There are coffee shops, and there are coffee shops. It’s quite common for a local coffee shop to become a central spot in the community. A place to meet, chat, read, maybe do a bit of work on the laptop, maybe do a spot of people watching. Despite the fact that Philz Coffee is a chain with locations across California and, oddly enough, Illinois, the place encapsulates all of those things.
“??Our mission at Philz is to [provide] Better Days for everyone, every day,” they say online. “Something as simple as a cup of coffee has the power to transform your everyday into something special, so we better days one brewed-to-order cup at a time. We approach every interaction with warmth, sincerity, and care, to raise each other’s spirits (while raising a cup).”
Full disclosure–this writer doesn’t like coffee. That said, objectively speaking, millions of people do and Philz has a full range of coffee to enjoy both in the coffee shops, but also bagged up and ready to brew at home.
“After opening a convenience store in the heart of the Mission District in 1978, Phil spent 25 years learning, experimenting, and blending, with the goal of making a really good cup of coffee,” they say. “His passion for brewing coffee and building community laid the foundation for the first Philz Coffee shop on January 1, 2003 in the Mission District of San Francisco. What began as a labor of love became a national love affair, with stores across California and Chicago.”
There is also a hot food menu, and that was what brought us in on a Sunday morning. The menu isn’t extensive, but the food items that they do have are very enticing. There’s a Plant Powered Sandwich for vegetarians and vegans, and a nice array of bagels and sweet treats.
We opted for the Pork Sausage and Egg Burrito. That happens to be quite a small item, but it’s delicious. The wrap is warm and soft, and it’s filled with eggs, potatoes, cheddar cheese and pork sausage. All of the ingredients taste fresh, and they blend together beautifully.
We also ordered an Almond Croissant, but they were out and gave us a Cookie Dough Croissant instead. This is quite the ingenious item. The crisp croissant is stuffed with chocolate chip cookie dough and then baked, resulting in a croissant sandwiching a cookie. Not since chili cheese fries have food been matched so ideally.
Philz Coffee is located at 9300 Culver Blvd., Suite 113, Culver City 90232. Call 424-603-4344 or visit philzcoffee.com.
