Heartbreak Coffee

The place is super cute. I really liked the new addition of art on the wall as well so we had to pose for a couple photos. I’ve been visiting since this was High Pointe Coffee when i lived in Oxford. Now when we visit Oxford, we stop in for the Coffee Frappes. They are perfect as they are, no extra syrup or sugar needed. Thankfully this trip, we had time to stop by twice. Seating inside and out are both great choices.

Customer service was fine, until I go to pay. Ask the server if I know to show my Student ID for the publicly posted 50% discount (Instagram). They say they don’t know how to offer the discount. Now I’m put in an awkward position and don’t want to make a scene so I quietly pay and sit down. Then, when they set the two coffees down on the counter, they are overfilled and leaking everywhere. Didn’t particularly enjoy cleaning up my overpriced coffee.

This is clearly a sign of mismanagement leaving a inexperienced barista alone. This was a subpar experience, especially given the options that exist in Oxford.

The baristas were very nice and I love how affordable everything is. Their hot chocolate with almond milk is delicious and I loved their chocolate croissant and vegan cinnamon roll.

Do not even think of joining the poor souls sitting for over an hour, waiting for a SB. In 5 minutes you could be enjoying something so much better.

In house roasting, hand pulled shots, beautiful, tasty crema produce the coffee of your choice! No press buttons here! Every sip is pure love, anything but heartbreak.

Don’t leave without treating yourself to an amazing pastry or other selections from their menu!

You may sit in and enjoy or drive thru. But do yourself a solid and don’t miss out!

I have tried all the coffee in Oxford, and Heartbreak, in my opinion, Is the best! When I'm in the mood for a mocha, it's not overly sweet, you get to taste the coffee, and it's great coffee! The staff is always nice and friendly, and my coffee tastes the same, no matter who is making it! I'm never disappointed!

I've been here a few times and each time the service has been great. The pastries are done really well and are always fresh. The coffee on the other hand is very off putting. It has a very sour, almost curdled taste. Maybe I've just had bad luck the times I've been there with the roasting of the beans. The last iced coffee I got I took two sips and had to throw the rest away.

I agree with the reviewer that stated that the coffee has a sour almost curdled flavor. I live out of town, but have made a point of visiting the square and Heartbreak. This will be my last visit. Just not enjoyable. Just a note. In my opinion the coffee was better before the remodel.

I'll start with the negative, then go to the positive, then go-to suggestions:

Negative:

For something that seems to be going for a 2nd wave 3rd wave coffee vibe, it falls flat, space is empty in terms of uniqueness.

Not to say you have to have a connection with the baristas, but they definitely didn't make feel welcome. Not to say I was being pushed out the door, but more of the behavior of "we are super busy" despite having at max 8 people in the store who were already served. For a place that seems to want to foster a "sit and stay a while culture"... I'll hold this thought for the last section.

The coffee: If you're going to advertise what I would consider specialty beans... why would you only serve them drip?

There seems to be a lack of creativity in the menu. I assume the "onyx" syrup was an attempt to have some originality, but I think it would be safe to assume everyone knows that something to the effect of vanilla, honey, and cinnamon pair well with each other.

There is nothing in terms of flavor/quality/aesthetic that separates this place from a newly opened Starbucks... I assume/hope that Starbucks is not the establishment you want to try and mimic.

Positives:

The espresso: Is really good actually.

The Space: Although I said it was not distinct in any way/shape/form the space is large and has plenty of seating.

Suggestions:
Remember that thought I said I would hold on to? My suggestion for the staff would honestly be this: Just give me some fake enthusiasm. I get it, it's tough, I've been there... I think at the end of the day the ask is not out of "Make me feel loved" its more of an "I drove down to the square and had to get out of my car for this, the only transaction I really need is an acknowledgment of the effort". I think with that last statement I need to preface, I don't think this behavior needs to be present in every task we humans do, but contextually I think it makes sense to ask this from a specialty coffee shop standpoint.

Let your imaginations run wild. You are in a college town, that houses one of the biggest universities in America... I'm sure the students/people would love to have a coffee that might not sound good on paper, but it's an experiment. Sure you'll have some losses, but even if you think that would give you marginal down term in the sense of revenue... I think you would be surprised at the loyal customer base you would gain.

Maybe you're renting the building and you can't make the space your own, but aside from the potentially fake snake plants in the middle of the store/in corners.... do something fun with the space.

Learn other brew methods. I understand a Kalita/Chemex takes around 2-3 minutes... It makes the coffee better, and more importantly the customer happy

TLDR; Heart Break Coffee, breaks my heart with wasted potential.

Heartbreak stands out as the best coffee on Oxford, and it’s the only specialty coffee shop for miles in any direction. It’s a gem of a place- we’re privileged to have it in town! It’s awesome to have two options as well- one on the square and this one on Sisk just off highway 6 or highway 7. They really do check every box: 5 stars for coffee, bakery items, baristas, atmosphere. It’s reminiscent of Crema in Nashville or Comeback Coffee in Memphis.
I guess it’s quality across the board is the reason for its one frustration: it is consistently a challenge trying to find seating. I often find myself and others behind me getting coffee and food then waiting for a table to open. The location on the square is probably set up as well as it could be, but there are only 3 tables and 5 bar stools at the Sisk location. They are booth-style tables that can fit a few, but if one person sits there it’s occupied. I feel bad when I come by myself and take up a table, as I know I’m taking up space for groups behind me. I would love to see them expand or maximize the space to provide more options for coffee shop work/study.
This is a good problem to have for any business, and it really is a result of their quality across the board! And it doesn’t keep me away. The drive-thru is a great option, and they’re always really fast. It’s still worth it to come get coffee and find some other place to work. We even buy their beans to brew at home throughout the week.

The ladies that worked there were rude and the coffee and food was gross!!!! I mean how in the world do you mess up coffee and chocolate chip cookies!!!!!! Will never go there again.