Intelligentsia Coffee

Founded in Chicago in 1995 by Doug & Emily Zell with the intent of serving thoughtfully sourced, freshly roasted, & proudly poured coffee Intelligentsia has since expanded to Austin, Boston, L.A. & New York.

I stopped by this location for a pick me up before my morning workout. George greeted me with a smile and a welcoming demeanor. After browsing the menu, the Dark Cherry Grenadine Latte sounded intriguing. Made from a small batch recipe using real pomegranate and dark cherries, it was a described as a touch of sweet and a little tart. I was sold. George asked if I wanted my beverage in a ceramic mug or to go. I asked for it to go.

While I waited I surveyed my surroundings. The place is spacious. The exposed brick wall reminded me of NOLA and the industrial modern décor emits a hip contemporary vibe. I watched George as he made my drink and noticed he prepared it with care and proudly presented his finished creation. It was lovely. As I went to position my cup for a photo op I accidently spilled some on the counter. I went to get some napkins to clean it up and George said, "Don't worry. I'll take care of it." George is awesome and deserves a 10+ for customer service.

Based on the description I wasn't sure what to expect. I took my first sip, and it was heavenly. Rich, bold, light on the sweetness, and perfectly creamy. The hint of cherry was a pleasant surprise. It made me wish that I had gotten the Dark Cherry Grenadine Mocha instead. The combo of chocolate and cherry would have been even yummier! The Latte is made with oat milk. Even though I prefer almond milk I'm learning that oat milk produces a creamier foam. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back and trying the Mocha version. When I return, I hope George is there.

*Free Wi-Fi
*Metered street parking or surrounding lots.

These guys CANNOT brew a proper espresso to save their lives.
A lot of "coffee bars" with boujee facades and trimmings have been popping up of late, charging premium $$ for what they serve. Most are served by people who have neither the skill nor the drive to produce a half decent cup of espresso. It's a kind of an epidemic. This place appears to fit well at the bottom of that class.
There is so much bad coffee out there, that I think these days, to know the difference, you either have to be a bit of an aficionado or have had to have grown up in Europe (where most people are largely not interested in mixed drinks and therefore know and appreciate the actual taste of coffee itself). In my case, I happened to fall in both of these categories. So, u know, kind of a snob!
The espresso shot I was served the first time was flat, the color of Hawaiian mud in a deluge, without ANY cremma, and about 2x-3x the volume it should have been, not to mention tasting worse than 2 day old gas station coffee. Obviously over-OVERextracted!
When I went back and pointed that out to the Gen Z barista, she appeared unapologetic of course, slightly miffed, confidently informing me that their standard is a 50 sec extraction!!!! What?! Then she asked me if I wanted a 40 sec extraction instead!! What?!? I pointed out that it needs to be even shorter than that. After which I was served essentially the same looking shot, same crap taste, with a slightly lower volume!!!
At that point I gave up.
That's what u pay $5 for in this place!
If you actually care about coffee, this is not the place. Not by a "long shot" ;)
U r better off getting a Red Bull.

I don't normally like to rate lower star reviews, but this place inconvenienced me quite a bit during the recent visit.

This place is not a must visit coffee shop in Pasadena, CA. I tried their house brew off the 'Kenya,' brew. For some reason when I added a type of sugar they provided: they provided 2 types, and I took pics of them, made the coffee taste way off. I had to ask the barista for another batch: also the creamer I added made the original batch lukewarm right away.

I needed to borrow restroom here so decided to try them out. What happened was while In the restroom, the lights Blacked Out and I had to use my flashlight off my iPhone. This was a very inconvenient coffee shop because I had to also leave my umbrella out front. Luckily I was already almost done in the restroom, and the lights turned back on. You had to take the elevator down the basement for restroom usage.

You lost me. This was way too inconvenient an experience.

I come here every time I'm in Southrrn California. They have the most delicious pastries, always something different each time I visit.

The service is pleasant and helpful.

The ambiance is chill and you can sit for as long as you like and watch the people go by on Colorado Blvd.

I love it here.

Wow!! Intelligentsia completely changed O_O! I kind of miss the older look from before, but I think I'm in the minority for that preference. It's very bright inside and looks modern

Drinks:
-Avena Latte: sweet and good, I kind of wanted it to be a bit more coffee tasting as I'm used to with Intelligentsia but I realize I usually got cold brew or things like that. I don't think I'm a cayenne on top of the avena drink lover and will pass on that next time.
-Espresso beans: it could be a me thing but the beans are a little harsh. I prefer darker coffee though but my partner was a little not taken by them.

Ambiance:
-Feels like an old pasadena coffee spot where you have people working solo, friends/couples meeting, a lot of ins and outs of people and a good mix.

Overall:
-It's a great spot, I don't think I'll get beans from there again for a bit. And if I do go back, I'd try a different drink!

I'm so glad my brother recommended this spot between clients and a pilates class.
I got a speciality coffee and a cinnamon croissant. This was a great pick me up before a workout and I definitely enjoyed working here.

It's a great environment to work in and enjoy coffee. The service was awesome and they helped me pick my coffee.

Low selection of coffee choices , place is very cozy and service is very nice , they have several pastries that are really good , Shame that not have more selections

Just typical Intelligentsia coffee - luv it!
I gotta have my oat cap and their machines make the foam so fluffy and the roast is that nice medium body.
Limited parking in front but you can also park across the street and not pay until 11am.
Very small outdoor seating three tables only.
Highly recommended if you need an awesome caffeine fix!
Came back the next day for Aveno drink and it was amazing!

I've been coming to this location for a good part of a decade or longer, back when they had the black industrial high ceilings which I kind of liked more. I feel like it gave them character and felt like they belonged in Old Town Pasadena. They've semi-recently remodeled with a white clean look with some modern lighting which looks pretty nice. Definitely more welcoming, just not as unique.

Anyway, great coffee 90% of the time. Pretty consistent, but every once in a while I get a cup that makes me question the quality/craftsmanship. Not really sure what it is, to be honest.

Regardless, one of the best coffee spots to stop by on a whim while shopping. They're also connected in the back to the mini food hall next door.

A great space to work and great coffee as well. We enjoyed our time here to work. The staff are patient and explained the choices for us. Parking might be a little hard around.