Saw Dust Coffee House & Dessert Bar II - Putnam, Connecticut

Paige Cyganiewicz

I was really excited to try Saw Dust in Putnam today with my friend, especially since I’ve been to the Sturbridge location a few times and loved it. Unfortunately, my experience in Putnam was the complete opposite.

When we walked in, we weren’t greeted—not a huge deal, but not the best first impression. We sat down, got settled, and started looking at the menu when a server approached us and said, “I usually don’t do this, but can you please order something now? My boss just got here.” We let her know we were planning to order but weren’t sure what we wanted yet. Despite that, we still felt rushed to decide.

We ordered martinis, and when she asked for our IDs, she laughed and said, “Sorry, I don’t know how to read IDs.” Poor training aside, the whole interaction just felt awkward and unprofessional. Overall, we felt uncomfortable, like we were being treated as if we were loitering rather than paying customers.

As servers/bartenders ourselves, we understand the stress of the job, but proper training goes a long way. She seemed more afraid of her boss than focused on providing good service. Definitely not the experience we were hoping for.

Alana Lipkin

The brownie looked amazing but didn’t wow me with flavor and left me wishing that I had ordered something else. The wine serving was on the skimpy side. It is a nice place to hang out with folks. There’s comfortable seating if you want to relax while enjoying your dessert.

Avery Kurzontkowski

I enjoyed my lunch at Sawdust today. The bagel was warm and delicious, and the cream cheese was amazing. The BLT was cooked well and a good size. I hope to get a huge cinnamon role next time I come in. The cucumber watermelon refresher was good, however the guava passion fruit smoothie is watery and not great. The interior is very cute and the prices are great for a small business. Highly recommend.

Christian Allyn

Another strange named but excellent eatery in Putnam. When I saw the sign for saw dust coffee I thought of some sloppy carpenter getting saw dust in my coffee or possibly a way to describe coffee with cream, maybe. Well I walked into this place to find a clean, well organized and thought out coffee place with somewhat of a woodworker theme serving great coffee, mixed drinks, pastries and, much to my surprise, a full bar. I asked the workers why is this place named saw dust coffee and no one knew the answer. I guess if someone doesn’t respond here no one will ever know. I plan on coming again and having another coffee served once again without saw dust in it.

Stacy Gilman

Absolutely rude, disinterested cashier this morning. Staff could not get order right. Once seated and relaxing during our coffee and snack the same cashier wanted us to move to accommodate a booked musician. Seems to me they should have blocked off the space when they opened. Very disappointed and unsure if we’ll go back when there are other coffee places downtown.

Nathaniel Descoteaux

I come here pretty often and there's a good
reason for it. Besides good coffee, food, and
dizzy juice, the employees are especially
awesome. Every time i come in they're
always helpful, kind, and down to earth.
Customer service is always fantastic.

Kayla O’Brien

I truly want to like this coffee shop! I have been in multiple times because I go to Putnam often and usually need a caffeine boost. Unfortunately every time I come in the baristas have such a negative attitude that it sets the tone awfully from the second I start ordering. The last time I was in I got the healthy egg breakfast option and it was the most inedible food I have ever been served. I still cringe when I think about the bites I took from it. The coffee was delicious at least. The negative attitude I receive when ordering made me not even want to go up and say something so I ended up just tossing it and getting something to eat elsewhere. It’s such a cute coffee shop, I just wish service and food were a little better.

Yo :3

I got a large coffee and it was the biggest coffee I think I’d ever held in my whole life. It was really yummy too