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The Coffee Roaster
Rating Details »
- Hours:
Mon-Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
12 reviews for The Coffee Roaster
I live within walking distance of Starbucks and The Coffee Bean. Both places, I can't necessarily stand. Starbucks, more-so for killing the coffee house culture I grew to love in my teens. I tend to like GOOD coffee...not the over roasted crap that they brew at Starbucks (I know, I used to work there for a long time).
A different past employer would constantly order pounds upon pounds of beans from The Coffee Roaster so I decided that since I finally lived in the area, I'd check it out.
Sure it's a small place. But it is called The Coffee Roaster. I took that to mean, they generally operate as a roaster...given the giant roaster you see upon entrance. I don't remember what kind of coffee I ordered but as a ground coffee, it stomped Starbucks into the ground. Very pleasant aroma and taste. The price was decent.
I now scoff at Starbucks as I walk past them on my way to Coffee Roaster.
If I could some up my experience at TCR in one word... "Meh..."
I was running late and in desperate need of some calories and change for the bus, so I decided to pop in and grab at snack at this unassuming little coffee shop. I got a chocolate chip cookie and a miniscule cup of tea for an even $4.
The cookie tasted... odd. I can't quite describe how. Maybe they use Splenda in their baking or something.
The mango flavored tea was forgettable and weak, perhaps because I was in a rush and didn't let it steep very long. And the small size is very, um, small.
This place has strong reviews so I'm going to assume the coffee is good... but you should probably stick to getting the coffee and nothing else...
At least the barrista was nice.
I've lived in the area for quite a few years, and I just happened to notice it when I couldn't get a parking spot closer to Starbucks. As I walked there from my car I noticed this coffee shop, and decided to go in. As soon as I passed the threshold, I felt as if I had been transported to some place in old Europe. From the well worn coffee roaster by the front door, to the bags of coffee next to it, there is an authentic charm to this place that national chains try to mimic, but cannot achieve. At the end, the tools, coffee bags, and other roasting paraphernalia that one finds in places like Coffee Bean or Starbucks have never been used and are just for show. Here you can see that such tools are not decorations but essential to their business. I do agree that their pastries could use some work, but then again, some of the stuff they hawk at other coffee places aren't that great either.
5 Stars? Yes, for the excellent fresh roasted beans (great variety). This is not the place for coffee drinks or lounging, hence so little seating - duh! So please rate it for what it is, not for what you want it to be.
I have only tried the brewed coffee here and I was never impressed. I'm not sure how well trained the general staff are in that respect, but I'll have to give it another shot on my next visit. I generally only come here for fresh beans to make my own coffee at home. The space isn't that big, it's a real hole in the wall.
Edit: Tried the espresso... guy spent a decent amount of time preparing it but it wasn't that great, blond crema and bitter. Their beans are generally pretty good quality, and I like the fact that it's pretty close to me. But I always get a weird vibe when I visit. I like my coffee, so I appreciate a little chit chat with the barista or whoever's at the counter. I'm not a starbucks zombie, I've surpassed that stage long ago, but I always feel like the people working here have a sort of superiority complex, unwelcoming unless you're one of the regulars that's been there since they opened in the 80s.
The coffee they serve is okay. The coffee beans they sell are good enough to drink black - and I'm a total pussy when it comes to coffee. I usually get half a pound of Ethiopian and half a pound of something random, and really haven't been disappointed yet.
The guy who works mornings (the way he acts, he has to be one of the owners) always ends up giving me a bit more than a pound - I mean, 3-4oz more - for $11 total. That's about the same as supermarkets around the area - given that they haven't sold more than 12oz bags for years.
The afternoon staff is kind of strange. I've gone there three times around 3PM - the place was empty, and there was a different person working each time. Don't know what to make of it.
I went to The Coffee Roaster for the first time this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is fairly small which hinders sitting down and relaxing if there is a crowd, but I was on the run anyway so this did not matter. The beans are roasted on site within 3 days of your purchase 'often the same day' as the coffee line-up states. Prices are comparable to other quality coffee you will buy and obviously much fresher. Nice selection of different beans to buy and quick courteous service. I will be returning regularly to The Coffee Roaster.
first off i love Dana he is great and well the coffee here is phenomenal love love the mocha blended or hot i will take it anyway (wink wink) OK but really the service is outstanding and you feel like family. not to mention right next door in watercress a little cafe offering sandwiches and salads all really healthy dishes and home baked deserts . Back to the roaster lets see Starbucks is like at the other end of this block and sometimes has a line out the door i simply shake my head i don't get how some would rather waste there time and money on burnt crap ... the roaster also Carry's some fine teas and other specialty Good's so if local you need to stop by the whole block is loaded with great finds :rising lotus yoga, lavender beauty,salon true , Vanity Cosmetics and bone yard bistro ! good luck and enjoy
Dirty. They need to give this place a serious deep cleaning. They serve the coffee out of styrofoam-like cups. I haven't tried all the food, but what I have tied is way over priced and tastes like it was from last week. The coffee had a metallic taste like grocery store "premium" coffee, although I'm sure it isn't from the grocery store.
I am appalled at the review below that gave this one star. The Coffee Roaster has been around for 20 years, and my parents and I, who live in the neighborhood, have been loyal patrons ever since it opened (so much so that we refuse to get our beans from anywhere else). First of all, yes, it's small, but it's not supposed to be a coffee shop where laptop-clad hipsters lounge for hours on end. It's a ROASTING shop, hence the title. The founders (good family friends of ours) and the current owner have contacts from all over the world, and do not go through middle men to get their beans; once they get them, they roast them in a big machine that sits in front of the shop (and makes it smell like heaven). It is truly a neighborhood place; the servers know you, they know your order, and the customers all know each other. And the coffee IS good. Maybe Li is just used to crappy ass Coffee Bean and has forgotten how to properly atune her tastebuds to what's actually good.
I'd driven place this place a million times and finally decided to give it a shot -- love to support the mom and pops. Boy, big mistake. I went in on a Saturday morning and was surprised that the place was absolutely dead. And by dead, I mean uncomfortably so -- the space inside the Roaster is so small you're practically sitting at the counter -- which means if you take out your laptop you can feel the waves of disgruntlement wafting over from the people working there -- you get the definite impression you're ruining the conversation they were having before you got there and they're none too happy about it. If the coffee were kick ass, none of that would matter of course -- but WHOA was it rank. I had a mocha, so I couldn't get a good feel for how evil the swill was, but my husband got a latte -- utterly undrinkable. If coffee can actually GO BAD, that was the taste -- as if it had been sitting out, allowed to MOLD a little bit, then reheated and poured. I have never, ever, ever had such bad coffee -- airplanes have better stuff. It's not cheap, either -- they charge standard Coffee Bean type prices. I usually like to give a place a second chance because I have to believe for anyplace to stay in business they must have better service and better product than what we suffered through, but my experience was so unspeakably bad I can't imagine they can do a full 180 turnaround.
In response to Li S., I would like to first add a disclaimer. I am the former owner of The Coffee Roaster and will admit to a certain bias. But, I no longer have any connection with the Coffee Roaster and, in fact, now live in New York City.
The Coffee Roaster is approximately 500 square feet. When you entered you probably noticed the large roaster surrounded by perhaps 2000 pounds of green unroasted coffee. That, plus the fact that there are only four chairs, should have clued you in that this is not a coffee house.
Your critique of the coffee was based on a latte and a mocha!! Both of these drinks have perhaps 12 ounces of hot milk and 1 to 1-1/2 ounces of coffee. There is simply no way that you can judge coffee by hot milk or hot chocolate milk with a little bit of espresso.
Had you ordered an espresso and it was bad your criticism might have had some validity. However, if you are served a bad product, you really should complain to the server and test the reaction.
Of course, I am biased. But I do visit Sherman Oaks frequently and always stop for coffee and I still feel it is the absolute best.
Dana Erickson, the owner, buys the finest estate coffees and personally roasts them. If didn't think it was great coffee I assure you I would purchase coffee beans elsewhere.
The Coffee Roaster has been in business for 20 years. The neighborhood it serves is affluent, young and highly educated, the formula for a very discerning consumer. If The Coffee Roaster did not consistently deliver a superior product it would have ceased to do business many years ago.
Please, give it another try. Order a cup of coffee or an espresso. Buy a quarter pound of coffee. If ,then, you are not satisfied, call the owner and tell him. (just don't take your laptop)
