"The bagel was very nasty. It tasted like old burned reused egg with chemical on it. And it looked even worse. The whole sandwich tasted disgusting. On top of that, the drinks we wanted to order, weren’t available. Very disappointed considering I used to go to the other one that was open in Rockford and never had that experience."

"Power down, robot. While driving to Wisconsin, I needed some caffeine and was quickly approaching Rockford. I decided to see if there were any cool local coffeehouses to drop in and get my usual americano and Velvet Robot won me over with the unique name. Knowing nothing else about the place, I set GPS and took a detour for caffeine. I headed in and went straight to the counter. The barista was chilling out on a couch and watching a movie since no one else was in there. We made some odd small talk while I ordered my usual americano. That’s when things got weird. He asked if I wanted steamed milk in mine despite me ordering it just black. He seemed confused as I was telling him that they are usually just water and espresso shots. As he was putting my drink together, I noticed he used the handwashing faucet to add the water to my drink. I thought that was really really odd and if not a bit unsettling. Surely they have an actual tap for adding water to drinks? After my drink was made, I went on the hunt for the bathroom. The building that houses Velvet Robot is massive. It almost feels like a mall or a convention center. It was seriously a 1.5-2 minute walk to the bathroom and along the way, it was wide open spaces filled with a church and some offices. As for Velvet Robot itself, it honestly feels like the kind of coffeehouse I would’ve designed in my early teens. It had cool aesthetics, there was a small arcade corner, stickers adorned the coffee counter, and skateboards with sick art along the walls. I really dug the feel and vibe of the interior. Sadly, when I got to my car and started sipping on my americano, I knew this robot fizzled out. The americano tasted like it was made with drip coffee instead of espresso. Which is weird since I saw the barista make my drink. On top of that, having to explain to the barista what and how to make an americano was a head-scratcher for me. So, while I loved the aesthetics and vibe of Velvet Robot, the disappointment in ordering and taste of my drink has me leaving one of the lowest scores I’ve ever given to a coffeehouse. Definitely a 5/5 for vibe but 1/5 for coffee and ordering. Maybe if the future allows me to revisit Velvet Robot again, I would gladly give it another shot (no pun intended). But, I don’t see myself trying it again until I’ve had a few of the other places in Rockford first."

"Two words: hand chairs. Great vibe, great coffee, great service. This place is BIG. There’s room for so many activities! If you’re looking for your new favorite coffee shop to do homework in without sitting on top of your neighbor, I get the feeling that this could be it. My latte was great, the barista was funny, and I love the art here. Ten out of ten, I would visit again!"

"One of the best coffee shops in the Rockford area. If you’re in town, be sure to stop here. The atmosphere is cool, the staff is friendly, and the coffee/food is even better. Love this place! I come everytime I visit my family!"

"* "You'll love this super cool cafe in Rockford! It has a huge amount of space, making it wonderful for reading, drinking coffee, and engaging in different activities.""