Lucky's Coffee Roasters — Restaurant in Upland

Hello! I have broken up my review based on categories! See below!

Location: I came to Luckys because I’ve tried most of the coffee places and I was tired of going to the generic Starbucks. First, let me say I entered this establishment without the knowledge of previous one star reviews where many complained that masks were optional or limited seating was possible or even claims of employees not wearing mask. Had I known this I might have not come however the entrance clearly states that masks must be worn as well as the barista‘s having masks themselves. With that out of the way the coffee here was amazing, but more on that in a bit! A lot of it is opened up to let air come in and out so you can’t really smell the fragrance of coffee grounds but nonetheless it’s still really good! My biggest gripe with the place is that the menus are really small or they have a very big generic menu that doesn’t really suffice what they could do. The full menu is all the way in the front pushed to the person at the cashier leaving everyone else behind guessing until they are at the very front. I didn’t even get a chance to scan it because it was so awkwardly placed I skimmed over it. I think that’s my only “dude what the heck” with this place is the way the menus are laid out.

The Coffee: Much of my experience with coffee has been just black hot coffee. However when trying new places I like to experiment a little to see how far we could go with something. Honey lavender butterfly latte caught my eye as something kind of unique but interesting. Above the name it claims to be caffeine free however the barista‘s were more than accommodating to switch it to be caffeinated by adding cold brew to the mix. Now then another issue I have is that there are NO PRICES LISTED for specialty drinks. Now I might have missed it because as previously stated I did not scan the full menu list due to placement, it left me guessing how much a latte was going to be. Now, apparently they only have 16 ounce cups??? I was kind of surprised not to be able to order a 24 ounce I thought it’s because I came at the end of the day however it is true...strictly 16oz.

Employees: honestly some of the raddest people. This place is a little awkward to get used to at first however the baristas really hammered home a strong first impression. I believe his name was Chase Who really confirmed that I will be returning to this location frequently. Not only did he help me out but he was patient with me as well as informative (If I go back there and confirm his name is not Chase I will edit this). Even offered me a water on the way out!

Overall: The little annoyances such as having the menu pushed to the front, having the specialty drinks without prices, The limit being 16oz, and now the ever looming fear an employee might go maskless due to previous reviews (even though I did not encounter this) knocked off a star for me. I typically rate harder on those who we’re not CDC compliant however I believe those reviews were just one offs due to confusing times in the past. It would be nice to have at least a 24 ounce option and the full menu be moved closer to the door. The staff is wonderful and the area is really opened up to let airflow through. The coffee here is really really good however I have yet to try a simple espresso or black coffee due to the price almost being the same as a...

Towards the end of the historic downtown Upland, what a gem of a coffee shop! The service was stellar. I came in to look at the menu while my partner was outside with the dog. The cashier/barista was super friendly and said to let them know if I had any questions. After I took a look at the menu, I was asked if I was ready to order which I said I needed to go swap watching the dog and the cashier shared that dogs are allowed inside since they don't serve food, but the doggo did not want to come inside

I was deciding between an espresso mule and the April kisses. Honestly, I wanted both, but I ended up ordering the April Kisses. The cashier also let my partner know that dogs can come inside or she could take the menu back outside, after she came inside. My partner shared that our dog didn't want to come in, so after my partner ordered, the cashier/barista said they'd bring the drinks out to us where we were waiting .

My partner got the lavender matcha and liked it, however, we both agreed mine was very tasty! As the description suggested, it's like a chocolate covered strawberry. It's also unlike most coffee drinks we typically order. The mocha itself was also confirmed to be dairy free since I have a dairy allergy.

Service and drinks are both 10/10! Highly...

Lucky's is a great little coffee in downtown Upland. As you walk in you're welcomed by an open, creative, coffee feel very reminicent of downtown Pasadena and several other shops that I've frequented in parts of NorCal. Over all, it's exactly the environment that a coffee shop should be, with a community table, loads of power outlets, educated baristas, and good music.

Regarding the actual product. I had the Nicaraguan coffee done on the drip, it was significantly brighter than anything I would normally try but I'm glad I had the opportunity to try it. The coffee is sweet and takes on some hints of lime as it cools. I also has the opportunity to try out the Sumatra as an espresso, it's extremely unique but in a good way. The Sumatra is roasted lighter than you'd expect and comes out with a taste profile that I've never had before, with juicy green apple that's not offensively tart. Both drip and espressos were fun on the palate, looking forward to trying something a bit darker next...