Espresso yourself: Urth Caffé vs. Augie’s Coffee House Point-By-Point

Coffee. Whether this godsend keeps you awake for your 8 a.m. or your all-nighter, it’s definitely a must-have for many college students. The million-dollar question students face each day isn’t whether or not to get coffee, but where. This week, we’re offering up a debate over two coffee shops, Urth Caffé and Augie’s Coffee House. Speaking for Team Urth, we have Noorhan Mamoon, and speaking for Team Augie’s, Jackie Mayuga. You be the judge — may the best coffee house win.

What were they looking for?

I have a latte on my mind.

Noorhan (Urth): Not being an L.A. native means I have the pleasure of exploring the city through fresh eyes. Every week, I find a gem of a place or visit somewhere that’s been highly recommended by fellow USC students. Urth Caffé was one recommendation that I was glad I listened to since not many places make coffee like Urth does. Having used up all my excuses to leave campus, I jumped on the opportunity to do this point-by-point. On the one hand, I would be saving myself from a night spent at the library studying for midterms (seriously, why are there so many?) and on the other, I’ll have the chance to go back to Urth, with its beautiful foam art lattes and decadent cakes. So, how does Urth fare against Augie’s? Let’s see!

Jackie (Augie’s): Oh, man. When I saw my editor pitch a coffee shop vs. coffee shop point-by-point, I just couldn’t resist. Who do I write about? I thought. I only had two requirements: I had to love them and I had to be sure they could blow their competition out of the water. After that, the decision was easy. Sure, I’ve already reviewed them, but now I’m writing to defend them as the best, yet most inconveniently located, coffee shop of my young life. With that said, welcome to a pseudo #JackieLikesJava, and what I guess is Part II of #JackieLovesAugies.

Interior/Aesthetics

Measuring up the brew-ti-ful aspects.  

Noorhan (Urth): Unlike most of L.A.’s cafés, Urth isn’t streamlined and sleek. With its earthy tones and wood interior, Urth is homey and just screams comfortable. At its downtown L.A. location, the patio boasts modest metal chairs that defy the laws of physics by being relaxing rather than painful. Urth is definitely the opposite of minimalist and seems to take pride in looking lived-in.

Jackie (Augie’s): I’ve been called a hipster numerous times for sitting in the middle of brick-laden Augie’s with a moleskine and a black, Ethiopian pour over, so I’d sum them up as “hipster.” As much as I hate the word itself (because it doesn’t mean anything!), it’s pretty accurate. Augie’s bleeds some of the best coffee shop vibes a serial café lurker could get. It’s studious, spacious, community-oriented and in that weirdly endearing limbo space of being barely lit but in, like, a cool way? I can’t really put a finger on it, but either way, 10/10 for hanging out and 8/10 for studying because it turns out there’s only a tiny cluster of outlets in the corner in the back room and their Wi-Fi password changes. All. The. Time.

I’m also gonna go ahead and say 12/10 for not being a chain coffee shop. Yeah, there are three locations, but they all have a different vibe to them. And I hate chain coffee shops, so I can’t justify ever calling Augie’s one by principle.

The Coffee

Staying grounded.

Noorhan (Urth): Every café worth its salt should be able to make an excellent cup of coffee, and Urth definitely can. The lattes, complete with foam art, are the perfect blend of steamed milk and espresso. The cappuccino is made with just enough frothed milk to complement the shot of espresso.

Jackie (Augie’s): Augie’s is the most consistent roastery I’ve ever had the privilege of experiencing. I haven’t had a cup from them in a while since coffee is more of my Fall/Winter drink (and it’s still not cold enough for one), but when I have the occasional pour over or French press in my apartment, I can always count on Augie’s to be satisfying…even if I do break the Coffee Snob’s #1 Rule of never brewing coffee after X days of roasting. Whoops.

Anyway, their Ethiopian blends are wonderful! Prominent apricot/peach/fruity notes. Definitely some of my favorite coffee flavors and definitely why they are my go-to fall and winter pour overs. The Costa Rican and Kenyan blends are only OK to me, but that’s because I’m not a fan of nutty or earthy coffee. They taste a little too much like dirt to me, but to each their own.

The Espresso

Give it a shot!

Noorhan (Urth): Never judge a book by its cover but always judge a café by its espresso. Urth’s espresso more than passes muster, both the Italia and the Dolce — dark and light roasts, respectively. Not too bitter and just thick enough, the espresso was divine, so much so that I had to get one more shot.

Jackie (Augie’s): Fam, I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: Augie’s has the best espresso ever. It’s the only espresso I have forced myself to consume since finding out that I’m actually allergic to espresso (whoops). They boast an enormous span of drinks from permanent favorites like the delicate Lavender Vanilla Latte or Parliament Chocolate Mocha to their seasonal staples such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte and Espresso Tonic. I recommend the Lavender Vanilla to anyone who wants to try something safe yet delicious during their first Augie’s trip. It’s a nice, unique drink that puts the standard (but still enjoyable) unflavored latte to shame.

Customer Service

Any signs of dis-stain?

Noorhan (Urth): At the downtown L.A. location, customers seat themselves, which was a little confusing at first as there was no sign indicating whether or not to wait to be seated. However, the barista who took our orders was lovely and made recommendations for first-timers, such as the Duchess of Hazelnut cake and the Earl Grey boba. The waiter who brought us our order was also very sweet. He came by to check that everything was perfect, and apologized profusely when my friend’s drink was five minutes late.

Jackie (Augie’s): Can I give them an 11/10 for their customer service?! Each barista has given me exceptional recommendations, and they all seem to adjust to custom orders really well. Unlike some of the competing coffee shops I’ve visited, Augie’s baristas aren’t at all pretentious and are really keen on growing the Southern California coffee culture. They don’t judge me for asking them to pre-grind my coffee before taking it home and breaking Coffee Snob Rule #2. In fact, they even gave me some pointers on which blends would be better for my home brewing methods, which was super unexpected. Not only that, but they all know how to make a mean pour over — a skill I can only dream of mastering right now.

Convenience

So many blends, so little time.

Noorhan (Urth): With six locations across Southern California, Urth is a student’s coffeehouse dream. A branch is even conveniently located in downtown L.A., a few minutes’ ride from campus. As Urth is very popular amongst L.A.’s self-prescribed hipsters, it tends to get crowded during the weekend. Lunchtime during weekdays is also rush hour. Be sure to beat the crowd – early Sunday mornings also make for a great time to study in the picturesque café.

Jackie (Augie’s): They are a small batch roaster based in Redlands and have expanded into Riverside and Claremont. Unfortunately, they haven’t and probably won’t branch out into L.A. anytime soon. It looks like only the most dedicated USC Coffee Lovers will ever get to experience the lovely shop that really ignited the #JackieLikesJava flame. Lucky for me, the Claremont location is exactly the halfway point between ’SC and my home-home, which just so happens to be Redlands a.k.a. the down-the-freeway neighbor of Riverside, so it’s convenient for anyone travelling over 30 miles on the I-10E.

10/10 for convenience for me, 5/10 for my apartment mate who likes her coffee and is really lucky I have a car — and probably 1/10 for anyone else.

Urth Caffé is located at 451 S. Hewitt St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. It is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and Sunday, and from 6 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays.

Augie’s Coffee House is located at 113 N. 5th St., Redlands, CA 92373. They are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays.