Copa Vida

I’ve always passed by this place but never got around to try it. But today was the day to try something new. When I walked in I was greeted right away by two baristas. I was surprised that they had so many options and 2 large sitting areas.
Since it was my first time there I was unsure what to get or what would be good. Luckily a very sweet Asian Baraista helped me out. She recommend 2 of their most popular brunch items and her personal favorite. I opted for the for the big breakfast which included eggs on toast, fruits, hash browns, and your choice of sausage or bacon. Since I don’t eat meat she kindly replaced it with a side salad. She also recommend a vanilla latte.
The food was excellent, but I think I could’ve lived without the latte. The latte art on it was really cute, but it was a bit bitter to my liking. The food on the other had was subpar. I really enjoy my arugula salad and mini hash brown potatoes. I got over easy eggs and it was served on a sourdough toast –yum sourdough bread is my fav! The fruits that came with my meal with cantaloupes and strawberries they were so sweet and yummy!
I will definitely come back! Can’t wait to try their other coffee/​teas.
Overall, Copa Vida is a great place to study, hang out with friends, and has a great brunch option.
Thank you for making my first experience a memorable one
OH one more thing,
The restroom is hidden all the way in the back! I had a hard time finding it because I only say the back exit. But it’s directly across from it!

Everyone is friendly, yet service level was disappointing. The place wasn’t crowded and it took a long time to get 3 items. Salad, coffee and french toast. They came out one at a time.
Kale salad (minus grapes added chicken): Delicious
Coffee: Luke warm.
French toast: Nice presentation but burned on the bottom.

Baristas were friendly and service was fast. My wife and I came here before heading out to a training. The breakfast burritos are delicious. Get their cold brew! It’s fantastic. Has a great lobby and back room, plenty of space for working in case you need to get some things done. A little noisy (music is loud) in my opinion, but the ambiance is nice overall.

Rating: 3.2
Came here with a barista friend and my best friend. The café is very clean and modern – the machines are super cool! I stared at it for like good 5 minutes haha
I came in on a Saturday evening and it was pretty packed but a lot of the people here seem to grab their coffee and go so it wasn’t hard to find a seat.
I had high expectation since this place was known for their coffee but I was a little bit disappointed in their consistency. I came out to Pasadena just to try out different coffee since I’ve been studying a bit on coffee.
We ordered three cortado, café mocha and one drip.
The three cortados had latte art on top, specifically hearts but one was very distorted but that’s not the reason why I gave a 3.2. The three cortados were not consistent, I guess it all depends on who makes them but all of ours tasted very different. Café mocha tasted like the cocoa and coffee didn’t blend well – the taste wasn’t gradient it was a pretty harsh transition between cocoa and coffee.
Next time, I want to try their teas since they have a pretty solid selection and their machines look cool :) haha

Breakfast Burrito (Sausage)
So big and so tasty. I was actually VERY surprised. I’m getting this every time I come here. I could only fight up the strength to eat half.
Bai Mu Dan
Dried apricots and almonds. Keep in mind that this is a hot tea. I’m not sure why but I was expecting a cold tea. My fault. Probably wouldn’t order this again.

This place has delicious coffee. I got the Santo Domingo hot pour over, and my girlfriend got a vanilla latte. I drank the first part of my pour over black; it was pretty dark and smooth. I enjoyed it. I finished it up with some milk and sugar, and that was equally as good. The vanilla latte was super tasty. It tasted like a marshmallow.
The line was at the door when we got there but it moved quickly. They also had a guy taking orders from people in line to help speed things up.
The atmosphere was a typical coffee shop; lots of people reading, or on their laptop, or catching up with friends. There is plenty of seating even when they are packed. We didn’t try the food but I definitely will be back again to try some.

Um, this place is awesome! I wish I lived closer so I could come more often! I was in the area for a work meeting so my friend and I came to grab breakfast.
I ordered an iced latte sweetened with agave syrup and a veggie breakfast burrito with bacon (per the recommendation of the guy taking my order). The latte was soooooooo delicious and smooth… I drank it slowly because I wanted to savor every sip and wanted more when I finished it. The burrito was really big and a good bang for your buck! It even comes with a side of fresh cut fruit so you can mentally alleviate some of that guilt from eating a big freakin burrito for breakfast haha.
There is free 90-​minute parking in the structure across the street.

I have not been here in awhile and my trips before were less memorable but that could have been because of the company. I’m not sure. This evening it looked as though they were training some new staff unsuccessfully. The place was a bit of a mess.
However…
The Masala Chai with Almond Milk was pretty Damm good. It was beautiful. Unfortunately, I enjoyed every last drop of it way too quickly. I look forward to coming here again, but perhaps next time not on a Saturday night.

Good food and good coffee? Yaas, I found me a coffee shop that can do both! One of my favorites in Pasadena! I’ve come here twice and both times, I’ve been impressed with the food and drinks.
THE FOOD:
The first time I came here, I tried the Chorizo Egg Hash and the second time, I tried the Croque Madame and the Chicken Salad Sandwich. All three food items were great! My sister and I both loved the bread they serve the sandwiches in (bread in a sandwich can make it or break it). I would definitely recommend all three items to anyone.
THE DRINKS:
Both times, I got the café latte. Both times, it was good.
THE SERVICE:
They accidentally spilled some of my sister’s café latte over into the cup’s plate (not even that much) and they remade it for us when we didn’t even ask them to. That was pleasantly surprising and nice.
Pasadena is overflowing with many great coffee places, but Copa Vida stands out because it also serves good food! Highly recommend to those in or visiting Pasadena

One of those hip little coffee places with wood and silver and black colors. High benches and stools and fancy baristas. There are sandwiches as well as various coffees and beverages. Nice mood and atmosphere. I’ve had coffee and salad here. Nothing too unusual in terms of flavor but it is pleasant to hang out here. A group of 4 – 6 should fit snugly here. Street parking is always a bit of a challenge in downtown Pasadena – may need to park at an available structure.

I finally was able to give this place a try. This a 3.5 Star review but there is no option for a half star. There’s always a long line & the place is always packed. Situated in the corner of Raymond & Green St. The décor is simple & Industrial. Simple menu (not much of a place for kids) food & drinks. There are two sides to sit down. Substantial amount of seating but they get filled up quickly.
We ordered Iced Green Tea Mist (comes unsweetened so add your own sweetener) Lattes, Cappuccino, Machiato, & Hot Chocolate. Tea was light (Blue Agave added for sweetness) Lattes were ok, a bit cold. Cappuccino had a nice aroma but wasn’t quite smooth. Mocha Machiato (in house ganache) whisked in with expresso was a nice touch but again, it was on the cold side. Hot chocolate was cute (drink was called Sadness because they teamed up with Children Hospital) typical Hot Chocolate.
As for food, we got Bacon Breakfast Burrito, Baked Eggs, & a Blueberry Lemon Scone (not pictured). The scone was ok. Blueberry wasn’t strong, you can taste the lemon in the background, it wasn’t very dense or hard so that’s a good thing. Baked Eggs were served with a slice of a baguette. Yolks were over cooked to a hard so no runny yolks to dip the bread in. You can smell the faint scent of thyme. The breakfast Burrito was ok as well. There were bacon pieces, nice melted cheese but too much hash browns to fill up the Burrito. Fresh slices of fruit was a nice touch but I was not able to eat it (I’m allergic to cantaloupe).
Overall, nice place. Service was ok but they need more people bussing because we had to clean the tables ourselves from previous patrons. Free Wi-​Fi (Ask for the password) BTW, Don’t hang around outside of the establishment… The air reeks of sewage. YUCK!

This is a solid place to get work done and to get good coffee/​food while doing it. It’s a pretty poppin place though so maybe you’ll have trouble finding a table. Although this establishment is larger than a lot of coffee shops I’m used to it’s still always packed from the last two times I’ve been here. They do play music and it’s not blasting out the speakers where you can’t hear your company talk so no need to worry about that. They also don’t have super loud blenders like Jamba Juice so rest assured you’ll be okay if you leave your headphones at home.
As for their food I was able to try their Turkey Bacon wrap and the Black Forest Ham wrap. Both were good. The tortilla was a bit stale for my liking but the stuff on the inside was great. They use thick cut bacon for the wraps, it tasted like applewood smoked but don’t quote me on that. The turkey bacon wrap had a hint of spiciness in their sauce compared to the Black Forest ham. The Black Forest ham though had a creamier sauce with more veggies than the turkey.

A nice hipster coffee shop with ample metered parking.
A tad overpriced but food is decent. I paid $ 28 for chorizo hash/​salad side+drink+cookie. .holy moly… and this is just for one person.
I feel like i can get a better deal elsewhere. But food was not bad. Cookie was aiite. Wished they weren’t so stingy on the bread.
Not sure why so pricey though.

You know Copa Vida is a great study spot because of all the textbooks and laptops in sight. There are two sections to this café, the area in front when you first enter (this place is more for people who want to eat/​drink/​chat), and the back area behind the cashier (where most people study). Free wifi is available (except during brunch times on weekends), outlets are available, and there are also plenty of seats available.
I can’t speak for the drinks because I didn’t order one, but I ordered the biscuit with peach jam and it was quite delicious. I saw the other sandwich items and they look delicious as well!
Parking is street parking/​parking lots around the main Pasadena hub – shouldn’t be hard to find at all.

Very trendy place right in Old Town near Castle Green. On this particular visit, I came for a quick lunch from work a few blocks away. There were plenty of tables, benches, counters – however, I think it would be difficult to for a group of more than 4 to sit together.
I opted for the grilled chicken sandwich and the kale salad for my meal and a hibiscus drink to go with it. The sandwich took about 15 minutes, a little longer than I had expected. However, I think it was of great quality. The bread was fresh, the salad was crispy, and the chicken was delicious. It was larger than I expected and only ate half. The drink was just ok – it didn’t have much flavor. For what I ordered, I paid about $ 19 including a tip.
The staff was super friendly, so that always makes things better.

I freaking love this place! As soon as I walked in, I got all these good feels. Décor, seating, menu, and food. EVERYTHING is on point. It’s an Instagram haven for a basic girl like me.
I LOVE cafes that not only have good drinks, but also have great food! I absolutely devoured the chorizo egg hash. Arugula was the perfect touch. My little brother loves the traditional french toast and the breakfast burrito is a great deal at $ 5 (mom saved half of it for another meal). The matcha donut was absolutely adorable and delicious though a bit pricey at $ 4.50. NOTE: menu items change depending on the time of day or the day of the week so if you’re really craving a particular dish, check online to make sure it’s available.
Only sad thing is that the drinks are kind of small for the price you pay. Appreciate the latte art though!
Can’t wait to come back and try out more things!

I first tried Copa Vida’s coffee through a coffee subscription from LA Coffee Club. Yes, we’re that serious about coffee, well, the Man is at least. We enjoyed the coffee so much, that since we were in the area, we had to make a stop.
Very spacious and clean. They have a great food menu that I’ll have to wait for the next visit to try. Friendly service. We shared a latte with almond milk. The almond milk did not take away the deliciousness and aroma of the freshly grounded beans. They also have a selection on tea. I was observing the counter as they were brewing it. What sophisticated machine they use. A tube boils the water in perfect temperature and is brewed like a French press system. I was impressed.

Came around 9:30 am on a Saturday, expectantly busy. Ordered the chorizo egg hash, croque madame, cold brew coffee and an oolong tea, bill was about $ 32.
Husband liked the croque thing, I wasn’t a fan, something in it tasted off for me. I liked the egg hash but they left out the chorizo! I inquired about it and they remedied it pretty quickly and it tasted much better but the hash seemed under cooked, not crispy at all.
The drinks were fine nothing spectacular.
The staff were very friendly.
Parking is ok if you use the structure across the street, I believe it’s 90 minutes free.
I might return.

After we completed the Rose Bowl Loop Track, my gal pal, Yuri, suggested that we go here. Sure! I’m game! !
Tim, Yuri, & I found street parking about a block away and walked around the construction to this quaint, clean, and well-​lit coffee shop. The interior is quite large, with the capacity for 67 persons! Yes! Lots of seating!
We ordered the Chorizo Egg Hash which consists of chorizo sausage, russet potatoes, sunny side egg with jalapeño cilantro sauce. Maybe it was too early in the morning and I wasn’t paying attention, but the sausage and sauce were very spicy. If you are sensitive like I am, you may not like this dish! Haha! I really woke up!
For my beverage, I had the Green Cloud and Mist Tea — mainly because of its name. The description is «sweet, bright, buttery, grassy»… very intriguing! It hit the spot!
If we ever decide to walk the Rose Bowl Loop Track again, I’m pretty sure we’d return and probably get the Croque Madame — it looks and sounds good from all of the photos! I’ll be better prepared and maybe order a latte with a fancy design on the top!

Copa Vida, loosely translated to «cup of life», is another bustling coffee shop in Old Towne Pasadena. They occupy a corner spot on Raymond Ave. and it’s fairly spacious inside, but still hard to find a table. The popularity is understandable. the front room is well lit by natural light with white walls & detailed ceilings. Their back room, aka «Experience Room» is a bit darker, away from the noise up front and appears to be where all the laptop users congregate.
After lunch, all we wanted is coffee, so each of us ordered a cappuccino. One came out a few minutes before the other, which is odd considering baristas tend to make 2 of the same rinks at once for efficiency reasons.
They also has subtle differences in taste. The first one was better, the milk had more of a velvety consistence, and the 2^nd one was foamy. Other than that little nick-​picking, they were pretty decent cups of coffee. During the time I went, their pastries were very limited, and had only one type of cookie which didn’t look too appetizing.
Still, Copa VIda is a cool to place to have coffee and relax if I happened to be around the area, but I wouldn’t go out of my way. 3.5 stars.
Notes:
* Limited brunch menu on the weekends.
* Self help water on the counter in the back room «experience room»
* Like Starbucks, they sell their own beans, tumblers & accessories