Dylan Max

Review of La Stazione Coffee & Wine Bar

It's December 21st and I just experienced the wors...

It's December 21st and I just experienced the worst hospitality I've had this entire year.

Let me explain.

Everybody who catches the train on 22nd Street has walked by La Stazione. It's right on the corner.

I was about 15 minutes early for my Caltrain on a cold and slightly drizzly morning. So, I decided to kill some time at La Stazione before my train arrived.

The barista and I make eye contact and then I tell him I probably won't get anything this time, I'm just trying to stay a little warm. He smarkly replies "well the tip jar looks a bit lonely."

I chuckle, thinking he must be joking. But seconds later, the barista says "No, seriously. If you're not going to buy anything, you have to get out because we're a really small place and it can get crowded in here."

I look behind me because I knew there was only one other customer in front of me. No one else was there.

For context, today was the Friday before Christmas. La Stazione and the Caltrain, for that matter, were ghost towns.

I told the barista "I'll happily leave when more people come, but there's plenty of space and it's cold outside." After reading the barista's reaction, I decided to just leave and wait for my train outside. Before I left, I asked him for his name, to which he replied "Daniel" with a bit of hesitation. He had long-ish dark hair (maybe with a bit of green dye, but I can't remember) and pale white skin.

I left the coffee shop embarrassed, confused, and cold. But Daniel the barista (if that was his real name) was right about one thing.

La Stazione is too small... It's too small to fit blatantly rude employees like Daniel.