City Bean Roasters
5051 Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
Crema's Take
“Hidden behind a locked door that rewards those curious enough to ring the bell, City Bean Roasters is an intimate LA roastery where the owner and Al genuinely engage with every visitor about coffee—whether you're grabbing a pour over or restocking your home stash of their affordable, expertly-roasted beans. The cozy, no-frills space feels like a secret shared among coffee lovers who've discovered that quality and approachability aren't mutually exclusive, making it the kind of place where you'll find yourself returning not just for the exceptional coffee, but for the unhurried conversations that come with it.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
They don’t make it easy to get in as the door is locked and you have to ring the bell. They are very nice and small operation local roasters
Great, locally-roasted coffee. Excellent quality and nice, steady guidance from Al working in the front (that's Al like Allen or Alfred, not artificial intelligence 😀)!
Been coming here for about a year. Always have great chats about coffee with Al and the other staff. Really good beans and very affordable, one of the best in LA!
My husband and I absolutely love this little hidden gem of a coffee business! It’s such a cozy shop — when the owner is there he’s so friendly. We love their beans and always make sure to refill. We’ve been coming here for over a year now, driving out of our neighborhood just to support a local business :) What we want to call out is that the guy who works there in the mornings (who is not the owner) always gives us very non-welcoming energy. Doesn’t pick up his head to greet us, kind of gives us attitude when we ask for his advice (like, shouldn’t he be excited to engage with us and share his opinions on different blends?) and makes snide remarks when we check out. (Don’t want to name specific bc don’t want to get targeted since we do go there basically every month.) We always give service employees benefit of the doubt. Everyone has bad days. At first, that’s what we thought it was, but we’ve had this experience multiple times now and it just feels like maybe this guy doesn’t love working there in a retail facing customer service position. Maybe he could transition to a role where he can fully express himself or he could get some training. In any case, please support this place! We love that City Bean, a little spot like this, is still in business after all these years and would love for them to continue to succeed and get your business! You’re buying coffee anyway. Might as well do it at a local spot with great coffee!
This should be your go-to spot for coffee beans if you care about quality and freshness! They have a broad range of origins and roasts to satisfy nearly anyone. I’m particularly fond of My Old Friend for perfect balance in a cappuccino or other espresso drinks. The roasts are consistent every time. You can see why they do so much wholesale with some of the best restaurants in town. Parking is a little challenging, but doable… or take the metro E line, it’s a very short walk from the LaBrea stop.
Crema Reviews
You might also like
Jurassic Magic
★ 4.7 (428)
Jurassic Magic is a beautifully designed LA neighborhood gem where genuinely…
Smalls LA Cafe & Market
★ 5.0 (55)
Tucked into a Mid-City strip mall, Smalls LA is a neighborhood gem where the…
Kavat Coffee
★ 4.7 (206)
Kavat Coffee is a welcoming haven where the baristas genuinely know their…
Regent Coffee Brew and Bottle House
★ 4.8 (84)
This neighborhood gem in Los Angeles has mastered the art of creating memorable…