Blue Bottle Coffee — Restaurant in San Jose

Mornings when I’m short on time and craving for freshly brewed coffee, Blue Bottle Coffee at Santana Row in west San Jose hits the mark in delivering that hot aromatic aphrodisiac coffee that not only wakes the senses up but also the palate.

Pairs deliciously with a croissant or pastries.

Ordered a Bella Donovan freshly brewed poured over coffee which is described by Blue Bottle coffee as “a natural Ethiopian coffee with jammy berry notes brings a glimmer of fruit to the otherwise chocolate-heavy foundation. To add nuance, they roast these two coffees four different ways. The result is a blend that straddles the worlds of complexity and comfort with uncommon poise.”

Taste: 5/5

Location’s Ambiance: chill / relaxing outdoor shaded patio area with seating and tables aplenty

Quiet spot for remote work, and a good gathering spot to socialize with family and friends

Blue Bottle Coffee’s mission is to “serve delicious coffee, roasted fresh and brewed to order, sourced from the finest sustainable coffee farms.”

Some interesting tidbits:

“A former professional clarinetist who studied philosophy at UC Santa Cruz, Freeman opened Blue Bottle in Oakland more than two decades ago, and the hugely successful brand has been majority-owned, 65%, by Swiss food giant Nestlé since 2017.”

Blue Bottle coffee are “sourced responsibly and sustainably, and many of them are certified organic. The following blends are certified organic: Bella Donovan, Three Africas, Giant Steps, 17ft Ceiling and Hayes Valley.”

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Rating this particular Blue Bottle branch based on two visits. First of all, I love Blue Bottle and they’re usually 4/5 or 5/5. As for this branch, the coffee did not taste good in both visits, and the milk is a bit too hot. Seems like they’re degrading to Starbucks. I really hope Blue Bottle fixes this inconsistency issue.

Also, in my second visit, I ordered a cortado (the cashier told me they have one and punched in gibraltar, which is basically the same). However, I got a full cappuccino, the one they do in an 8 oz cup, which I hate because it’s too milky. The bartender said “cappuccino” out loud twice, and when I mentioned it was cortado, he said oops I misread it I meant cortado (it actually said gibraltar on the receipt). I’m pretty sure he made a mistake and did not want to redo it. I said I thought a cortado is smaller, he said no this is a cortado. In what dimension of this universe is an 8 oz cup a cortado? Especially coming out of the mouth of a bartender working at Blue Bottle. Please google “cortado”. Cortado literally means “cut”, as in cut size or short. Look at the pics and tell me whether this is cut or full to the brim with milk.

I specifically avoid ordering cappuccino for take away because it becomes 8 oz of coffee-flavored milk (vs. a 4-5 oz proper cappuccino when you order it for here, which is another stupid inconsistency issue that Blue Bottle...

Way overpriced small cup Latte for $6.5. They have 7 people working inside for 1 person job. Cashier and Barista. A booth like this should have a Max of 2, they have 7 - the rest are just hanging out, looking pretty. I just overheard the manager tell 1 guy that he's responsible for the milk. So 1 makes espresso and he give it to another guy to steam the milk.. using the same machine. Another person handles the pastry, which is next to the cashier... You would think they moved little faster if they have 7 people, but nope.. it has been 20 minutes, I'm still waiting for my order and the shop is not even packed. Also, there wasn't a specific instructions on where to stand, and the cashier saw us walk in and he didn't bother tell us I'm waiting with people who already ordered. Not even bother to greet. The coffee is so small. I had to order from another place WHICH offers a bigger mug of Latte for the same freaking PRICE AND ITS NOT WATERED DOWN as the one from this store!!! Blue Bottle is for bougie people with no taste, but because the price is expensive, so they think it...