Urth Caffe
Categories: Desserts, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: West Hollywood8565 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069 (310) 659-0628
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 9:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 9:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Sun 9:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: None
- Good for: Breakfast, Lunch
- Alcohol: None
21 reviews
Neighborhood: West Los Angeles
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201 Reviews for Urth Caffe
Yes, it's overpriced -- but those designs on the latte's are so darn cute -- I don't mind. Trendy, cool and very L.A. The food is decent and the pastries decadent ... Urth is a nice place to chill out on the outside patio and chit chat w/folks.
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I love this place. It's homey, a place to hang out, get a cup of something, oogle at the pastries or the desserts...I come here once in a while when working and they'll pop like half or 30....which is really good since they're pretty pricey because it's alot of healthy stuff...all their food is pretty good, green tea is good....cute place...
OMG..... Try the spanish latte, its to die for. One of the best coffee in Los Angeles. I also recommend going there after dinner for their great desserts. Take one Home!!
I got the Spanish Latte and the Chicken Pesto Sandwich and it cost me $18. The latte was good, the sandwich was ok. Cute place but overpriced.
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I've been to all of the Urth Cafes in LA and this is the best one. I think what differs is that this is the largest, has good parking (underneath it), and is in a great location to go down to Main Street for some bar hopping.
Ive had most of the sandwiches, but I like this pesto chicken the most. Also, the salads are very fresh and organic, with great cherry tomatoes. Definitely get the Spanish Coffee, because its beautiful. Sometimes we just stop by to relax, chop it up, and drink a nice pressed tea. Good place to chill, take a date at night, go for dessert, and sight celebrities.
Minus one star for the price and for the smaller portions.
This was my third trip here and I was pretty satisfied. I was able to find an outdoor table and the wait for my food was rather short. I had an omelette which was really tasty as well as some pressed coffe which wasn't so good (the mesh must have had holes because I was drinking all grounds). The only thing I didn't like was that I asked the expediter for jam or jelly for my toast and was told I have to wait in line again to buy some...wtf? Despite the one annoyance, I was happy.
BTW - If you're a Showtime fan, this is the outdoor cafe that you see reappear in Entourage. Don't get excited...I have yet to see a celebrity. It's not like I care either.
I had a great salad here the other day. It's not cheap, but that's to be expected in this neighborhood. They somehow managed to to forget about our food. It took about 25 minutes for it to arrive, and that was after we returned to the counter to ask what was going on. No apologies were made. Probably not the kind of place I'll go back to frequently, but 3 stars for good food and a nice patio.
On my last visit to LA I took about 7 co-workers out to lunch and the bill was a little under $100. No wonder this place stays crowded. Great food (try the pesto chicken sandwich), great coffee (get an iced coffee), low prices and Damn I Better Hit The Gym Deserts (try any of the cheesecakes) = a winning combination.
The only downside is the service. I guess it's a by-product of this place being a non-stop crowd at lunch.
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Usually, when I stop by the Bodhi Tree or see a lecture in their annex, I'll stop by Urth afterwards.
It's a cute set-up. You walk up steps, through their patio -- where you'll find plenty of tables and heating lamps, and into the actual place. On a weeknight, the line is about 4-6 people deep. (I'd hate to imagine how many people reisde in a weekend line!)
All I ever order there is tea and some dessert. (Well, there was a smoothie once.) The price is fair, but the portions are huge! So, I guess in a way the price is actually good. I like the Macha Green Tea cake and the Coconut Cake.
The bus boys and waiters are very personable. I enjoy watching them stare at the beautiful ladies that walk in. They just...stare. Eyes go up and down. It's really funny, and I consider this part of the charm that makes Urth Cafe what it is for me.
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you're a girl.. yep, you like this place
you're a guy, then you probably have to like this place because of your girl friend, huh?
i will eat here as long as my gf pays for it.. its good
but, my hard earned money will be spent on non-organic steaks and burgers and fried chickens.. yummy~
Unbeatable coffee, rich tasty deserts and good healthy food. Nice outdoor seating, a great place for mid-day business meetings.
I'm always a fan of Urth Cafe...i love the salads, sandwiches and the desserts... i love the idea of having something healthy and yummy and then feed my eyes with all the desserts!! Yuumy!! the line can be intimidating but it goes by fast.. perfect for a gorgeous day to sit outside...
People come here hopefully to see stars or wannabe stars. ehhh.. I've been there a bunch of times, haven't see anyone yet.
Being a clueless east coaster in exile in southern California, I'm not quite sure what the "scene" is that everyone on here says is the big draw for Urth Caffe -- I wouldn't recognize an actual celebrity if one sat down across from me at one of Urth's sidewalk tables under the heat lamps. When it's not crowded, it's a nice place to chill, have some coffee, and read.
Also being an east coaster, I'll point out that parking isn't as bad as everyone says -- you just have to be willing to walk two or three blocks (unthinkable out here, I'm told) because you won't find anything right in front and most of the immediate side streets are residential permit only. I usually park on La Cienega -- by the time I'm usually there, the meters aren't running anymore.
Last time, I had a green tea boba (excellent!) and some very filling veggie lasagna.
It's not my favorite place to go, but it's a good place to go to catch up with a friend out on the patio under the inferno heat lamps.
The desserts are decent and I really like their herbal teas. I avoid caffeinated beverages (unless it's completely unavoidable or naturally occurring in small doses), so the types of tea I can drink are pretty limited. The kinds that are available at Urth are decent, but the selection isn't nearly as good as Dr. Tea down the street (but Dr. Tea closes too early).
Some of the bad parts:
- The guys' bathroom always looks like someone got food poisoning and made doodoo all over the place! Yuck!
- Staff doesn't speak English as well as you'd expect considering the location and people that come to the restaurant
- Always a lot of police sirens when you're sitting out there late at night
Good parts:
- Patio with the super warm heat lamps stirs conversation. I've never been to this Urth Caffe without having a wonderful conversation with whoever I'm with. It's a safe bet if you don't know the person too well that you're being forced to hang out with.
- Teas and desserts totally decent!
- Hot water refills on your tea.
But for the love of the holiest of all lambs, guys, please stop doing dirt all over the bathroom! Some of us don't want to barf before having some tea with our lady friends. I know that it sounds funny to take a dump all over the toilet seat and/or miss completely, but that's more of something to do in the comfort of your own home on your frilly bathmat, not in public.
OH and I don't drink coffee, but they make really cool designs in your coffees/lattes/etc. that look like flowers and stuff. I think that's really cool.
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We were trying to go to Area (club) and the line was too long on Sunday nite. We decided to have drinks and dessert here instead. I absolutely love the Green Tea Latte. YUMMY! And the foam art is so cute! Parking is rather hard to find unless you get lucky and get a spot right in front of the cafe.
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Over-Exaggerated. Another spot to see celebs.
Don't get me wrong, the food was good. It's clean, fresh & healthy. Want a panini & salad during your low carb. dieting? Staying fit in the LA sunshine? Yes, by all means come here!!
I do love me a good summer organic salad & sandwich w/ fresh veggie juice. But, there wasn't anything that stood out about it. It was super busy & the outdoor seating is great. Do wish they had more places like this in Seattle.
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I don't think I'm cool enough to eat at this tiny place in Hollywood. The food is good although nothing special. Tasted my friends latte which was definitely great, but I can do without the scene, the crowds, and the parking trouble. I'll stay away and leave room for the cool kids.
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It seems the whole draw to Urth cafe is simply the "scene." My first time there, but I doubt I'll make a trip specifically to go there. The food was okay...nothing mind blowing. The parking situation is bad. Only in this place do you valet to go to a coffee shop. The place is pretty crowded, standing in line to order is chaotic. The only plus for me is the organic stuff they offer and the salad was pretty fresh. If it weren't for that I'd knock off one more star. I must say the pie that I had from here was tasty. Maybe if I'm in the neighborhood I'd try it again. Maybe....
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I love the urth caffe!!! Not only is the food amazing but also it makes you feel good about eating it because it is completely healthy and organic food made from machines powered by the sun. One of the best places to go to lunch. There is always a line but it goes quickly. Def a place to check out
I had been traveling for a while and was not eating right. I was with a friend (Jeevie) in LA and we met up with another friend (Steve) while visiting LA and told him we should get lunch and at a place that will "reset" my GI tract.
So we went to Urth Caffe which at the time was too crowded for its own good. The staff is very sweet and kept its composure despite being slammed. We ordered and tried to find seats - it looked bleak. We finally found a two top and converted it into a three. Next to the table was a couple with a baby in a stroller. OK, Urth was jammed and I was trying to just squeeze by the stroller to sit down. Of course the couple was giving us dirty looks and made no effort to compromise (move the stroller). Assholes/idiots - we had the right to be there as much as they did and if I had a child, I would not take him/her to place this packed for safety reasons. Or I would place the stroller out of the way of foot traffic.
We sat for a while waiting for our food. My friends got there food and I had to wait about another 10 minutes even though I ordered the same thing as one of my other friends. I had the Urth Salad with grilled chicken. The chicken was quite possibly the most perfectly grilled chicken I've had. The mesclun was decent but nothing spectacular. The Urth vinaigrette was BLAND as hell (HELLO taste? Are you in there???).
I'd possibly go back if Urth was less crowded and if I had to "reset" again.
3.5 out of 5 stars. It would be 4 if it weren't for the pompous and annoying crowd this location attracts. I imagine all the douchebags, hipsters and starving artists who'd rather come here to be seen than to indulge in the deliciously decadent coffee and desserts. My picks besides the obvious chicken curry anything: the pumpkin pie with any hot tea, coffee, or espresso drink. I came here for dinner once and it's a great place for a first date as the food was quality. Oh yes, the Mediterranean platter is divine (oh yes, I used the word...) if you can split it with someone, or a few, the more the merrier.
Parking sucks ass so don't even think about trying to park in the neighborhood for a quickie because they will roll up on your ass before you can say "Your band sucks douchebag." Believe me, I've tried. 8 minutes and I was walking back and a pawn was already looking for my car.
I'll come here once every 2 weeks or so to satisfy the occasional crave (especially since it's near the workplace), but there are wonderful alternatives in the area. Which ones? Pshh... now I won't disclose that so easily, you'll have to work for your reward, douchebag.
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Orgasmic. Love this place! Love the lattes, especially Japanese Tea Latte! Love the salads! Love the bakery goods... The oatmeal raisin cookie is amazing... The atmosphere is chill, always so crowded - a good people-watching place!
What sucks? The damn parking... Note: don't park on the street next to the restaurant unless you have the residential permit, you'd get a ticket.
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Staff was great, super friendly and accommodating. We got pushed out of our spot on the sidewalk, literally, by a gang of older smoking foreign men who had one additional person after another join their table..until my little two top table was pushed as far as it would go and we still kept getting hovered over and bumped into. The staff helped us move away from the rude men..and we settled at a table inside. Loved the pumpkin pie and the walnut bread. My Farmers Salad wasn't great, no flavor to t he dressing. Smoothie - yum. Curry chick sandwich - very yum. I would go back in a flash, making sure I got to sit on the sidewalk and didn't get bullied away from the sunshine.
I am giving this place 5 stars based on the desserts I have eaten here.
1. Slice of Pumpkin pie - The best pumpkin pie I have ever had.. BEST.
2. Oreo Cheesecake - I was totally annihilated by this dessert. Maybe I should have eaten this before the pumpkin pie, because it was a bit rich, but soo good.
Good Times.
You want Hollywood? You got hollywood. Outrageously expensive, and gourmet. Europeans during the week. Hollywood-types on the weekend.
+ Friendly staff.
+ Oatmeal is amazing.
+ Spanish Latte and coffees are the best around.
+ The loose leaf teas and whole beans to go are probably some of the best in the USA. Manhattan Mud in a French press is the smoothest dark roast you'll ever drink. (My cousin, a coffee connoisseur if there ever was one, wasn't even sure if he was really drinking a dark roast).
- Parking is impossible after 7pm on weekends.
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This rating is for one item: the spanish latte.
I find almost everything else about Urth a complete annoyance: the staff are from hell, the parking is ridiculous, the seating is a rat race, their little rules are so high school, the tea is overpriced, the menu is semi-neo-vegetarian nonsense and the people that patronize the place (including myself on the nights that I bring myself to visit) are obnoxious. After I go, I always ask myself: What the Fxxx did you do that for?
Well, they say everyone loves to be spanked, on occasion
Update: 4/22.08: Just got home from Urth -- Damn, I did it again! Okay, I gave Urth a 5 for the spanish latte and I stand by that rating. However, I had to remove a star because I had the low-fat blueberry cheesecake and it tasted like the refrigerator. Apparently, no one is eating the low-fat stuff... and the staff certainly aren't watching that it doesn't sit too long in the refrigerator. Pawfaw.
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Good, yum. I like that it's open late. Their berry tart is SUPER, good. I was supposed to split it with my boyfriend but that definitely was not an even half-half distribution, haha.
came here on a sunday after my friend and I got out of church. She's been hre a few times before but it was my first time. I ordered a panini while she got the chicken pesto sandwich. I must say the food was really good. The salad I had was a little on the dry side and but that wasn't a big deal.
The whole setting of the cafe was what realy touched me. It just feels so comfortable like an old friends home. We sat outside in the back area and enjoyed a nice conversation about music and art while a cool bree1 kept the heat at ba.
One thing that did bug me a little was the service. I asked three different people and the cashier for water to which I was given a friendly "Sure!" but never receved a water. It was after a while I was finally told that water was self serve only inside. You'd think one of the four staff members I asked could have told me that...
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Came here on a Tuesday night and didn't have trouble finding tables to seat 9 (!) people... the food was good, my plum-paste nori wrap was nothing special, very hearty really, but the thing that made this place great was the espresso macchiato at the end of the meal along with an absolutely delicious chocolate hazelnut cake. I would go here for the desserts and coffee alone, maybe skip the food next time. It is expensive, but it felt nice to sit outside in the evening with the heat lamp (it was a chilly 75 degrees outside!)... parking is $3.50 valet, but we found a metered spot and didn't have to pay, so I can't say I had a hard time with that either. As for this "scene" thing, the only thing I noticed was a lot of yappy purse-dogs, but other than that people were harmless.
Example of why you shouldn't go to Urth if you are annoyed by the Hollywood scene.
Had a friend visiting from Canada last week and when we were in LA on Wednesday I was craving an Urth Cafe lunch... thought it would be cool to show her a trendy eaterie to give her the true LA experience.
Unfortunately we couldn't eat at Urth Cafe! There was a set that was set up with lights, cameras, directors, a catering cart, etc.
I went up to a security guard on the street and asked if we could still eat lunch there and if not whether he knew of a nearby place that was similar (we had great parking that I didn't want to give up!)... he said it wouldn't be open until 4pm and there was a place a couple blocks down the street. Then I asked what they were filming. The guard slightly laughed at me and said "um... an HBO series." I thanked him for his help and turned around, and as I was turning I saw three of the main characters of Entourage sitting directly to my right, about two feet away (Eric, Turtle, and Drama). I felt like a complete idiot asking what was being filmed but at least during my naive conversation my friend was able to gawk at her first celebrity sighting!
We ate and La Pain Quotidin down the street and it was great (but still no Urth), and to get back to my parking space we had to walk by the set again and this time they were filming a scene with Vince, maybe we'll be in the background!
Anyway, usually I'm not starstruck but I am a huge fan of the show. But this is another reason Urth is very "Hollywood"
Aside from the usual Sunday afternoon crowd, I like this place. The tea lattes are superb. Try the Moroccan mint and black tea latte. Had their spinach and mushroom quiche which was delicious. Also tried their chicken breast salad and turkey panini - not bad. Service seems a bit rushed since it's so crowded and somehow I always happen to witness someone complaining about something or other, but for the most part, I'm satisfied with my experience. Nice place to go on a lazy Sunday afternoon if you're able to grab a seat outside under the shade.
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Where do I begin? Well, today was the first time I paid a visit to Urth Cafe and ordered take out. I have been dreading it for the longest time and now I was right about why.
The food was decent. I had the mushroom omelet from Saturday brunch. The bread that came with was excellent. The staff was friendly. But my problem lies with the crowd. People all around me were rudely chatting ultra loud on their cell phones, cheesy actors trying way too hard to be seen, and the basic "I'm better than you vibe". Now I'm not usually so hard on places that would probably otherwise be fantastic, but I just can't seem to get the taste of people cheapening themselves for a chance to see a celebrity or be seen by one out of my mouth. It was just overflowing at this place.
From now on, I'll order and have someone else pick it up.
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I really liked this place, being a fan of healthy yet filling food in a nice ambiance. It was easy to find outdoor seating on a sunny afternoon. I was super hungry but itching for something that wouldn't make me feel queasy afterwards, so this was perfect. I loved their organic selection of salads, except mine came out a bit bland but still good nonetheless. The tea lattes are also awesome and their mediterranean platter was super yum too. I'd love to come here again on a chill Sunday afternoon ... a nice change from the typical Starbucks coffee places you find elsewhere.
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Wow, Urth's. I would eat their balls anyday... tapioca balls that is!
For a seemingly high-class snobby environment, Urth's provides not only great food with generous portions at reasonable
price, but very friendly service and a very nice outdoor eating area. And on top of that, they're open late (past 11 pm)! Whoo-hoo!
But seriously, I'M HERE FOR THE BALLS. Their boba is so damn good. Who would think that non-Asian people could make it better than the Asian folk? The tapioca pearls have just the right amount of chewyness and sweetness, and woo woo woo... DON'T clump together!! (isn't there nothing more annoying than enjoying your boba drink and then having a gooey clumped mass of balls stuck in your straw?!! well not to worry here!) The little pearls of joy combined with their blended green tea is just... pure heaven. Perfect refreshing slushy-like treat for a hot summer night.
As far as breakfast, love their scrambles, and they are willing to sub tofu for eggs. Make sure you get the breakfast potatoes on the side - you won't regret.
Parking may be difficult on Sunday morning but c'mon, after living in San Francisco everywhere else looks easy to me.
Yet another fine eatery that I miss so much from leaving LA...
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I love panini sandwiches and their caprese panini is absolutely yummilicious! Along with mozarella, tomato, and basil, it also has roasted peppers, an amazing pesto spread, and it comes with a nice side salad of baby spinach, little tomatoes, and candied pecans (which I love) with some kind of yummy vinaigrette dressing. That and an iced tea makes my summer day. =)
Coffee and tea are organic. Iced tea comes with a free refill, not sure about the coffee since I don't drink coffee.
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Yuck......the soup sucked
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I'm sure this place is really cool and great or whatever if you're a Hollywood yuppie, but I wanted some tea and I couldn't get it. Let me explain. I went with a friend and we ordered a large pot of a black tea that smelled pretty good on the shelf. The pot came to us full of a completely different tea. When we told the waiter he was wrong he said, "Just give it a try, ok?" We did, and it was barely steeped. The tea was yellow. We waited a few more minutes. Still yellow. We complained, and the correct tea came to us. Ten minutes steeping, still yellow. We complained and the same thing happened with a different pot. I don't know if the equipment is bad, the tea is bad, or the service is bad, but I went to this place for a pot of tea and got $5 worth of hot water. Also, the staff barely speaks English.
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This place is Great Nice setting, perfect for a afternoon date or out with a few close friends. Everything here is organic so if you're wanting a soda, you won't find it here! They have a large coffee and tea menu... they provide a separate menu just for all the different teas they offer.
It's hard to find parking, so hit the vallet for $5.
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Last year, I met a blind date at Urth Cafe. I got some tea from the friendly counter-guy. My date and I sat outside in the patio and chatted. He was awfully charming, with slick lines such as, "I hope you don't mind that I keep looking at your chest. If you didn't want me to look, you shouldn't wear a shirt like that." What woman wouldn't swoon over that?
After attempting to grope me for the rest of the date, my lovely companion asked me for a second one. Not wanting to be rude (and not knowing what he'd do if I just rejected him then and there), I countered with a joking, "what's in it for me?"
"Sex!" he replied, completely deadpan.
Needless to say, I will not be going back for a second date.
I will, however, be back for more tea.
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