Soma
| Address: | 322 E Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA |
| Phone: | +1 812-331-2770 |
| Site: | iheartsoma.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 6AM–9PM 6AM–9PM 6AM–9PM 6AM–9PM 6AM–9PM 7AM–9PM 7AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
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Ariss McKalynn
Atmosphere: Place is ok to meet people or to study, but definitely not a good coffee house for that. The smell is pretty bad at times, since its in a basment-like space. When Starbucks beats you as a place to chill and talk, theres a problem. The one in Jordan square has almost no places to sit, so nix that as a spot. The newest one is probably the nicest space, and biggest! Lots of light, too! Coffee: Drip coffee is pretty good, and only occasionally burt... and Starbucks is usually burnt, if you cant tell. Apparently I should say "roasted too long," so thats what I should say, but it tastes burnt. Coffee is also often single source and/or organic, so thats pretty awesome. Espresso tastes like any espresso Ive ever had. No extra flavors I can detect. Speciality drinks: Yeah, Ive decided to avoid those. Ive had most of the stuff on the menu at the three in town, and theyre not really good. They try to be interesting by adding weird flavors, and it just isnt working. They have a pb one that tastes like chocolate, for a bit, but then its just a bunch of stuff collected on the bottom of your cup. Cold or hot, they typically do both, and I have liked about 1/4 of the drinks Ive had. I cant believe I prefer Starbucks with their weird sugary syrup concoctions, but I do. I think Soma needs a better method of blending or something. No good. You dont wanna have spent 4+$ on a drink and have it be terrible. Starbucks makes me a new one if I try something and hate it, they dont. Thats a big deal to me. If you spend a lot, and it doesnt cost them much, they should take it back... and those speciality drinks rake in the money at these places. Food: pretty good pastries, with lots of vegan options. They sometimes have gluten free, too. Meals, burritos or salads typically by laughing planet. Those are pretty good, overall. My favorite thing about the place is the pastries... which isnt a good thing when theyre not making them and its a coffee house. Staff: Starbucks generally has nicer staff, which I consider a problem in a coffee house. Staff should be as nice as, if not nicer than Starbucks people. If theyre not, I figure theyre not people who should work in a coffee shop and/or unhappy with the job. The guys working there with food often have significant beads... and no bead nets. That seems pretty gross to me, when youre mixing peoples drinks.
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A Private User
The brewed coffee rotates on a daily basis, through different regional origins and roasts, excepting the house blend. The staff will let you sample before you commit to a full cup, so its easy to find a coffee you love (though all of them are great in their own ways.) All of the coffees are artisan-roasted and sourced from small family farms, practicing sustainable farming methods (even those that arent certified organic and fair trade.) As for the espresso drinks, Soma is the only place in Bloomington where youll get latte art in your cup. Awesome vegan options, baked goods, and smoothies as well. The staff is great and efficient. Theyre not there to be your best friend, theyre there to make your coffee and get you out the door, because chances are theres a huge line behind you. Also, they listen to what they want, because it makes their hectic, often hellish job a little more enjoyable. (The back room is quiet for studying.) I suggest familiarizing yourself with the menu and finishing your cell phone conversation before stepping up to the counter, and youll find them to be quite pleasant.
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A Private User
I phoned Soma to say hi to my daughter, who was supposed to have baked the scones and cookies, etc, from midnight to 8 (its 7:40 am now.) My daughter drove from Lawrence Kansas starting late Sunday, to Kokomo by Monday afternoon, to take the 8- and 10-year old children of a friend to their fathers, and then she was driving to Bloomington in the afternoon Monday to get to her work shift, maybe get a little nap first. Maybe she overslept the nap. Or maybe something terrible has happened. Either way, I sort of wish the snotty young woman who answered the phone had not said "she didnt show up for her shift or phone, and she might not be working here anymore; Im not sure." Sorry for the inconvenience, I just hope my daughters OK. (Her phone died during that car trip.) Soma is a great coffee place. The girl who answered the phone needs to learn a little about what to say to callers.
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Ryan Feigenbaum
Soma is a Bloomington coffee institution. Its unique space of diverse bricolage rooms decorated with a hodgepodge of items makes for the perfect setting to have your drink and read a book, catch up on email, or even have a conversation with a person. In warm weather, the outside patio is nice for drinking coffee en plein air. The coffee drinks are decent but nothing youll write home about, but the pastries and food options are where this place starts to lose its charm. While they do have vegan offerings, these pastries share the same fate as the non-vegan ones: they just arent very good. Scones are insipid and flaccid. Brownies are sweet but drab. And muffins are a sad pile of oily crumbs. In short, come for coffee and dont stay for snacks.
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Ty Cobb
Seriously, their coffee is only slightly better than Nescafe. And I swear they choose the music to drive out the customers. If they intend it to be cute or something that theyre playing mid 90s gangster rap or 80s hair metal, they have failed. Unsure if they ever clean the place, it reeks of body odor. And if you intend on charging your laptop watch out for the sockets, they were literally hanging from the wall last time I was there. And, yes, as for the attitude, the staff usually seems to have a problem with handing me a cup so I can then take it and fill it myself. One rushed morning I stopped and one of the girls with a chip on her shoulder was having a fight with a poor guy over the volume of his travel mug he wanted to fill up.
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Green Digits
I keep telling myself I wont come back here, but then I come here to meet people, and every time I regret it a little more. How can a place so bad be so popular? Terrible ambiance, bad food options, and most of all, strangely, oddly, weirdly, *consistently* rude staff. In addition to just generally unpleasant music, you may get to hear some music with really explicit lyrics. Not just cursing -- think more creatively. Im thinking, its not *that* late, I could have been stopping by with my young kids to enjoy the vegan offerings... I *love* independent coffee shops, but this one is so far below standard that Id rather have another Starbucks.
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Tom Jones
Ive been to every coffee house in Bloomington, and this one is by far the WORST! If you are looking for subpar, slightly burnt coffee with Starbucks prices, this is the place for you. The baristas WILL NOT look at you until you accept your physical inadequacy with humility. That is unless you are: a co-op member, a failed local musician, or a cigarette-swiping alternative youth.
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Schroek 1954
I love the ambiance and product at Soma but their customer service needs some improvement. After a lengthy wait for my $7 coffee drink, I mentioned that I had forgotten to ask for whipped cream and could I please get a bit added to the top. The abrupt answer was "No. Thats an extra charge." Ill be going to The Pourhouse from now on.
