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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: Hollywood
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My Rating Breakdown: The only thing that takes this place down from a 5 is the amount of smoke out front -- Stir Crazy is an screenwriter/actor/filmmaker spot, and clearly none of them can kick the habit. Lots of people park their dogs out front, but I can't even play with them because them because I don't like the smoke. But I give them that extra point back because they have amazing tacky wood paneling on the inside.
All in all, the coffee is good! Everything on the menu is a reasonable price, and they don't bog everything down with 50 flavored syrups or additional seasonings like Coffee Bean and Starbucks do. The staff is great, and they are diligent about coming back around to refill your cup if you have iced tea or coffee.
My coffee: Haven't tried anything flashy -- I'm really interested in trying the bowl o' chai though.
If coffee shop ethnography were an actual gig, I'd probably have a side career in it. I know my local caffeine merchants and I know them well, That said, one exciting thing about having pretty recently moved to LA is that I get to start from scratch in my search to find the best. coffee shop. Ever. Maybe we could call it my quest for the Holy Grind.
Stir Crazy puts me on a good start along that path. It's cute and charming, with a screen door that completes the quirky cabin theme. Coffee is amazingly priced - I got a huge bowl (yes, BOWL) of chai for about $3. Also, I heard they make good sandwiches fresh on the premises.
While I was studying here with a friend the other night we enjoyed the free wireless and the oh-so-awesome password, surfyourballsoff. The music was chill and didn't interfere with working and we could hang out on the patio and still plug in our A/C adapters. The place is open late too. 10pm on Sundays, 1am on Fri & Sat, and 9:30 on weekdays I think (don't quote me on that - just call and ask). If only parking wasn't on the street - and metered!- I would be in coffee heaven.
I have to downgrade this to a 4-star instead of 5-star review because of the way their setup causes smoke to get in the cafe. They have outdoor seating right outside the front entrance and, because they don't have air conditioning, they leave the door open all the time. People smoke in the front area and it gets in the cafe, making it an unpleasant atmosphere for non-smokers like me. It's too bad, because I like everything else about the cafe. The people who work here, who you might say aren't the friendliest people in the world, I find hilarious. There are these two older fat italian guys with the raspy Sopranos-type voices, and this depressed model cashier, and their interactions are genuinely amusing.
Depressed Model Cashier (leaving register): I gotta go to court!
Mafia-Type: Why do you gotta go to court? I keep telling you to stop doing that stuff!
Maybe you have to hear them in person to find them funny.
This is a very cool, itty bitty hipster cafe that makes me feel like I'm back in Austin, Texas.… Read more »
The Great Everything Shortage of 2009 hit this spot hard. On a Wednesday evening, seemingly every menu item I selected brought an apology. I finally worked my way to what they did have, and ordered a blueberry-banana smoothie. The barista was very nice and gave me the smoothie overage in a Dixie cup, so I got extra of what I hadn't really wanted. It turned out to be pretty good!
Is this place a joke? I came here with a friend to order some beverages and this is how his ordering process went -
Friend: Hi, can I have an iced coffee with soymilk?
Cashier: Yeah. *Gets drink and pours whole milk into coffee*
Friend: Um, is that soymilk?
Cashier: *Blink* Yeah.
Friend: Are you sure? It looks like you poured regular milk in there and I can't drink that.
Cashier: Why can't you drink milk?
Friend: Because I don't drink it.
Me: He's a vegan.
Cashier: So...what happens if you drink milk?
Friend: Okay whatever. *Pays*
As if that wasn't enough, this place is furnished terribly and is full of space cadets staring into their laptops. PASS!
Stir Crazy is amazing - laid back, unpretentious and unique for LA...
the barista girls are soooo sweet and its great to see the owner Dino taking a active part in his own shop...pouring coffee and hanging with the customers.
great food at hard to beat prices - try their GIANT salad ,
super friendly staff and customers - dogs and smoking allowed on the cozy patio and free wifi....what a blessing to find this place. this cabin is a dream come true
I originally gave this place a good review but after looking more carefully I Will have to deduct some points for cleanliness. I was into the greek salad until I watched the guy who made it not wash his hands before making the salad after touching dirty plates and washing tables. This happened a few times. The coffee taste burnt and meh.
I would say no to this place.
Sorry!!!!
Dim and cozy, sure, but don't listen to anyone who writes that this place is unpretentious. It's entirely pretentious! Yeah, you'll be stuck listening to some L.A. transplant weenie moan about his new start-up/screenplay/brand et al while you sip your cuppa, but that's every where in this city. At least at Stir-Crazy, unlike many other indie coffee shops in the area, you don't have to pay for wi-fi and you can park yourself at one of the many in-door tables for hours thanks to the bottomless coffee cup option. There's always old ass copies of the New Yorker and Blender to thumb through for distraction as well. Wanna know what was happening in crappy pop music circa December 2007? Stir Crazy has got you covered.
2 stars docked for the fact that every time I walk in here the girl working the counter is sporting the biggest scowl I've ever seen. Now, I don't care if you hate your job, but isn't it hard work keeping up that lemon face?
Such a cute and quaint place. Finally a small cafe who takes card under a purchase less than 5 bucks!
The staff is awesome and free coffee refills if you dine in WahooO!
this place reminds me of a saloon i have no clue why but its kind of awesome. Actually all kinds of awesome.
I was looking for a coffee place to do get some work done and stumbled upon this place one Saturday. This is a great little divey coffee shop!
The staff is friendly and the guy in the back who makes all the sandwiches actually came around and was topping off everyone's coffee. Never saw that done at Starbucks or Coffee Bean. But that's what's great about little mom and pop places and that's why I support them.
They serve sandwiches and salads and the usual coffee fare.
They also sell various kinds of cheesecakes such as apple torte, strawberry cheesecake, oreo cheesecake, banana cream pie, apple bundt and carrot cake from what I saw in the display case. The dessert selection makes this a great place to kick it at night for those occasions when you have a sweet tooth.
They've got free wifi and the atmosphere is dim and relaxing. The chairs aren't all that comfortable but they do have one sofa and an upholstered benches up front. There's also a few tables and chairs outside if you don't mind the traffic roaring by.
It's a great place for people watching and it's definitely a local favorite.
An average coffee shop that is laid back and a little unusual. I go there to grab a quick coffee sometimes and enjoy people watching for a moment.
I like this place. Friendly staff. Good iced tea. Interesting signage:
"Grilled Cheese W/O Bacon." It's nice not to have options.
_C$
My boyfriend and I went here one day, it is across the street from my apartment and we didn't feel like walking too far. We get in and realize there are no VISA signs to say they accept credit cards. It was a sunday, so we usually go through our cash by then. So the owner, Dino, I think, says not to worry about it and pay him later. What? He just met us today? What a trusting owner. We got our coffee and I have to say, he makes one amazing Vanilla Latte. So rich in flavor and just enough taste of the coffee. We sat on the couches, eavesdropped on a meeting about a movie, did a crossword puzzle and just chilled for an hour. It was relaxing and definitely a place I would go again. Oh Wait...I have to ! I have to pay him back. ha! We ended up going back the next day to pay him his cash, and also added on another order of coffee because I craved it.
Overall, great great coffee shop. I need to go there alot more since it is only about 50 steps away from me.
This is a live transmission from within the establishment of the hour - Stir Crazy! I am writing this on the FREE Wi-Fi, and CJ B. is right, the password is in fact the ever-awesome "surfyourballsoff." Which I just realized, upon typing it here, refers to the colloquialism, "surfing the 'net," and not surfing in the ocean, as I heretofore came to understand it.
Personally, if balls are to be surfed off, I think it should be in salt water. Just me.
Check it yo - the door is made of screen and swings open and closed like I imagine doors did on the back porches of plantations back in the day. It's warm. It's open LATE, 1 am!! The music is all over the map, with all destinations on said map being radical. Thus far we've taken Beatles Rd. to Edith Piaf Lane, then over to Bach/Beethoven Cul de Sac and hopped the freeway to 1940s Big Band City....
The guy who works here has refilled my tea several times gratis, and the garden fresh caprese sandwich he made me earlier (#6 on the chalkboard) fit my schematized ideal of what it means to BE a caprese sandwich.
This place completely dominates the other late night internet option, Insomnia Cafe, which charges $5/hr internet and has no-so-great food options and (sorry, have to say it) people that like to be seen writing scripts in public for whatever reason.
Bonus - Stir Crazy offers some good people watching / eavesdropping. My first time coming here, I sat next to two rockabilly-looking people who were trying to outdo one another with their true life tales of interacting with ghosts. Apparently there is an underground culture of folks in LA who can see spirits and they get together at cafes to talk loudly about it / show off. I have a full transcript of their conversation, available upon request.
I'll be here until 1am, if you'd like to swing by, I will eavesdrop you like a sucka.
Cute, dark coffee house on Melrose, the huge mugs of hot chocolate are divine! It seems to be a place where people camp out writing on their laptops, but everyone seems to keep to themselves (ie, no wannabes talking loudly about their script thinking it will impress everyone in the place). They have a mix of wooden chairs and old-fashioned couches, dim lighting, unpretentious vibe.
Cozy little coffee shop. Seems to be a popular place to bring your laptop and write your next screenplay. It was a hot day so I only ordered a single iced latte and didn't try any of their food or cakes. It was very good and under 4 bucks. I only gave this place three stars because it didn't have any music playing inside and the outside patio is something to be desired. The patio is very small with limited seating. To park for free for 2 hours, I parked in a residential area a few blocks away. Overall, if you are ever in the area shopping, this place is good for a nice caffeine fix.
Well, they stole my idea... For the longest time I have wanted to make espresso floats. You know, throw some ice cream into coffee and try something creative.... Well my home version sucked but I'm pleased to see that a professional coffee shop pulled it off.
I'll give them 3 stars for being next to Rudolph's (where I get my hair cut [read my review]) and going out of convenience, but the coffee wasn't really anything to write home about. I did really want to like it, but it just didn't move the needle for me.
It's a little dark inside, and the creepy screen door as an entrance made it a little "seedy" feeling, LOL! But after seeing the "A" in the window we figured it was okay.
But wait - I just remembered that they have freakishly good cookies and other dessert options. Maybe I will give them another "half" star.
Amazing little place. Friendly staff, good food, good coffee, and good prices. There's a smoker-friendly patio, and free refills on a regular cup of Joe?! Can't find that too often in this town.
New. Favorite. Coffee. Shop.
Cheap coffee, free wifi, low light, front porch complete with requisite slamming screen door, great people watching, sweet tunes ... done. done. done. done.
I love stir crazy. Their wireless password is surfyourballsoff, doesn't get much sweeter than that. Plus their coffee is great, the food is pretty good and the staff is cool.
I'm there almost every weekend for a few hours working (or wasting) my time away. It's all about a bottomless cup of coffee and the veggie sandwich.
I've driven past this place several times and was struck by a desire to try it out since the first time I saw the name 'Stir Crazy.' Cute!
I finally got a chance to drop by after a jaunt to the MTP on a suck-the-life-out-of-you-scorching-hot Sunday. The patio seemed to have a good amount of tables but we went straight through the doors (one regular, one screen) into our cool, dim oasis that reminded me of an old general store/cabin living room.
The ice coffee was refillable and my mid-afternoon bagel was pretty yum...there was only one barista/chef/cashier working and a line formed right after we ordered so it took us a while to get our goodies but whatever...we were in no rush to go back outside.
It seems like a lowkey neighborhood joint where people know each other and a good place to come if you want to just relax, read, write, etc.
Many moons ago, I went on one of THE worst, most awkward, most loooooooooooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnng paused in between about a 100 sooooo's turned what the f*ck?!? date here once. Ugh, not so good times.
It was doomed from the start and here's why. I had just finished up a deelish meal at Cobras & Matadors and had some yummy wine from the place next door with a friend and when she pooped out early, I decided to call this http://Nerve.com guy who I'd been playing phone tag with and meet up for an impromptu coffee/dessert here.
We both walked up at around the same time and I thought, "Okay, he lied about his height (what is with you guys and lying about your height), he's not too bad looking and his belt matched his shoes so this couldn't be too bad. We grabbed two coffees and sat outside and started talking.
He asked me what I had been up to that night and I told him about my yummy C&M dinner and went into a full on description of the wine we had and how incredible it was. (Please note, in my Nerve profile I mentioned wine alot. I love it, I even described myself in a wine analogy. My love for wine should be no surprise to anyone)
So I tell him about it and he then just stares at me like I am speaking another language. He then is just silent and staring off onto Melrose and finally after about 18.3 boring ass minutes of v e r y l o n g p a u s e s, I finally say, "Well look at the time."
He then glares at me like I just called his mama a goat and says, "Oh, what, do you need to go get another drink?" and gives me a dirty look
I say, "Excuse me?"
He says, "Look if I wanted to date an alcoholic I would go to an AA meeting!"
I say shocked, "And you've gathered this how...."
He says, "Who drinks wine on a weeknight?! God, I never should have joined the internet, all you meet are freaks!"
Yes sir, my sentiments exactly.
So he proceeds to storm off in all his sober glory and I stay and finish my coffee and instantly befriend a girl sitting nearby. She, of course, was witness to it all and the two of us had a great laugh as we sipped tasty coffee.
Stir Crazy :: A place for freaks, hehe
I started coming here back when they still served Creme Brulee and if you haven't tried it you should know that it was damn good. Some of my fondest memories revolve around Stir Crazy. I met my now fiance here.
This used to be the one coffee shop that allowed you to smoke inside. I think they had some kind of "arrangement" with the cops because I would see police men coming in all the time and the smoking patrons never even flinched. The food and beverages are great and the staff is friendly.
Stir Crazy is usually fairly quiet so this would be an ideal place to study if it wasn't so dark. The chairs are comfortable but I always preferred the window seat.
This is a small little coffee shop on Melrose.
Small menu, and small bakery case, but they have smoothies and other goodies there too.
The inside has a couple couches and a few tables all which seem comfy enough. I had the Orange Julius smoothie which was reminiscent of the mall-smoothie joint concoction.
Parking is street parking so good luck, but in a pinch this place will do.
Rude service done right
Customer desires sandwich
Barista explodes
This is the first coffeeshop I made into my second home after moving to LA.. It took me some time searching and feeling places out. There were plenty of regulars here but also plenty of randoms. The baristas were full of atittude, but only to those who deserved it.. Stick around long enough and everyones a buddy. The owner is an awesome east coast italian guy named DINO. He remembers everyones face and seems pretty light hearted.. I even get the impression they don't make a lot of money but he still keeps the place going anyway.
Unfortunately, after the move down the block (into a slightly smaller space) they were forced to close for a few months to get some city certificate. This somehow caused a lot of the usual crowd to disperse.. Theres still a bunch of regulars, generally writers and russians but it lost a bit of spark for me personally. I pretty much never meet anyone new there anymore and I've come to dislike a lot of the regulars.
Wi-Fi is free. Ask for the password.
Smoking since the reopening has been relegated to the patio.
No laptops on the patio after 7pm. Too many kids were sitting out there for 4+ hours watching movies after buying one drink.. Not too cool.
If theres no meter spots, there is non-permit parking all hours on orange one block north of melrose.
Always tip your barista.. Unless they really suck.
Great local coffee house! Friendly service, solid egg sandwich, hands on owner, clean place to work, quiet enough to read and relax. The smoking outside brings it down one star, but if you sit inside this shouldn't be a problem. GO LOCAL!
Stir Crazy is a funky little cafe on Melrose. I gotta say there aren't that many left what with the domination by Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf that have invaded down the street.
I wanted to grab a coffee drink at a proper coffeehouse, and I came across Stir Crazy. 4 or 5 tables outside, 80% of which were commandeered by WiFi junkies, each sporting a sleek laptop with the apple logo. Ok, what's up with that? Can you not sport a Dell or HP logo on Melrose? Not "chic" enough? Well, apparently not, because the 4 laptops I saw outside and 2 more inside all seemed to be Apple. Eery coincidence or pure world dominion... Either way, Steve Jobs probably jerks off to such visions.
It's way dark inside, but all the outside tables were taken so I sat near the window so I could sip on my iced mocha while reading my book. I spent about 20 minutes here and had an enjoyable experience. I wouldn't drive out here, but if I were kicking it on Melrose, I'd most certainly seek shelter here from the evil corporate drones at Starbucks. Support your local coffeeshop. They did right by me when I spent thousands of hours there back in the early 90s.
I stopped by here Sunday mid afternoon for a coffee to go... I was headed back to meet friends for brunch in Santa Ana and I needed a jolt. The hunting at Jet Rag had not done it for me and I was still a little groogy.... It's always a good sign when a coffee shop is busy.. I ordered a cup to go... I like the coffee here but I really am more so into the coffee at The Downbeat Cafe..... Parking can be a bitch......
Oh how I miss Stir Crazy!! I worked here for a bit, and still hung out here on my free time. I used to live about two blocks from here, but have since moved completely out of the neighborhood and i've abandoned my promise to still hang out here ;( The coffee is really good, free refills!! Great pastries, and the sandwiches are fresh! The atmosphere is awesome, they often would display work from local artists. The regulars are all interesting and friendly. Tell Dino I said Hi.
For about two years while I lived in LA I was pretty much a regular here. I'd go for a few hours to get some writing done. The coffee was good, and I ended up hanging out and talking to the staff about movies and photography a lot. Very comfortable an inviting place.
After I moved out of the area I'd still swing in on occasion for coffee. The owner and the staff always remembered me, said hi and asked what I was up to.
What more can you ask for?
The owner is a really cool guy and almost always around. Their sandwiches are tasty and reasonably priced. The ambiance is great; lots of hipsters and aspiring screenwriters. Make sure to wear a funky hat when you go.
'Cozy' is a word that comes to mind when I think of Stir Crazy. I guess the name Stir Crazy doesn't exactly conjure up a relaxing environment, but I assure you this coffee shop is as laid back as they come. The design aesthetic reminds me of a log cabin and makes me feel like I am at a friend's home in the mountains. Although small, it has plenty of room to kick back, have a cup of Joe and chill out with friends. There is a little outdoor patio with a few tables that are usually filled with people on their laptops. Dogs are allowed in the patio section if they are well behaved. Be warned, there are no laptops allowed on the patio after 7pm. So you better get your work done before then!
i think i like this place so much because it isn't a starbucks or coffee bean. call me old school, but i just miss coffee houses! and this is just what a coffee house should be. coffee, tea, cocoa and other misc. options. it has two cool window bench seats and a dark quiet vibe. nice option if you're in the neighborhood.
Stir Crazy is cozy lil spot to hang out. Like another reviewer said, Insomnia still can't be beat, but this is a pleasant change of pace. Its small but has friendly help, is in a pretty good location and the coffee and treats are above average.
When I was in school I was here all the time. Open late at night, all you can drink coffee for 2 bucks. Don't make it out as much as I used to when I had a car, but I still like to go here every now-and-then. If you go there, knock on the wall lightly.... its pretty funny....
Another groovy lil' place to write, but much better to meet a friend here for some serious java talk. Insomnia's still Numero Uno in my book, although the advantage here is not having the writer-of-the-day ask you if he can sit at your table 'cause his extension cord's not long enough, or where she can plug in her computer. YOU WANNA KNOW WHERE YOU CAN PLUG THAT IN?!?! LEAVE ME ALONE!!! Kidding. I love those guys.
This is such a great coffee shop. A fantastic alternative to the typical Starbucks/Coffeebean bullshit. Thank you for being across the street from my apartment. You will forever be my place for meeting strangers from the internet for the first time and arranging impromptu business discussions alike. Besos!
I've been here couple of years ago with my friend .who loves coffeshops...loved the cute indoor ledge patio inside...and was so thrilled to see people doing the chimney inside...I can recall drinking a cup hot chocolate with my brother and I lit up a smoke and at the same time a LAPD cop came inside..I was like oh sh&t...I'm going to get busted but nevertheless they went on their ways..ordered a cup of joe and left....I love this place because it's so dark inside almost like a nightclub
Parking isn't easy, but this is a comfortable place to meet friends for coffee. Good coffee and food, nice people, and no pretention. Good people-watching, too.
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