Coffee is a priority for me. A good cup of coffee can mark the start of a great day or provide a necessary afternoon pick me up. Here are my go to places in Palo Alto when I am in need of a caffeine kick.
Old Faithful Coffee Stop
When I am looking for a reliable pick me up, I turn to Philz Coffee. Philz has become a Bay Area staple and for good reason. The coffee is personalized, smooth and strong. The Philz in downtown Palo Alto has an order ahead option which means I can bypass the long line of fellow Philz devotees during the early morning rush. Favorite brews include Ecstatic Iced, Jacob’s Wonderbar and Itz the Best.
Best Iced Coffee
My favorite iced coffee can be found inside a running store. Zombie Runner on California Avenue sells not only running gear but some of the best iced coffee around. Their cold brew is made by chilling the coffee rather than adding ice to hot coffee which means not only is the coffee not watered down, but you get more of it.
Sit Down and Relax
Sometimes I like to get the first hour of work done in a coffee shop rather than in the office. Mornings like these call for a soothing espresso blend. Coupa Café in downtown Palo Alto serves coffee from Venezuela as well as Venezuelan chocolates and comfort foods. Favorites include their Venezuelan latte and Venezuelan style Americano, both of which go perfectly with an order of arepas (white cornmeal griddle cakes).
Cofee In a Pinch
For those moments when I don’t have a lot of time to spare but I am in desperate need of some coffee goodness, I head to the local McDonalds drive through. The coffee is quick, hot (although not too hot, thanks to some famous litigation) and in my experience, some of the smoothest large batch drip you can find. Although McDonalds has expanded their coffee offerings to compete with coffee chains like Starbucks and Peets, my favorite is still their basic black drip coffee.