EDIT: The title’s misleading. I messed that up. The numbering isn’t actually a ranking within each category. Just the order in which I visited each shop. Sorry. Also, not all the shops on the bad/pretentious list have bad coffee. Loquat has great coffee. There’s more to it than the coffee. This is my judgement on coffee shops. Not just coffee.

EDIT #2: The way a lot of the commenters are foaming at the mouth because I don’t worship Dayglow and their reasoning behind why I should, isn’t doing a whole lot to convince me that my “pretentious” ranking of that shop is wrong.

I always see people talking about coffee shops on this sub and I just wanted to give my two cents. I’ve visited probably 100+ coffee shops in LA and I keep a quick list of some of the good and bad ones. This is just my personal opinions on these places and some are based on a single experience. Maybe I caught them on a bad/good day or whatever and they’re much better/worse than I thought.

Anyway, a few of my personal coffee shop beliefs first.

One: a 12oz house drip shouldn’t be more than $4. Most places are $4.50. Fine. $5 for a 12oz though? Come on…

Two: Creamer and sugar should come with the coffee. A shop should never charge for these.

Three: Shops should carry decaf beans for drinks that include espresso like lattes. You don’t need to make decaf coffee, but you should carry decaf beans.

OK… here’s a few things I’ve noted with reasons for the bad shops.

The good and reliable shops

1. Stumptown
2. Concierge
3. Neighborhood
4. File systems of coffee
5. Alfred
6. Collage
7. Lumen
8. Alana’s
9. Jurassic Magic
10. Motoring Coffee

The bad and pretentious shops

1. Loquat - Their drip carafe was broken for a month. No way a shop that’s trying to be as prestigious as this should have no drip coffee for a month. Then, when it was fixed, I went in and they had run out of drip by 9:45AM. They said they weren’t making more. Saturday at 9:45AM and you’re not making more coffee?
2. Heavy water - No decaf and the guy behind the counter was really dismissive when I asked
3. Idyllic - No decaf and the girl behind the counter was very douchey about it.
4. Thank you - No decaf, no cream (they had milk instead), no sugar (they had agave instead)
5. Stereoscope - SUPER pretentious
6. Day Glow - No drip coffee, no decaf, VERY pretentious
7. Three Fields (Alhambra) - Charges for cream and charges for simple syrup. No sugar packets either. Gave a 15% tip and felt very judged for it.
8. Lil’ East Side - Very amateur. Coffee was burnt and they didn’t seem to know what they were doing
9. Groundwork - Never a good cup of coffee. I’ve found grounds in the cup more than once
10. Andante - 12oz was $5 and it was burnt.

The mixed bag shops - a little good, a little bad

1. Two Kids - Expensive. They only have 10oz coffee, BUT it’s good and they let you pour your own creamer and simple syrup
2. Blue Bottle - Pretentious and corporate, but always good coffee.
3. Go Get ‘Em Tiger - They know what they’re doing but they have an air of superiority that’s off putting. Also, the one in West Hollywood still doesn’t let you go inside.
4. The Boy and the Bear - Eh. It’s just OK
5. Kumquat - Not even close to as good as the massive line they always have would suggest
6. Verve - Standard but expensive
7. Coffee for Sasquatch - 12oz was $5 but shop was very nice and had a soothing aesthetic so they get bumped from the bad list.

Compared with early March, +10c for simple burger, +15c for double double.

I feel like a lot of the old LA restaurants or greater LA restaurants are just “not as good as they used to be.” I’m not sure if it’s me being a geriatric millennial or it has. What restaurants are as good as they used to be? And, what restaurants aren’t? Anything from the greater LA area.

Thanks.

You can barely walk out of Chipotle without spending $20 a person. And McDonalds isn't any better. Are there still any good bargains around town when it comes to quick food to go? Maybe a hidden gem that legitimately has a dollar menu still?

Would be a great time to highlight any small businesses with killer daily/weekly specials.

Thanks!

And they don't allow you to pay in cash.

From today’s LA Times Newspaper

This optional service fee props up the total further inflating the 20% tip they also automatically added. Fuck every restaurant that does this and waiters if you’re manually adding this to your customers tabs fuck you too!!!

It feels like A LOT of restaurants are closing...

HAMMY’S!!!

So to start For The Win has been my favorite Smash Burger in LA for months. Nothing will top my love for In N Out.

But tonight I had the new number 1 spot GOAT Smash Burger. Hammy’s.

It started with their Instagram and seeing how thin they smash the burger. If yall don’t know when the meat gets that thin it gets a little bit crispy on the edges and you get more edges with it being so thin.

I bit into this bad boy and my primitive caveman brain lit up like Christmas and 4th of July combined. It was so damn good. I had to remind myself to slow down with my chewing lol. Fantastic burger. The fries were excellent too and not just another McD’s skinny fries.

It’s a 9.8/10 burger.

They only have 1 location downtown off 7th. I will be going back.

Thanks for reading.

New restaurant in WeHo called DiDi