Z Vault — Restaurant in Bel Air

This isn't really a review I want to make because this place holds a special place in my heart and the employees are all lovely and kind people, but I feel like I need to say it. The quality of this place has gone slowly but surely downhill in the last year.

I am a former barista and barista trainer, so I can usually tell what has or has not been done to a drink just by its texture or the way it tastes. From experience, I can tell that baristas here routinely forget basic things. For example, it seems to me that blended espresso beverages are regularly served without frappe base and with large chunks of ice still in them. I usually order the same drink whenever I go, and a year ago getting the occasional badly blended frappe was a rare occurrence, but it now happens almost every time I go.

Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be coming back anymore. This place has all the materials and equipment to make delicious drinks - I know this, because it's what kept me coming back in the first place - but management, please, please give your baristas more training. They should not be fumbling basics. The drinks here cost way too much to keep on giving this place second chances. I used to think the price was worth it for a little midday treat, but now it's always a gamble ordering a drink from here and it's almost always...

This was my first visit. The exterior Organic sign is what attracted me; however, the interior says "Zvault." This restaurant used to be a bank, so Zvault is a play on that interesting fact. Zvault is also the name of their website, but hey, if they like it, I love it! Their menu is very limited. They had mostly smoothies and a few sandwich options. I ordered one of their most popular smoothies that is made with orange juice, and it tasted like I was drinking orange juice. The restaurant was clean and has a drive through. They have two unisex bathrooms with wheelchair accessible signs on them, but I recall having to step up on a curve to enter the restaurant, so I am not sure about the wheel chair accessability. The bathroom was clean too, with free sanitary napkins. The walls were decorated with currency; however, I did not see any African currency. It was interesting none-the-less. They offer outdoor dining too and free onsite parking. They are on the corner of a busy intersection, so you have to get in the right lane to turn into it, or you will have drive around the corner again, until you catch the entrance. I was disappointed at the lack of food options. They didn't have a variety of baked goods either, which is the reason for my rating. The people working there were...

I don't live in Bel Air, but my sister and her family do. And I have always moaned about the circumstance that this pretty and fairly upscale town has never really had a great coffee house. It's a pretty mainstream sensibility that prevails, the Starbucks is always busy (ugh), there are tons of big chain restaurants and fast food.

Z Vault seems like it will join my list of fantastic and favorite privately owned places in and around town. Everything was very good, though the iced cold brew was watery, we think they diluted it and iced it. BUT, the coffee quality was great! The sandwiches could've been heated a little longer, but not sure if they normally do that, they did bc we asked.

AND, cool novelty if you're into coffee equipment, their espresso machine is accessible stylish, like future industrial, I would say. One of the people told there are only two of them in the entire US. Not sure what kind it is, but there's supposed to be a pic of the other side (the business end) on their Instagram, maybe that will have a name. Anyway, very very good quality coffee and tea, sandwiches were generous and tasty, and can't wait to try some other things, they look...