At the intersection of social, university, and business life, locals and travelers cross paths at Native Son to partake in lattés, craft cocktails, artisan bites and spontaneous exchanges that have made this casual eatery a must-stop in Merced’s budding downtown vibe.
11/9/25 12 30 pm ish.. Holy Cow... The barista here needs training... I asked for a cappuccino with 1/2&1/2...
Super easy.. That's it..
She proceeded to ask me if I wanted a regular or large...
Not sure what she meant by this..So, I explained to this gal what a cappuccino was..
A double espresso with foam. I preferred half n half..
She was very confused.. & asked agian if I wanted a regular or large...
A cappuccino.. I replied.. you don't add milk.. Just foam a little foam.
I asked for the same thing 3 times..
To my knowledge there is not & should not be sizes unless there's some description that goes with it.
I felt I was being very descriptive, polite & patient, however after the whole interaction I left
Super frustrated, I canceled the order & walked out.
Please train your barista.
I luckily walked up the street to the next Cafe & had a lovely beautifully made cappuccino with light half & half foam ☕️
MQ
Mian qaisar
Oct 22, 2025
5.0
New experience with you
LL
Lexis
Oct 20, 2025
3.0
Dear Native Son Owner,
I’m writing to express my disappointment with your café. As a long-time customer, I’m deeply saddened to leave such a negative review. Every time I order the same iced lavender white mocha latte, the price keeps changing. It’s completely irrational and frustrating. I can’t help but wonder if the baristas are tipping themselves or if they’re simply not punching in the correct order. If I go back and my coffee is almost $10 like it was today, I’m not going to pay for it. I’m not going to accept it. I’m going to walk out and go find another café.
Sincerely,
A disappointed long-time customer
MJ
M J
Oct 8, 2025
2.0
Very nice staff, but objectionable that they don’t have any prices on the list of coffee beverages. Not very helpful to the customer and in fact objectionable.
MJ
M J
Oct 3, 2025
5.0
I enjoy a somewhat late night recap here (because they aren't open too late) as often as I can, great drinks and food, though limited food selection, they need to make Rainbird available as a food option without having it as take out.
Always great service by Adriana, she's friendly and remembers me and my usual orders. She's thoughful and friendly and makes it a great experience.