Daniel B.
Yelp
I haven't met anyone who doesn't like Philz Coffee. Since opening in the early 2000s, this small coffee chain has become quite popular and synonymous with the San Francisco Bay Area. With over a dozen locations in the city, my first experience with Philz was several years ago in the Castro. Not long ago, we stopped by this location in the Financial District and the coffee we got hit the spot.
This location is busy with both tourists and workers. The cafe is centrally located to the Ferry Building and the Embarcadero, South of Market, Union Square, Chinatown, and the FiDi.
The cafe is located on ground level, at the bottom of a First Republic Bank office building. The storefront facade is all glass and both the inside and outside look nice and modern. Indoor and outdoor seating are available. Sitting outside is pleasant as there are many tables and chairs spread out across a spacious brick courtyard, away from the streets. Inside, the cafe feels warm, comfortable, and inviting. Access to the restrooms is restricted by a passcode.
Philz specializes in individually drip-brewed cups of coffee. During our visit, the coffee menu had over 20 blends to choose from including dark, medium, and light roasts as well as multiple decaf options. A small cup cost $3.50, large $4.50, and by the pound, $18 per pound. In addition, they offered other drinks like iced coffee, hot chocolate, and nearly 10 kinds of tea at similar pricing per cup.
One thing I like about Philz menu is even though there are a lot of options, they keep it simple. You don't have to be a coffee hipster to enjoy this place. Each coffee (or tea) on the menu is described in three helpful, aromatic words or less. For example, the medium roast Philtered Soul is described with the words hazelnut, cocoa, and syrup. The dark roast decaf Swiss Water Peru: cedar, earthy, smokey.
I tried the dark roast, full body, Jacob's Wonderbar prepared "Philz Way," medium sweet with cream. The drink was ready in a few minutes and its description (chocolate, nuts, clove) was spot-on. One of the baristas told us Jacob's Wonderbar is one of the company's most popular dark blends and I can see why. It's a very good, quality cup of coffee.
Good service. I'd definitely come back.