Trackside Cafe

Had a similar experience as Danielle. I needed to purchase some Amtrak tickets and was planning on going into the cafe once I was done to buy a coffee. The owner came into the ticket station asking about my car and then rushed out with her phone. I apologized and told her I had planned to come in after I bought the tickets. I moved my car and was going to be true to my word, but she refused to serve me. She also threatened to call her attorney. When I left, both parking spots were still available so I don't think I hurt her business any by parking there.

I am stunned and disappointed to report that two years later I have had the same terrible experience as the other reviewers. I had 3 minutes until the train was coming and had a senior citizen disabled veteran with me. It was very hot so we pulled into the café parking spot (there was another open space right next to me) to wait for the train. Within seconds a very angry looking woman carrying a phone came out. I lowered my window and asked if I could help her and she told me "you could learn to read." I explained my friend's health issues and said we'd be gone in 2 minutes and she angrily said "this isn't handicapped parking." Wow. I couldn't believe how bitter she was but sure didn't want to fight. So I tried to back out to move my car and she wouldn't move because she was too busy recording my license plate. I was stunned by her hostility. No other cars pulled up while I was there so I cost her nothing in lost revenue plus there was another open space the whole time. I live nearby and take the train regularly. Not only will I never give her business but I will give her bad publicity. Why anyone would place a higher value on keeping a parking space open for 3 minutes (especially when another space was open and no customers were inconvenienced) over respecting a disabled veteran is beyond me.

What a miserable person working. I will never ever buy a cup of coffee there. My husband dropped me for my hour wait for the train. Being away from the kids I planned on getting a cup of coffee and read my book while I waited. We parked in the cafe parking spot and my husband got the baby out to watch the train coming in 2 minutes. Really! I walked in and she busy so I walked out. She immediately went out wrote our license plate and said I wasn't planning on buying a coffee. And they proceeded to call the police.

Just has a similar experience as other reviewers. I was being dropped off for a train and had all intentions of patronizing the cafe for something to eat on the train, so we stopped in the cafe parking spot (both spots were open, no one was at the cafe). Within two minutes, a woman came out, appeared to be writing down the license plate of the car and then got on the phone. When I got out and told her I had been planning on stopping into her cafe, she told me, "No you will not, you don't have that right anymore and if I see you park there again, I'm calling the police.". This is a situation that didn't need to be so aggressive and negative. The shop owner could've instead come out to check on the spot, ask if we were going to the cafe or if she could get anything started for us, subtly guilting us into patronizing her business. Instead, she permanently lost a customer in addition to the future loss of customers because you can be sure a bad experience like this will be shared far and wide.

It's a wonder the cafe has any business at all at this point with that kind of attitude. Just go to the Wawa across the street!

I was in a rush this morning and needed to stop at the station to buy a pair of tickets. I parked in the cafe's spot, put my flashers on, and went in to buy my tickets. When I came out less than a minute later, I noticed an elderly woman writing down my license plate number. I walked over to apologize and explain that I just needed to run in to buy a pair of tickets. Her response was that I will be "really sorry when this is over" and proceeded to call me a thief for taking her parking spot. I apologized again and got in my car, only to notice that she was now standing behind my car. When she finally moved, I pulled out and as I passed her she screamed "I wish you stayed longer so I could have called a tow truck." I understand my mistake in parking in her spot, but I don't see the point of berating someone who is trying to apologize for their mistake. I'm glad to see I am not the only person who had the same problem and hope people will avoid giving this woman any business.

DO NOT GO HERE. I will echo what have been written in other reviews. I'm handicap and was meeting a friend at the station. I was coming from Lancaster and required the lift to get off off the train. My friend parked "her" spot and ran over to assist me. The owner came out screaming at my friend and I.

As my friend was trying explain, I was trying to get in the car. She blocked my way, while berating us. Let me say that again, she blocked an obviously handicap persons only egress into the car, in the rain, and continued to berate us. She kept accusing us of theft, yelling at us and saying my friend should have parked in a handicap spot (which she couldn't do until I got off the train because I had the placard ) as I tried to get my walker in the car.

Do not go there. She didn't know if our intention was to grab a coffee before we went out for dinner. But obviously she does not want people to go in there because she is to busy berating and blocking their way to her establishment.

I normally take the train from the Malvern station, but today had to leave from Paoli. My fiancé was dropping me off and on the way into the station we stopped at Starbucks to get coffee. I didn't know there was a trackside cafe at Paoli. I normally stop at Cafe Craze at Malvern in the morning and love it, mainly because if the nice people. Today, my fiancé pulled in to an open parking spot, the only open parking spot to wait, we had less than 5 minutes until the train came. The sign read for Trackside Cafe customers only, so admittedly we shouldn't have pulled in there. We didn't think 5 quick minutes would be a big deal and I actually said on our way into the spot,"oh, I could have stopped here for coffee, I didn't know they had a coffee shop here". The parking spot was good advertising. Unfortunately, the owner was the worst kind of advertising. As my fiancé and I are exchanging pleasant conversation before I leave for an over night trip for work, a raging woman appears standing in front of our car yelling about me drinking from a Starbucks cup in her parking spot. She hollered and yelled in front of a train station full of waiting passengers. Of course we moved our car, just as the train pulled into the station and I scrambled to gather my bags for my trip, frazzled from the exchange. So, sad story is I didn't know there was a locally run coffee shop at the Paoli station, which i normally patronize over Starbucks. However, I'll never stop for coffee at the trackside cafe because the owner is just not nice. Sometimes Starbucks is your best bet :-/

Don't bother. Service is unpleasant. And if you pull into the designated cafe spots for more than a minute without going in to make a purchase, you will get accused of "retail theft" even after moving your car, have your license plate written down, and get the cops called on you. "The cops will find you and take care of you." For what, a parking violation? K. Ridiculous. Walk a block and a half to Starbucks instead. Better coffee and friendlier faces.

I have to say I am not surprised to see these reviews about the cafe. I was parked (motor running/flashers on) in the "last" spot for this cafe dropping my mom off for the train. I WAS surprised when a nasty woman came out with clipboard in hand taking my license number and threatening me. I'm not sure what she was planning on doing but she couldn't have been more unpleasant and unhappy! Please don't go to this establishment for any reason. She could have easily come out and asked me to move which I would have (and did) immediately when I saw that someone needed the spot. There are so many things in this world to be upset about and ways to handle situations. This person must have some real issues that I hope that she can figure out!

Before I even had a chance to go in to get hot coffee on this very very cold day, the owner came out, called me an idiot, told me I was stealing from her because I was dropped off in one of her precious parking spots, and informed me that I'd be not only hearing from the Paoli Police for theft, but also from her attorney. What a miserable piece of work this proprietor is. Do not give her business. I have before, several times, but refuse to from now on.