Highland Coffee House

Katie 2 months ago

PLEASE READ: I had one of my worst dining experiences I’ve ever had in this cafe. After ordering only TWO coffees, I paid 16 DOLLARS, after the employee “Jay” secretly added charges to our bill (no this was not due to the $6 dollar “study charge”). THEN he proceeded to berate me for not tipping. With a smirk on his face, he lectured me about how he only makes $3 dollars an hour (which isn’t true, pls see other reviews about the logistics of that statement), and how I should be kind to the “working class”- as if he knows anything about my life or what I know about the working class. He finished it off by saying “If you’re not going to tip here, go not tip somewhere else OKAY?” In front of a large group of people. I could barely afford my own 8 dollar coffee, as I currently am a medical student barely scraping by on student loans, and I do not come from wealthy family background. I have also worked service jobs in the past, and I would never have treated a customer that way. I’ve been more respectful to patients who have actively tried to punch me in the face as I was changing their diaper, while getting paid next to nothing as well. Being stereotyped as an over privileged , stingy

Anna Barrow 2 months ago

Great vibe, really fun place to hang out. Great for people who are over 18 but under 21 or in general anyone who wants to hang around somewhere in the evening without having to drink (plus you can drink here if you want to). The graffiti is fun and the staff don't mind you adding your own. Be nice and tip well cause not very many people work here and they seem kinda stressed some nights which is fair

marisa thoman 4 months ago

I used to love coming here in college. Back then, they were pushy about coming by frequently to ask if you wanted to order anything else. When asked kindly, I would happily oblige as I was grateful to have a place open late enough for me to get my work done. Unfortunately, things have changed for the worse. Now, we were asked to leave if we didn’t make another purchase despite the fact that we were not even done with our first drinks. As many other reviews have stated, we were berated by the worker about tipping because he told us he only makes $3 an hour. Having worked as a barista myself and knowing many others, I have never known a place to pay baristas (or bartenders) a server’s wage rather than minimum wage. Even still, as of 2026 in Ohio the minimum server wage is $5.50. Most likely the worker was lying, but the owner Shawn Brooks should be ashamed of himself and investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor. Also, the worker added extra charges to our bill which is so slimey. For all the complaining about not being able to stay in business if people don’t buy multiple items, you will not be able to stay in business if you scare all your customers away. I will never patroniz

Drew Kelly 5 months ago

Old server (maybe the owner) took way too long to get our shots and also complained to me when I didn’t tip up to his expectations. If you’re going to demand a certain tip, I demand a certain level of service. Besides that, everything seemed overpriced, and the food my girlfriend bought was school cafeteria quality. Cool interior design though. I’m glad I moved out of Cincinnati and will not be returning to this place.

A 9 months ago

used to love highland for the cozy atmosphere and went there frequently for drinks and food. recently the barista pressured me to tip (which i was actively in the process of tipping) then began ranting about how people don't tip and the workers don't get paid much. during my time there i saw the worker tell a large table of people who had all bought drinks that they needed to leave unless they purchased more. publicly shaming people is an awful atmosphere for a coffee shop. i have never had this level of poor customer service before and will not be going back unless ownership changes.