Coupa Caffe

Coupa Cafe is a Venezuelan coffee place with four locations (Palo Alto, Stanford, Beverly Hills, and Caracas). I come here nearly every day on my way to or from work at Stanford. The coffee is delicious, the service is great. The cafe really has a Venezuelan flavor, both in the taste of the coffee and in the atmosphere.They describe themselves, and rightfully so, as an urban oasis.
 
THE SERVICE They help you right away, and they're quick to place your order. It's a bit of a wait (maybe four minutes or so), but they call out your order right away. Some of the baristas don't have perfect English, so keep that in mind.

THE TASTE Delicious delicious delicious. The coffee has a rich, deep flavor that flows through your body and energizes you. Order anything here, it's all great.

RECOMMENDED The cappuccino is perfect: just the right amount of milk, just perfectly fluffed. Get it "for here" with a saucer and a metal spoon.

THE CUPS I LOVE the cups! Their logo is a beautiful pattern of yellows, reds, and blues.

THE PRICE Very affordable. The drip coffee here is a dollar, flat. A cappuccino is 2.50. Better than more expensive coffee, and better priced too. Their special drinks (add syrups, or signature coolers) are only 3.50.

THE ATMOSPHERE The Coupa I frequent has nice metal silver tables and chairs. Choose sun or shade. The music is a bit loud, and some people sometimes talk a bit loudly, but overall, it's very relaxing.

NOW PLAYING Ya No Se by Los Amigos

ON THE WALLS There is no art at the small location I go to. I'll ty to update this once I visit the Palo Alto location.

WHO'S THERE At the Stanford location, you'll see a mix of students, professors, and tourists enjoying the campus.

FASHION ADVICE Stanford sweatshirt, jeans, and a laptop (though be warned, they don't have outlets).

FUN STUFF Take a fun coffee quiz and calculate how many milligrams of caffeine you drink per year, hosted by Coupa HERE. I drink about 201600 mg per year. That's pretty frightening

WEBSITE

Philz Coffee

Walking in the Mission District of San Fransisco one afternoon, surrounded my colorful murals and colorful people, I came across Philz. I had already had a few cups of coffee that morning, and had stopped for a cappuccino a few hours earlier. But I reckoned it was time for another cup. Plus Philz looked so inviting, so artsy. The front door was ajar, people bustling in and out. The entrance was screaming at me to come in. Just one more cup, my brain pleaded. No no no, my stomach replied.
I walked through the door.
And found myself completely at home.
I think this is possibly the best coffee place I have ever been to, and the winner of the SF Weekly 2010 Reader's Poll. With seven bay area locations (a new store recently opened in Berekly), Philz is very unique in that they only sell drip coffee, with the option of sugar and cream. But this isn't any old drip coffee. You can order around twenty different blends.
Three hours later, I was doubled over in pain. I thought maybe it was some weird feminine epidemic, but it turned out to be Philz coffee. And now I know why. When I visited their website, I found out that one cup of their coffee is the equivalant of three cups of regular coffee. No wonder their slogan is "Enjoy the Ultimate Coffee Experience, One Cup at a Time".

THE SERVICE They're very nice and helpful. The menu can be overwhelming,
with around thirty selections of different drip coffees. Just tell them what you normally drink or what you like and they'll be sure to help you. Also, each coffee has a little description if you get lost. My only complaint is it's probably a five minute wait for your coffee... but look around, enjoy the atmosphere, relax. Just don't come here on your way to work when you're in a rush.

THE TASTE Beyond incredible. Each coffee is an experience. Each blend is customized with 2-7 different beans from around the world. It is all delicious and unique.

RECCOMMENDED I love Julie's Ultimate, described as "complexly smooth and satisfying with
floral highlights". If that's too intense, try the Philharmonic, with "delightfully
orchestrated warm and balanced tones with harmonious layers of cardamom"

THE CUPS Their cups feature their logo. Notice the sprigs of mint, some of their coffees come adorned with fresh mint floating on the surface.

THE PRICE Totally reasonable. A regular coffee was around two bucks, but for joe this good, I'll pay.

THE ATMOSPHERE The Philz I visited (3101 24th St. at Folsom St.) is their original location. Lots of cozy chairs, old tables and crap sitting in the attic. A piano and loads of board games really add to the experience. Hide in a corner or sit by a window and people watch.


NOW PLAYING Dropping Keys by The Levins

ON THE WALLS At the Mission location, they have a mural on the walls, so you feel like you're in a forest. One of the columns has been painted to look like a tree. A few boards in the back advertise upcoming concerts and art shows. Simple but beautfiul.

WHO'S THERE You get your overly pierced, tatooed crazies, the middle age men in skinny jeans and plaid shirts, but everyone here is pretty hip. If you're a nerd, don't show. They're all scribbling away, sketching away, reading away, or typing away.

FASHION ADVICE A baret, glasses, lots of studs and dark clothes for women, a band tee and skinny jeans for men. No matter how many tattoos you sport, you'll be at home.

FUN STUFF They make your coffee right in front of you, using huge beautiful filters. You can also follow Philz on facebook and twitter. Check out their twitter for band listings: they host a lot of live music. They also sell T-Shirts.


WEBSITE