Philz Coffee — Restaurant in San Francisco

My first Philz experience, in San Francisco where it all started, no less.

Conveniently located between the Ferry Marketplace & the Hyatt Regency where I stayed, Philz Coffee is known for crafting personalized coffee & tea, one cup at a time. I've seen & heard references to Philz' mint mojito iced coffee drink, so I already had in mind what I wanted on my last morning in San Francisco.

Mint mojito (large, medium sweet)- Refreshing! Medium sweetness was about the right level for me, as I usually have my coffee w/o sugar. I dare not imagine a mint mojito at normal sweetness. The coffee had low acidity, and exceptional flavor. As I finished my drink, I noticed about a quarter of the cup full of mint leaves. No skimping on mint at Philz! I enjoyed my personally crafted cup of mint mojito, but I found at a price point of $5.50, it was rather small in portions. I made sure to savor every last drop to get my complete money's worth.

Besides drinks, Philz has some exceptional looking pastries & savory food items for sale. I was eyeing the avocado toast, but thought otherwise.

In a hurry? Philz has a separate line for those that order ahead, expediting the process for the masses.

Service was good. My barista was friendly & helped me decided upon the sweetness level. She informed me to pay at the cashier & to keep my ears tuned in when she called out "mint mojito, medium sweet." The wait in the queue wasn't very long, and water is available to quench your thirst. Inside seating is via a few communal tables, couches & seats. More seating available al fresco via tables with the Ferry Marketplace & the bay in eyesight.

I made a quick stroll here, so I'm unsure of the parking arrangements.

I haven't had my fill of Philz, just yet! Philz Coffee brews an excellent cup o' Joe, not in large batches like some of the competition. The mint mojito is a delicious drink, the popularity of which I can quite understand. Big on flavor, I wish it was of a quantity to match. Nevertheless, I was quite happy with my morning caffeine boost & I've become a fan of Philz.

Highly...

I went to my favorite Philz Coffee today, but I was unexpectedly scolded by the barista for being "rude," which really surprised me. Here's what happened: I arrived around 5:20 PM, in a rush to grab a coffee for a friend who was heading to the airport. Since it was close to closing time, there weren’t many customers. I wasn’t sure if they were about to close. I saw the barista chatting with a woman at the counter. They were wearing similar colored clothes, and since I heard them casually talking, I assumed she was a coworker and they were just chatting during a slow moment. I stood behind them for a bit, and they turned to look at me. So I assumed it was my turn and said I’d like a Mint Mojito. But then the barista said (a bit sharply), “I’m helping her right now! Please wait!” I was caught off guard and said, “Oh, sorry!” because I honestly didn’t realize they were in the middle of ordering. I thought it was just casual chat. He then continued taking her order, and she chatted a bit more before finally finishing. When it was my turn, he took my order with a smile but then started lecturing me. He told me I was rude for interrupting. I apologized again and explained that I didn’t know she was still ordering because it sounded like small chat, and they looked at me like they were ready. But he kept going on about how I shouldn’t do that again. Honestly, I felt pretty bad afterward. I had no intention of being rude. I waited behind her, saw them both turn toward me, and thought I could order. It was all just a misunderstanding, and I did apologize right away. I end up leave some tip too. Was I really being that rude?

By the way. The other person make me coffee was friendly and nice. My friend...

Of San Francisco's great coffee shops -- Philz, Blue Bottle, Four Barrel -- I find that Philz is the one to which I return, again and again. Why? I find it's a deeper, richer flavor that doesn't go bitter if I let the brew sit for a while, say in a meeting.

I didn't even know that there was a Philz near the Ferry Building. I stumbled across it and felt compelled to run in and grab a cup. Philz trades in blends, which is my major complaint: I prefer single-source or single-country coffees. While I like some of Philz blends, it's the Ethiopian Harrar or Yergacheffe that make me smile. (Yes, there's usually at least one container of non-blend beans behind the baristas.)

This day it was labelled 'Ethiopian', but none of the employees could tell me exactly what it was. Neither the baristas front of house nor the back of house office staff had any idea. Teaching moment: your staff should know the minimum (at least) about what you're brewing.

So there it is: one tasty cup of coffee, one smile, one better day.

Disclaimer: I am acquainted with Jacob, Phil's son. When I managed our coffee habit at an office near the ballpark I negotiated with Jacob to meet our weekly coffee budget with a constantly-varying selection of Philz beans. It was...