Nam L.
Yelp
Lilo Coffee Roasters is so good that I went there three times in two days. I'm not a coffee snob but I do notice when coffee is overly-roasted, bitter, and unbalanced. Unfortunately, this is the way coffee is generally served at the big coffee chains. Well, after making some small talk with the barrista, I found out that Lilo roasts it's own coffee at least once a week. They've provided a chart listing the acidity/sourness (on the Y axis) and strength/flavor (on the X axis). This is a great idea and makes a lot more sense than just listing the tasting notes on the bag, which I can never really taste (e.g., floral, honeydew, caramel, leather, etc.).
The first day I ordered a Gibraltar which is basically a traditional cappuccino with approximately equal parts espresso and milk (in other words, not drowned in milk foam so that you can actually taste the coffee underneath). It was delicious.
Later that day I ordered a cup of the Ethiopian washed coffee. The brewing method is hand dripped. Interestingly, no paper or cloth filter was used. The filter was a very fine stainless steel mesh (which they sold at the store as well). I hear paper and cloth do impart some taste to the coffee, so the coffee ended up tasting "brighter" than usual. This could've been my mind fooling my perceptions with hipster logic, however. I'm a black coffee guy and this cup of coffee was as good as it gets. Would have bought the filter if I had room to carry it with me for the next several weeks. The next day I ordered a Nicaraguan bean and it was also very good, although not to my taste as the first two offerings.
Highly recommended. Expect to spend $3 to $5 for a cup of Joe.