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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: CastroMon-Fri. 6:00 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
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Two words: Mocha Tesora
I was introduced to these guys at Outside Lands this year, with the mint leaves and the warm coffee in the morning while all the vendors were setting up, it SAVED me.
Definitely go here, I haven't had a bad blend, and they're always super nice... The old school brewing method is genious...
It was my first time...and it was made with extra special care and love. Thankfully the guy asked me how sweet I like it, because my friend's was a little too sweet for my tastes. But anyways, this place is awesome. I'm excited to go back and try different drinks, because everything sounded awesome. I really liked the personal effect of my own cup of coffee being made specially for me, and maybe it was all in my head, but I think it tasted better too.
Only downside is that its a bit pricey for a cup of coffee, but I'd say its worth it.
Excellent coffee that makes my heart leap for joy. Philz Coffee, you are my muse.
If you're going to try Philz, definitely get the Philharmonic with a pinch of cardamom. It's a great kick to start your day. If you're not into black coffee, ask the baristas to give you a dab of their special creamer.
This location has to be one of my favorites. Why? Lots of neighborhood parking (no meters!), easy to get to, outdoor seating, extra friendly baristas and the crowd is mellow. This place is my office away from the office, and I'm able to get a lot of work done.
This is a great coffee shop, warm and inviting. The coffee is made to taste so it's perfect every time. The Tesora is very yummy, bitter but rich. I can't wait to try the Turkish and New Manhattan beans.
Philz Ecstatic Iced Coffee
is
Phockin Phantastic
on all levels
from the sip
to the moment it splashes and tickles your tongue
to the way it slides down your pipes
lubricates and glides
to the way it feels, literally "yummy in my tummy"
and even a minute later, the slightly minty herby sexy feeling it leaves on your tongue and aftertastebuds.
Is quite amazing.
__________
/ PHILZ \
=====================
\\ ~~~~~~~~ //
|| ||
||----O==O--- ||
|| ~~o~~ ||
|| U ||
|| ||
===========
Phil, you are one cool cat! Keep on brewin'....
PS the iced mocha tesora is quite sexcellent too.
I have easily become a Philz-head for my weekend coffee. Coffee served with kindness is the way to go. And while they don't scribble your name on your coffee cup like some OTHER places do, you still feel like they made your coffee especially for you.
My favorite blend? Hands down, the Mocha Tesora. Delicious coffee with cocoa flavor.
While there are other locations, this one is cozy, convenient and my favorite. :)
They were so nice here! I loved the people who were assisting me - and they were like - totally happy to let me photograph them and post it here.
The coffee was really good. The guy asking me what I wanted seemed to pick just the right drink for me.
This is an interesting and unique place - they treat coffee differently than most places. Gotta try it.
Amazing coffee! I am a picky coffee drinker to say the least, but Philz "Ecstatic Iced Coffee" is so delicious. There is something about Philz that after you leave you find yourself wanting more later that day or the next. I love Philz! I'm officially addicted. The best part is, I have already gone 3 times in two weeks and each time my drink tastes exactly the same. Love it.
I feel like this particular Philz is more of a secret than their other locations throughout the city, but like their brothers and sisters on Van Ness, 24th Street and beyond... they offer up a mean cup of coffee.
All of the favorites you'd come to expect, but without the hassle of waiting in a huge line. It's much smaller than their other locations, so it can get busy occasionally... but I've had pretty good luck getting in and out of there during my visits.
It's right next to a laundromat called Sit and Spin (love the pun, considering it's in the Castro), so you can get your clothes nice and sparkly while sippin' on some of the best coffee in San Francisco.
First of all, all of the Philz Coffee locations that I have gone to have wonderful baristas. They are super nice and are very knowledgeable about their coffee as well as how to get the best coffee for each customer :)
I just visited the Castro location and they were fabulous. I ordered a Mocha Tornero (or something like that). It was delicious and just enough caffeine for me (coffee goes a long long way for me).
rolled through to this location tonight and got my caffeine fix on. it's a smaller spot but, i saw that there was freebie wifi, seating outside, and a laundry right next door plus its close to the bus stops. its about the coffee so had the mocha and its real smooth...the guy asks how you like it sweet or strong w/ a mint on top. it's a work of art and they know how to create a perfect brew. i'll be back fo sho and frack starbux across the street. i would give it the full 5 but, they're expensive...3 buxs for a small and that's rough for the brokeazzes or those in the unemployed ranks. next time i'm going for the arabic coffee...hoping it will bring back the good memories of the middle east. peace.
A few years ago I took a road trip to Moab Utah with my ex-boyfriend to visit his family. One of the bigger culture shocks (besides their insanely strict drinking laws and lack of any non-American food) was that Moab had ONE Starbucks tucked away in their ONE supermarket. You can't be picky in Middle America, and when you are driving for hours through a desert, a Starbucks (or any sign of life) is a welcome comfort. So although good ol' Starbuckies lacks in quality because of their size, it's a sacrifice you make to find them hiding inside a supermarket in the middle of Mormon territory.
Back in good old California I revert to Peets. Even in Davis, a town that smells like cows with a population the size of Moab, you can find a Peets not far from a Starbucks. That's the good thing about California, even in the rural areas, we still have options. But I live in San Francisco, and was fortunate enough to grow up here. What I love about this beautiful city is the chain establishments and franchises aren't the norm, and somehow we cultivate an urban environment where the small businesses can thrive. Philz coffee is just a prime example of a small coffee joint that out performs Peets or Starbucks by delivering a phenomenal cup of joe. If you don't believe me, try their Mint Mojito iced coffee. It was a life changing caffeinated experience.
Grateful I am to live in this utopia where people don't default to the name brand coffee, but instead go with the 'mom and pop shop,' the locally grown produce, and the organic options. It's that attitude that sprouts the growth of places like Philz, and the end result is an amazing cup of coffee that we spoiled San Franciscan's are fortunate enough to consume. Ponder that next time you stop in.....
I would give these guys and gals five stars because the place rocks, they make the best cup, they know their shiz, but the flow of traffic is a nightmare, patience daniellson!
They know their coffee and turned me onto my new favorite Red Sea, which is strong and from yemen. I buy a bag of it every two weeks or so, it's priced good too.
They hand drip brew everything and it's so damn good and potent, but like I said, busy as hell, bad layout to pay and always crowded, but I still go and still will go and like to sit across the street on some random steps and trip on the castro peeps.
Go philz, you are the shizzle!
Addictive, smooth & sweet.
All I can say is I am determined to try every single blend on their list, which is written on a chalkboard. For my first time, Philz broke me in nice & gently with an iced decaf french roast. My cool hipster barista asked me, "How do you want it? A touch of sweet, medium or SWEET?" I took my first sip of the SWEET stuff & walked out with a goofy grin, signature brown coffee cup in hand, and new addiction in tow.
P.S. the cutest thing is that you help yourself to their assortment of baked goods that's displayed in a CHINA CABINET. The BFF bought a blueberry scone, which I took a piece of & it was buttery good.
Anything but crackity crackity crack crack-a-licious. See, I find comparing recurrently desirable beverages, foodstuffs and/or electronics to "crack" the equivalent of your Uncle Glen wearing a tie around his head at your cousin Beth's wedding. Celery has negative calories. Have a sec? Did I tell you the one when they tried to sell "No-va's" in Mexico? Let's laugh and grow wise on worn-out humor and recycled knowledge together.
Get with the station, all them party kids aren't wearing floppy-tongued high tops and smoking the good ol' street crack like they used to, naw man, they're popping Hexadrose, Amphetadrone and Percodrin. They're pawing through Pop's medicine cabinet like it were an ancient Mayan temple and they're stuffing their floppy fedoras with whatever they can pull out with their cobweb-encrusted little hands. Those kids want the legit, scientific stuff. Stuff that makes stock options, stuff that has FDA approval, stuff that has been subjected to case studies at UCLA. Stuff made in a LAB man!
Philz is a coffee lab. Those employed there are no mere baristas. Nay! They are coffee technicians, operating in the thin dimension created by Stephen Hawking and Pablo Neruda in a press box during halftime at the Superbowl last year. You think it's easy? You try it! These folks at Philz are friendly, patient technicians too! Ours lovingly explained the cryptic blends despite the onslaught of morning office zombies milling about searching for b-b-b-b-brains.
My date was initially ready to run off like one of them lizards that lose their tale to confuse predators when she found out that Philz didn't have espresso but I coaxed her and her breakaway tail to give it a go. This coffee was entirely unlike anything that we had previously tasted. Our tastebuds said "WOW". We said it too to emphasize the effect.
They should change the name to Pilz! The party set will thank you and the rest of us will be more prepared for what we're getting into.
Coffee Connoisseurs listen up! Have you imagined a coffee house where they hand pick and concoct your drink based on your unique taste? Well, here it is!
Philz is refreshingly unique and strives to ensure that you love what ever they make you. Seriously, they actually ask, how do you like your drink? It kind of reminded me of going wine tasting. They ask you, what do you usually drink? And then they offer their suggestion.
I went in and told them that I usually get lattes, so the barista said try #19. It was the smoothest espresso I've ever had.
Also, their mojito is a must try if you like mint. It's a refreshing iced coffee with REAL mint, not a mint "flavored" syrup.
This place is about as authentic and fresh as it gets.
I am over blue bottle coffee!
After being introduced to Philz yesterday I am wondering where the hell I have been all these years.
Each cuppa joe is made one cup at a time, creamed and sugared to your liking and served fresh. Their cups are super cool, they have the built in sleeve which is something I have never seen before.
The best cup of coffee ever and I have only tried one flave!
I am happy I found a mom and pop establishment I can support instead of Peet's or Starbucks.
Great coffee. Talented baristas. Just ask them for a suggestion. You will be very pleased. Take the plunge if you are into non fat. The make their coffees with manufacturing cream. It's OK to splurge. Go for it!
Seriously the best coffee EVER. Tons of choices. Every cup individually made to order. My fave is the ambrosia with a hint of sweetness and a earthy nutty undertone. Once you go Philz you can never go back. Totally addicting. Btw I always top mine off with a lot of fresh mint. Brilliant!
This place is not better than Blue Bottle, I don't care what any of you say. But thank you Philz for making one hell of a faux latte. And putting a mint leaf.
And thank you lady sitting next to me for having the most adorable 3 year old miniature chihuahua.
Coffee and chihuahuas, what more could I ask for?
This coffee is seriously good. Not knowing anything about Philz the first time I wondered in I asked for an espresso, as this is not an option at Philz the barista was very nice about explaining what they're all about: They specialize in blends (not single origins beans) and brew each cup to serve. As a black coffee fan I tried a small cup of one of the darker roasts. After it brews the barista tosses the liquid from cup to cup to aerate it and get the temperature down a bit, I don't know how much this ultimately does, but it was a great tasting coffee. Even though I don't like milk or sugar in my coffee after tasting Abby's I realized that cream and sugar are the way to go at Philz. They adjust the sugar exactly to your liking, stir in some hand shaken cream, and top it off with a fresh spring of mint. I know its got to be bad for you, but its freaking delicious. They just opened a location on Van Ness so I'm sure I'll be stopping by more often.
Love Philz. I've been drinking good coffee ever since I've moved out here, but Philz might be the pick of the litter.
If you haven't gone, do.
The price range is high for coffee--expensive treat, but worth it.
Crack in a cup. Please come to the Financial District. Pretty, pretty PLEASE.
Maybe it's fitting that their DT location is in the 'Lion...heh.
I like them. I really do. I wish they brewed coffee with less acid and more smooth sweet buttery flavor like a moca-java but it's a preference thing and their house blends uses ethopian and/or french which makes a strong bold slightly bitter flavored coffee. They brew it right it's just thier bean preference. But what I like about them is that they are nice and friendly and let you lurk forever without having that feeling someone is watching you and waiting for you to get out of thier shop. They make a mean mint tea with hand crushed fresh mint.
Next door laundry place is SPOTLESS. I have never seen such a nice laundry. They have the cleanest urinal I have ever seen. It's so amazing it's worth a look in their loo.
It's like the southern front porch I never had, complete with the super rad wooden bulldog I never had. The coffee aside, I've run into the most interesting people and had the most stimulating spur-of-the-moment conversations right here on the bench in front of the sit n' spin. Everything from photovoltaics to erotic wrestling, to quantum consciousness, to cocoa hacking - musing with fellow bench sitters seems better with a freshly brewed Tesora or a Turkish blend in hand.
Hello lover....
I adore a great cup of joe. And with how much of a slut Philz is, being passed around the city and all, i dont need to tell you how mouthgasmic their coffee is.
I had the Itz the Best blend and the New Manhattan. Also had a sip of the Turkish. Holy shite, I was speechless! At a time way too early for me to be up on a weekend, it was the eye-opener i needed. It almost felt naughty indulging in this cup of deliciousness. And the staff are some of the best baristas ive ever come into contact with. They make your coffee specifically to your needs. Do you want less cream? More cream? Light? Medium? Dark? Soy? Whole? Sweet? Light sweet? When the person making your coffee actually pays attention to your needs, it really sets the mood for the rest of your day. Both my cups of coffee were beyond tastebud pleasing, as was my fresh blueberry scone.
Perfect. Cup. Of. Coffee.
On a hot Dolores Park day...
There is no better way to start the dance/"seen and be seen" fest....
Than an iced cup of Philz Mint Tea.
Trust.
I had forgotten how awesome Philz is. I used to go to the shop in the Mission, back when there was only one Philz. This place has the same great coffee. It's a bit more compact, but thoroughly enjoyable.
I was never a big coffee snob. In fact, I'm still not THAT big of a coffee snob. Yes, I'll be the first to hang my head in shame to say that I do suck down a cup of McDonald's coffee once in awhile in desperate times, or even the regular drip at Starbucks.
Then I discovered Blue Bottle and I realized what coffee SHOULD taste like.
Just when I thought that it couldn't get any better, a friend introduced me to Philz.
Omgad I am hooked. I got the tesoro with the cream (my friend said that Philz must put crack in the cream or something...and I believe him ... how can you say no after that?) and a little bit of sugar. It was silky, smooth, not oversweet, and so relaxing. Another person in our group got the Turkish Delight, which had cadamon in it -- not as big of a fan of that, but then again I'm not into the bold dark roasts.
Would I come here again? Um, yes fo sheez. The service was nice, the atmosphere was chill, and the coffee was a type of coffee nirvana I had not known existed.
And now I hear there is one on Van Ness and even CLOSER to me. HUZZAH!
Things that aren't good about Philz? Its proximity to my apartment.
And how I convince myself it's in between my gym and living space when it's really a few blocks out of the way. So when I get up early on Saturday mornings to go to the gym, I convince myself that I deserve a little treat. But let's be honest here... there's no convincing needed.
I usually vacillate between 4 flavors, but the Silken Splendor will always have my heart.
Sometimes I'm a disgrace to Yelping. I can be really on it, aware of some of the best eateries and… Read more »
If this is coffee, what the hell is that other stuff I've been drinking every day since I was 16?
I came in here at the insistence of a coworker who refused to let me grab a Starbucks near the CalTrain station, choosing instead to pick me and my friend up and drive us here. He gets this excited about lots of things, so I didn't have really high expectations for this place.
Now I know his secret for being that excited about everything: the coffee here. They brew each cup individually and use 3x the normal amount of beans so you're WIRED. It was evident in the enthusiasm the guys behind the counter showed about me tasting my first cup here, literally watching me take a sip of it.
I can't exactly blame them. If I brewed a cup of coffee for someone that tasted as amazing as the one they made me, I'd be anxiously awaiting their reaction too, just so I could say "YES, it IS that good, I am the BEST." I didn't know coffee could taste like this and now I've been ruined forever. It was smooth but strong and complex, and didn't go flat from being put on ice. A non coffee-drinker could fall in love with this drink. I even loved the fact that it was served in a paper cup, because I hate how iced drinks get all sweaty in plastic cups and most coffee shops use them anyway.
Anyway, we all went on from this coffee experience to have the most ridiculously productive meeting ever. Coincidence? Definitely not. I'm hooked.
This place is the tits. Seriously. And way less pretentious feeling then the one in the mission.
On a personal note...
Blue fingered barista: If my boyfriend and I break up you better watch out. I'll be switching teams and comin' to getcha!
Holy %&@$!!!!!!!! I had the best cup of coffee of my life here!!!!!
Seriously!!! Best ever!!! And when I told the barista, she didn't even give me a funny look!
Why are you still reading this? Go! Go!
!!!!!!!!!!!!
Excellent - I think better than Blue Bottle, with much less pretense, too! The wait for your made-to-order coffee goes much quicker when you have friendly baristas to chat with!
How about this location! Gotta love the Sit and Spin Laundromat it is attached to!
OH MY GOD - try the mini donuts for $.95 each!!!
Favorites:
Dark: Jacob's
Medium: New Manhattan (to me, this is the most complex roast overall)
Light: Sooo Good
Decaf: Who the eff drinks decaf?
Best beans in the city. (Take that, Ritual and Blue Bottle!)
oh ho! bless the hearts of those philz coffee going lesbians that hang out and talk to each other like strangers while their mangy obese dogs shed all over my vintage ensemble. i learn a lot about older lezbos and pray to all that's holy that it's not gonna be me there, in front of some semi-okay coffee shop talking about the most boring stuff like "remember that time we went to that wine tasting? yeah, that was cool" and then total silence for about 30 minutes.
the barista dude that is always working at philz in the castro is hands down the most friendly, the sweetest and most ready to serve! serve! serve! i swear, the boy has got to be a service bottom (pssst honey, if this is true, my high heel needs a polishing. you know how momma likes it).
the straight up on the philz is that it's passable coffee, decent atmosphere, and it's right around the corner. i'm lazy these days so heading to the mission to get four barrel or to blue bottle just isn't cutting it. i'd rather just lounge around next to the scares-me-every-fucking-time chipped face bulldog and mentally whine about the warm and minty caffeinated soup i'm slurping on.
and that's my story.
Awesome coffee. We were walking around Castro and needed a pick-me-up. I remembered there was a Philz in the area and decided to (finally) check them out. Went to this one and the staff was very helpful in picking out a coffee just for our tastes. We found a place to sit outside in the sun and all was good.
I highly recommend this place and can't wait to go back.
This is my favorite coffee in the Bay Area. The Ambrosia coffee with honey....yes I said honey...is possibly the best coffee I have EVER had. The barista suggested the honey and now I am hooked...he was like "really...you have to trust me..." Trust is the key to a long intimate relationship, which is hard to find in the Castro :)
The only thing I can say negative is regarding the wide selection of vegan doughnuts (without nonvegan options)....I know that vegans need doughnuts too...but do they need such a variety? Do we all need to be eating the vegan doughnuts?
The coffee is fabulous! Blue Bottle does not hold a candle to Philz on any level...taste, body, strength...not to mention the service at Philz (all locations I have tried so far) is superior. They make your coffee exactly the way you like it and they are fast. The little sprig of mint on top just adds that "je ne sais quoi"!
Love love love Philz coffee.
What I like best about Philz, in addition to what others say in the glowing reviews, is that there is always a coffee that meets my mood. Dark and gloomy - Turkish. Light and happy - Philharmonic. Not feeling sugary and nice - hold the sugar. Hate mint and cream - no problem. If you go in and just speak your mind - "I am in a light and happy mood and just need a little caffeine to top of my day" - the experts who man the counter will find a coffee for you. And ask if you like it, and I have witnessed them make a different coffee if what they have served up isn't to the taster's liking.
I don't think it's expensive for the quality of coffee, excellent service, individually brewed and a lovely piece of fresh organic mint on top. If you want cheap and quick, 7/11 is across the street.
My only "wish" is that their website listed all the variations of coffee one can order in the store with a brief description so that each evening I can ponder what my fix will be in the morning. And the donuts - too good!
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