Review - B2

1500 East Passyunk Ave.
215.271.5520
Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 7am - 10pm, S - S: 8am - 8pm
Free Wi-Fi, Tables, Outlets

I'll admit I wandered in here by accident. I was supposed to have lunch at the sushi place down the street but apparently it only serves dinner. Thank goodness B2 was here to save the day. I was hungry and my boyfriend needed to use a restroom, so we wandered in. I'm glad we did.

This place was an interesting mix of hipster and old-school South Philly. Cut-off jeans, unkempt hair, Chucks, bike locks, and messenger bags sat side by side next to balding white men with beer bellies in ragged sweats. A balloon at the bar marked B2's 4th anniversary.

The menu had a variety of sandwiches (we ordered a tomato basil mozzarella combo), fresh fruit smoothies, and soft serve. Yes! Soft Serve! The fresh fruit smoothie options were interesting. We didn't know what to expect with our orange blackberry choice, but it was delicious and the flavors worked really well together. I also got a cappuccino, which was okay. But I liked that they had an 8-oz, 12-oz, 16-oz, and 20-oz option. Caffeine!

All in all, it was a great little place. A bit dingy but it's almost expected for South Philly (no offense). Lots of big tables for getting stuff done.

Coffee: 3 beans
Atmosphere: 3 1/2 beans

Review - Almaz Cafe

140 S. 20th St.
215.557.0108
Website, Yelp, Google Maps
M - F: 8am - 10pm, Sat: 9am - 10pm, Sun: 10am - 6pm

Going on six years, Almaz has been at its 20th and Walnut location longer than I've been working in Philly, but I had only been there once before this review. So recently on a weekday evening, I met up with a few girlfriends for coffee there. It was hot and humid outside and not that much better inside despite the air conditioning unit.

We took a table on the lower level since we were told that upstairs was reserved for dining. I ordered a cappuccino and my friends ordered from their fresh fruit smoothie menu. All our drinks were great, but especially the mango smoothie. And it definitely helped to beat the heat. The owner took our orders and was super-friendly. He was patient with us even as one of us waffled on whether she wanted a cookie. (She did. It was freshly baked on the premises. He was kind enough to give her the biggest one from the jar.)

The decor is not much to look at. It's not very well-lit and can be a bit cramped. But the food and drinks more than make up for it.

I saw other patrons ordering dinner and the look of the Ethiopian dishes made my mouth water. I'll definitely be stopping by in the near future to try something from the main dinner menu and maybe get another one of those mango smoothies.

Coffee: 4 beans
Atmosphere 3 1/2 beans