The Boy & The Bear - Coffee Roastery — Restaurant in Redondo Beach

I had great hopes for this place but unfortunately I did not enjoy the coffee. Their traditional espresso choice has high levels of sourness. I did not try the modern espresso since the barista described it as a lighter roast with floral notes, which usually translates to even higher acidity. I went twice just in case my first experience was a fluke. I had a triple shot americano the first time, which tasted very under-extracted. I attributed this to the triple shot, since the people I was with liked their drinks. Second time I got a regular cortado to help balance the high acidity with the sweetness of the milk, but even that was too sour. The other problem was the very long wait time, we waited a good 30min for our order. Another group we were with that arrived after us waited even longer. As far as I could see there as no reason for this long wait, they had 3 baristas working, there weren't too many people in line, and there wasn't a large number of people picking up mobile orders either.

The reason I'm giving 3 stars instead of 1 is the pastry though - I had a pistachio croissant which was delightful. If I were to come back I would skip the espresso drinks in favor of tea or brewed coffee, and just...

I followed my nose there as they were currently roasting at that moment which carried my steps there as if I was Toucan Sam with fruit loops. My first time there this morning and the guy at the counter broke it all down for me about their coffee, their process, and their business. If youre looking for bold and dark roasts, this is NOT for you. I'm normally a dark roast kinda guy but he let me sample their cold brew, and I ordered an Americano straight black (as I always enjoy my coffee). Being that it was a medium roast, I expected a more acidic or bitter taste, but I was surprised with a crisp smelling, strong tasting delicious cup of coffee as I was also still hypnotised by the smells coming from the roasting machine just about 4 meters away from where I sat. I thoroughly enjoyed the environment as well. Wide open with high ceilings, comfy furniture, merch shelves that were simple and spacious. NOT overcrowded with pressuring mulitple items to confuse you. Both the nice gentleman at the counter and the Barista seemed genuinely welcoming and very friendly. I would absolutely recommend this fine establishment to anybody in the neighboring area to sit and enjoy their time here, rather than rush...

I visited this place after hearing a couple of praises from unrelated individuals. One of them described their latte as absolutely amazing.

Upon entering the shop, I was greeted with an amazing aroma that was both new and familiar. It smelled like coffee but on another level, perhaps how parfume compares with cologne. They have gigantic dog food sized burlap bags of coffee beans along the side of the store.

The menu is simple, like In-N-Out simple. I orderer a Hemp Milk Latte with Vanilla flavor added and was asked to wait outside while the beverage was prepared.

So - now about the actual drink. WOW! HOLY S#!+ It was complex and smooth with a seeming lack of acidity and imparted the delicious flavor of coffee without the bitter aftertaste characteristic of coffee.

I will definitely come again, but wouldn't do so daily as I'm the kind of guy that did an ROI calculation on and invested in an espresso machine at home since I prefer to conserve dollars with self sufficiency. That being said - whatever they prepared and served me is something I don't know how to make at home. At $6+, its an indulgent and luxurious treat you can afford to reward yourself with at least...