TrueNorth Cafe Hyde Park

True North used to be a dependable place for sandwhiches; their vegetarian sandwhiches in particular were delicious and absolutely worth every penny. The baristas were always a bit rude, but the quality and affordability of food well compensated for the unpleasantness when ordering. Now, the food is not only pricier but shockingly bad. I had the seitanic verses panini; please do NOT waste your money on this! the bread is fine but a measly amount of seitan is slapped together with a tiny bit of cucumber and tomato. that's the sandwhich. it neither fills you up and is actually difficult to eat because its umbearbly dry and utterly tasteless. head to Seoul Taco or Medici instead for something that actually has taste. also, did i mention the baristas are still rude?

ASK for your receipt and ASK what your total is as they will overcharge you. There is a middle aged woman with dark hair and glasses who has awful customer service and will say things like "things are expensive to make" and "you can only get half a refund" etc. She kept walking away when I was telling them I had been charged for the wrong drink. There are other places I'd recommend instead of this location. BUILD coffee being one of them, and within the same area. Several of their reviews echo how overpriced they are and their terrible customer service.

There was no place to sit even if I wanted too... plus the place was filled with smoke from something burning.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. The staff is phenomenal, the food is affordable and delicious, the coffee is really good and unique flavors. 100% recommend.

I've had the pleasure of getting food and smoothies from True North several times. I have a hard time believing some of these negative reviews, because each time I've been to True North it was a pleasant experience. Just yesterday I picked up two Mango Blast smoothies, a Mae Wilson sandwich, and a Freakin Vegan sandwich. The smoothies were perfect. Not too sweet, but not too watered down. My mom loved her Mae Wilson sandwich which was thick and hearty. My Freakin Vegan sandwich was tasty and flavorful... full of spice but not overpowering. I really enjoy coming to TrueNorth. No one who works there has ever been rude to me. People that work there are generally friendly, but not so much so that it seems fake. I've even brought my dog with me when picking up food and everyone was nice to him as well.

The barista was extremely rude. Her attitude brought me to tears. The chef was very hard working & everything tasted great!

Good smoothies and decorations!

Medium sized latte with almond milk ❤️

This is a pretty decent place serving really good coffees, smoothies and some unique flavored coffees as well. Good coffee, especially love their cardamom latte! Service could be better though sometimes the barista doesn't even give a smile but probably they having a bad day or busy day! Still love the coffee!

Wednesday, August 11, 2020

Worst experience in Hyde Park ever!

The person behind the counter was chatting with a friend (who left her DIVY bike blocking the patio entrance) the entire time. I ordered an iced hibiscus tea. She told me it would be a few minutes to brew. I was fine with that. I was the only other patron in the place besides the friend. I turned and walked about 6 feet from the counter, I was checking some information on my phone when another employee confronted me. He stood about 2 feet from me and asked if I was looking for something in the kitchen. His tone was anything but professional. I told him that I was just waiting for my tea. It was about 30 seconds later that the person behind the counter told me my tea was ready. It clearly was not. It looked like a glass of water as it lacked the rich red color of hibiscus. She could tell by the look on my face that I was not satisfied. She apologized and offer to make me another and that I could just keep the first one. I had biked a few miles so I drank the beverage while waiting inside the air conditioned space for the correct order. She continued to chat with her friend and suddenly stopped. "You can wait outside if it's better for you."

Now I was very convinced that my black presence was not appreciated. I waited in the seating area in the front patio. I took my time drinking my tea, knowing I would never patronize this business again. I don't think any person of color should spend their money here.

8/17/20
Just an update....
I did receive an apology from Mr. Peters, one of the owners. He was the person who questioned me about a kitchen order. He said that he didn't mean to be abrasive and that he was just in a hurry. I am inclined to think this apology was genuine. I just think that some of the young people that work in these establishments need more training in the areas of sensitivity and customer service.