Philz Coffee — Restaurant in San Jose

I first discovered Philz Coffee at the downtown location and was really impressed with the quality of the drinks—it was a great experience that made me want to come back. Not long after, I found out there was one closer to my house on Brokaw, and ever since then, I’ve been going there daily. Grabbing a Philz has become part of my daily routine, and I genuinely prefer it over Starbucks now. The flavor, the vibe—everything just felt better.

That said, I’ve noticed some inconsistencies lately. A lot of the drinks we’ve been getting either don’t taste right, are too watered down, or are way too strong. It’s become kind of hit or miss. Honestly, the only barista who consistently makes the drinks taste the way they should is Hope. She really knows what she’s doing—every drink she makes is perfectly balanced and full of flavor. I really, really appreciate her work.

The issue is, when we order on the mobile app, we never know who’s going to make our drink. I’m guessing the system assigns drinks randomly among the baristas, but if there’s any way to standardize the quality, Hope should definitely be the one training the others. She sets the bar high.

Another issue has been the wait times. Even with mobile orders, it often tells you a pickup time, but when you show up, the drink isn’t ready—and you’re stuck waiting an extra 10-15 minutes. I get it; it could be a high volume of orders or other delays, but if that’s the case, the app should reflect more accurate times. Some of us have places to be, and that extra wait really throws things off.

I love Philz and I still go every day, but I hope these things can be improved. A little more consistency and better time estimates would go a long way.

And really—kudos to Hope. She’s amazing. I truly wish every barista made the drinks the way she does. If there’s any kind of training program or mentorship, I think Hope should be the one...

If you want watered-down coffee on a Saturday morning, then come right on in! This place loves their watered-down coffee so much that it’s practically their house specialty. You’d think they brewed it with the same enthusiasm someone has for folding laundry on a Sunday night. I tried giving it the benefit of the doubt — maybe it was just an off batch or a sleepy barista — but nope, second cup confirmed it. Tesora tasted bland, still lifeless, still questioning my life choices. I'd rather just grab a water bottle and leave.

The atmosphere doesn’t help either — it’s got that “trying to be cozy but somehow misses the mark” vibe. Tables wobble, and the service feels like an afterthought. When you finally get your drink, you’ll be handed a cup that looks like coffee but tastes like someone whispered “eXpresso” over a mug of hot water. Yikes.

If you’re serious about your caffeine, save yourself the disappointment and head somewhere else. But if you’re into the idea of paying premium prices for what tastes like regret in a cup, well, this might just be your spot.

But hey, the banana bread is...

I honestly wasn’t a fan. I have been to Philz before and liked it, but I guess this time wasn’t great. My first problem, which is also there selling point is the unique drinks. Sometimes I want to go to a cafe and get my basic iced vanilla latte. Most other specialty, Coffee shops that I have been to can make easy lattes with flavours. They however, don’t do basic lattes. You have to go with one of their unique coffee flavours. I got the rose one, and it was just fine. I asked for low sugar, but next time I will ask for medium because this was tad bit bitter. My second problem was the wait time. I am not sure if this is because they have too many orders or they are short staffed, but my drink literally took 20 minutes to come. By the time, my drink arrived. I had to quickly gulp it and run for my appointment. The third issue is lack of character. The space feels in industrial and not in inviting at all. They do have free Wi-Fi, which is a plus. The best part of the cafe for me was the staff who were really nice and welcoming. I don’t think I’ll...