Alright, this isn’t actually a restaurant, but people eat food at coffee shops right? Even though I didn’t, i’ve been thoroughly impressed by Philz in my last people of visits.

My wonderful and talented friend Woo absolutely looooves Philz, she posts about it all the time! The coffee always looked beautiful, with their signature mint leaf on top. You can check out her posts here! They’re awesome. “Insta goals,” as the kids would say.

My first visit was on a very hot day the first week of September. In the Navy Yard store, customers come in through the front door and come to the barista bar. Its a long table with multiple baristas behind with a giant row of coffee machines. I wasn’t sure what to get, so I asked the barista what she would recommend. She suggested the homemade chai, as the coffees were quite strong. I ordered the Philz Fresh Chai.

The first few sips were great – they do a nice sprig of mint on the top which is all frothy. Though the tea powder itself was a great flavor, it seemed to be too watery, almost brewed too weak. The drink itself is good, but I’m used to a strong cup of chai with just a spoon of milk, and this was way too diluted for me. The service was wonderful either way – she offered to redo the drink for me, and when I send them feedback through their online form, they responded very promptly as well.

The atmosphere is also great at the Navy Yard Philz. There’s plenty of seating, lots of outlets, and lots of people working and socializing. The only complaint – it gets freezing inside! Bring a sweater if you’re going to be here a while.

A few weeks later, I paid another visit, this time determined to try coffee. I asked this barista what her suggestions would be, and she gave me detailed descriptions of what she thought I would like in each of their brew categories (light, medium, and dark.) By each name of brew, they list three flavor descriptions, such as smoky, cinnamon, earthy, etc. She was incredibly informed and detailed about all the varieties and clearly knew her stuff. I ended up going with the Julie’s Ultimate, which had notes of cinnamon, oatmeal, and nuts – the barista told me it smells like an oatmeal cookie. They spend a lot of time brewing each of these drinks, this isn’t coming from a premade batch, each cup is freshly brewed.

I really loved this drink. It truly smelled and tasted like the oatmeal cookie that she described! It was refreshing, and the portions are quite big. The small size is $3.50, and they give you almost 16 oz (i think) which is a pretty good deal.

I really enjoy this place! The service and the knowledge of the baristas really make this place. They truly care about giving you something you enjoy. They give the drink to you to taste, and ask you if you need any changes and if it turned out all right. The drinks may seem expensive buts a great value for the quality, service, and quantity. I will be back here to work and try another brew!

The Bottom Line

Wonderful service with a wide variety of unique brews. Check it out!

Cone Rating: 4 Cones

Price: $ (Less than 5$)

Location: Navy Yard – w/more locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and DC

On the Internet: Philz Coffee Website and Yelp