. This seemed rude but I shrugged it off. Then, after a minute, one girl came over to my table and asked us to relocate into the back or leave. She said the front area was reserved for non-students and no laptops were allowed. I asked her if we could wait with our drink until a seat opened. She said no, unless we wanted to wait outside, where it was cold. I couldn't understand why because we were the ONLY people in the front area and there was no one waiting for our seats. I mentioned this and she rudely told us to leave. We had just PAID for a drink and we were being denied seating, I felt robbed and my girlfriend looked like she wanted to burst into tears.
Mishka's employees seem to be rude, mindless bureaucrats, and so my girlfriend and I decided that we will never return there. This was by far the worst first impression I've ever had at a Cafe. Judging by the other comments, the place is pretty unsanitary as well so I suppose its a good thing the horrible employees chased us off for good. —Loccster
- Just out of curiosity, what were you doing at your table while you were waiting for your drink (I'm guessing you were at one of the Rule tables)? Because if you were studying while you waited, then that'd make sense since you were obviously breaking the Rule. I'm guessing the reason you were actually able to sit down at all was because the Rule exists (if anyone sat here, its usually because the non-Rule tables were all full). If there was no Rule, then you most likely would not have had even that table open since they'd be packed by more people (students and non-students alike...hopefully). And as far as being ignorant of the Rule, its labeled on all the tables it applies to. And they don't bend the Rule for anyone because it sets a bad example and future precedence for more Rule-breakers to follow ("Why can't I sit here too? That guy just did..."). From the way you describe the incident, it sounds like you were trying to argue the Rule (it is called the "Rule" for a reason). Being a student, I understand the demand for study spots, but I also appreciate a cafe owner reserving places for people who aren't there to study and have to wait for seating just to enjoy a beverage, the morning newspaper, or just to sit with a friend. I don't mean to be unsympathetic, but it is basically a non-study zone and is officially a reserved-seating area. The closest analogy I can currently think of would be like a smoker being asked to leave a non-smoking zone (although I'm not trying to equate smoking to studying, obviously). —SunjeetBaadkar
I would have in fact preferred all the tables were empty so that we could have gone somewhere else *before* ordering. I am aware that the rule was on the table, but being our first time there we didn't see it. Most people don't read bulletins around them because we are so used to advertisements, and we placed our stuff on the table as well, effectively occluding "the Rule".
2008-03-29 11:24:14 Ahhh, Mishka's. Can't get any more Davis than Mishka's. I like the idea of Mishka's, but I'm not crazy about the place when I'm actually there. "The Rule" doesn't bother me except when they go too far with it ( as in Loccster's case, that's just unneccessary and tacky for a business). Anyhow, I find this place too noisy and pretenious. The staff and customers take this place way too seriously. Oh and if you say anything about it, they get all, "How DARE you!" Friends have even given me the stank eye for saying such things. But I don't care because I don't recognize Mishka's as anything more than a crappy coffee shop. My suggestion is go check it out at least once. Then go elsewhere. —CurlyGirl26
2008-03-29 11:40:39 Oh and as a student, I totally empathize when it comes to finding decent study spots. It sucks to see that all the study tables are full and the front is empty. But I also think that it's important for the chatters, readers, et al, to have a place to sit and enjoy their beverages. The place came to a compromise and I think that's pretty cool. They just want to ensure that there are spaces available, which is reasonable. They just don't want ALL of their tables filled up by the people who order a $1.85 cup of coffee and park there for nine hours. —CurlyGirl26
2008-04-29 18:59:44 Wow, they probably have one of the rudest wait staff in the world. Their chai sucks, but they do have great tea flavors. This place is almost always full, I think many regulars come in to Mishka's early in the day and stay until nighttime. Mishka's should think about expanding the amount of space available and follow Coffee Grounds' example. —morpheus8100
2008-05-27 17:30:36 their thai iced tea is delicious, and it's overall a great environment. —film
2008-05-31 12:05:57 Morpheus8100, you are in luck! They ARE expanding, via moving to a new location just a block away next door to the Varsity. I'm not sure what "wait staff" you are referring to, but I've personally only had very positive interactions with their employees. I never used to go to Mishka's because of the lack of seating, then one day I tried, got a seat, and I haven't had trouble getting a seat since. I guess I'm lucky. —KernHaug
2008-05-31 17:19:17 It's true that Mishka's is going to be opening up a new place, but the actual retail floor space is only going to increase by about 100 square feet. —JeremyOgul
2008-06-18 14:06:18 So I tried the "French" Soda, and instead of a splash of half&half, the cup was 3/4 full. It tasted AWFUL. I came back and asked for a refund/free drink and the girl who was working just gave me a blank stare. I told her that I've been a customer for 4 years and she still refused to give me a refund. I'm thinking about going to Peet's instead. This is hard to say, but loyal customers deserve to be treated with respect.
Also, the cafe has become increasingly dirty over the years. The floors never appear swept, and the staff is less than professional. I've noticed that the owner is there less. That may be the reason why. —EmilyHughes
- Good, that'll mean more seats at Mishka's. Sorry, but they don't owe you a free drink because you tried something new and didn't like it. I have also been a customer for over 4 years, tried a French soda once, and hated it. The difference is that I know that if I try something new (especially something that is described as "French"), I might not like it and the money I spent is the cost of learning that. They already let you nurture an espresso for four hours while using their electricity and WiFi, now they're supposed to comp you for poor judgement? — JesseSingh
- Well...I got the drink to go, walked outside, came back with an almost full drink...I think that deserves some sort of consideration for a refund. I still go there, I just stay clear of the French sodas!! In any case, I'm looking forward to their new location...hopefully it'll be done before I'm out of grad school! EmilyHughes
2008-08-12 00:36:57 A good selection of teas (mainly from The Republic of Tea and Kusmi/Kusmichoff's) that comes in a pot AND isn't brewed to death (i.e. Crepeville)= a good cafe by my definition.
I do wish they carried more teas and I wouldn't disagree that for proper tea snobs, the Tea Fortes at Ciocolat make much more decent teas...but I suppose the complaint is mere wishful thinking, given that other Davis cafes don't selection (save perhaps Ciocolat, but I don't think Ciocolat offers teas in pot-form).
I used to get their cappuccinos with a syrup shot a long time ago and they were divine, but I am not sure if the quality is still the same....for those who don't drink coffee/espresso but still want something resembling those yummy espresso drinks, I'd suggest trying the "mate latte" made from yerba mate.
Not sure I dig the idea of Mishka's re-locating next to Varsity and messing with the tank house though... —il
2008-08-28 00:47:49 I like this place so far.. I've only been there once but have a feeling I'll go back often. It's a cliche coffee shop, and the baristas were very nice. My iced latte was really just an iced coffee with milk (Peet's does better with that one), but it was extra creamy and delicious. —Lala
2008-08-28 12:25:18 Mishka's is my favorite cafe in Davis — a Mac-friendly place to get some work done and to run into friends. The orange walls keep me awake. —DrandyJones
2008-12-04 12:04:55 This isn't as much a complaint about Mishka's as it is about some of the people who frequent it. You are entitled to as much space as that chair gives you at the table. It is not appropriate to sprawl all of your belongings across the tables to give yourself two more spaces. If you need that much space, go to the library or something. Some people do that and it really bugs me. This isn't the fault of Mishka's though, just some of the rude, inconsiderate people who go there. I did have a positive experience thought when a girl assured me there was room for both of us at her table that she was already sitting at when she saw me walking around looking for a place to sit. —condemned2bfree
2008-12-22 12:05:26 I used to like this place. I‘ve gotten drinks there for years and overall it’s been a good place. I’ve seen both good and bad baristas. On Monday I saw another bad one. She, for whatever reason, stuck her finger in her nose when she was preparing my drink. I complained but my complaint was blown off. Disgusting. —Douglas
