Polly’s Gourmet Coffee

Polly’s should be killing it like no other coffee shop in Belmont Shore. Great coffee. Roasted in-​house (no one else does it). Homegrown rep. Nice and helpful staff. Great ambassador owner, an icon in East Long Beach. It’s own parking lot (!). It’s own outdoor patio (!).
And I guess they are doing well. And I’m happy.
But they should reconfigure their space. Have the retail counter way farther to the back, facing 2^nd St. And have lots of comfortable indoor seating, instead of the 6 – 10 butt-​parking-​spots they have now. You know, like a regular successful modern coffee shop.
And I say go ahead and slap on an extra 25¢ onto each beverage and product sold, and keep that margin forever for your inconvenience as it affects your production (coffee roasting, packing, etc., as that appears to be what is going on in that real estate right now).
Polly’s should be the start and end of the conversation when it comes to coffee in Belmont Shore, like Legend’s is for sports bars. Let Starbucks and Peet’s be second-​place alternatives like the other «sports bars» on 2^nd are.

I lived in Cali for 3+ years. I fell in love with Polly’s. I still order my coffee from them despite moving to Chicago. I recently received a shipment that was accidentally shorted. I called and they agreed to make it right immediately. I received the make up order today and they included an extra pound for my trouble. THATS CUSTOMER SERVICE. Kudos Polly’s.

Good service, great tasting coffee, wonderful atmosphere, I recommend you come to this place instead of going to Starbucks. Happy New Year’s from BillyBow and Katherine Aguirre.

Two stars only because I really hate trashing a local small business. Unfortunately this place misses the mark in coffee, food and atmosphere. I wonder how they’ve managed to stay in business. The coffee taste like the old stuff at the bottom of the pot that’s been sitting all day. Outside there’s always the same old man chain smoking. The place is uninviting and dingy. Too bad because it’s a great location. The competition is stiff for business in this area so you’d think they would step up their game.

Nice people great coffee just got a couple pumpkin lattes and a bear claw so yummy satisfying

A wonderful place especially if you are seeking a nice cup of coffee at a non-​chain location. They grind coffee and peanuts in the store, my boyfriend and I love the smell. Knowledgeable staff. Some friendlier than others. Homey old décor.

Without a doubt the best coffee I ever had. They even roast their own beans! This is my #1 choice for coffee, thank god I live close

Love the smell as soon as you walk in and how it has an homey feeling with all of the wood. I think the prices are similar to starbucks and places like that. We tried a banana mocha coffee drink. The banana was a bit overpowering for me, but it was pretty good. The vanilla iced coffee he let us sample was really good. I didn’t even know this place was here, but it is definitely a gem. I would come back. The big cinnamon roll in their display case was very tempting.

Big outdoor seating section. Coffee is not expensive and the pastries are cheap as well. Great coffee shop on 2ndst

Always parking available, awesome Chai Latte! Amazing staff what else could a customer ask for? Well… They also have FREE WIFI AND a security guard! Never felt more welcomed, please and well protected at a coffeehouse than when I’m at Polly’s!

Great coffee and friendly staff. They have a great selection of different roasts to wake you up.

Their chai latte is amazing love the texture and taste. It’s made from a powder rather than a syrup base. Staff is very friendly as well always a plus :)

I really wanted to like this place after the high praise it was given in an L. A magazine. There are definitely some good aspects, like the outdoor seating, the ocean breeze and the attached albeit small parking lot. But my drink was less than underwhelming. It was just your basic medium latte, but the taste of espresso was almost undetectable. It tasted like a cup of foamy milk.
The time of my visit was about 2:00 in the afternoon. There were almost no customers there, which is hard to know whether that’s a stroke of luck or a red flag. The case of baked goods was almost empty, and the three or four items still there looked dry. In fact one was all crumbly and unappetizing looking and I couldn’t believe it was still in the display case.
Service was very quick. In retrospect I wish they’d taken more time to do the drinks right.
It’s possible we caught them on an off day. I might be willing to try the place again if I’m ever in the area.

This is a cute spot. Really antiquey feel. You can park on the street or in a little parking lot next door. It doesn’t have too many spots but if you’re lucky, it’s there.
Seating indoors and out. Plenty of space to move around. Not packed like Starbucks, at least not when I went. There are a few sofas and tables inside and a nice little patio with umbrellas. Really nice.
I had my favorite, Chai Latte. It was DELICIOUS. Better than that other coffee place. It was deliciously sweet and smooth. She offered to add an espresso shot to make it a dirty Chai but I said no. It was good the way it was and relaxing. I also had a croissant. Really nice and fluffy. The hubby got a muffin but he ate it in 2 bites so I didn’t get a chance to try it :(I guess it was good.
Check it out and relax.

I come here regularly now and have decided to upgrade my review from 4 to 5 stars because I just love it so much here. There are some new employees who are friendly and are always nice and accommodating when I ask for extra tweaks to my drinks. Also upgrading because I really like their baked goods and LOVE the freshness of their coffee beans. I love trying different blends they are offering.
I usually ask for a recommendation on something new to try and have not been disappointed yet.
Thank you Pollys for giving me such a great place to relax and get a treat I know I will enjoy.

Cute little coffee place. It’s nice to come here to sit and do homework. Environment is friendly and the coffee is amazing. I always get the iced coffee. They also sell coffee by the pound and roast the coffee beans themselves!
The employees are friendly too and always helpful if you have any questions about anything. Located at the end of second street and has a parking lot right next to it where you can park for an hour. I usually park across the street in the residential area, though.
A little bit of seating inside. A few couches. A few tables and chairs. Ample seating in the outside patio. And they have free wifi! Overall a wonderful little place where you can either get a quick coffee if you’re in a rush or sit and stay a while to enjoy yourself.

This place seems like a nice community coffee shop. But that’s exactly what it is, it caters to the community. It has a definite old school vibe, which draws in a lot of the local old folks.
–The coffee is okay compared to some of the other stellar local roasters.
–Service was excellent. :)
–It seems well kept, but a little cluttered and messy, like grandma’s house.
Basically, come here for a good cup of coffee, but don’t expect the «wow factor» of some of the other, newer, coffee roasters.
3.5 out of 5, but I’ll put 4 so I don’t hurt their rating so much.

The last time I was here they had a huge line of folks waiting for their planes but the two workers moved through the line pretty quickly. My soy mocha was pretty good but my pastry was better than I was expecting. I had this flat cinnamon swirl bread thing. I’m sure it has a scientific name… something like cinnamonitticus swirlvitu thingy. Who knew Unilocalers were so smart?
Other times I’ve been here waiting for a flight the service has been slower than dirt so it’s very hit or miss. I’ve also been underwhelmed by the baked goods on occasion. I’m hoping my last stop here is the way of the future and they’re stepping up their game.
Meh.

Great local coffee spot and cheaper than Starbucks! They are one of the few places in Belmont Shore with a free parking lot. I got a spot in both Saturday and Sunday mornings. If you are lucky they will be roasting beans when you go in… Smells heavenly!
What I’ve tried:
Macadamia Nut café au lait: nice mild flavor, not too sweet
Capaccino Royal: best thing here! It’s made with steamed chocolate milk.
Banana Mocha: blended and delicious
Black Velvet: blended with chocolate covered espresso beans. Very strong and not too sweet, good for a cool down treat.
Iced Coffee: sweetened with milk, vanilla and powdered sugar plus a large is only $ 2.90! What a steal and so good!

Ambiance:
* Parking | There is street parking and if you’re lucky, parking in the back. It is a pretty busy place so plan accordingly and be patient. As for parking near the houses, you would need a permit.
* Seating | The space is fairly small. Probably 8 people or 4 groups can sit in the front. There is more seating outside though.
* Feels | It is very old school-​esque like. Pictures are all vintage and in the far back you see the machines where the coffee is brewed or grinded. 50s music is playing in the background if you’re into that stuff.
Food:
Iced chai tea latte– It was a delicious experience, at times I experience a water down over flavorless however this was rich with cinnamon.
Customer Service:
The baristas were quick, while one upsold and not lied on how good the chai tea latte was another barista rang my order.
Overall:
I give this place 4 stars. The price was affordable, the baristas were fast and friendly, and my chai was delicious. I enjoyed the company and the ambiance. As much as I’m an outdoor person, I do wish there was more inside seating. I wouldn’t come back to study here though, but more recommended to socializing or reading a book.
Advice:
* If you paid for meter parking in the afternoon. They don’t play around. Be on time and not a minute later.
* Great place for reading or having a conversation, not much for studying.