Anyone who knows me knows that I’m an ardent coffee lover. After all, I hail from regions of the world that are the biggest coffee producers. More importantly though, drinking coffee has profound ties to my childhood- memories of stealing a sip from my father’s cup when he wasn’t looking because I wanted to be like him when I was a little girl; memories of having afternoon-long father daughter conversations over cups of Sumatra and Italy.

Having had the blessing to drink coffee through my global travels and visit coffee plantations in Indonesia and Brazil, while I’m no expert, I certainly am intimately familiar with this addictive elixir, its’ subtle nuances and regional flavors. Being based in the United States these few years though, it has been difficult to find coffee that doesn’t taste like acidic, burnt dirty water. There are some cities across the country with those charming, quaint mom and pop cafés that do a good job because they take individual care on each roasting, each brew, but those are few and far between.

When I was introduced to Philz Coffee last year in my hometown of San Francisco, I felt that almost comical golden light shining above my head that most of us coffee connoisseurs experience when we slowly sip a new brew, our trepidation rewarded by that smooth, bold mouthgasm only true coffee can give. It shouldn’t come as a surprise how phenomenal Philz Coffee is considering its’ founder, Phil (whom I have now come to fondly nickname the Godfather of Coffee) spent 25  years learning about coffee and perfecting his craft before opening his first store.

Almost always in his signature fedora, Phil can be found at any of his dozen or so locations across the San Francisco bay area still making coffee for his fanatical followers himself. His kind graciousness and extreme attention to coffee perfection has rightfully earned him and his staff the continuous accolade of being best coffee house in San Francisco for years in a row. From the refreshing and uber addictive Mint Mojito Coffee (this is my all time favorite) to the very smooth, velvety Tessora, there is a blend for every coffee lover’s palate.

What you will not encounter at Philz Coffee is the typically acidic and bizarre charcoal-like aftertaste that flavors a cup of muddy water as is so prevalent across America. Philz is for folks who enjoy real coffee in an ambiance of real character with genuine service. Hands down- Philz is the best coffee house in America. The only thing left is for Phil to open up a location in my house.

Philz Coffee Website