Phê Coffee Lowertown — Restaurant in Saint Paul

Group size: 5 Drink order: 3 strawberry matchas, 1 regular matcha and 1 Pandanmoniun

The only drink that was finished was the Pandanmoniun, and the comment made was that the espresso was really strong.

All the rest were pretty much tossed out after each person drank 1/4-1/3 of it which is bad for an $8 drink. The strawberry matcha is just a mess. You have a 1/3 of strawberry puree which is grainy (sugar probably wasn't dissolved all the way) and fizzy (my theory is that it's either going bad or fermenting because the drink doesn't state that there is seltzer in it). Then you have about 1/4 of matcha, followed by a 1/3 of cloud foam (sweet cream/cheese foam at bubble tea shops) and the remaining space is just one tile of ice (not ice cubes, literally a tile). Presentation is nice.

However, when you try to mix the strawberry and the matcha, it splits, looks grainy and doesn't stay blended. You need a straw to get to the drink because the cloud foam is so thick and doesn't let the drink permeate when drinking from the top. The taste and texture are unfortunately bad, it's clumpy and watery. The strawberries taste like they're close to expiring and overly sweet by the grainy sugar (can't adjust the amount of sweetness).

Personally, the strawberry matcha gave me the impression that it was trying to be a bubble tea with how much was going on but without the balanced ratio. I've had the Taro Bubble Tea Latte from MuMu (the one with the thick taro paste) and have never had an issue with it not mixing or splitting. I've had sweet cream in other teas and have never had an issue actually drinking the tea with the foam on top (not blended into the drink).

I did confirm that they use ceremonial grade matcha so that's good. I didn't get the hibiscus refresher drink but they did confirm it's made in house (maybe I should have gotten this) unfortunately I probably won't go back for any...

NEW OWNERSHIP- STILL GREAT COFFEE! My hubby and I found this place when it was still The Salty Tart, which was taken over by Truestone Coffee Roasters, which has now been bought by the people who own Bullvino’s next door (yummy place btw). I gatta say that I have been a patron through many ups and downs of this space. I can tell you that I am ECSTATIC they will continue to serve Truestone Coffee because out of the entire Twin Cities, Truestone beans are my favorite! I find them roasted beautifully every time with no burnt taste that signifies over roasting and contributed to a higher acid content acting up my reflux. I also find the quality of the drinks made here superior to other specialty coffee shops in the Metro area. Their seasonal drinks are made very flavorful without extra added chemicals (at least in my experience). Their seasonal pumpkin was awesome but my favorite drink is the caramel latte. So good!

They do now have an extensive breakfast menu that includes lots of egg options (eggdonuts, omelets, Benedict’s, pancakes, extras) as well as lunch options with sandwiches, burgers, specialties, AND an impressive dessert menu :)

In the past I would have a pastry from the case, made from Patisserie 46, which were yummy but I am looking forward to trying out their new breakfast.

They are working out some glitches so patience will be greatly appreciated. I know they are hoping to make this place a welcoming and delicious spot for everyone who visits.

Heads up, parking is free in the street a couple of blocks up and paid parking is free on the street on Sunday’s. Otherwise expect to pay a couple of dollars for an hour visit. For me, knowing that I will receive an amazing cup of coffee, it has been worth it. Plus, I often go with a friend and we split the cost so I find a dollar for...

I wanted to be super excited about this place but I find it difficult to with their state of operation right now. First, I ordered their iced Ube latte with oat milk and there was no way for you or the employees to tell which drink is made with a milk alternative. For example, we went on a busy Saturday and names weren’t called, just orders. You’d only be able to tell which order was yours by the sequence in which customers grabbed their drinks/ food. Essentially, you’re risking a dollar and a stomach ache (IYKYK) not knowing which drink is yours. Second, their food options are very limited, no vegetarian options and dairy-free options are risky to order here. I ordered their breakfast sandwich which I think may have been a breakfast sandwich you’d buy in bulk at Costco, just heated up. My friend ordered a chicken pesto panini and asked specifically for no cheese. When the order was called out, for some reason the panini was made with cheddar cheese instead? I believe it’s normally made with Mozzarella but.. instead of getting no cheese it was made with cheddar? I could only laugh at the mix up when she brought it to the table. They of course offered to remake it but the request of having no cheese on the panini didnt convince the employees to leave out the cheese from the entire dish. The salad that came with the panini had melted cheddar cheese on it. Very bizarre. My friend gave up and decided to let me eat the salad instead of asking them to remake a salad without the cheese.

TLDR: Phê Coffee 3/5. Coffee was okay, food options are limited, and establishment isn’t very aware/ familiar with dietary...