Civil Coffee DTLA

UPDATE: I removed the original picture I included with my review out of privacy for the employee. I posted it for the company to be able to identify the main employee who was rude to me, however Civil Coffee never responded to me or made an attempt to follow up with me about the situation. Original Review: I’ve been to this place three times and the staff has never treated me with customer service. I came in today as one of two customers in the entire shop, with three workers sitting around. No one welcomed me and I entered or as I read through the menu. After a good five minutes of silently reading with no staff acknowledgement, I was ready to order. Apparently the cook, who does not look any different from the baristas, saw me waiting and made eye contact with me. I thought they were going to take my order, but they finished one task and started another. They passed me by at least three times, each time making eye contact with me, but never said anything to me and didn’t let anyone know that I was ready to order. Not to mention that the rest of the staff also saw that I was waiting. I had to say “Is anyone going to take my order?”before one of the baristas finally came over. I calmly explained, and I wasn’t even upset at that point, that “the cook”had made eye contact with me several times but didn’t take my order. The barista said something like, “Thats because he can’t do anything, he’s the cook.” I’m let him know that as a customer, I don’t know that and that I felt some type of way because they all had seen me and didn’t even acknolwedge me when I came in. The barista proceeded to get defensive and argumentative, saying that he was busy, even though he was finishing up a drink as I came in and was reading through the menu. Their immediate response was there are other coffee shops to go to and that I should go to Verve. To keep it short, I was never trying to start a dispute. And even I as made the effort to steer the conversation the other way, the barista said he refused to serve me because of my attitude, even though he was the one who turned the situation into a dispute. After I called him racist and misogynist he “took offense” and told me to leave. Side note, I don’t know why white adjacent individuals feel the need to say they are offended when someone calls them racist. If you are accused of bigotry, that is not an insult, and acting as if your character has been shot is disingenuous. Moreover, as the only customer walking into a coffee shop that had three non-black male employees facing the entrance with only one other customer in the entire shop, it is not unreasonable for me to call them out for mistreating me based upon what I look like. Nobody should be ignorant to the fact that a lot of establishments and individuals in Los Angeles do not treat black women with respect. Back to what happened, I asked him to give me his name, the manager’s name and contact, and the owners name and contact. He then proceeded to call security even though I said I would leave after he gives the proper contact information to speak with the owner or manager, and also, nothing about me or the situation was violent or threatening. Here is a picture of the problem barista of the day. At first he said he was the manager, but I guess after I exclaimed that I was serious about speaking with someone over him, he then revealed that the manager is someone else. Outside of my experience, the coffee is not that good and the entrance doors are nasty, yet are always closed. Also if anyone wants to try to dispute my claim, there should be footage of the entire incident that should confirm that I have no reason to make this shit up. I came in today a little after 1:40PM.

I'm a bit skeptical because when I went, almost an hour before closing time, the cafe was completely empty and the staff was cleaning, which gave a strange atmosphere. The staff was however every friendly and nice. I ordered the matcha with almond milk and lavender (Liquid Gold) and the lavender taste was so strong that it was not possible to say, except for the colour, that there was matcha in it.. so the drink was a bit of a disappointment.

I was looking for a nice cafe to chill and read at, and I found the perfect spot at Civil. I got an iced almond milk latte, and it tasted very light and great! The price was pretty standard ($5-7) given that it’s in DTLA. The space is really open with plenty of natural light and seating available (and outlets too, which is a big plus). The music was also great and not too loud or distracting, making it a perfect spot to work. The workers were super friendly and welcoming; one of them kindly even brought out a glass of water while I was seated. Overall I loved the vibes, and I’ll definitely be back here again!

Stopped by for a quick coffee to help with my caffeine withdrawal (whoopsie!). Service was very great and they were able to get my iced coffee out within minutes. I got the iced arroyo and you know it’s a good when you’re able to inhale it and all of a sudden it’s gone.

The coffee is lovely, which is at the front and center of any cafe review. The place is impeccably clean, but so much so that there’s almost an unwelcome vibe. The baristas were nice enough, but we ordered our drinks to stay, and were given plastic to-go cups which is a major faux pas in my view. It makes it seem as though they want you to leave sooner than later. Overall this spot is solid, I just think it needs a little more soul.

Absolutely in love with their Honey Hojicha Flat White and for the ones who don’t like sweet but love flavor, try out their iced dark mocha ganache latte. Additional to their breakfast burritos and fancy toast, civil coffee serves pastries from sugar no bloom bakery . The sugarbloom bakery ham and cheese croissant with the tangy cornichon is oh so delicious . Love the light that shines through through the #coffeeshop .

I stopped in here on 06/30/22 in the morning! The vibe here is at 1000! The guy at the register was so cool super friendly and you can tell all the regulars love him! The coffee was amazing! I got the solid gold which was also amazing! I’d highly recommend stopping in!

I have enjoyed Civil Coffee's coffee and space in Highland Park and this new DTLA cafe has a different look and vibe. It is spacious, and neat with full wall street windows. I like the bright space to enjoy my breakfast. I had a cortado and a breakfast burrito, both are good, not phenomenal. The burrito is not made to order and just heated up here so it's not as fresh and tasty at the OG location.

I'm actually not too sure about Civil coffee and I'm going to go back a couple more times in the hopes of increasing my rating. The first time I went I tried one of their specialty coffees the vanilla oaty and it was just fine. As it's a specialty coffee, I didn't really have anything to compare it to so the next time I went in I ordered both a breakfast sandwich (EBC sammie) and a house chai latte. Now I love chai. What I don't love is watered down chai. And while i know ginger is essential in chai, this kind of just tasted off. Like the wellness shots you get from juice bars. The sandwich was good and despite the fact that I watched the guy handle bacon with his bare hands previously (I know it happens, watching it just gives me the ick) I decided to try it anyway and it was a really good sandwich. Wish I was coming here for just for the food but the coffee is supposed to be great too. So after drinking the chai, I realized that the specialty drink I had during my first visit might have been watered down too. Service was good and I like the atmosphere. Very clean aesthetic. I feel really bad about these 2 stars but I can't get over messing up my chai. Going to spend some more money here in the hopes of increasing the rating later, especially since the menu looks great and has some really good options.

Got a latte. The latte was 3 stars. The ratio of milk to espresso was off. There was so much more milk that I barely tasted the coffee. But they were very friendly and nice. The place looked clean and looked like a good place to sit and chat with friends so the extra star.

My go to for this breakfast. I love to stop in after a dog walk to get an americano .. but every time I come in I can't resist the breakfast menu ! My review was long overdue. I've almost eaten everything on the menu this far .. I don't have all the photos but everything including the avocado toasts are so delicious. My other favorite is the breakfast burrito with chorizo and sweet potato with cilantro crème fresh. Today I came for just a coffee and I broke down and tried the croissant Sammy for the first time and it's my new favorite I added bacon and it was perfectly cooked with some fresh green avocado peeking out and slightly toasted and a perfectly cooked soft scramble. Not many people know how to master the soft scramble and when I tell you this is scrumptious delicious! I ate the whole thing thinking I would just eat half Great service the chef came over and asked how I wanted my croissant if I preferred toasted or not .. i appreciated that very much. Very quick and made on the spot .. made to order the way you like it. I love how dog friendly they are and Lucy loves people watching through the big glass windows. She especially looks at me with her cute little face for a little taste. They also have baked goods available for vegans along with unique coffee lattes. Nice music in the morning nothing overbearing just relaxing. People come in to work or chat with friends. It is equipped with outlets under the seating for charging laptops and cell phones. No hurry here .. nice place to just take a quiet time for yourself before starting your day Thank you for the great service and food ! See you soon !

Spensive like all coffee places these days. But a nice place to sit and enjoy an expensive latte and piece of banana bread. Good treat before or after walking around DTLA.

The Figueroa latte is my favorite. They have a good variety of small breakfast eats that are not overpriced. The staff is talented and obviously cares about making your coffee. There are outlets and it's a beautiful place to hang for a while in downtown.

The shop was empty on a Thursday mid morning. Cashier was courteous and we were offered water when our drinks came out. The chai latte was weak - 1/5, pretty disappointing for being house made and not able to taste it. I should have asked for them to make it stronger, but they got busier once I realized. The matcha donut was really good - cornbread texture and not too sweet. My partner liked the Mexican blend drip coffee alright.

Third wave, Mexican owned coffee shop, offering some of the best coffee and pastries in town. They also serve a small menu of light fare like avocado toast and breakfast burritos. The shop is sleek and modern, filled with natural light. They have a La Marzocco espresso machine, pastries from Sugar Bloom Bakery, and use thoughtfully sourced, local ingredients. I came in one hour before closing, and (as to be expected), only a single donut remained in the pastry cafe. It was a matcha cake donut, and among the best matcha pastries I have ever had. Moist, not too sweet, and packed with earthy matcha flavor. I've never had a bad pastry from Sugar Bloom, but this was next level. Their "Figueroa" was an exceptional specialty drink that left me wanting more. The full flavors of the espresso were enhanced by condensed milk and cinnamon, and the Maria cookie on top was a thoughtful touch. The barista working was polite, and genuinely friendly. 10/10.

I love Civil coffee original location in Highland Park. It's absolutely one of my favorite coffee shops in LA. This was my first time going to the downtown LA location and I would not make it a point to go here unless I was already in downtown for something. The coffee was very good like it always is. No problems with the coffee, the service, it's a cute little shop once you make it inside etc. Love Civil. The reason I hadn't gone here is because it is really in one of the most difficult sections of Downtown Los Angeles to go and park. The parking lot around the corner which I've parked in over the weekend for five bucks, this was during the week and it was $20. So that was out. I parked a few blocks away on Olympic and my meter parking was expensive but still doable. My friend that I was meeting got a meter spot across the street and didn't realize that it was something absurd I think it was like 1quarter ($.25) per two minutes. So for people who live and work in downtown and can just walk over it's a fantastic coffee place but for anyone who would be traveling there be forewarned.

Dannnnnnngggg! This Vanilla Oaty drink is one of the best I've ever had! First time at this location (and haven't been to a Civil in years bc I got turned off by my neighborhood location) but now that I work downtown again, my tune has changed specifically for this location. Service was warm and friendly and this drink is crazy delicious. Thank you!

On a cold blustery day, I walked into the warmth of Civil Coffee and was instantly happy. Their menu selections for both food and coffee were plentiful, plus tons of other refrigerated drinks. I was surprised to get to Civil Coffee on a weekday and not find it completely packed. There was some street construction detering visitors I think, but typically this is a great shop to study or remote work from. There were also some people having a team meeting so it works for that, too. Comfy seating in a variety option with some stool seats, some regular chairs and my personal go to - booths! Their internet was fast and worked perfectly. I came to Civil Coffee after having internet issues at a nearby coffee shop, so was very happy that I encountered no issues here. Staff was friendly and had my food & drink out to me quite quickly. Their cold brew was solid, drank that ish up! The breakfast burrito was divine! Packed with cheese, eggs and bacon, I was in morning foods heaven. The EBC was $9.50 and though not one of those humongous burritos, it was very filling and perfection for me. It's the little things: Their WiFi name is 'its a good day'! happy vibes!

Cute coffee shop located in DTLA. My friend and I were in downtown for a job and came across this small coffee shop. The coffee quality is amazing and the food was also great.

I've been to many cafés, but this one stands out. The drinks are fresh, the staff is amazing, and the cleanliness is impressive. A must-visit!

Walking distance from the floral district. Cute spot and pretty empty around 930am. EBC bfast sandwich was delicious! Really cute decor but can definitely use a woman's touch with presentation. Drinks had coffee drip all over the cups, and was just lacking excellence.

The price was okay, but I do not recommend the matcha from there. It tastes mostly like water and milk. The service was nice and the cafe is cute, but if you're looking for good matcha this is not to place to visit.

The vibe: A snobby, emo, non-alcoholic, speakeasy. I loathe it so much, I love it! On offer: The menu is lovely and seems to be thoughtfully crafted. The drinks were delicious. They are shaken, not stirred. No, literally, the bareezstah shakes the drinks in a gold plated martini shaker. I was living for each elbow jerk! The food is also EXCELLENT. My dessert was flaky and tasted like a perfect blend of wealth and warmth. Decor: Chic and sophisticated with a soupçon of laissez faire. Customers: Artsy. Angsty. Indifferent. Poseurs. Conclusion: This place is where I belong. I'll be back. You should visit as well - especially when you feel like you need a respite from ordinary plebes and a reward for taking yourself very seriously.

I love their location in Highland Park so knew I had to come here when I saw it in DTLA. There's tables and bar seating with AC which makes for a nice spot for working (they do have a $1 surcharge per drink if you get your drink for here). The Arroyo - love their lavender syrup. It's not overwhelmingly floral because you can still taste the espresso. The Figueroa - love the cinnamon and condensed milk. It comes with a small Maria cookie. You can taste the espresso more in this latte. If you want something lighter or sweeter, I'd recommend the Arroyo.

Was ready to spend at least 30$ on breakfast and coffee here at 1:40pm and I couldn't because they closed the kitchen 20 minutes early. Places like this drive me up the wall. Chains with no regard for customer service. Can't wait for it to go out of business. Feel bad for the employees because ownership must suck.

I got: The Figueroa. I knew it had dairy in it and still decided to get it. I wanted to taste how the drink was intended to be (without altering or substituting it with a non dairy milk) and I wasn't a fan of the taste nor was my stomach. This is no fault to this establishment. I'm just not a fan of milk nor condensed milk (dairy milk in general). It was a lot of dairy and I definitely have sensitivity to it. Friendly employee. When I went, I was the only one there and there was one employee working. She was really nice. Love the interior and the setup of everything. Cool vibes for sure. I would come back here, but will be ordering a latte with oat milk next time. Parking was easy to find! I didn't have to circle around again and again, lol. I found one very close to the entrance of this place. 75 cents got me 9 minutes and I had plenty of time to spare.

We ordered on day on set (the crew knows I loathe Starbucks and prefer local spots ) and tried Civil Coffee. I was super stoked because I love the Highland Park spot. However, this was my first time trying the matcha tonic! So delicious and refreshing. The whole crew was very happy with their choices, so much so, the director wanted another round after lunch but they were already closed! Civil will definitely be our downtown coffee for set from here on out :)

Came here on a Friday morning, it's a nice new coffee + breakfast spot on the corner of 8th and Los Angeles. Customer service is great, I assume parking might be an issue since there's only street parking and local lots. We ordered the following: 1. Madagascar vanilla latte (5/5) 2. Ganache mocha iced latte (5/5) 3. 2 breakfast burritos (Angelenos) (5/5) Overall, I'd definitely be back! This place is BOMB. While the burritos took about 10-15 minutes to come out, they were VERY delicious and fresh!

Great coffee, but OMG, the cashier with the glasses was so mean and rude to us. My friend asked for his suggestion, and he said I'm not making a decision for you and rolled his eyes. Then my other friends were waiting to order, and he yelled last call and rushed them when they were at the register waiting when he wasn't at the counter.. we were literally the only people there. It's such a cute space but unfriendly.

The "hot" drip at 9am is cold and tastes rotten like it's been sitting there for hours. Wish I had my six dollars for a small coffee back. Will not be visiting again.

5 stars cute atmosphere excellent coffee & service. My work bestie loves the lavender iced coffee.

I absolutely love this place! The coffee is delicious and the employees are super sweet. I also really love the story of the two brothers who founded this enterprise. They are super hardworking dudes and I want to continue to see their business thrive. It's spacious and gets a lot of natural sunlight. Great for meetings and dates because it's not too loud in there I love the iced vanilla oaty and the iced hochicha. The hochicha is earthy and reminds me of my childhood.

I tried their salted vanilla oat latte at the unique market art fair and haven't stopped thinking about it since. Well I actually had two because the first one was so good I couldn't just have one. Whoever thought up putting salt in coffee is an absolute genius. This coffee had such a perfect balance of salty and sweet that perfectly complimented their full coffee flavor. I loved it so much in fact that I drove to their DTLA location before work at the crack of dawn just to get another one even though it's very much out of my way. If you like a fun coffee in the morning or are ever in the area I very much recommend trying out the vanilla oaty at their DTLA location.

The coffee is sooo good I love the coffee so much The stuff here are super friendly and super helpful I like the lavender coffee It is sooo good

I stumbled into this place after eating a burrito from Wake and Late couple blocks down the street. I asked the barista what he recommended, he said his favorite is The Figueroa which comes with cookie (not pictured) If you like a smooth cinnamon coffee this would be your choice. Overall I'd give it 4/5. Inside it's pretty nice and the open coffee bar is spacious to sit at while you can work on your laptop. The whole atmosphere was a vibe

Bad customer service. Never coming here. Fix your attitude then you won't go out of business

I've been to there other location before. This is an amazing coffee shop with really good food too. One of the few coffee shops where you can actually taste the coffee. The seating space is great very open and bright. It's also a short walk to the flower district and other shopping. I got the cold brew with a Burrito Angeleno (scramble eggs, bruschetta, pepper jack and sweet potato) My girlfriend got a Cortado (espresso and pillowy, steamed milk) Definitely stopping by again next time I'm shopping this area

I was looking for a nice cafe to chill and read at, and I found the perfect spot at Civil. I got an iced almond milk latte, and it tasted very light and great! The price was pretty standard ($5-7) given that it's in DTLA. The space is really open with plenty of natural light and seating available (and outlets too, which is a big plus). The music was also great and not too loud or distracting, making it a perfect spot to work. The workers were super friendly and welcoming; one of them kindly even brought out a glass of water while I was seated. Overall I loved the vibes, and I'll definitely be back here again!

Barbacoa burrito is delicious - tortilla is toasted outside, the right about of filling inside and it's a good size or meal. The tomatillo sauce perfectly goes well with it. Espresso is always good, not worried they know how to pull a good shot. The person who helped me was super polite and speedy. I didn't stay but the inside was nice and clean and modern space, lots of sitting areas, and easy to find location. It's just in downtown so not really any street parking, it's more of a neighborhood walk up kind of coffee spot.

Really damn good . The shop is small, sleek, loving their font type menu. Looks legit-- coffee must be legit. Got their version of a Spanish latte called the Figueroa. Espresso with condensed milk and touch of cinnamon. It was so friggin' good. Ungodly insane. And yes coffee Should be this good. I am sad I don't live in DTLA but this place is a must if you're in the area and there are plentiful of other coffee shops within 3 mile radius.

Absolutely horrible customer service. The barista at the DTLA location was SO rude... like shockingly rude. And the coffee was bad. You can get much better coffee at Starbucks.

Cute lil coffee shop. Very clean inside, great staff! Oh and doggo friendly, they had treats for our goldens. Will be going back!

Hands down the best Iced Chai Latte I have ever had! It had so many different notes and flavors on top of the chai and they all worked so well together. I will be back... again... and again... Did I mention I' be back again?

The Figueroa over ice with Oat Milk - hands down was delish! With a hint of carnation milk and cinnamon made it amazing. Almost as if you had a Spanish Latte. & it came with a biscotti cookie The inside was pretty nice & quiet. A good spot for working/homework also. Or just a quick pit stop from all your shopping.

Pastries are generally good but the matcha one is a bit dense and crumbly. Location is a bit off the beaten path

I love this place! I always go for an iced almond-cashew latte with some cinnamon. I like their house made almond-cashew milk. Pairing that with the gluten free chocolate donut is life. A good way to start the day is with that burrito Angeleno!

Finished a Saturday morning Jiujitsu class and came here with all my buddies since our academy is in the same building. I had an iced coffee and an egg bacon cheese burrito. The coffee and food was amazing, my order came out quickly, and the coffee shop was clean and not too crowded. Awesome place to gather with friends and eat good food.

Love the ambience of the coffee shop. It's very inviting and friendly. Every time I come in the staff are so kind and warm hearted. The food is natural and super yummy. I love love love the coffee it's crafty and delicious!

Fig coffee tasted like warm milk not coffee at all Milk chocolate was tasteless Burrito was not good weird condiments sweet potato in a burrito is not acceptable. Price is decent but flavor is not good at all

This is 2nd time in this establishment, I was hopeful However theses employees are pretty rude & food was horrible.

Poor customer service. Wont be coming back. I don't know if its poor training or generation z employees. Do better people especially when your competing with the numerous chain coffee shops in the area. Cool vibe but thats it. It really matters where people choose to spend their money, especially in this economy. The 2 working employees were dry and zombie like.

Civil is my favorite coffee shop in Downtown LA. Aside from the great drinks, food & pastries, and great service, the indoor ambiance is really spectacular. The inside is clean, sanitized, and tall ceilings give off an airy atmosphere. The clear glass windows provide great views as well. Highly recommend this spot for people who are looking for a great coffee or a bite to eat. It is a great spot to do work on your laptop as well.

No public restroom- isn't that illegal? And drip coffee with no price- just "MP" lolllll I'm sure the hipsters love it, but I'll go elsewhere.

This place is actually perfect. First of all- superbly nice ambience and seating, plenty of outlets for computers if you need to get work done. They make the absolute best lattes in my opinion; not too sweet, not too watered down, no frills, just really rich and delicious espresso. Both food items I have gotten there have completely exceeded my expectations; the Angeleno burrito and their salmon toast. When I order a burrito or toast I expect something relatively plain and straight forward, but they really go the extra mile to add flavors and sauces that make the dish perfect. Their sourdough bread tastes freshly made, and so do all of their other ingredients. I can tell that they make everything artfully and intentionally. 10/10

Change your store hours hangs your store hours. Shop does not open at 7am as stated on Google maps

Great coffee, super nice spot, awesome employees. Used to go to the HP spot all the time and I'm pumped to see they have one DTLA now.

Great lavender latte and location is great for downtown. Also glad they have wifi and it's clean. My only drawback would be there's no restroom, I get they don't want a lot of the rifraf of downtown coming in and using the restroom but one for paying customers would be nice. There's also no restrooms close to the location as well. But great spot