Highlight Coffee - Pasadena

Super Amazing tonics! The matcha is so fresh you can practically taste the sun and tea leaves from jeju island! Also the pineapple lime espresso tonic is so tasty!!!!! Frank the owner hand picks the best single origin chocolate from all over the world! He also special orders the tonic water from London!!! Amazing taste and service and overall 10/10 experience!!!! Everything is hand picked and the attention to detail makes this place so special!!

Great price, fast service, plenty of seating, a few outlets, good air conditioning, good coffee, and wifi. Plus no surcharge for milk alternatives. Checks all the boxes!

Highlight Coffee was truly the highlight of my morning. I enjoyed the blueberry muffin and the Butterscotch Latte. All the syrup flavors are prepared on premises. It was so enjoyable that I had to try the Orange Vanilla Latte also before leaving. All of these come highly recommended. The relaxing atmosphere was a pure delight. Special Note: Be mindful of where you park as nearby restaurants have spaces marked in the lot adjacent to Highlight Coffee. Definitely work finding the right parking spot and enjoying a self-care morning or a To Go order.

Unclear if the man helping us / barista was having the absolute worst day ever - but wow. We came on a Sunday afternoon 2 hours prior to closing, ordered two pour over coffees. I don't expect anyone in the service industry to bend over backwards with a big ol smile (especially not in this economy), but I do know we are easy customers who don't fuss over orders / have tons of questions. So not sure what his problem was. He was too pissy for us to approach and ask for the WiFi password, so we drank our coffee and left rather than doing the work we set out to do here. Anyway. Came here to still say, the coffee is good here. Good bean selection too. (@roaming.eater)

Everything here is great. I particularly like their chai lattes because they're made with real chai, not syrup. Really nice staff and cute place to sit and chat with friends.

Great space! Good vibe. Nice to have this in Pasadena. The coffees are good, but was hoping for a little more excitement from the drink menu options.

Super cute coffee shop with really good coffee.

Excellent selection of coffees primarily roasted by a company in the Netherlands prepared as pour over. They also have all the traditional coffee house coffee drinks one would expect to have generated by a huge Italian espresso machine, which is on hand if that’s your jam. Prices are what you’d expect for the neighborhood. Seating is basic and mostly wood seats. There is a couch, but you know the deal w coffee house couches, enter at your own risk. Staff seems pretty nerdy, which is to say they seem to know what they’re doing. Definitely on my list of legit coffee spots.

I love this little coffee shop. Their drinks are amazing and they don't up charge non-dairy alternatives. The staff is always warm and friendly. Today I was intrigued by the orange vanilla latte and was pleasantly surprised how subtle the flavor is but the citrus definitely comes through. My husband is a butterscotch latte guy all the way, he likes his coffee on the sweeter side.

Summary: found this place by accident but all I can say is WOW to my iced latte with no extra charge almond milk! Parking: street parking pretty easy to find on Lincoln on a Saturday early afternoon. Ambiance: clean and modern. Latte: not sure what beans they use but on my gosh, amazing! No joke - one of the best espresso drinks I have ever had and I've had a lot of them. Summery: there was no wait for me but even if there was, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Friendly service Great playlist I'd love some outside seating here Love the clean aesthetic Came to try something new and love it definitely coming back with my iPad to get some work done

Cute little coffee shop off Lincoln. I ordered a chai latte with Oatmilk and it was delicious. It had just the right amount of spices and was not very sweet which is how I like my chai. Staff was super friendly. Patrons were busy at work on laptop so seems like a good place to get some work done.

This place is so cute. I ordered their matcha latte with oat milk (no additional cost), and there was an option to ask for it unsweetened. The barista recommended the banana bread with the medjool dates. It was scrumptious. They have a small parking lot to the side and there's some street parking. There's a good amount of seats inside and a couple of people studying. I would come back with a book or laptop to work.

Love the vibe here! Great coffee and service! Consistent shot pull! Never disappointed to come here. My coffee is perfect every time Milk alternative is available! Clean place, simple decor but warm & relax.. Street parking.

I wanted to like this place since it's such a good space to sit and study/ chill for a while. The vibes were good, the coffee was not my favorite. I got an iced latte with an extra shot, and my drink was not good. It was extremely bitter/acidic and after a few sips it really wasn't drinkable for me. Possibly the barista who made it is new and that's totally okay, but it just wasn't a good coffee, I'm sorry. I threw 70% of it away after leaving. I think it was probably over-extracted. I loved the pastries I got; I got the vegan pretzel croissant and a sweet one I don't remember. Both were good. The ambiance was nice; it's a large space with a communal table in the middle, a couch on the side, and some single seats. Parking is super confusing. There's a back lot, but there are tons of signs that seem to contradict themselves. Some list the businesses out front whose customers can use the lot, while others say nobody can use the lot and that if you park there without a permit, you'll get towed. So idk, that's where I parked, but I made sure not to stay more than 10 min just in case. Gorgeous exterior and walking distance to other restaurants.

Coffee was mid - I could barely taste my espresso. I have had their orange vanilla latte before and it also tasted ok. Nothing tooo special. If I'm paying LA prices, I'll probably go somewhere else. Also not sure if the barista was having a bad day or what but they weren't too friendly. The place is nice to study at tho.

I was having a "blah" day. I visited my go-to coffee place close to work. Ordered my usual drink ( it's one of their top seller and also the butterscoth) light, flavor of orange that you taste at the end of your sip. Anyway, I wasn't going to post this but someone paid for my drink! Lol! So, I saved $7 today. So that's my highlight of the day

Came after a run at the Rose bowl mid morning on a Saturday and happy to see it wasn't too busy. I opted for an iced mocha latte and my friend got a hot matcha latte. Both were perfectly sweetened and very flavorful. I like how they don't overload my coffee with ice so even when it's melted, it still tastes like coffee. Our perfect accompaniment was the strawberry almond croissant. I love how the strawberry isn't too sweet and it's such a great compliment to the almond paste. The ambiance was very chill and the inside was very clean and bright and the service was efficient. I love the vibe of this place. I'll be back when I'm in the area! Street parking, but not too bad on Saturday morning . There's a small lot to the left of the shop but it's very limited and I'm not sure if it's reserved for patrons

Stopped by for a quick latte. Decided on the butterscotch latte with oat milk. It was delicious and not too sweet despite the name. The employee told me it has actual real butter in it. Sat inside which was spacious and cleanly decorated. The building itself has a New Mexico type of vibe to it. There were about 20 seats which were mostly taken up by people working on their laptops. I was there on a Friday morning so I'd imagine it's packed on the weekends. Anyways the coffee was fantastic. Dropped a star BECAUSE.. the menu says oat milk no extra charge which is great and so different from everywhere else right? But my dang latte cost over 6 bucks. No wonder they don't charge extra for oat milk. Honestly on the pricier side for me personally, so I wouldn't come here regularly. Heck, I visited HomeState across the street and my breakfast taco cost less than this latte.

A beautifully repurposed vintage building. The exterior paint color is very inviting. I ordered an espresso and a cheese croissant. The espresso was properly served with a glass of soda water to cleanse the pallet. The croissant was fresh, and just the little snack I needed. Service was good, place was packed with customers, found a place when my espresso was served. Lots of fun merch An excellent coffee shop, I will return.

Trendy little cafe with decent indoor seating, small adjoining parking lot, and very pleasant baristas. The coffee is on par with any non-chain craft coffee shop in the area. Prices around $5-6, also standard for this kind of cafe. We tried two of their specialty lattes, the butterscotch and the orange vanilla. Both were good, though we agreed we should've gotten the unflavored latte or a cold brew instead. Next time. The flavored lattes were just a tad too sweet for our taste, though I imagine some folks may enjoy them. Just weren't worth the extra money in my opinion. Noted that the cafe was on the chilly side indoors, and also that although this cafe has decent seating for work/study, if anyone else in the space is having a conversation, it gets loud quickly.

If you're looking for high quality coffee, this is the spot for you! They don't charge for alternative milk options which is a huge plus! Servers are extremely friendly and welcoming. I got their hot matcha latte and a iced chai latte both with almond milk. They have a few tables and wifi available, and when I got there around 11am, most of the tables were occupied. The hot matcha latte had a nice latte art and light foam that tasted really good. It was on the sweeter but the warmth was very comforting on a cold day. I got the chai latte to go after having the matcha latte and it tasted decent though I prefer matcha over chai. I could taste the strong chai spice and I would recommend it if you love chai tea. They are partnered with a bakery and sell their fresh pastries every morning. I especially love their butterscotch cookies and almond croissants but they typically sell out by early afternoon. I've heard that their pour overs are of great quality so hopefully I come back to try that one day!

We passed by Highlight Coffee on the way to our hike and decided to come back here for our post coffee hike. There is only street parking and the inside was clean and welcoming. I ordered the Nathan Palmer which is a mix of coffee and lemonade. I was skeptical about the flavor but the guy assured me it's pretty good. On the first sip, it was a pretty good blend of lemonade and the coffee wasn't too overpowering.

Back at it again! The drinks here never fail to disappoint. My fiancé and I came back again for their matcha latte and orange vanilla latte. There was only one person there today (Saturday around 1PM) but he managed everything by himself so well and service was good. The cleanliness of this store is always so great! Also.. I love their lids for the iced drinks! I'm not a fan of drinking my iced coffee/drinks from the cap and always use a straw, but the lids they use at Highlight Coffee are unique and the only drinks I will drink straight from the lid. Not sure who makes these lids but they're great and I've never had any liquid spill into the outside area on top of the lid.

My favorite coffee place in Pasadena/Altadena. I drink latte's usually and these guys make possibly my favorite latte in the area. There is some fierce competition out there too. The parking is sparse though, but you can usually find on street parking.

Latte was so weak I could barely taste the espresso. Pastries looked really good and fresh but I refrained since they're pricey. Prob won't return

My favorite cold brew in LA. Love this place. Fast service, too. Also a good spot to pick up some beans.

For the love of God, highlight could you stay open until 5pm? Stumptown just charged me $.50 for ice!

I have always passed by Highlight many times but I wasn't too sure about it. Always scared to try new coffee spots cause i don't know if I'll like it .. My boyfriend surprised me one day & brought me home an iced butterscotch latte & my eyes just lit up! I became addicted !!! Now it's my go 2 morning coffee spot. They are also pretty quick as well when it comes to making your coffee. I also have tried the orange vanilla which i liked as well! But the Butterscotch is the way to go! The workers are nice & welcoming when you walk in. The service is great !

Awesome place and excellent Coffee!!! Keep supporting the local privately owned establishments!!!

Stopped at this cute neighborhood coffee cafe and was delighted with the pumpkin cheesecake muffin! I would be here every day if I lived nearby! There's a few tables and a small couch to munch and sip. The space is resplendent with the wonderful smell of freshly ground coffee! I also had a latte with added flavored syrup and was very satisfied with just a small size. The owner, I believer was dishing the goodies and making the coffees. He was friendly and efficient. I will be back!

Stop whatever you're doing and go get yourself the Scallion Pancake Morning Bun! Forgot to take a picture it was so good. Coffee and service were excellent, clean and peaceful space. 10/10

Stopped in for the first time on a busy Sunday morning and the crew was in full-on productivity mode but that didn't prevent them from being kind and offering helpful suggestions as I navigated the menu. I tried their signature Orange Vanilla Latte and found it to be warm and refreshing, with the little citrus tang a nice finish. The entire shop is cozy, so there is not a lot of room for seating when it's busy but I'm sure other times would be lovely to sit and hang out for a bit. They have a nice selection of pastries to go with your caffeinated beverage of choice

The coffee here is delicious! The only con is that the music inside the building is way too loud

Lovely place to be. Appreciated the plenty of seating inside. Thankful for mixture of chill sofas to lounge at and places to work. Delicious matcha strawberry, salted chocolate chip cookie, and chocolate croissant pastries. My warm honey oat milk latte was on point. Staff are friendly and inviting. Music was calm and nostalgic. Definitely a place we will return to again and again. Impressed all around. Many thanks to all for the making of this excellent coffee shop!

Both orange vanilla and butterscotch latte were good. Matcha shake was delicious though a little too sweet for my taste. Masks required. Flavors for latte was $1 additional but nondairy milk alternatives are free.

Amazing coffee, cappuccino and more absolutely perfection. Great customer service and nice ambiance. We usually go to the GLENDALE location. Frank you have mastered coffee & we thank you

Listen. The pineapple-lime espresso tonic was a revelation. Those flavors. Yum. I can't wait for summer now that I'll have that refreshing drink to look forward to. But don't need to wait for summer to go back for more. Stumbled across that rec by some loyal customers encouraging support of this establishment with the other spot opening down the street soon and am so grateful. Not something I'd typically choose and am so glad I did. Give it a try.

Had a great cup of coffee at Highlight I was greeted immediately by staff and owner. Really inviting, and friendly neighborhood spot. Great for reading and working as well.

I had just donated my 84th pint of blood to the American Red Cross and I decided to pull myself ever so slightly out of my usual automaticity and instead of driving to the coffee shop I usually head to right after, I went to secure brekke at HomeState. The cashier there is who put me on to Highlight and I'm sure grateful that he did. I had a little brekke and then went right over to grab an iced oat latte. My eye caught a glimpse of "butterscotch" as I was ordering and I knew immediately I needed a taste of that. I don't typically do sweet drinks, at all - totally not my style. I love sugar but I keep it completely separate from anything I'm drinking (not in my coffee, not in my adult bevvies) but on this Friday morning I needed that butterscotch, blame it on the loss of one pint of blood. I opted for 1/2 the amount and it was still really sweet, but REALLY yummy! Not the type of addition I'd do every day but the type you F around with every now and again. Service was fast and friendly and I was on my way in no time. I love the Pasadena mural, being born in Pasadena this city has a very special place in my heart. Go give Highlight a try if you haven't yet, they pair rather nicely with HomeState if you're into brekke tacos and queso the way I am.

On my quest to kill time in Pasadena, I have stumbled upon Highlight Coffee - the second location of this particular coffee shop. I actually tried an espresso tonic at their original location in Glendale about 1 year prior, which I would rate as one of my favorite coffees I experienced in the LA area. My draw towards Highlight coffee is their bean selection. They always seem to have a healthy supply sourced from Manhattan Coffee roasters, who roast some of my favorite beans to date. Please try Diego Bermudez or Letty Bermudez if you ever get a chance! Coffee: Today, their pourover selection was limited to a natural pink bourbon by Manhattan because everything else was sold out. But no complaints there! Coffee was brewed via Kalita wave. This was very nicely done: I tasted a fruit bomb with strong citrus and a clean aftertaste akin to drinking a fruit juice. As it cooled, melon notes became more prominent. Location and Parking: average. There is an extraordinarily small parking lot (6 spots total), but plenty of street parking available. The cafe itself has plenty of seats inside, and pretty standard ambiance. Perhaps a little clinical in nature. The totodile plush was a nice touch tho :) who doesn't love Pokémon? I am getting over caffeinated at this point, so here ends my coffee adventures for today! Overall: this is an excellent coffee shop if you're looking for high quality coffee. The cafe ambience is a tad clinical though and certainly not to my taste, but it gets the job done if you want to chill here for a bit. Please, give their coffee a try! Coffee: A Location: B Parking: B+

Whether it's chilly or blazin, you can always count on highlight coffee's orange vanilla latte, hot or iced!! This is their most popular drink for a reason.. The workers are always friendly and welcoming and the times that I've been here, there's always a few seats open if you're tryna put in some mad work. There's nice natural lighting as they're only open during the day and it's nice and cozy to just chill n vibe.. They got a small lot on the side and also a few spots in the front for street parking, I've never had trouble with parking here. Honestly, I haven't tried anything else in their menu, bc the orange vanilla latte is just that good.. btw their iced coffee lids are litty

What a great find. It's located in an obscure part of Pasadena, more like on the border of Pasadena and Altadena, but not too hard to find. Just look for the light mint green building. I recommend parking on the street. There is a very tiny parking lot right next to this place but half of it's reserved for employees and the other half is for Perry's Joint. I love espresso & tonic drinks, and this place has some of the best. My wife and I ordered both of its tonic drinks - Pineapple-Lime Espresso Tonic and Espresso-Pom Tonic. They were both excellent and refreshing, although I give slight edge to the pineapple-lime combo because of its distinct flavor notes. I was able to taste both pineapple and lime but they did not overpower the flavor of espresso. Pom was sweeter but didn't have a distinct flavor. Menu indicates it has house-made grenadine syrup in it. Not sure if this place makes its own pastries but the croissants we got were pretty good too. Another plus for this place is it doesn't charge extra for milk substitutes, like almond and oat milk. There are some other unique drinks I want to try next time, like its Freddo (cold) cappuccino and espresso, as well as butterscotch and orange vanilla lattes.

Nice place for a quick coffee fix! Very much grab and go here though, as there's only a few chairs outdoors and few parking. I tried one of their specials, which was the pineapple lime espresso tonic. I've never had anything like this, but think of it as a bit bitter from the tonic mixed in with the sweetness of the pineapple lime syrup. It's a very interesting flavor profile, but make sure to mix it well before you take a sip! As I continued drinking, it really got me hooked and it's quite refreshing. For those of you who want some Insta-worthy photos, make sure to take a pic of the mural on the side of the restaurant, which features both Altadena and Pasadena!

Amazing coffee and pastry. On the pricy side. Not too many parking spots but you can park on the street. It's really nice to sit and enjoy.

***UPDATING MY REVIEW*** Highlight Coffee is a quaint coffee shop off the beaten path. I love the shopfront exterior, which is this tranquil mint/ light blue color. It's actually what caught my eye and made me turn around as I was driving by. They also have a Pasadena mural on the side of the building that's pretty cool. The coffeeshop has a limited menu, especially for the lattes (only three options) but I was told their syrups are all made in-house so I was excited to give them a try. I ordered an iced butterscotch latte with oatmilk and it was AMAZING! The latte was rich and smooth, and tasted somewhat roasted while also having that unique sweet butterscotch flavor. The butterscotch latte (iced with oatmilk and extra sea salt) is now my go-to and I order it every single time. I still haven't been able to make myself stray from my usual order and try their orange vanilla latte, which sounds deliciously weird, because I love their butterscotch latte so much. Maybe one day. We'll see. Lol. I also love how they don't charge you extra for almond or oat milk substitutions. Highlight is literally the only coffeeshop I've been to that hasn't charged me extra for oatmilk, so I can't begin to tell you how awesome that is. I love how Highlight also sells the coffee beans they rotate between as well as half gallon jugs of some of their beverages (though sadly not their butterscotch latte). Service has always been superb as well- incredibly friendly and helpful. Now moving onto their pastries - Highlight is currently partnered with Sugarbloom Bakery, and they deliver fresh pastries every morning. I love Sugarbloom's pastries and was considering ordering directly from the bakery for pickup (it's not exactly right next door) when I realized Highlight Coffee now sells their pastries too. Lucky me! Anyways, the strawberry almond croissant and miso butterscotch cookies are my favorite, and I highly recommend giving them a try. Highlight is now my favorite coffeeshop in the area, so much so that I felt compelled to write this updated review as I couldn't understand why I only rated them 4 stars previously. Haha.

Highlight Coffee is one of my three favorite coffee shops in the Altadena/Northeast Pasadena area. The other two are Lavender & Honey and Amara Kitchen (which, for being mainly a food spot, makes a surprisingly great latte). I am a coffee shop junkie and I have tried out so many in the area. Highlight is one of the best. I judge coffee shops on three criteria: (1) Coffee quality: is this better than the (very good) shots of espresso and lattes that I can make at home? The baristas at Highlight Coffee clearly take a lot of care to make amazing drinks. I keep wanting to branch out to their hot drinks, but I can't stop ordering the pineapple-lime espresso tonic, which is unusual, perfectly balanced, and refreshing. I'm obsessed with it. (2) Service: I see the same two or three employees every time I go. They are so patient with me and my four-year-old son and smile kindly at him when he orders his child-sized hot chocolate. My son has spilled his drink more than once, and they have been so understanding and even offered to remake his drink. (3) Food quality: Sugarbloom pastries. The best coffee-shop pastry selection I've ever experienced. The ambiance is also nice - a mix of people doing work and people hanging out and chatting.

Highlight is great! The coffee is my husband's favorite. Plus the owner Frank is really nice guy and always happy to see you. Highly recommend. Only good things to say about Highlight coffee.

I truly believe Pasadena has some of the absolute best coffee spots, and Highlight Coffee is no exception to that claim. The atmosphere in this coffee shop is very peaceful and serene. Definitely an excellent spot for working or studying. I was really shocked to see people complain about customer service here. The barista we had was very kind. I think there is a misconception that individuals have to be aggressively extroverted and joyful for service to be considered good. I personally do not believe this. I will say there was only one barista working when we came in, so it was a little slower to get our order, but we weren't in a rush, so this did not upset us one bit, and it was worth the wait. We ordered an iced orange vanilla latte with almond milk and a hot butterscotch latte with almond milk. Plant-based milks come at no extra charge here, which I deeply appreciate. Both of the lattes were absolutely delicious! I was a little bit skeptical of the orange vanilla when we ordered it because I was anticipating artificial flavors that almost resembled a creamsicle, but this was not the case at all. The orange vanilla is super subtle and almost resembles a burnt orange peel garnish you would get on a cocktail. It pairs brilliantly with the espresso. It is not very sweet at all, so it is a very good choice if you don't like sweet lattes. The butterscotch latte is absolutely divine! This is definitely a much sweeter option, but it is not unbearably sweet, which can easily occur with butterscotch as a flavor. It honestly tastes like Christmas in a cup and has a bit of a sea salt pairing with it. The espresso quality here is incredibly good. It is smooth and robust. An excellent addition to the wealth of great coffee shops in Pasadena. I can't wait to come back!

Awesome local coffeeshop with a clean modern look and stay-and-chill vibe. (Plus a walkable location near to breakfast & lunch spots). The menu has the standards and some unique items. My personal favorites are the Nathan Palmer (named for a one-time barrista, I believe), and the Espresso Pineapple Lime Tonic (who knew that those flavors would taste good together?!?!). Also, the pastries are high-quality.

I love checking out coffee shops in the area, and this coffee shop is no different. They're located right off of Lincoln Ave, not too far from the newly opened Homestate in Altadena. They serve Sugarbloom pastries here, which I absolutely love. I ordered a black cold brew and it was the perfect coffee. Grab a coffee and take a photo with the cute Altadena/Pasadena sign and don't forget to support your local coffee shops!

A pleasant place to do work or catch up with a friend! They don't up-charge for alternative milks (key to my heart!!) The espresso was good but on the more acidic side. The barista was so kind and answered my questions thoroughly. I look forward to visiting again soon!

The best decaf mocha with almond milk, EVER!! I came here after the gym to get a coffee and oh my goodness what a surprise! They really understand the coffee and flavor. The chocolate they use for the mocha is fabulous! I am a coffee snob and this place is 10 stars! Definitely a must try. And the place is clean and bright and cheery!!

Fun and friendly ambiance with authentic coffee flavors. Very intimate and perfect for quiet study time. A small lot is available to park along with street parking.

Great coffee and awesome staff!! So happy this place is close to home for us. They really got me through the pandemic with the coffee jugs as well. Love this place!

I was excited to try this coffee spot and did so a few months ago. The first experience was underwhelming. I thought, "well, maybe its because there was a "few people" rush that that may have been the reason for the lack of GREAT customer service. Sure, the question "what can i get for you?" was the guys way of usung basic customer service skills I guess what i was wanting and maybe i set myself up for disappointment setting that expectation was more of an experience ive received at places like Chula coffee, Rosebud coffee Manana coffee to name a few . so i said..ok ill give it a 2nd chance. My partner seemed to have enjoyed the espresso shot the first go round. Fast forward to today. Parking: absolutely terrible! (they had 3 open spaces that were blocked by cones. Circles around several times and finally just parked in the red zone Not greeted upon entry like the first time and there was zero rush at 10am. Sure, the menu is impressive but boy the latte was lackluster and absolutely disappointing. Customer service is lacking of big joyful personality...but rather stale and unimpressive. Not personalble nor an attempt to small talk while waiting Recently had a sh*tty latte but her customer service alone has made me a believer in her potential.

Great coffee and service. They don't charge extra for alternative "milks" (oat, almond, soy), which I really appreciate and that extra $1 savings that most other places charge can go towards extra tip for the baristas.

After a morning hike, no better place to stop by for an iced coffee and pastry. The leather couch is soft and cozy, the cafe is spacious and open. The art display is cool. All baristas are kind and not pretentious, you can ask them any question about the coffee. And above all the coffee it's really good, as in the beans and where they source from.