Second Cup

An oasis in the Dartmouth Crossing desert. They have good snacks and drinks, friendly staff, and comfy chairs. They know how to make a proper macchiato without coaching! I used to meet a friend here who worked nearby, but that is over.

After grabbing lupper (lunch/​supper) nearby, I decided I would really like a coffee and did not feel like making one at home. So we popped over to second cup. I got an iced caramel latte — nothing special really, pretty par for the course in the sweetened iced latte category. But E bought a frozen hot chocolate and that was delicious! It was thick, rich, and actually cocoa-​ey. I would go back for that alone, but the real shining star of the place would have to be the servers. They were the friendliest people. So nice, and offered to answer any questions I had before I made my decision. Big smiles! Customer service can be a rotten job, I know that, so major kudos to these ladies for keeping things so pleasant with a full house.
We took out, but had we decided to stay in things looked comfy. It’s most definitely a corporate type franchise place, but things looked clean and comfy, albeit a bit cramped.
Next time you’re in the Crossing, skip other places and pay this place a visit.

I love this place… the staff is friendly and they always have my favourite coffee on .the store is very clean and there are always people in the store. The only thing I wish is they would bring in more baked good without nuts. I love the new reward card. I will be frequenting the store more often now.

In a nutshell: tiny, cramped shop. Unusually hot and stuffy. Dirtiest seats I’ve ever seen. Overpriced drinks and treats (but that’s par for the café course). Staff stays behind the counter so no spills are cleaned before they become stains and tables are not wiped down; you’re just supposed to add to the mess left by previous patrons.
I hear their hot chocolate is good. Plus the servers were friendly, so there’s that.

I had my car in to get new winter boots put on it at the local Costco!
I was told it would be an hour, so instead of wandering through the Costco, i decided to take a walk around the park!
It was a lovely day, sunny, but cool.
So after a few stops into random stores to tickle whatever fancy I had that fleeting moment!
After some time, i decided to roll in here and grab a warm beverage!
Now for me that warm beverage is a hot chocolate, since i don’t drink coffee or tea!
The place is cute, I’m not one to ever sit in a coffee shop so, i don’t care what the décor is as long as it is neat and tidy. This place was.
I was greeted right away, place my order. White Hot Chocolate!
Whip Cream? they ask! Hell yeah, I reply.
It was good, not the best in the city. (Choco Café has that)
But good none the less. It could have been a little hotter, but the flavour was nice and the whipped cream was whippy!
next time I need a warm bevy, this place will do!

Hazelnut cream– yum-​O!

This is the closest coffee shop to my office, so I stop in from time to time for a morning treat. I can’t comment on how busy it is, because I’m in there before 8am, when the crossing is still dead. The inside is nice, long and narrow with plenty of seating.
The staff are always friendly and fast, no matter what I order. My personal favorite is their cider, so much so that I buy cans of it to keep at the office.
I’m not a huge fan of their baked goods, and while they sell bagels, they don’t have a toaster so they heat them up on a panini grill, which smushes them. You also have to add the spread yourself. Doing this once caused me to have to pull an outfit change because the butter package they threw in with the bagel melted and spilled when I opened it. Anyway I’ve learned my lesson and now grab my bagel to go and toast it at the office.
Overall a nice spot to grab a drink.

I’m not much of a coffee or tea drinker but I went in to Second Cup on the recommendation to try their Chai Latte. I was pleasantly surprised by the warm, spicy flavor.
The store itself is small and cozy. A nice spot to just take a break from shopping.

I’ve gotta say, we had a pretty stellar visit to the Second Cup over the weekend after drooling over things we can’t afford at Backyard and Veranda.
The interior is far nicer than any Second Cup I’ve been to thanks to the introduction of a new colour scheme in the form of some lively green and cream accents to lighten up the dark woods that most of their other locations stick to.
Staff were surprisingly friendly-​like, local café levels of friendly. They asked about my day, they offered recommendations of new things to try, they suggested different ways to spice up more classic drinks, and they even offered to bring our drinks over when things were taking a little longer. They even took a minute to ask if we’d rather a to-​go cup or a large mug for a medium drink, instead of waiting for a medium mug to come out of the dishwasher.
I know it’s simple stuff but we really got the sense that they actually cared about giving us a nice break in the day. I really haven’t had that level of service and attention at a chain café…well…ever! If they could master doing this for every customer (said after reading through the other reviews), they’ll be golden.

Setting: After shopping at Jysk, I need to use the ladies room, so we wander in to Second Cup for a pee and a hot beverage. I Walk up to counter, Barista over to the right a bit. I’m looking at the menu.
Barista: «Hey, how are you?»
Me: «Great, you?»
Barista: «I’m pretty good, just you know… the weather. blah blah. blah»
Setting: I look over AT the barista, and she is on the phone! She is not talking to me! She is on the phone, and it’s not a business call. She is on the phone, while I’m standing at the counter waiting to be served?! AND I look like a total noob.
Me: NOT impressed
Another barista takes my order; a Cappuccino for the bf, and a Chai Latte for me. I go to the «waiting dock», whist the gabby barista makes my drinks.
Chai Latte coula used more chai. It didn’t have the ‘spice’ that I enjoy.
Cappuccino, sucked. Bad. Tasted like coffee without any fixins, not cool. That damn cap costed me like $ 3.50, for a small. BOOOOO

Stuck in «The Crossing» and need to chill for a bit? This is a cool place to go and relax if you want to avoid the Green Giant and Timmies.
Comfort is the name of the game here, the place is full of large leather armchairs and love seats. The store is neat and clean and the staff serve your bevvys with a smile.
The coffee and lattes are fairly standard, no tea worth a mention either. Their trend to go more organic and fair trade is nice to see and worth a mention though.
Free wi-​fi lets your sip your latte and surf the net while you wait for your companion to complete their shopping or you just need a break from the big-​box stores (I require frequent breaks!).
Wheelchair accessible.

Not the largest Second Cup in the city but it does just fine. Staff have always been friendly and helpful.
Maybe I don’t look for these things since I don’t have a car, but I believe this is also the only Second Cup in the city with a drive-​thru.