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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhoods: University City, Spruce Hill
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I used to come here every Saturday (sometimes twice a week). They used to have OK coffee with a nice environment so it was a nice sit.
Coffee - 2*
Inside Environment - 3.5*
Service - 3*
Outside seating (if its sunny) - 5*
Remember that time when I joined an all-female punk band (called Bitchfest) with members from my feminist poetry class, shaved my head, rocked combat boots and wore torn up camo shorts, neither do I. That's the feeling I get though when I think of Green Line.
Hanging out at this across-the-park-corner-coffee-shop is similar to the experience of being in the small college class with a random hodgepodge of students where everyone fills a perfect and distinct stereotype. That's the crowd you'll likely find in the cafe with their eyes set to the tune of laptops, Nabokov, and/or articles from academic journals.
It doesn't miss a beat when it comes to ambiance. Sunlight pours in through the shop's windows and if you sit outside, you can sometimes catch the plastic sword slingers in action at Clark Park.
Great coffee, but I don't recommend the chai latte. It was really watered down last time.
Good coffee, close to where I live and very artsy.
The service is SO-SO. I felt looked down on because I don't "look" like the type of patron who would frequent the cafe. I feel like I am judged every time I walk in there.
Plus: good coffee, nice outdoor seating,
Minus: you know that feeling that you get when someone treats like they're doing you a HUGE favor... yea.... I feel like that when I order my coffee here.
Went to the Green Line on Locust. It was ok; the coffee was decent and at a good temperature, but not something that stood out as great. They were serving Equal Exchange coffee, which I appreciate since it is fair trade.
I thought, though, that this particular location had a sort of cold atmosphere to it. But I will definitely try to make it to the Baltimore St. location and try some espresso drinks so that I can give a better judgement.
This Green Line (actually, I suppose the one on Locust, also) is right around the corner from me, so that's nice. The physical establishment is lovely, the outdoor seating is nice, shaded by trees in some places and with a view of Clark Park in others. Prime real estate for people (and dog!) watching.
The staff is hit or miss. There's this one guy who switches between the locations with long-ish curly hair who is fantastic. He seems to really like his job and takes care in the drinks he makes. Others don't seem to care as much.
I should have listened to Monica about the chai latte (especially the iced), but coffee and I just don't get along.
I got, this time, a pumpkin spice vegan cookie (so good) and an iced chai latte. I'm convinced the girl just gave me a cup of milk with ice in it. I asked for a little more chai (which I really hate doing, but seriously, I paid $3.60 for this S.O.B.). I think she just put more ice in it.
A sore disappointment on the chai latte front. I can't knock the place itself because it is so pretty and they do use free trade beans and what have you, but I wish some of the staff members were a little less snarky and could make proper chai lattes.
I found this place when I was trying to waste time before my first "Take the Lead" latin dance party last week (feel free to check my review of that as well!).
It's located across from Clark Park, and is a perfect place to people watch.
I stopped in for a drink and decided to have an iced tea. The girl who helped me was extremely polite and even offered her opinion on the teas they had.
I went with the raspberry tea, but they get 1 star off for not informing me that it was unsweetened.
The whole front half of the cafe is windows, so I sat by the window and people watched. It is a great little place with great service. :)
When it comes to cafes/coffeehouses, I'm always one who is more interested in atmosphere than drinks. Obviously, I'm not falling all over myself to stop by a cafe that funnels their drinks out of a trough, but to me, a good drink and great atmosphere will always trump a great drink and crappy atmosphere.
With that being said, I have to admit that I'm not a coffee drinker. I know folks can be particular about their coffee, but I'm a tea drinker and I think that Green Line's selection is good and all of the drinks have been more than satisfactory. Also, the bagels and sandwich items always hit the spot. If you're out for an afternoon in Clark Park, or just passing by, you'll surely be able to find a snack to sate your appetite.
I love the feeling of this cafe. Basically everyone has their nose in a book or computer, but that is par for the course for just about any cafe. While people may not go out of their way to say hello, I've always found the patrons to be kind. The staff here is great. They greet every customer with a sincere welcome and seem to genuinely enjoy their job.
While I do love the feel of this place, I had to take one star off due to lack of seating. I'm the kind of guy that enjoys sitting in a cafe for awhile and having a conversation or reading a book. I enjoy doing that at Green Line when I'm able to get a seat. Alas, most, if not all, of the seats are usually taken.
The coffee: best cup of coffee around.
The bagels: they know how to toast them just right every time.
The atmosphere: nice--comfortable---a little difficult to find a seat on a busy day.
The baristas: not often very friendly or personable. Thankfully it only takes about a minute to order and then you're done having to deal with them.
Horrible coffee, but the atmosphere is great and so is the staff. Spend the extra couple of bucks and get a latte or something, because you won't drink more than a couple of sips of the coffee unless you load it down with cream and sugar.
I usually spend time at the other Green Line b/c of their cushioned seats but I have been to this one twice. Anyways, for some reason, I felt really out of place there. Maybe it's b/c I don't have the hipster look all the white kids are sporting in West Philly. It's not like I'm decked out in Abercrombie or something. I'm a T-shirt and jeans guy...I just don't like my clothing super tight. That doesn't mean I don't recycle. Nor does it mean I'm some corporate A-hole. Hipsterism claims to be tolerant but they (hipsters) always give non-hipsters like myself that look of detached judgmentalism whenever they walk in the room. Hipsters, do me a favor and please stop making me feel like I caused global warming. And wtf is up with Hipsters drinking PBR? That is probably the worst beer I've ever tasted. Sorry, this has nothing to do with Green Line. Four Stars.
At first, I hated the Green Line's coffee, but it's been growing on me lately. Perhaps it's the convenience. Perhaps it's because the baristas are always pretty friendly. Perhaps it's because at 50 cents, a refill on a large cup of coffee is a pretty sweet bargain. Either way, I find myself heading to the Green Line more and more often these days. At the times I usually go it's never hard to find a table, although on the weekends, it's definitely easier to get in and get out. Still, the coffee isn't my favorite. Their tea is really good, though. For a while I would just get a cup of the Darjeeling and leave it at that.
The bagels are FANTASTIC. I always get an everything and it's the best. You can taste every aspect of the "everything," right down to the salt, and the onions crisp up really nicely in the toaster. Their muffins are also really tasty, if you can get them---they're usually gone after a few hours of opening, it seems.
The only really frustrating thing recently is that they only accept cash, and the ATM has been broken for a few months.
Green Line has the best soy lattes in town, and carries several premade vegan wraps, nutritional bars, and sometimes even desserts. Another good vegan option is a bagel with hummus; they carry an especially good, garlicky type.
The other good thing about Green Line is that it has become a community center of sorts; if you want to know what's going on in the area, or if you are looking for housemates, the bulletin board here is a good place to check. Unlike Starbucks, they'll also let you use the restroom without insisting that you buy something. (I buy something without using the bathroom at least ten times as often as I use the bathroom without buying something, so I think it works out well for them.) This is just one of many ways they are, happily, unlike Starbucks; quality, atmosphere, and (seeming) morale of staff are a few more examples.
Need to take this one down just a notch. It doesn't have anything to do with The Green Line being bad (far from it). It's just that before The larger Green Line that hooks up live music opened up on Locust, this was the one to go to. But now it's pretty much second banana.
But being second banana isn't necessarily a bad thing, and this Green Line shows it nicely. It still has the same cool staff, great variety of food, and well rounded selection of drinks. Of course the fact that it's across the street from Clark Park never hurts either! And even though it isn't without it's flaws (the long line during the weekend rush can be killer, it runs out of things like bagels too quickly on most days, etc.) It's still a coffeehouse that McThrill has a soft spot for. And I'm not just saying that because I'm 5 blocks away.
it's my new local coffee house favorite, and I'm happy to say that it is. They have plenty of coffee… Read more »
Green line has great coffee, which I drink sometimes while I peruse the farmer's market. My bf and I also love the four seed cookies from slow rise bakery. I usually get waited on by someone fairly nice. However, I must admit I spend more time at Satellite. If you are going to sit, Satellite has better outdoor tables, and inside you can ask to share a table without getting daggers. But if you are jonesing caffeine or sweets in the area, by all means you will get great stuff here.
This place blows! The service is so unbelievably slow it should be illegal. I'm a patient person but this was just ridiculous. They also ran out of orange juice before 11am. Now that just isn't right. I don't want to go back ever again.
If I lived closer to Green Line, I'd be a regular. And I'm not a regular at any coffee house, so that's saying something. I like this place. The people are nice and the coffee is good. And it's nice to be right across from the park.
Too bad I don't live nearer to it.
Stopped in for a quick lunch, ordered a bagel with cream cheese, but hey, they're out of cream cheese. Huh? Ok.......ummmmmmmm......this sandwich? Yeah. I grab way-too-expensive-stale bread sandwich. At least I got to eat it in Clark with a friend. I'm glad they're there but they could be doing the food so much better with just a little more effort. *sigh*
There's definitely potential though, and it seems a possible chill place to hang for some peeps, but not really my bag.
Our house is super near to the Green Line Cafe.
Passing through the daybreaks, I'd rush down the path, heading for the trolley station in every single day.
While suspending at the corner of Clark Park, my cheek used to lean on the way, which is not the one trolley's coming, that a beam of sun leaded to immerse into the red umbrellas out attached the cafe house, and finally reached down the floor around 8:05.
I assumed this was a spontaneously behavior of me cause I never drank coffee sitting in there. I did have a sweet meeting before with somebody else, who didn't remain me anything that I'd like to cherish except for the respberry iced tea with the sugar which he told me the middle one is the best among all of them.
The cup of iced tea, by that time, was like people using a sort of transparent icing to mix into some artificial rosy liquid. But it did not taste fancy at all.
The guy appealed to me has disappeared afterward and never came back anyway. It made me some speculations of that day really existed, or the mental clips about that picture which we were talking together in front of the counter, is just haunting around those settings, the wooden square tables and scattered shades under the tree. It supposed to be a good reason for my werid inclination every morning.
Huh..?
I spent nearly the entire day at the Green Line Cafe the other day helping hang my wife's artwork and I fell in love with this place.
1. It has great artwork there (not just my wife's)
2. The coffee is great
3. The food is great (Turkey cheddar on a croissant...mmmm)
4. The music choice is good
5. The people there are simply good people
6. Everyone that works there is EXTREMELY nice
7. The owners are great people
My wife and I will be going to The Green Line Cafe long after her work comes off the walls (can't wait to see who's art will go up next). This is a great coffee shop and cafe and I recommend them highly.
This is my current favorite place. In the world.
For the past 3 weekends I've come here for breakfast on Saturday mornings. My friend and I get a table outside and drink $1.85 coffee with $0.60 refills and talk. And play chess. And talk some more. There are rickety wooden tables that need to be propped up with a woodchip on one leg, some of the chairs are broken. There are cute little kids and annoying little kids and the hipsters and young hip mamas heading to the farmers market.
I've also come here alone in the evenings, got a cup of decaf and enjoyed the dusk. I've never felt uncomfortable about taking a table or chair.
The Green Line might not have the best coffee beans or brew or the hippest baristas or even wifi, but in spite of this, or perhaps because of it, to me it is everything that a city in the summer should be.
Props to being the only cool coffee shop around Clark Park. Cute boy behind the counter. College kid acoustic shows sometimes.
No props for the shittiest (no euphemisms here because it was that bad) iced chai latte I've ever tasted. No joke. The person I was with ordered one as well. We walked to Clark Park to watch the legion of awesome neighborhood live action role player kids battle it out with balsa wood and Styrofoam swords...
Screaming 'YES!!!!'
We then noticed that we were not drinking our chai lattes and started talking about how gross they were and how we couldn't handle drinking them.
Trash time!
I had an italian soda or a mineral water another time. That was okay.
Try harder! Just because you have a captive audience doesn't make it okay to sling garbage water.
Green... Line...
You blow my mind!!!
Yep decided to go with a Grand Master Flash pun there. I know I'm capable of something better than that but heck sometimes I get lazy. So the Green Line. I happen to know people who work there and a certain girl that does the nightly after hour cleaning. They have two locations but I only ever stepped into this particular one. Right across from a decent pizza joint selling a wide variety of cold beers and 45s and the famous Clark Park where tons of fun summer events take place. The Green Line has it's own vibe strictly for the West Philly crowd.
When I say that, you must know that there are three sides of Philly: West, South, and North all have their own kinds of people. West Philly with the colleges, hospitals and plenty of trees make it a kind of hip spot for new people to Philly and friendly environmentalists and at the same time staying clear of the dodgey sketchy areas that also make West Philly pretty dangerous. But for the most part there is a charm to West Philly that differs from South Philly with more industrial sites, the rustic Italian Market, the river, and the giant Ikea overlooking a huge abandoned cargo ship and a building with four smoke stacks. (As you walk around the parking lot it kind of looks like a level from Mario 64. Just odd.) And lastly North Philly with it's Fringe Bohemian crowds, art collectives and plenty of old mill buildings perfect for you and your friends to open a studio for woodcutting etc.
But back to the Green Line, I like it for it's small space, nice diverse groups, listening to some silly stories from locals, and the bashful baristas giving good service but sometimes slow on the "Oh.... uh... thank.. you... I guess... heh...". Gotta love them. I'm sure they are thinking more on what they plan on painting or creating when their shift ends. I know I would.
When I picture in my head the perfect, ideal coffee shop, I find myself picturing the Green Line Cafe. The atmosphere is great both inside and out. It is a great place to study, hang out, meet people, and maybe even enjoy some coffee. They have a pretty good selection of coffee and tea, and the prices are extremely reasonable. A large coffee for less than two bucks!! The staff is friendly, and there always seems to be a decent number of people there though it's rarely what i would call busy. I love the decor inside and out, and the fact that Green Line Cafe is across the street from Clark Park should not be overlooked.
Needless to say, I've found my new favorite cafe.
I've spent plenty of time and money at this Green Line when I feel the need to inhabit Clark Park for an afternoon. While it does lack internet and a decent food selection, you can sit here for hours and not be bothered. The view is quite good and the vibe has left me productive in writing and studying. Go for a toasted bagel with cream cheese and pesto. I know it sounds weird, but it hits the spot.
The new larger Green Line has a lot more tables and loads of windows letting in natural light. The walls are barely decorated with art yet, though, and it seems a bit sterile in there.
It's a great place for strong coffee and a bagel, but the other food choices are kind've limited to a lot of pre-made choices and microwaveable wraps.
Though I do prefer the Satellite in most cases, the Green Line has a much better atmosphere - I love the big front window, and the outdoor tables overlooking Clark Park. They also have great shows from time to time near the rear of the cafe.
Their roaster is Equal Exchange, who makes some pretty good beans. Baristas are friendly and know how to pull shots correctly. They also serve Vietnamese and summer rolls from O Sandwiches in South Philly, which are fantastic, though their freshness doesn't always hold up through the day. It's still nice to have the option, however.
All in all, a great neighborhood cafe. And on the Wi-Fi thing - it's actually nice to have a place that doesn't have it, so that people don't hog a table all day after having purchased just one cup of coffee. That can be a little annoying. The lack of internet seems to encourage more social interaction and conversation between customers, which is refreshing. I believe the other locations on Locust and Lancaster have it, though.
in the spring and the winter when it's too terribly wet and cold to ride my bike over the spring garden bridge i drive my little car to school and try desperately to find a parking spot near this lil' cafe. I love the coffee and the chai in the mornings and sometimes late at night a fuji apple fizzy lizzy is just the right thing to hit the spot. Their prices are a bit cheaper than the Gia Pronto on campus, and the atmosphere is calm and inviting...especially on those cold gray days.
I dig the Green Line, don't get me wrong, but one thing that always irked me was the lack of wifi here. I know the reason - it's small and they don't want patrons hanging around for hours taking up space. Oh, wait. They still hang around for hours and take up space.
The staff can some times be annoying with their faux street urchin look [most are Penn students so they ain't hurtin' that bad for money].
Tea's decent. Coffee's decent. And you can even get a Fu-Wa tofu/chicken hoagie from them as well.
Best for to go items.
I used to think Green Line Cafe was perfection. Sure, our honeymoon period has worn off, but I still think it's pretty awesome. I've always enjoyed coming here in the mornings, and getting some internet-less work done to the sound of coffee grinders and espresso machines (how I work best!). If you're looking for free WiFi, go to the other Green Line on 45th and Locust, which is also lovely. I've definitely had one too many weekends though when I can't get a table and I have had to walk all the way back home, and that's made me sad and bitter. Nonetheless, I really like their coffee, and their bagels are right on (and that's coming from a New Yorker). Not in the mood for cream cheese? You can get hummus, or pesto, or peanut butter, the list goes on, which I dig.
It's pretty good. It's definitely a hip place, and the coffee and other snacks are good. The prices aren't bad either, they're what you'd expect at a coffee shop, really.
That being said, although I do like this place and would never turn it down, I've never gone there and felt that there was anything exceptional or special about it. It's just a good, clean coffee shop with decent coffee at normal prices.
the green line is a great cafe with delicious desserts and good coffee and friendly, attentive staff. i don't really have much else to say about it, except that in the summer there is a water dish for dogs outside and sometimes you can pet some dogs, which is an added bonus. please ask the owners' permission before you start petting the dogs.
Indie independent coffee shop that has great selection of coffee, tea, bagels and other pastries. Seating is usually available (except on weekend mornings), and environment is perfect for a date-y meeting.
Staff can be cold sometimes, but there's this one guy who gives the best smiles. Try their special cherry walnut bagels, unique taste I haven't found duplicated elsewhere. The biggest thing knocking one star off from my review is no Wi-Fi! It's one of the major reasons why I don't go there more often.
god i miss this place
they make the best latte's and cranberry italian soda's!
why did i move to center city?
Yep, it's got the neighborhood vibe down, but there's nothing exceptional about the Green Line's products. It's a warm, clean space, which rocks. It's also a bit too busy for me to study there. Some folks like activity and noise in the background while they read or whatever. If you do, snag a table at Green Line where no one minds if you camp out for hours.
It's too far from Penn's campus to be all Penned-out. It's location allows the manic undergrads to self-select out of Green Line's clientele. This is really a chill place where chill folks from the area come to chill. If I could read with conversations going on in the background, I'd come here to chill way more often. Positively beautiful in the warm weather with sunlight shining through the stained glass windows & Clark Park across the street in its grassy glory.
This place is what a coffee shop should be. Best of all...they have really GOOD coffee. I know that's not really a priority with most anymore...now that the CHAI hipsters are all over the city...but whatever. I love caffeine and this place has a mighty good cup o joe.
The atmosphere is low key, I like that...you don't have to listen to everyone having ridiculous conversations at a ridiculous volume.
Clark Park and the Green Line should be a package deal for review because they just belong together. It's best to get thier coffee to go on a Saturday morning and walk across the street to the park with a book or paper and watch the LARPERS run havoc. There are few times where I have experienced the park without a cup of green line joe. Love it.
This is the most organic, buzzing coffee-shop/cafe in West Philly. Just as I've been rubbed the wrong way by the nerdy diligence of the Penn-neighboring coffee-shops, this is a place that is more about neighborhood and community.
There are families, kids playing, couples, singles, readers, writers, and just people looking to sit in the sun, or enjoy a warm Philadelphia night. I think that Clark Park makes the Green Line better, and the Green Line makes Clark Park better.
I've never lived in this neighborhood, but I totally could.
I live in the neighborhood and don't go here much. I feel like they hire most of their employees based on a hipness scale as opposed to knowing anything about making a good cup of coffee There are a few skilled baristas, but they are a rarity.
This being the case, the coffee defintely suffers, which is the main reason I go to coffee shops; not to be seen typing in my iBook and glancing over my shoulders. For a better cup and a better atmosphere, go down to Cafe Pier One at 45th and Bmore or the Satellite at 50th and Bmore.
Disclaimer: There are few cafes I judge for their food. I rarely eat in cafes.
At green-line, I find the service, location, comfort and human-factor to be excellent. Coffee is a step above reasonable, and brewed robustly, so no complaints. Great spot to hang out in the mid-morning weekday hours, if you're not finding yourself otherwise occupied (or, perhaps, employed). On weekends it's a bit harder to find a seat.
good but I'm not sure it really needs five stars. A good, solid coffee shop with plenty of room inside and a few tables outside for nice weather. A good selection of teas and keeping it simple on the coffee front. I like that it is all glass and on the corner so it seems to light up the night and spill out toward the park. This is a good place (for me) to work because there is no wi-fi and for the most part internet is not a tool of productivity for me.
Most glaring error here is the food, though. Smooshed multi-day old sandwiches (hilarious to have Vietnamese sandwiches here when you could be taking out from Fu Wah), cookies/brownies that all seem to be missing key ingredients (I support ye vegans, lactards, and wheat allergics, but the rest of us wouldn't mind fatty eggy wheaty cookies). And not-particularly-fabulous bagels are basically the only breakfast choice? Definite room for improvement.
Neighborhood: Cedar Park
Category: Arts & Crafts
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Coffee & Tea
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Cedar Park
Category: Restaurants
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