Handsome Coffee Roasters

2/27/2013

Terrible coffee, and terrible service.   I watched 5 staff stand around polishing glasses while only one person made drinks, meaning the wait was forever.  The counter tops were so dirty.   I always judge a place in part by how clean their tables are, because I think it shows what the kitchen/back looks like.  I asked to buy beans and the girls seemed annoyed and asked if I wanted her to check the price.  Yes, that is why I asked for the price.   I coffee also tasted burnt.   You would need sugar to hide the bad taste of the coffee, but they are too "good" to serve it. Plus, it is in a terrible area.  Pass.

7/17/2012

If your usual haunt is Starbucks or 7-11, don't bother.

If it isn't, go here.

6/1/2013

Very good coffee but overpriced. Super limited menu (drip, espresso, or espresso with milk, that's it). I personally prefer the coffee at Jameson Brown, there is more selection. An intense coffee hound might think this brew is better, but if so it's not better enough to justify the price hike. Still, definitely worth checking out.

2/16/2012 Updated review

Officially open for business now; although I couldn't make the grand opening due to a work conflict, I still really enjoy this place and appreciate the people behind it.  My initial review has only been reinforced each time I've stopped by -- they have been super-welcoming, across the board.  And all involved seem really hardworking/talented -- and really proud of their hard work -- traits I personally admire.  For more info, please see my original review below.

6/11/2013

Just. Great. Coffee. No crap.

6/22/2012

Made my first visit to Handsome after hearing some good things about their beans.  Coffee is AMAZING, but a bit overpriced. I respect the fact that they don't offer sweeteners, which allow you to truly experience flavor profiles, but I think they should offer some non-dairy options: soy, almond. My coffee (Los Naranjos) was excellent, and plenty sweet without the need for sugar.

I recommend at least 1 visit. The staff is super friendly, and the coffee doesn't disappoint.

2/16/2013

Pretension has a new name.  It is Handsome Coffee Roasters.

When I asked the cashier if I could get some sugar, he offered up the most non sensical response to that question I have ever heard.  He replied by stating in a phony apologetic way

"Oh, I'm sorry we don't have sweeteners for our coffee.  You see we focus primarily on roasting our own coffee, and we like to dedicate our space to that."

What does that even mean?   Was he actually implying that the storage of a bag of sugar would in some way hinder their ability to roast coffee?  Just be honest and tell me that you are trying to make an elitist coffee shop that turns it's nose up at conventional coffee drinking tactics shared by millions upon millions of people the world over.  At least I can respect that as an honest answer, rather than some absurd rationalization based on sugar taking up too much space.

If you are going to be as lame as to not even allow your customers to have sugar in their coffee, you better be able to back that up with the best cup of coffee around, especially at $4 a cup!  The coffee was average at best.

I will not be returning to Handsome Coffee Roasters.  If you are looking for a damn good cup of coffee, go to The Commissary on Fairfax or Sycamore Kitchen.  Don't waste your time at Handsome.  It will just make you angry as it will reveal the worst type of trendy BS that LA has to offer.

6/9/2013

They serve a fine cup of coffee, no sugar necessary. Relaxing atmosphere, genuinely friendly baristas. Bring a good book to read, and enjoy your time here!

4/13/2013

Well, it took me FOREVER to find this place and I was actually on my way to
SCI-Art which is around the corner-though no one at the Roasters knew exactly the best way to get there...However, I had been 'warned' by my late dearly departed too
soon friend Joe, that the coffee he got was 'lukewarm ' and he complained.  Well i wanted to laugh and cry (because I couldnt tell Joe he was right), the coffee is
lukewarm-and it took too long for them to brew.  It's tasty but who wants lukewarm
coffee filled to the brim in a small cup-ok I'm used to Starbucks but still I do not
understand why the cofee is not HOT! The pastries looked great, as they are
from the Bread lounge, which is closed on Saturday, so i don't know when
they got them in-and I did not ask for the price....there were lots of 'beautifulful
people' inside and a truck called EGG SLUT(!) parked outside; the name
did nothing but turn me off, plus fresh squeezed juices from a stand that
had them in bottles!!! Squeezed fresh? WHen?   The taco truck everyone
raves about is not there on Saturday, so i was bitterly disappointed in the
whole experience...and as I said this is the kind of newLA I loathe-high prices,
high attitude.

7/3/2013

Hands down the best espresso out there. ¡Es muy fuerte! Muchos gracias.

4/29/2013

One of the best latte's in town.  Had to take a whole bag of beans to go,

Only complaint I had was their lack of pastry selection and what they did have, was very overpriced ($4 for a plain croissant). But it was a very good croissant I have to admit.

12/27/2011

They haven't opened their storefront/coffee bar yet but they're already selling their coffee online.  After all the hype I heard from baristas around the DTLA area and their website I must say I am unimpressed.  I really hope they improve or add other espresso roasts to their roster.  Handsome, if you read this, I hope you take this as constructive criticism.

Their espresso is sour and from what I've heard, it's roasted and meant to be sour.

I've tried two bags and same result no matter how I dialed in the grind.  And the beans went from bad to worse as the days passed.   At first I thought I was doing something wrong.  I've been a coffee geek for years and I do have a good espresso setup at home (Rancilio, Lelit PL53 Conical Burr Grinder, Scale, Tamper, etc...).  I've also tried all types of different beans (Stumptown, Heart, Jones, Blue Bottle, Klatch, etc...) and I've always pulled great espresso shots from them, so I am confident that I know what I'm doing.  I must say, I felt validated when I heard another barista from one of the DTLA coffee bars mention they thought their espresso was sour too.  I should mention that I brewed it as drip coffee and it was very good.

At 21.50 a pound I think it's pricey for sour espresso.  Blue Bottle Coffee from Oakland, CA sells their espresso for 16 a pound.  Add 5 dollars shipping and you're at 21 dollars a pound.  I think Handsome should sell their pound for about 16 to 18 and wait until they establish themselves to raise the price.

Maybe they are pioneering a new flavor profile for espresso but I think most consumers (like me) will not like it and they'll think they're not roasting their beans properly. They should also mention on the bag that their coffee is meant to be sour.  They should also offer a 'Handsome' espresso blend of sorts that is more traditional in flavor.  Sell that one for 16 to 18 a pound!

I'll be back to revisit them in a few weeks/months to see how they've progressed.  Until then I'll stick with Blue Bottle Roman Espresso.

6/14/2012

Despite the minimalist interior and basic menu, the coffee packs a serious punch. The iced coffee is STRONG - with a lingering caffeine high that will last a few hours. The one I had was the Scout's Honor which tastes amazing. However, that dizzy caffeine high hit me pretty hard.

The baristas are very friendly and not pretentious at all, offering help to any person that comes in that may be confused by the ordering line or what drinks can be made.  No rolling of the eyes, but just a great, helpful attitude. They all know their coffee stuff - one worked at Seattle's famous, local,  Vivace coffee for about 8 years.

No caramel macchiatos, no frappes, no sugar, no creme- just simple espresso, drip coffe, and iced coffee.

It's a great place to catch up with a friend over coffee or read, but most of the tables are on high stools.  

The pastries are from Proof Bakery and are really good - the cherry, tomato and feta mini tart was what I chose and it was so. freaking. good.

Great music ~ hip hop from the 90s :)

5/9/2013

Visited LA for a day from the east coast and was told I had to try the coffee here. I'm so used to east coast coffee chains with super sweetened coffee beverages because of their convenience. Coffee here is delicious! Nothing added to overshadow the coffee. Also, a fantastic, friendly staff is always a plus! Saturday mornings are busy FYI! Line out the door, beware! Fortunately, service is fast.

4/1/2012

This chain is new to me but it left a good impression on me.  It is a very simple cafe.  I don't know if they even serve anything else but coffee.  
Service was prompt and friendly and the atmosphere was pretty good (especially for the neighborhood).  

I'm rarely in the area, but if Urth Caffe is ever absurdly busy (as it can be at times), and I just want coffee, and for some reason I'm in the area, I'll probably come here instead.

I gave it a 5 star primarily because of its totally crappy location.  There's not a lot of seating and its not worth driving more than 10 minutes to come here to be honest, but if you're in the area, good luck trying to find something better.

2/22/2013

I love this place! The baristas are very friendly!  The inside  has a very simple and clean modern vibe. I love it. I tried their San Sebastian beans and its become a fav. Their espesso & milk was delish and the latte art is on point!

9/5/2012

Coffee never looked this good. The vibe is definitely relax and it's not your average coffee spot and people might not like the fact that they don't have sugar. But give it a try because you will find out that it's not necessary. I ordered a cup of latte and it was delicious. Coffee done well and with love.

• 

  Handsome Roasters nod to Scubby's Mystery Van:)

  Handsome Roasters nod to Scubby's Mystery Van:)

6/30/2013

First review. Don't love or hate this place. Very good coffee and an amazing roasting machine, but...
PITA to get to, even for downtown.
Hipster barrista not necessarily rude, but acts like he's doing you a favor to serve you coffee. Zero eye contact and no thank you = zero tip.
They have glasses but iced latte even to stay served in plastic cups.
Croissant dry and tasteless.
"We don't have any sweeteners" policy so hip it's stupid.
Next time I'm sticking with G&B in Grand Central Market.

7/29/2012

If you enjoy coffee, truly, then you will love this place.  

Simple ordering process, no ridiculous gimmicks with sweetener, and they roast their own beans.

Vibe is wonderful.  It's hipster, not crowded, and a great place to read a book, or surf the internet while enjoying the art of real coffee.

4/8/2013

This is a cute space.  The espresso with milk is quite good.  The milk did not mask the flavors of the coffee, which was nice and nutty.  I liked this more than I did the drip coffee, which was slightly sour.  I bought some beans and am looking forward to trying them!

3/12/2013

Best roaster in LA in my opinion! Amazing building (super close to the exterior of Patty's Irish Pub used in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) and interior. The coffee is always top notch and the owners are super personable. Great attention to detail all around.

7/6/2012

Definitely place for the coffee "enthusiast". You can have it in iced, espresso or drip variety, and thats it. No fancy frozen ice blended caramel syrup concoctions here. I can certainly respect that and their coffee is one of the few coffees I actually enjoy black, but I do wish they carried sugar or a non-dairy alternative to milk.

Either way, great location and great coffee from a legitimate coffe roaster.

7/16/2012

Okay, so Handsome Coffee may be silently screaming, "Take your soy two-pump vanilla latte and shove it." But the vehement haters can always stop by their local Circle K and pick up a soy Frappucino for $2.29. This is an LA take on a Portland quality coffeehouse, which I think is dearly needed in the City of Angels.

If you aren't open to a dollop of artist (and no sprinkling of sugar) in your coffee, you'd be better off going elsewhere. The menu here is strikingly simple--like a six-year old chemistry experiment. Coffee. Espresso. Espresso (with milk) in a 3oz, 5oz, or 10oz cup.

One person's soup nazi may be another's brilliant artist. Here, I vote brilliant artist. In the very least, I can say that the atmosphere and service at Handsome are anything but pretentious. I'd take pared-down-but-perfect-served-with-a-smile at Handsome over I'm-too-hip-to-smile Silverlake Intelligentsia any day. And the espresso just might be better too.

6/8/2013

But Handsome is an oasis of great coffee and a nice staff (but they need to get some soy milk. Coffee purists stand in unemployment lines with their clientele wearing matching fedoras).

6/17/2014

no wifi. no syrup. coffee was fine but with all the amazing other options in this city, this place loses. i also don't like the machine that asks you to leave a $1 tip on a $4 cup of coffee and makes you feel like you have to press the button.

12/12/2013

$4 for a small/medium size coffee it better be at least good and preferably great, it's not. I have been here twice now, first time I felt robbed paying $4 for a coffee that was not very good but gave it a few months and a second try just in case I went on an off day the first time around, nope! Same experience, sour coffee at double the price I can get a relatively good cup (in a larger size) elsewhere. I will say the service was good both times, pleasant people behind the counter, but simply too expensive for coffee that I personally don't feel tastes very good.

9/1/2013

It doesn't matter if your coffee is the best in the world, to me customer service is definitely a priority. I had a cup of Joe here today and it was definitely one of the better cups of coffee in L.A.  Sadly I also waited outside the men's room for about 10 minutes only to have an employee come out of the restroom after washing his hands. So I unknowingly went into the Men's room only to find that the toilet was completely flooded and filled with toilet paper and his poop. As someone with a customer service background, if I had flooded the toilet and my poop was floating around,  I would have warned the customer that the restroom was broken and sealed the door. There was absolutely no need for me to walk into this stench filled restroom only to have to leave immediately. Forget that it was an employee who exited the men's room its just common courtesy which apparently doesn't exist at this place. I for one wont be returning....sorry Handsome, I was so wanting to fall in love with you but you stink.

9/14/2012

I have several favorite places to go for coffee in LA and I've realized there's something different about each I respect. As for Handsome, the staff is really cool and the espresso is very very good. Its actually my favorite right now. I respect their reasoning for the limited menu but I wish they had more options available for other people. I do agree with them - whole milk is really the BEST way to go when having a latte or cappuccino but it's also polite to offer alternatives. I have friends who are lactose intolerant that enjoy a great latte just like the rest of us but can't here.

They also did a great job with the interior and overall design. I hope to see these guys succeed and do very well. They deserve it.

2/1/2013

I think enjoying Handsome comes down to tempering your expectations to what their strengths are. They have a great staff. They roast their own beans which are some of the best (albeit expensive) that I have ever purchased. Their espresso drinks are hands down some of the best in town. The space itself is pretty cool and eggslut is usually hanging around outside. If these qualities sound good to you Handsome is likely a good bet.

3/3/2012

This place is rad.

I want an ice coffee? i get a delicious, flavorful cup.

AND!

Served without that smug attitude which is the lamest part of cool guy coffee spots.
I will be here daily. love it.

5/17/2013

Good coffee, no half & half.

6/4/2014

i was having a rough day and the sweet staff turned it all around with their genuine kindness and care - ( thank you, elliot !) It was my first time there and i will definitely be back.

1/24/2013

First, this review is directed at Vinh B.
Second, before I get started on this guy, I'd like to say that Handsome, You are doing things right, and thank you for helping to bring the third wave of coffee to Los Angeles.  We need more like you!
Now..  Back to Vinh B.   I am going to do my best not to use abusive language as to not offend anyone.  You depredated, animal racist piece of motherless chum.  I happen to own a pit bull, He's a registered working animal and he goes to pediatric cancer wards to make children with leukemia happy a little bit in their day.  So to the "Hipster girl with the LIABILITY on a leash..."  Props to you, because I'm sure your pit bull has far better manners than the child sodomite named Vinh B..   Next time you go to an establishment try and review them on things that matter, business owners unfortunately have to rely upon Yelp for business so like my father used to say, "if you don't have something nice to say don't say anything at all."  So take your "super friendly chihuahua" because they obviously don't bite, or any other purse dog for that matter and shove it directly in your dilapidated rectal cavity.  And by they way, yes I have read your other reviews and it seems you only use yelp as a weapon.  This is to let you know that there are those of us who do the same.
I am watching, I am reviewing, I am redeeming.    
Redeemer X

ps, I encourage everyone to look at this jokes yelp page and see all the nice things he has to say.   We will be following

6/2/2013

Great coffee, cool atmosphere, great service, can get busy, but still awesome

11/10/2013 Updated review

I have since returned to Handsome because, frankly, the coffee is awesome.  I am VERY happy to report that the staff's attitude has greatly improved, and the coffee is still as amazing as it was the first time.  As a result I've decided to improve my rating to four stars.  Well done, Handsome Coffee.  Well done.

12/31/2012

Words to describe: Pretentious, expensive, and hipster! If you want to try to feel Cool with your parents money, this is your place! Servings are tiny and the atmosphere is just ridiculous, they are trying SO hard to make the place trendy and hip that it's just plain funny! There is relatively no pastry selection to choke down with your coffee or sugar (they don't have sugar or creamer in this place). I get it they're cool... Anyway go here if you want to feel special because no one else knows about it and because it's not Starbucks. I get it, i'm not special because I'm a 30 year old professional with a job.

2/7/2013

After a business meeting downtown, my hubby and I wanted to check out Handsome after hearing great things. Even in the afternoon and on a weekday, there was a line out the door. It moved quickly enough, and once we got inside I was taken aback by the beautiful space and design. I mean, the inside is gorgeous- or handsome in this case I guess. Once it was our turn, I was sad to hear that they had no decaf options. I am a big coffee drinker, and being pregnant has thrown a wrench into that. Most micro-roasters I have visited have at least decaf espresso or a decaf pour-over, one or the other usually. I understand from a purist standpoint, why they do not offer sugar, so why would they offer beans that have been altered. Still, I was let down. The barista then turned the situation around by offering me a cup of steamed milk. Sure it may not sound like much, but the gesture was so appreciated, and he offered it on the house. I was now able to have something, other than water, to sip on alongside my husband. The dairy they use is so high quality, the steamed milk was thick and frothy and quite enjoyable. It was a simple gesture that went a long way with me. Thank you, mystery barista. Once I can consume caffeine again, I will certainly be back.

• 
• 

  Steamed milk for the pregnant lady :)

  Steamed milk for the pregnant lady :)

12/12/2012

Dear Handsome,

When you are spending your own $4.00 for a 12 oz cup of coffee you may want to have it as you like it, with a touch of sugar! Poor people, they have the funniest ideas some times!

3/27/2012

So I'm not into coffee, or coffee snobs, or joints which are hipster to an insane degree... but I can respect this place.
Minimalistic ambiance, very very nice baristas. Snobby coffee but not snobby employees. My hangover just wished the stools had backs.
In a world where first-world problems are always accommodated, this place's coffee-espresso-OR espresso with whole milk TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT! was extremely refreshing.

11/2/2012

Too precious and pretentious for me.  A 20 something barista barking about being a seasoned veteran and his general coffee expertise. I just wanted some beans, without the attitude. My advice is go to Cafecito Organico- cheaper and equal to better quality coffee.