What I love most about Pasadena is you can walk on the boulevard of Colorado and still find new gems every weekend. There’s somehow always a clothing store, bookstore, or cafe you might have overlooked last time you were there.
Intelligentsia is located on Colorado Blvd, in Pasadena CA, and specializes in freshly roasted and poured coffee and espresso beverages with a industrial style atmosphere.
Intelligentsia was hidden in plain sight, close to the corner of Raymond and Colorado. The inside of the coffee bar could be seen through its big glass windows in the front. There was a small patio for outdoor seating and an awning hovering over for shade. The tall ceiling was covered with dangling, industrial, yellow string lights and on the left, there was a single brick wall going all the way to the back of the shop where there was a bar. The cool thing about this coffee shop was that it was also a bar in the back so in the evening you could order beer and wine. It all tied together and gave off a certain vibe that you wouldn’t mind spending the whole evening there. It wasn’t loud like other coffee shops, it was quiet and calm. There was music playing softly above.
I was greeted by a worker and shown the menu. There was a small selection, mostly coffee-based, obviously, but there was also a side for various teas and pastries. The day was late in the afternoon when I arrived, I would say 6 pm, so I decided on their Organic Crimson tea which was a caffeine-free herbal blend tea. A tart yet sweet taste. The barista didn’t over sweeten it which was nice and refreshing. I could taste a lot of the hibiscus, but they also say there was blueberry, raspberry and strawberry, which I couldn’t taste much of. The tea was awfully bitter though, but I liked that. I also ordered two pastries. There was a sugar-coated donut in the glass case that was calling my name; come to find out, it was filled with a fruity filling.
Intelligentsia is located on Colorado Blvd, in Pasadena CA, and specializes in freshly roasted and poured coffee and espresso beverages with a industrial style atmosphere.
Overall, the customer service was 10/10. The barista and manager were both cordial and affable. We chatted about how we’ve all attended PCC as they rung my order up. It was a pleasant experience. If I ever wanted to study with a couple of friends, get an afternoon cup of coffee or a glass of wine on a Saturday night to relax, i’d probably go back to this coffee bar. It’s perfectly set up for all three occasions.
Overall rating: 4/5
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