Here’s the second part of our list of coffee spots all over Pasadena. In some cafes, coffee is the star of the show, in other cases, it’s there because it should be. But it’s there, and it will find you. Be awake. Be very awake.
Copa Vida
Even though Copa Vida is all about a wide range of coffees from all over the world, it’s about far more than that. The cafe relies on a sense of community and belonging, according to owners Steve Chang and his wife. After selling a noodle business they owned for a decade, their travels, especially to Costa Rica, and their hearts, led them to open a place to really appreciate coffee. The shop features international blends like Gigesa Natural, Ethiopia, and Antigua, from Guatemala, along with a mellow, “slow down and taste the coffee” vibe.
Copa Vida, 70 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena. https://copa-vida.com/
Rosebud Coffee
Rosebud’s “Coffee with a cause,” began more than a decade ago when Pastor Dan Davidson, noting the large population of young homeless in the Rose City Church parking lot, which he was leading. He began looking for some kind of tangible response.
Davidson and friend, Brett Prior, found an old coffee cart on the church property and began training homeless youth to get jobs in LA’s growing gourmet coffee industry.
They lovingly named the cart Rosebud, which they now credit for the inspiration to establish Rose City Coffee, a non-profit dedicated to empowering and employing youth. Eventually, they were able to build a first brick-and-mortar café in Pasadena, staffed mostly by empowered homeless and transitional-aged youth. The motto: Empowering Pasadena’s at-risk youth, one cup at a time.
Rosebud Coffee, 2302 East Colorado Blvd. Pasadena, CA. (626) 817-3461.
https://www.rosebudcoffee.com/
DASH coffee bar
Dash is a tiny coffee bar tucked into a three-shop mini-mall. It features a range of coffees including a wide range of lattes and matcha lattes, along with their usual coffees.
Dash Coffee bar, 912 Union St, Pasadena. https://dash-coffee-bar.business.site/
Philz Coffee
This is a “one cup at a time” spot. Choose your beans, and they’ll grind them and brew you a cup right on the spot. Founded by Phil Jaber in San Francisco’s Mission District the coffee spot has now grown to five stores from Pasadena to Washington D/C.
Philz Coffee, 146 S Lake Ave #106, Pasadena. https://www.philzcoffee.com
Float Pasadena
Float Pasadena. Lake Avenue. Here’s the deal: espresso, cortado, macchiato,
Cappuccino, latte, americano, pour over blend, pour over single, origin, hot chocolate, hot tea, latte. Plus sodas and sandwiches. Questions?
Float Pasadena, 380 S Lake Ave, Pasadena. www.floatcoffeeshop.com/
The Pie Hole
This dessert spot features coffee to accompany a host of pies, both sweet and savory. Pie choices change often, but the coffee is always on. It’s a pie place. With coffee.
The Pie Hole, 59 East Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. www.thepieholela.com/
My Place Cafe
My Place offers a wide variety of fresh pastries and bagels, Açai bowls, smoothies, avocado toast, fresh fruit waffles, Berry Berry oatmeal, yogurt parfaits, Veggie Bagels and smoked salmon bagels. Need Gluten-free and Vegan options? Check.
My Place Cafe, 2057 N Los Robles Ave, Pasadena. www.myplacecafe.net/
Superba Snacks + Coffee
Driven by this place and wondered about it, as you headed to some place nearby for pizza or a burger? Calling themselves equal parts bakeries, cafés, and neighborhood meet-up spots, Superba, like many of ofthe cafes on this list, offers quite a few healthy options from salads to sandwiches to drinks. And coffee.
Superba Snacks + Coffee, 712 S Arroyo Pkwy, Pasadena. www.lifesuperba.com/
Dots Cafe
Coffee might be the last thing on the menu, so to speak, at Dot’s which features a full array of breakfast and lunch choices, from Avocado toast to waffle combos. There are nearly a dozen coffee and tea choices as well. Eat up. Drink up.
Dots Cafe, 3819 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. www.dotscafebakery.com/
85°C Bakery Cafe – Pasadena
This “super bakery” is mostly about cakes, and pastries, but it, of course, offers its own range of coffees and teas. If you just want a quick coffee, this might not be the spot. But it might.
85°C Bakery Cafe, 8561 S Fair Oaks Ave #120, Pasadena. www.85cbakerycafe.com/
Erva Brew Co.
This festival favorite tea is made from a tree from the holly family, which, for now, only grows in humid regions of South America. The brewed dried leaves and stem of this tree and their robust, earthy, smoky flavor thas been enjoyed by the people of South America for hundreds of years. After finding favor among music festival audiences for years, it now has a home in Pasadena.
Erva Brew Co., 2377 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena. www.drinkerva.com/
Pillow Talk
This unique asian eatery features a range of desserts and unusual sandwich items. The desserts actually range from salty and sweet to savory and somewhere in between. Served in a circular shiny “bowl” that looks like a can, the “cans” are filled with desserts like Salty yolk pork floss, which is layers of salted egg yolk custard, pork floss, and chiffon cake, or Sunny Side Up, which is layers of mango jelly, coconut mousse, and chiffon cake. It’s fun and unique and there are nearly a dozen coffee and teas.
Pillow Talk, 526 S Lake Ave, Pasadena. www.pillowtalk-pasadena.com/
There you go, we think. Did we leave someone out? A favorite that got left behind? Drop us a note. We’ll take a look at it. Over coffee.
