Coffee Crave

Elite '08

557

401

judy w.

Pasadena, CA

The ice coffee I bought yesterday is still sitting on my drafting table at home.  

"Ewww! judy w. throw it away already! Gross!"

I will as soon as I'm done with this review! Psheesh!

Well, if it wasn't still sitting here, facing me - then I might not have remembered to review it.  Fortunate for you my slob-ness has reminded me to inform you of this coffee shop.

This shop is small and quaint.  There is a parking lot in the back which comes in handy around this area.  Not many choices when it comes to coffee, but you get to choose whether it's served blended or on ice. My initial reaction is that this place is on the expensive side, but I'm learning quickly that I'm lucky that a regular/medium sized latte isn't costing me more than $5 a pop.  

My ice vanilla latte on ice didn't taste as good as the one from JP's, which is why it's still full and awaiting its demise into the skirry sink as I type.  It wasn't quite sweet enough, and the employee offered to re-make it for me - which I thought was nice. I popped a couple packets of raw sugar but still - eh.  They also have a frequent member card, which the employee stamped 5 times for my one coffee.  Talk about uber friendly!

Free wireless, and small patio out on Santa Monica Blvd. for people watching.  Or... cars-going-way-too-fast-on-Santa Monica Blvd-and-potentially-running-a-pedestrian-over watching.  They also offer hookah if you are ever so inclined to smoke some flavored... stuff.

FYI - To the hookah virgins:

http://en.wikipedia.or...

The one time I tried smoking a hookah pipe, I was informed that there was no tobacco in it. Sooo... I puffed away like a champ to some fruity scented junk and was bed ridden the next morning. Well I don't normally smoke ANYTHING, so perhaps my innards were just extra sensitive.  

Let that be a lesson to me:  stick with the coffee.

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Elite '08

8

94

April C.

Los Angeles, CA

This hidden surprise just opened. It's usually hard to find parking on Santa Monica, so it's great that Coffee Crave has parking in the back. There's outdoor seating in the front, plus a cute tented patio area in the back (and of course, indoor table and bar seating). There's also free internet, including wifi so you can sit outside with your laptop.

The coffee drinks -- made with organic, low-acidity beans -- are very good and less expensive than S-Bucks or The Bean (it's always great to find an independent coffee shop with good coffee!). We didn't try any food (fresh sandwiches, salads, etc.), but there are tons of snack options and beverages besides coffee, plus hookah service.

Cute touches like menus on big mirrors and hung bean bags (the actual bags they get the beans in) show this is a family-owned place. And with open mic nights and art on display, it looks like the owners intend to become a neighborhood fixture. The indoor seating is a little outdoorsy, but we were told sofas would be in sometime soon.

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Elite '08

52

66

Michelle F.

Los Angeles, CA

I'm always looking for a new coffee place that I can walk to in 1 to 3 songs on my iPod.  I had walked by this place a few times but it's so small I assumed it was... well..  a hole.  After reading a few decent reviews I decided to check it out.  And good thing I did!  With a little patio out front AND in the back, I have two options for where to tether my pooch in case there's already a dog dominating the front.  And like the other reviews say... they are more than generous with their stamping!  After 2 visits, I have 5 stamps on a 6 stamp card!  Works for me.  

My usual drink is an iced coffee with hazelnut syrup (or straight up hazelnut iced coffee at Dunks back east), and it was done right here.  I like Starbucks hot coffee, but the iced coffee is actually a little stronger than I prefer.  Here it's slightly watered down but in a good way, where its refreshing the way an iced drink should be and not too harsh.  I've only had their bagels which are very tasty but the rest of the menu looks great too and it says the food selection is expanding soon. Plus they have free wi-fi which means I don't have to walk all the way up to Cyber Java to use theirs (which is a good 6 to 7 songs away).

This will probably be my new morning dog walking spot.  I'll miss my tranny friend who sits outside Starbucks at Santa Monica and La Brea and chats with me and Shams, but I think this is a good substitution.

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