Blue Bottle Coffee — Restaurant in Palo Alto

I have to admit that there's always a lot of hype around Blue Bottle. They are trying to provide a very artesian European cafe type experience opposite of a mainstream cookie cutter Starbucks approach, all while trying to be quick about it, not as fast as a Starbucks but still giving you some time back on your clock. So do they actually accomplish their goals? Not exactly. Is the menu simple and to the point, sure. Is the atmosphere simplistic and clean at their many locations, yes I agree. Where they fall short is time, service, and quality. Good lord it's always time with them because if you're in a hurry..good luck! I appreciate a slower approach to a cafe experience when I need it but man if you DON'T have any sense of urgency in your day then you've found the right spot. Is their product better than others, compared to Starbucks I would say maybe. Definitely a more artisan approach, I receive an actual coffee cup when dining in and there is always a nice little flare of artwork to the pour but does it taste better than other places? Definitely seems possible and maybe feels a little cleaner but is there a huge difference in taste and flavor? Not really. The food they provide is the standard cafe offering but seem to be full of sweets, breads, and sugars that I typically stay away from. I have to admit Starbucks has some really good offerings that you can easily see nutrients on and feel better about what you're eating. The staff is definitely polite and cordial but with more of that High Fidelity type vibe towards you, so you feel a little left out. Plus with more of that bespoke approach to your drink sometimes you want to scream because the line is so long as you wait and I'm not sure if that is because there is demand or it just takes so long to make your item! Backyard Brew which is a much smaller place and obviously not on the scale of Blue Bottle, Peet's, etc..has that same bespoke approach but their service is amazing and nice and you feel welcome. Overall Blue Bottle is a good spot, their offerings are decent and their service is okay. If I'm trying to get on with my day, which I always am, Peet's or Starbucks are just as good and in many ways much...

I'm a big fan of Blue Bottle, as I am a major supporter of most of the big third-wave coffee roasters like Blue Bottle, La Colombe, Intelligentsia, and Stumptown. Given that Blue Bottle is a roaster from California and I hail from the East Coast, I don't typically don't get to enjoy their coffee often. Naturally on a trip out west to Palo Alto, I had to make a pit stop at the nearest Blue Bottle.

This location is gorgeous. The space is exactly what I like to see in a coffee shop. This Blue Bottle debuted inside HanaHaus, which is a cafe and communal space intended to serve as a hub for entrepreneurs. I love the airy courtyard with its strings of overhead lights, fountain, and Mission Revival architecture. It's the perfect place to socialize. There is also seating in the interior, which features vaulted ceilings and ornate floors and walls.

I ordered a New Orleans iced coffee, one of Blue Bottle's specialties, as well as a bag of their Honduras single origin beans. I took my iced coffee out to the courtyard and sat down to read and sip, enjoying the breezy Bay Area weather. Their New Orleans iced coffee is coffee infused with stout and cold-brewed with roasted chicory. It's creamy, slightly sweet, and indulgent. I brewed the Honduras beans in my Chemex, and it's wonderful. I love the notes of grapefruit, lemongrass, and blackberry.

If you're looking for a coffee shop to savor some good coffee, read a book, catch up on some work, or meet up with friends or investors, this is definitely a great place to do so. You can definitely find me here whenever I...

A few blocks down University lies Blue Bottle… where they share a space with the Hanahaus. I’ve been to this location a couple of times and it feels quite homey as I love their architecture.

I usually go for their pastries and cold brew but this time around, i wanted to try something a little different when it came to drinks. I had the 16oz iced Nola and the butter croissant… needless to say I was quite impressed with the fact that their butter croissant was buttery and fluffy (not too hard even after it started getting a little bit cold). The iced Nola was not watery at all, and I was able to feel the espresso even after the ice melted and all that.

The only thing I have in terms of service and atmosphere was the fact that they kinda rushed the process of my order, which I didn’t really appreciate. It’s often full in the afternoon, and there’s not really a lot of places to charge your laptop if you need to work on stuff at the coffee shop, hence the reason why the minus one star. But I...