Handsome Coffee Roasters

1/23/2014

Really yummy coffee and super friendly vibe with the baristas...my only issue is the no sugar snobbery. Come on guys we know you're handsome but I need more to make my coffee tasty. Aside from that this spot is a go to in my book for local coffee spots that will not disappoint.

3/2/2014

Really spectacular coffee, nice staff, awesome ambiance, and free, albeit sometimes restricted parking.

No cream/sugar available and no Wi-Fi. But big deal, you go there for the coffee.

6/18/2014

Best coffee in town if you're a latte kind of person. The price would imply that there is wifi but nada. I hear news of being bought by another company which is bittersweet.

12/22/2013

First, let me say that they served me an excellent cup of coffee, probably the best I've had in my short time in LA. I used to live ridiculously near the Blue Bottle in Oakland, and that was where I first got started in my coffee snobbery. The one roast I had from Handsome was more acid-forward/bright than most Blue Bottle roasts, it was also deliciously well-rounded with multiple layers of complex flavor.

HOWEVER, I think it is downright unacceptable to charge $4 for black drip coffee when the cups are not hand-crafted/pour-over. Um, excuse me, but if I am paying more than $3.00 for a 12 or 14-oz coffee, it had better be brewed just for me and not coming from an urn. The reason espresso is expensive is mostly because of the art of pulling a shot; no reason for my drip to be that pricey.

Also, I drink my coffee black, no sweetener; on occasion, I'll add a drop (less than a teaspoon) of cream if a particular brew is too acidic for my palate. So, while I appreciate their ethos, I do think that it's silly to assume that you know better than the customer what they like. I'd like to visit this place with friends who aren't such huge snobs, you know. And be social, in a cafe, the way cafes were meant to be used.

I also disliked the espresso + milk menu; I would have preferred to see macchiato / cappucino / latte instead of the number of ounces. It would help to reclaim the idea that espresso + steamed milk drinks SHOULDN'T be sweetened (unless you want to add sweetener later).

All told, I am a total coffee snob who has dabbled in home-roasting, and even I found this place pretentious and annoying.  I won't be back.

9/18/2013

Hated it.

There are tremendously wonderful coffee shops in the Arts District and all over L.A. that roasts absolutely wonderful coffee.  This is not one of them. The coffee is (not-so) Handsome as they and the hipster crowd that frequents the place would have you believe.

Run away.

Granted, the coffee was good and I probably should have brought some home so I could drink it they way I wanted instead of the way THEY wanted.  (Wait, aren't I the customer?)  Maybe I would have given them two stars instead of one.

But I can't.  They are mega expensive.  I've had just as good and even better.

Not only do they have no sugar, but  only have cow's milk.  Uh, no soy milk?  Almond milk?  Seriously?  I got the same "we make coffee the way it's supposed to be made" speech.  Maybe, but why can't I have coffee the way "it's supposed to be made" with a little soy milk and sugar the way I like to have coffee?   Isn't it still good coffee?  The guy at the counter told me smugly, "You don't need sugar because of the sweetness of the coffee."

Oh, puleeze.

The coffee was not sweet.  No coffee is sweet.  I've been a coffee aficionado for years, so I was a tad insulted by the supercilious attitude, almost as if I'd never drank a cup of coffee in my life.  And, it's Poser Central with an oh-so-artsy decor.  OMG the hipster quotient was through the roof.  The cloying smell of pretentiousness and pomposity permeated the walls.

Now, what do I mean by pretentious?

"pretentious [pritenCHs]  adjective

attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed."

For what it's worth, there's my review.

Hate me.  Attack me.  Send me scathing messages.  I still think you should go around the corner to Urth.  They have great coffee and even food.

10/1/2013

No soy/almond milk-no latte for
33% of LA residents with Lactose Intolerance.

Great espresso but then again there is
Barista Society (Blue Bottle) and Stumptown
just less than .8 miles away serving Almond lattes.
(Plus bread lounge where they serve stumptown).

Four of my co workers are also lactose Intolerant and
we get espresso drinks twice a day in this neighborhood.
I don't even know any milk aficionados who drink whole milk these days.
They usually go with non fat or 2%.
I guess they are not updated with cow milk health issues.
Handsome is not the place for health conscious folks.

1/17/2014

Probably the most hipster'd out coffee joint in all of LA. I've been to most if not all of the local shops and I still love this place the best. This is a place for serious coffee drinkers--they don't offer any kind of sweetener and the only additive option is whole milk. It doesn't matter though 'cause good coffee doesn't need anything to fix it, and these guys nail it. If you have time to kill ask any of the baristas about how the coffee is made and you'll walk away with a proper education. There's usually a breakfast food truck outside called Egg Slut which I hear is pretty bomb.

As an avid espresso fanatic this place has the best. It's more of a light roast which gives it a nice earthy, tangy flavor and one hell of a kick. I'd go as far as to say one Handsome espresso is like 3 normal espressos.

Like the name suggests, everyone who works there is handsome

7/1/2014

You are smoking crack if you do not give this spot a 5

1/10/2014

Hmmm, I actually don't mind the sparse menu. I like whole milk. I like no sugar. My issue with Handsome, while the coffee is good (albeit a tad bitter), is that I've had better in overall experience.

The bar is lovely. I like the openness. Not a huge fan of the hipster vibe this gives off, but then again, I'm not the target audience - I have nothing on organic or plaid.

I think I'd like more interaction? Direction? I don't know. If you're going to give me a sparse menu, can you smile a bit?

On a side note, I have had better experiences with the pop up stands at Unique LA shows.

10/27/2013

NON DAIRY OPTIONS NOT AVAILABLE!!!
TOO BAD- they do not have any non-dairy options for folks who don't consume milk.
NOT VERY PROGRESSIVE of them. My friend and I traveled all the way from Encino to the downtown location because we wanted to try this new LA favorite. Sorry we can't recommend this place.

10/21/2013

This place is fairly simple in more ways than one: their menu is simple and their lay out is too. Simple, clean, spacey, modern. No need to get super fancy with shots of this, less of this, more of that on your liquid black gold when you have great coffee beans and cool, hip baristas. There isn't many drink choices at this coffee shop but that shouldn't stop you from stopping by at least once to check it out. The taste of the coffee is smooth and this little place is nice for a relaxing afternoon. It's pretty quiet and has huge window lighting to enjoy your day. The taste of the coffee itself will be satisfying your caffeine addiction needs. If you were to come to Handsome Coffee every day to complete your addiction, you would be left with a nice little dent in your wallet. A cup of coffee here will be about $5 (other chain coffee shops can be more and the taste of the coffee itself won't be as strong and good in my opinion) therefore it is nice to splurge on a good cup of joe once in a while. I had an espresso with milk.  If you like simplicity, quality and love love love coffee, come check this place out just make sure you come before 6pm (they close at 6pm all 7 days of the week).

-Street parking
-Credit cards accepted
-Not for people that like flavors added to their coffee (vanilla, hazelnut etc- NOT here!)
-Great spot for coffee lovers.. lovers of the actual coffee taste
-Nice place to catch up with friends

5/23/2014

Save your money and go elsewhere. This establishment is run by dictators. I asked for my milk to be a little hotter, and the barista said that he can only heat it to a certain temperature before it starts to burn his hands... I told him that's what the handle on the frothing cup is for... so that he doesn't burn his hands... My coffee is cold by the time I get back to the office. Why would you pay for cold coffee? Why can't the barista steam the milk just a tad bit hotter? What is the big deal?

2/17/2014

I have never had coffee as good as this. I was always used to the Starbuck's charcoal brews and hated them. But here at Handsome I finally know what good coffee tastes like. My favorite is the regular americano and a guerrilla taco burrito, I am so happy I live so closed by.

I love the stuffed beaver in the back.

11/5/2013

Any New York transplants aching for the feel of Williamsburg circa 2000 will love this neighborhood, and I mean that as a compliment. The street art alone is enough reason to wander around here.

Handsome Coffee Roasters really takes their coffee seriously. I won't repeat too much of what other Yelpers have said, but when you walk in your options are pretty much 1. Do you want coffee and 2. Do you want milk in it. As a tea drinker I was disappointed but I'm never one to roll my eyes at those who take pride in the art of coffee. I'm a tea snob so I can relate to coffee snobs I guess! The baristas here were gracious and friendly.

The decor and seating give off an industrial vibe more than a comfy-cozy vibe, making it a bad location if you want to camp out for more than an hour or so. if you're coming here to work, you'll be frustrated at the lack of electrical outlets (that is, there are none), but if you want to stop by and read a book or play around on your iPad (note: there's no wifi either) you'll enjoy the peace and quiet of this no-frills shop.

Bottom line, this place is cool, it's just not my cup of tea. (ha)

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-­=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

I'm a writer who has trouble working in her own home. In my quest for the perfect coffee shop, I have devised my own star rating system for the shops I review on this site. Each attribute below is worth one star, which makes it possible for a shop to lack desirable attributes yet still receive a perfect Yelp rating.  Anything with a perfect Yelp rating is a place in which I am happy to sit for hours on end.

* well lit
* cozy atmosphere with comfortable seating
* wifi (free or not)
* open late
* serves loose leaf tea
* variety of affordable food and beverages
* interesting people-watching, whether it be out the window or in the shop
* not too crowded (I hardly ever go on the weekends because I know the odds would be against me)

I understand that my rating system is unique to my own needs but hopefully I will be able to highlight qualities that others may be interested in.

3/22/2013 Updated review

Either too many people read my prior Handsome reviews or word got out. Probably the latter, but Handsome has become disgustingly busy on the weekends, especially Saturday AM!. Unfortunately, this is when I ran out of beans and decided to make the trek across town to the fashionable, but sleepy Arts District to purchase 6 bags of beans.

OMG, it looked like cold war Russia with free Vodka and soap handouts!, (from elementary school photos in textbooks). No parking and people out on the sidewalk.

Handsome isn't set up to handle the masses and doesn't have a "Starbuck's airport mode" whereby they are able to crush 50 espresso's a minute and ring all non coffee drink purchases separately. I slipped past the line to the far wall to grab my 6 bags of coffee, but how do I pay? Do I take the bags out to the sidewalk and get in this 45 minute line?

I went for the "Stupid routine" whereby I go backward through the line. Whew, made it! Lot's of empathetic and dirty looks. Lesson learned--no more Saturday morning coffee runs!

12/16/2013

The coffee was good. It was also 4$ for a small cup.

The ambience was nice, great light and outdoor seating.

The service was good. A barista brought me a water with out me asking and she was friendly.

The problems with this place are
- NO Wifi  
- No Sweeteners  
- No choices outside of coffee and espresso

Also, I wanted to charge my  computer, couldn't find an outlet. A woman at the bar area asked a barista if she could plug in (there were two open outlets) and the guy said no.

Overall, the coffee is good but the vibe is snooty, it's like the "soup nazi" of cafe's... with beards.

7/13/2014

Love handsome, love blue bottle both for different elements.   5oz is perfect and so is the Regalo coffee from Columbia.  Yes, no sugar is needed in there flavorful coffee and is the best way to transition from overly bitter coffee from large chain roasters.  Give it a try, trust your taste. It is very good quality.

12/12/2013

This place clearly knows coffee.  It's boutique, it's hipster, it screams, "we know our coffee!"  

Problem is I don't really know much about coffee.  So when given minimal coffee choices, I resort to just a straight up americano or regular coffee... and while I know it's better than Starbucks' coffee (ew, too bitter and over roasted and probably burnt), I am equally satisfied with a house cup from Coffee Bean.

Oh, but I will say that a colleague of mine who is obsessed with food & coffee has commented that it's particularly good coffee.

So... what I'm saying is... you may not find this review helpful, unless you strongly align with me (unprofessional coffee drinker) or my colleague (professional coffee drinker).

6/26/2014

The coffee was delicious, I had a large ice coffee black. Not bitter but smooth and delicious. Only thing is I guess I'm not used to being told we sell coffee and cream...Make sure you don't ask for any type of sweetener, you'll feel pretty lame.

11/9/2013

Fine coffee, nice staff, and fun place to hang out, BUT ...

I want my coffee the way that I want it.

Tried it once their way (organic whole milk, no sweetener), but will not be going back.  Would rather get my coffee from other places that will allow me to enjoy the drink based on my desired specifications.

2/26/2013

Bottom line at the top: excellent service, excellent coffee! :)
--
Love me some handsome! Had a 10 oz espresso+milk and it was fabulous. I don't know about you, but sometimes when I drink coffee I rapidly wake up and get way too edgy. Not with this coffee.

They don't have sugar or anything like that but honestly you don't need it because the beans they use are super good.

All of the staff here is super nice and really operate with pride and integrity for their product. They spent extra time on my latte art just because which was really nice and appreciated. :)

1/26/2014

This place is more hipster than a vegan food truck at a Silverlake flea market-- and I mean that in the best way possible.

I met a friend at Handsome one Sunday morning to hash out some start-up ideas, and we both instantly fell in love with the coffee and the space. I ordered an espresso and a currant scone-- perfect combo. The espresso had a sweet tang and the scone was just to my liking, not too dense nor too sweet.

The baristas are uber-friendly, sporting mustaches, beanies, and piercings I only wish I could pull off. They also rock some pretty sweet handmade denim aprons, and definitely live up to their "handsome" name, to say the least. (But of course that has nothing to do with how much I love this place...heh.)

Nestled in the heart of the industrial arts district, allegedly home to none other than Ryan Gosling (!)--sorry Ryan, if I just blew your cover-- this place is definitely worth checking out whether you're a LA native or a visiting tourist. Most locals never make it to this part of town, so if you can cross this hidden gem off your list, consider yourself hipsterfied.

12/28/2013

The coffee - I guess it's pretty good. For "high end roast" it was not over priced.  I had a 12 oz Americano for $3. My only gripe is they do not have sugar.  They gave me some lame reason about it begin high end coffee blah blah blah. But they have cream so I guess that doesn't insult the coffee.

The crowd is way too hip. If central casting sent this group to one of my sets I would send them back as being too over the top.

I must say Anthony the manager is the nicest guy I have ever met.

11/8/2013

-  A bit pricey, but pretty good coffee and a nice spot, though a bit tucked away.
-  They close at 6pm, so get there in time.
-  If you do have some time to kill, sit at the counter, diagonally opposite the door.  They brew relatively small batches and therefore grind their batches fairly frequently. Their grinder is in that corner of the coffee bar and you'll get a nice aroma of fresh roasted grounds every time they make a new batch.

5/17/2014

I have had the pleasure of sampling craft-roasted coffee across the state of California.  My taste buds have been tantalized by tiny porcelain cups filled with the essence of the coffee bean, wrought forth by baristas more akin to alchemists than service industry employees.  Some shots of espresso have been chocolatey, some floral, others bright and dare I say it, enjoyably citrusy.  I rarely find a coffee shop where I cannot find something I like. Handsome Coffee Roasters is one of those rare and ever so unpleasant finds.

    Their menu has two offerings, drip coffee, and espresso with or without milk. The menu also included the declaration, or should I say warning, of "no modifications".  I thought that was interesting, a rebellion against the grande-skinny-iced-whipped-caramel-mocha bullshit of the corporate establishment.  Little did I know that this policy would extent to common and traditional additives to coffee. In short, there was no sugar in the entire coffeehouse.

    This discovery transpired as I was handed my espresso.  I was first bemused by the confidence of the staff in the quality of their product, never had I experienced an espresso so good it did not need sugar.  My bemusement immediately shifted to dismay, and then disgust, upon sipping my three dollar cup of regret.  It was both unbearably sour and bitter at the same time, this caustic little cup of sadness is, without a doubt, the worst espresso I have ever had anywhere, ever.  It could probably be used to strip paint and as a solvent to remove grease, and no amount of sugar, should it have been available, would have made this experience any more palatable.

    The "beverage" I consumed at Handsome Coffee Roasters was not an isolated event, it was not merely a bad pull or a simple mistake.  The espresso I was served was indicative of a fundamental flaw in the mentality and ethos of the deluded individuals who established and perpetuate this egregious excuse of craft coffee.  Save yourself and your friends, go anywhere but Handsome Coffee.

9/20/2013

How can an establishment that has "handsome" and "coffee" in its name be wrong in anyway? The decor is handsome, the label is handsome, the coffee is handsome... everything is handsome.

I was in a hurry last time, and I dropped my coffee on my way out, and the baristas were really nice about it and whipped me up a brand new one. Thank you for that! I'm sipping on the espresso + milk right now as I am writing this review, and I couldn't think of a better drink to complement my Friday afternoon.

In the words of our former governor...
"I'LL BE BACK."

9/27/2013

Me - And can I get some milk and sugar?
Him - We have milk, but no sugar.
Me - But I like sugar in my coffee.
Him - It ruins the taste.
Me - Nope. It makes it taste better.
Him - This is a naturally sweet blend.
Me (sip) - Ughhhh. It tastes like ass.
Him - $4 please sir.
Me - Nah, I'll pass and wander over to Urth Cafe.

6/8/2014

Amazing coffee and people that take great pride in their craft. An absolute must try if you are into coffee.

7/19/2014

Always great fresh roasted coffee. Since Blue Bottle took over I haven't noticed any changes of note. Worth the wait if there is a line.

4/7/2013

Let me preface by stating that I'm not a hipster and don't get or care about the trend.

That said - yes, Handsome is a hipster spot like most modern boutique coffee outlets are these days. Normally I might avoid but there are two fundamentally important things this place gets right for me every single time I've went:

1 - Fantastic beans, period. These guys are doing it right. They source from some of the best and more interesting regions.  They mostly roast single origin and either way, source is informed. While purely subjective, their roasting style consistently delivers well on taste (I like acidic) and nose.

2 - Friendly and efficient service.  These people are always nice to me when I go and work quickly to complete my order. By the way, I always just buy beans so I can't comment much on the pulls although they have made me cups for tasting. They do that right, too.

One last note, If they must be downtown, I like that they're in this part of it.  Why?  Because I can find parking and there aren't vagrants hanging around.  Also it's easy to get from and back to the freeway.

7/26/2013

The first time I heard about Handsome Coffee roasters was from reading the menu at Mohawk bend.

The waitress mentioned that I should try the cast iron cookie with a cup of locally brewed coffee from Handsome Coffee roasters.

A couple of months later, my friend mentioned this place in Downtown near the Arts district that served the blackest coffee known to man.

Shotly afterwards, we headed down to Handsome Coffee Roasters.

After the first visit, I was addicted, and now I'm addicted to the point where I make it my monring routine to get a cup of Handsome Coffee on Sunday morning before work and a sandwich from EggSlut.

Everyone who works here is really nice and I feel welcomed every time I set foot inside.

To all of the people who complain about no sugar, no low-fat 2% mil, no soy milk, and so on, think about this: do you go to Footlocker when you're buying dress shoes for a wedding?

Why are you going to come to Handsome Coffee Roasters just to fish and hunt for complaints when you've very clearly read on Yelp and on the Internet that they don't offer these aforesaid items?

If you are not into straight ahead coffee products with amazing customer service, then this place is not for you.

If you need to order a coffee product that sounds like a mirror image amino acid chemical, then I am sure that you can find that product on nearly every commercial area city block corner.

• 

  Tight coffee art

  Tight coffee art

4/4/2014

Overhyped or declined in quality.  Tried 4 drinks off their menu, and the were more sour than usual.  Iced Coffee was made from old/overnight coffee, and ONLY get the hot ones if you want fresh stuff.

5/10/2014

I finally tried Handsome Coffee Roasters on a Sunday afternoon. It's located in the Arts district in DTLA. I love being in this area!! You can grab your cup of coffee and explore all the stores around. I got the iced espresso with milk and fell in love instantly. Handsome over Starbucks...if only they had more chains I would get it every morning :( Philz is next on my list of places to try

3/24/2014

NO. What kind of coffee shop doesn't have f**king sugar? I usually get annoyed when people say a place is "too hipster", but this is insane. Are you too damn cool for SUGAR now? Wtf. They're even snotty about it when you ask... "Uh, no. We keep it simple here". Shut the hell up. What a waste of money. Don't bother!

12/27/2013

It's a bad sign when the dredges of your espresso over ice, when mixed with water, is more desirable than the actual espresso.

I think the layout of this quaint location is very aesthetically pleasing, as minimalism is very in, but that's as far as it goes for an enjoyable experience.

Service is poor, coffee is mediocre, and price point is way off.

5/28/2013

High quality. Good craftsmanship. Great coffee. Eggslut.

Long lines at times. Can get crowded.

Recommendation: Get food from The Egg Slut Truck

• 

  10z Latte

  10z Latte

11/6/2013

I had passed by Handsome a couple times before en route to PourHaus and always wondered how it would be. Handsome is a small coffee shop in the middle of a most industrial Arts district of Downtown LA. I went early on a Sunday morning and got an iced coffee and a cranberry ricotta pastry. A really enjoyed the pastry, but the coffee was just okay. It was kind of bitter, but overall not so bad. Hopefully, I'll be able to go back and I'll definitely try something else!

8/22/2013

Coffee is great. Ambiance is fine. Service was great with the lady up front, except when my wife asked the guy behind the bar where the sugar was.

"We don't have ... sweetener ...", he says, maximizing the disgust and condescension in his voice.

I don't really care about their activist sugar policies as much as how they communicate them. Don't be a jerk to customers asking a reasonable (and apparently quite popular) question.

But since we're on the subject, this sugar policy makes no sense. I own a Chemex and make a ton of pourover coffee. The consensus among coffee snobs is that while some sugar is acceptable, dairy completely masks the subtle, clean, bright flavors of pourover coffee.

Whatever. I'll come back to get bags of coffee, but I'm not inspired to make conversation with the staff. Typical for a pourover place.

12/27/2013

Awesome coffee shop! The layout is really thoughtful and the baristas are incredibly kind. ...Almost too kind.  
  I went there during the morning hours and had a really through coffee conversation with both the baristas and one of the roasters. They made me and my wife two cappuccinos, which were both consistently delicious - not two hot, milk textured perfectly, and the espresso shined through - and let me sample the two coffees they were serving for that day. They do a fetco batch brew, which I don't like so much, but they were willing to sample them to me and talk at length about what I was drinking. You guys get five stars!

Soon, Verve and Stumptown will be moving into the area, but these guys are holding it down. Get over there and have yourself some damn good coffee!

8/30/2013

The coffee was good, although, being 36 I think I have ample decision making and good enough judgment to assess "sugar or no sugar"

If you make a great brew - sugar will never disguise the taste. If you are worried about people over sugaring your precious potion of caffeine, they are probably not good coffee-heads in the first place.

The T-shirts are adorable.