Ahava Coffee Co - Van Giesen - Richland, Washington

MJ P.

Used to love this place as barracuda, but probably won’t be back. There’s less shots of espresso in the drinks for the same price, and the overall quality has gone down. We got a scone and a pop tart, and both were disappointing. The scone was dry and cold, despite the staff warming it up. The pop tart was greasy and falling apart. However, my strawberry matcha was good, hence to two stars.

Jared F.

Ahava is a great place to meet for coffee. We love the atmosphere and love all of the coffees and crepes. ☺️

Highly recommend anyone & everyone to try this awesome shop.

Jessica C.

Edit of review since AHAVA Coffee took over: I'm sorry I have to even do this but I gave it a couple weeks since Ahava coffee took over Barracuda. I won't be back to Ahava.
Unfortunately, The coffees I've received have been all over the place. Mind you, I order pretty much the exact same thing every single morning. It's been so inconsistent since Ahava took over and it really sucks. Constantly messing up the drink order as well. These new print outs for the cups are great... if the employees would actually read them. There is a reason I need OAT MILK, not cow's milk. It's not just for fun.
I can't even tell you how many drinks I have just tossed and haven't finished because of how disgusting they were and the 2 I didn't take but maybe a couple drinks off because it was made with regular milk instead of Oat milk. Only TWO employees knew how my drink was made and all they had to do was hear my voice and instantly knew (but would still confirm!) One is no longer there and the other works odd hours.
It was a major convenience having the coffee shop on my way to work... but I'd rather leave early and go out of my way 3 miles just to go to another coffee stand.
I'm sorry Ahava, I tried to like you...

Original Review for BARRACUDA COFFEE:
I love Barracuda Coffee and all their amazing employees and coffee. They have all been absolutely wonderful. My daily morning coffee on my way to work and NOW on weekends, especially Sundays. 🙏🙏
I also recommend the blended Kona Mocha regular or white chocolate. 🙌

G D.

This used to be my favorite coffee shop in town but the renovation and new menu leave a lot to be desired. It feels so cold and I no longer see anyone sitting inside and having coffee which is a shame because it used to have the best cozy neighborhood cafe vibe. All the little things I liked, the old drink menu, the couches and drink of the week specials are all gone and replaced with overpriced red bull drinks and crepes for 14$. I am hesitant to say if I will keep it as my go to local coffee shop because it doesn’t feel welcoming to everyone anymore.

Jessica J.

I would go out of my way to stop by Barracuda for an afternoon pick me up anytime I was even remotely close to the area and recommended it to anyone that asked for coffee suggestions. It was a warm, friendly spot to meet up with friends or to bring my laptop to do some work instead of languishing at home. Barracuda always had top notch espresso and I would get a couple growlers of cold brew during the summer when available. Based on my multiple visits since the change in ownership it looks like I'm on the hunt for a new stop. Having to throw out most of my drink today was the last straw.

The changes to the coffee menu are incredibly disappointing. The social media account will claim that the old Barracuda menu is still technically available but it is often made incorrectly if asked for. If it is correct it simply tastes like a worse version of something you used to like due to the differences in ingredients. The coffee is nothing special at best now and can often be mediocre depending on who's doing the shots today (which, unfortunately, was the case for me this afternoon and no, they weren't busy). I haven't been able to decide if the flavoring has changed as well or if the change to the coffee is just that dramatic. For my (final) visit today I ordered an on-menu latte that I'd had before and it was so bad I tossed it after only drinking maybe a third of it. Hours later and I still have a slight aftertaste from it.

The change to the atmosphere is nearly as disappointing. Gone is the warm, neighborly atmosphere with local art and other creative works being promoted alongside eclectic furniture (and coveted couch seating). Instead it's your generic cream walls and black seating with all the personality ripped out in favor of cramming more chairs in. This isn't a space I'd want to sit down for my drink, let alone spend extra time at.

On the bright side, they expanded the baked treats quite a bit. The crepes are pretty good but they're simply not worth the trip by themselves.

I don't like leaving negative reviews, especially to small businesses, but it's just been so disappointing. I was hopeful the new ownership wouldn't be a drastic change and they'd work out the kinks in time, but that simply hasn't been the case so far. It was great while it lasted and I'll keep my 'cuda branded growler as a memento.

Jonathan D.

Ahava is a great company, love the Pasco location and I think it’s great they took over barracuda, it’s been an improvement in a lot of areas,

That being said, the baristas here may need some extra training in dialing in the shots and machine… recently the shots have been a pretty underwhelming and often very sour :/

Noah M.

The coffee was good, my wife got a breakfast tea instead of green tea. My flat white tasted more milky rather than like espresso. The place was very clean and well organized. Kind staff. 4.5 stars otherwise!

Hog D.

Was so much better when it was barracuda. Seems like a lot of turnover in the staff as well. The ham and cheese croissant was really good, but I’m pretty sure it’s from ethos.