The best local coffee shops near Eagle Rock

Art by Zazie Pritchett-Sidle

The first coffee shop in Eagle Rock was called The ECT Coffee House in the mid to late 1980s. Coffee shops have been part of Eagle Rock for a long time and they are places to be with friends, alone, and be with the community. In this article I will use a scale of 1-5 to show you six coffee shops that are near Eagle Rock that are the best to go get coffee with friends or by yourself.

The Corner Cafe: Habitat

The Habitat is at 3708 North Eagle Rock Blvd. It's near Glendale freeway so it gets busy when people enter or leave the freeway during the day. Even though Habitat is close to the freeway the environment is good, when you enter the building it’s a bit cold. They have fridges with food, bottled drinks and more. Their ice latte was really good, the brew wasn’t too strong and it wasn't too light. If you need help or have a question they will answer you and give more advice to help you. The habitat has a 4.5 review, but it deserves a 4.7 for their exceptional coffee, the environment they made and their customer service.

The Chillest Cafe: The ROCK Coffee House

The Rock Cafe is at 4808 Townsend Avenue. The Rock Cafe is a small place but continues to stay amazing. It is near the corner of the street and when you enter it feels like entering a friend's home and it's pretty chill. They have many options of drinks and if you're hungry they offer food. Also if you need to relax or do work they offer tables and provide plugs if you need to charge something. They treat the customers with respect and when they make a mistake they own up to it and fix it. The iced latte was good, because it was refreshing and the flavor was exquisite. It had the right amount of potency, but it was a bit bitter. The Rock cafe has a rating of 4.6 stars and it has proven that it deserves those stars based on the latte, the way they treat their customers, and the positive environment they have. 

The Smallest Cafe: CAFE 86 

Cafe 86 is on 4915 Eagle rock blvd. It is a small place that serves different types of teas, coffees, and multiple baked goods with or without ube. They host community events where you can earn prizes . The iced latte could have been better, because the brew was like any other latte but the brew was stronger compared to others, and the taste was more bitter. The service was good, they were efficient in getting the order and the coffee came out quickly. There is a problem though, recently there was a rat infestation in the building next to it. The place has closed pending investigation by the department of health. The workers say “that has been happening for the last year and the manager did nothing to stop it.” The department of health is doing a mandatory check for rat infestation in all nearby buildings, including the cafe. Overall I believe that the cafe 86 deserves a 4.7 star review compared to the 4.9 review it has. The reason why is due to the rat infestation next to it. This can affect the business and cause it to unknowingly hurt customers. Also how the taste of the coffee made it a bit difficult to drink for people who don’t drink strong brews and who don't like bitter drinks. Even with all of these issues it is still an amazing place to be around with its efficiency and the community events they do. 

The Fanciest Cafe: Unincorporated Coffee Roasters #7

Unincorporated Coffee is at 2160 Colorado Blvd. Out of all of the places this one was the most fancy. When you enter you see multiple tables and shelves filled with merchandise, and a shelf filled with supplies to brew coffee. If you buy the supplies but don't have any coffee beans, don't worry they have rows of coffee beans in the front of the counter near the work station. They were fast in making the iced latte. The taste was exceptional. The brew was very strong but with a bit of sugar it was tasty, and it was very creamy. They were very kind, they took my order and they didn't rush it, but they didn't accept cash. Unincorporated coffee is a 4.5 compared to its 4.4 rating. The coffee was great and it was a beautiful place but as it only accepts cards, people who only have cash won’t be able to buy the coffee. 

Coffee Grove: Creature’s Plants and Coffee

Creature’s Plants and Coffee is located at 4958 Eagle Rock Blvd. The cafe is such an extraordinary place. The building is compact, but it still has space for a table, chairs, counter, and station in there. The true area is outside; there are multiple tables outside the building so people can relax outside. As the name suggests there is a big garden full of plants all around the building, so when you go outside you are surrounded by multiple plants. They have a small team working every day but they are the best. They make the orders quickly and any concerns or questions are answered. The coffee is good, it has no really strong taste other than a bit bitter. Creature’s Plants and Coffee has a 4.6 rating but it is better than the reviews say. It has a beautiful building, plants, great coffee and workers, due to the workers taking care of the plants building, and their dedication to coffee. With these points mentioned it deserves a 4.9 rating.

The Busiest Cafe: Lola Cafe

Lola cafe is at 2040 Colorado Blvd. It has a 4.8 rating and it deserves that rating. They are not only a coffee shop they are also a restaurant so if you want to eat and have coffee that is the place you need to go. They were a bit slow to make the iced latte but it was worth the wait. They gave me an iced latte that was very good. The first sips are amazing since you get the taste of the coffee and the microfoam makes it taste very sweet. But once there isn't a lot of microfoam it's very bitter. That is why I believe that Lola Cafe deserves their 4.8 rating. They make coffee and food for people who enter the building, make good coffee that's good in the beginning, but then gets bitter once you take a few sips. Either way it is still a good place to get coffee. 

These coffee shops are the best all over Eagle Rock but which should you go to first? I believe that the best one on the list is Creatures Plants and Coffee, but all of them are good because they all are great to get coffee with friends or by yourself. It's a matter of opinion. Some like their roast stronger or a lighter one and it's a personal preference. That is why all of them are the best places based on the coffee, and community around it.