Yeems Coffee — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Yeems Coffee is what I consider my neighborhood coffee shop, even though it's four miles away, but it's a place that I connect with, it feels personal.

It surprises even myself that I find peace in a strip mall coffee shop. Or maybe, I like it exactly because it's a strip mall coffee shop. Their customers are grandmas and students, blue and white collar workers, of all races and ages. The down-to-earth vibe and unpretentious people don't mean the shop feels generic. On the contrary, the bright and clean space with a splash of lush green is an oasis in a concrete jungle, an escape from the mundane.

My favorite drink at Yeems is their Vienna Coffee: double espresso on double cream, topped with cocoa powder. It's smooth, dark, complex, and indulging. It's truly special because you can't easily find it elsewhere. More often, I go for a straight flat white. Simple, but always skillfully crafted. I'll sip it over a quiet read, or a little chat with the owner James and whoever else behind the bar. For a full breakfast, Yeems also carries pastries and makes fresh and delicious and toasts in their kitchen.

James is humble, authentic, and diligent. You just have to look through his quiet demeanor to see his passion and dedication. Seven days a week, he greets customers as they enter, thanks them as they leave, and makes good coffee in between. There have been a few other staff members over time, Joe, Ted, Erin, everyone is genuine and welcoming.

There are destination coffee shops, and there are neighborhood coffee shops. Yeems is obviously the later, and it's one of the best that I...

This is what a simple black coffee looks like at Yeems.

It was one of the worst coffee experiences I’ve ever had in my life. I was charged $4.25 for half a carafe of coffee. I was then told that this establishment did not have drip coffee. Yet this is a coffee establishment. The no charge solution was to add more boiling water to the carafe, not coffee. I was told that I would have to be double charged to fill it up all the way to the top. I’ve never experienced this at any boutique coffee establishment in the world.

If they would’ve just filled it up to the top, this review could’ve been avoided. I might have not of come back, but at least I would’ve gotten what I paid for. I will be disputing the charge for this, as I did not receive what I ordered after two attempts to clarify.

Overall, this is not an establishment for the coffee purist or connoisseur. This is geared towards people who like beverages and sugary drinks. I’ve had much better experiences and quality at 7-Eleven with their freshly ground coffees and paid 1/7 the price of what they were tried to charge me at this place.

Yeems now holds the number one spot for the most expensive coffee in Los Angeles and for me, the largest coffee disappointment I’ve ever experienced.

If the owner or the management would like to reach out to me to make this right, I am more open to the...

I’m afraid this cafe is no longer as magical as it once was. I’ve been frequenting Yeems for almost a year or so, always ordering a vienna latte and buttercream latte. The buttercream latte is my personal favorite. The flavors are balanced: never too sweet, delightfully creamy and viscous, with a full-bodied espresso flavor to round out the creaminess.

Today I was painfully disappointed by the quality of the bev. It was obnoxiously milky and the espresso was practically undetectable..very strange considering how consistently great the drinks have been on previous visits.

I don’t think off days should exist when you’re paying almost seven dollars for a glorified cup of milk with espresso in it. I noticed someone’s Vienna latte cup wasn’t even halfway full. It’s never filled to the brim to accommodate the crème top, but I’m not sure what the excuse for that embarrassment was today. Gone seem to be the days of the gorgeous beverage featured in the Google photo reel.

The espresso rig Yeems uses is at least $30,000. I’d like to actually taste what such a pricey machine can produce. I hope the workers are paid well for their troubles, especially considering the hectic and overstimulating atmosphere at this coffee shop. The buttercream latte is my one of my top favorite lattes in all of Los Angeles, but I probably won’t come back...