Defne Onal managing editor
In the former home of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, San-Francisco based coffee chain Philz Coffee opened its tenth location in Beverly Hills. From the get-go, the coffee shop has settled into an area with big competitors. Blue Bottle Coffee, Aharon Coffee & Roasting Co. and La Colombe Coffee Roasters all offer superb curated coffee close to South Beverly Drive. For Philz Coffee to stand out, they need to make equally great coffee and not just advertise themselves as a “unique experience”. Even though Philz has great customer service, I received a mediocre cup of coffee.
According to their website, the cafe is designed so that each hand-crafted cup will be tailored to the customer’s liking. The baristas assist all customers in deciding what drink they want and give recommendations on whether customers should order a light, medium or dark brew and how sweet the order should be. All in all, the customer service creates a cordial and welcoming environment. However, it isn’t enough.
The coffee is average at best. Fortunately, they use heavy whipping cream, which is different from typical whipping cream. That’s why their best drinks are sweeter, since they have their special manufacturing creamer in it. The first drink I ordered was of the sweeter variety: called the “Iced Gingersnap”. This was the best drink I ordered at Philz. However, at the end of the day, it was just cream and cinnamon mixed together. The second drink I didn’t order, but tried. My friends ordered the “Iced Mojito”, and I took a sip. For the most popular item of a menu, it was way too much of an acquired taste for me. In an ideal world, mint and coffee would never be mixed. My friends didn’t seem to like the drink either, so I’m going to let democracy speak for this one. Lastly, I had “Dancing Water,” which is supposed to be a light brew with “hints of chocolate and almond.” Honestly, it just tasted like Keurig Coffee.
Even though the coffee is cheap, it’s still mediocre coffee advertised to be great. For my next cup of coffee, I will save myself the hassle and visit one of the great coffee shops that are right near Philz.
Highlights rates this place 2/5.