Sabor 2

Breakfast. Had a Belgium waffle and breakfast sandwich. Both very good, especially the waffle. Small breakfast menu but good stuff. Not very busy in the morning.

I’ve been here maybe a dozen times, now. I come for the fast wifi so I can study. The service can be hit and miss. Most of the workers (especially the sole male) are friendly and quick. Two have been kind of average and one (the only non-​Asian worker I’ve run into so far) was kind of dismissive. That said, they all work very hard because it looks like 90% of the time they’re by themselves.
The dining area is clean with nice ambiance. I do wish they would take down some of the posters over the windows so more light would come in. Otherwise the dining room is nice and relaxing and the bathroom is clean enough.
The food is not bad, but a little too pricey. The only thing that’s great for the value are the mexican mocha and red velvet specialties. The sandwiches are not bad but too expensive and I often end up buying a chocolate bar or something just because of the price.
Pros: Great coffee/​chocolate drinks, fast wifi, relaxing dining area.
Cons: Service from the workers can be spotty from a few individuals (but I still give them credit).
Best study place in the area that I’ve found so far.

I went here on a hot summer night and was cooled off by getting the super yummy Red Velvet Ice Blended Latte. I saw it on their list of lattes and asked if I could have it iced, which the girl was immediately like ‘Sure, just over ice or blended?’ so I went with blended and it was heavenly. I was intrigued by other options on their list, like the Almond Joy and Funky Monkey lattes, so definitely going to go back and try those.
As far as people there, there was a large group having a discussion of some sort that were there before I got there and when I left about 2 hours later. It was a good mix of people. Business professionals, young students, older adults just there to have a coffee and read.
If you are there earlier in the day, there’s retail parking spots behind the building in Archstone apartments, however after 9pm the gate gets locked, so you’d have to move out of the lot onto the street.

Full disclosure, I am a knitter. I know what you’re thinking, knitting that’s for Grandma’s or stuffy people from the East Coast. Well, I did just move here from the East Coast so maybe that’s why I’m so obssesd with knitting. Back from my random sidebar, this is where my knitting group meets every Thursday. You really have to appreciate a place that offers free wi-​fi, has plenty of tables, some excellent drink options and some good food. Passionfruit iced tea, so refreshing. Chinese chicken salad, my goodness you are huge and delicious and totally worth the $ 9 price tag.
If you’re looking for a spot to host a group (2 – 10 people) then come here. If you’re looking for a good refreshing drink, then come here. If you’re into knitting then by all means come Thursday night and enjoy the great company and great atmosphere.

The Red Velvet Latte is what drew me in, and I was not disappointed.
The love and I were out cake tasting for our wedding, and we decided to get some coffee. We originally were headed over to my go-​to in Pasadena (Zona Rosa) but realized they only take cash. So our way back from the ATM, we saw a chest level sign that beckoned with a Red Velvet Latte, and a Pumpkin Spice Latte. We were sold!
This place is now officially on my go-​to list.

Drinks: Spanish Latte.
Came here for an afternoon coffee. The weather was heating up so I elected for an iced drink. Ended up going for something sweeter than what I’m used to. Spanish lattes are a bit different than regular lattes in that they use sweetened condensed milk. It was a bit too sweet, but that could just be my palate so I don’t fault them for this. It was the lunch hour, but hardly anybody inside. Plenty of seating and tables though. They had sandwiches and salads on the menu, but I did not try them.
When I first arrived at the register, I was not acknowledged at first. So I stepped up even closer and the guy stopped talking to his coworker and took my order. My small sized latte was 16 oz and was $ 4.95 which I thought was a bit high for a place like this. It was not accurately reflected on the menu board either, which said $ 3.95. Drinks came out fairly quick though. The next time I visit, it looks like I’ll have to try the Red Velvet Latte. If that blows me away, I’d probably bump this place up by one more star as a small shop like this with awesome drinks deserves 4’s and above.

Short & sweet:
Service: 3
Drinks: 2
Wait time: no wait
Price: 2
Cleanliness of bathroom: 2.5
Not a bad place to hang out and study. There are a number of small tables inside the café for convenience, street-​parking (free on Sundays), and I believe, free wi-​fi.
My latte was… all right. I didn’t get my inch of foam (gah.) and as it was a seasonal latte (Pumpkin Spice!), it was incredibly sweet. I knew it would be, so that’s not a gripe, but more that the latte itself was unimpressive.
If I’m in the area, I’ll pop in for an Americano or a brewed coffee.

When will I ever get to try the red velvet latte??? Either it is so popular that it gets completely sold out by the afternoon, or they never restock it, or it doesn’t exist (unicorn?). Fortunately, I find their vanilla chai latte to be pretty good, so at least I’ll have a drink to fall back on when I get rejected for their red velvet latte. Anyways! Nifty place to study!
— Unlimited parking in a lot behind the store (Archstone Pasadena parking lot, entrance on Oak Knoll). About 10 – 15 spaces from 7am — 9pm. Or street parking (but you have to move your car every 2 hours before 6pm; no restrictions on sundays).
— Lots of tables, chairs & outlets
— Clean bathroom
— Lots of drinks, sandwiches, desserts (basically, grub to get you through whatever you need to get done)
— Free all day wifi with purchase. Super easy to connect to & the speed isn’t devastatingly slow.
Noise level: Background music (R&B jams + indie-​ish music?) & chatter. Bring earplugs. When they are making the drinks, there is definitely a bit of clanging going on.

Came here because I was looking for something quick and easy to eat to-​go. Ordered a berry smoothie and a tomato soup. The berry smoothie was yummy and came out quick. While the tomato soup took a while to make, i saw them microwave it, and when i opened it, there was shredded cheese in my soup! yuck. I‘m not lactose intolerant or anything, I just dislike the taste of cheese. They should really advertise that they put cheese in it, for the sake of those who may be lactose intolerant. I took two sips of this $ 4 soup and threw it away.
Maybe it‘s my fault, I should be more specific and should have asked what went into the food they «make».

Great little café! My girlfriend’s schedule was full of study and homework for the last couple of months of her graduate degree. She suggested I come hang out with her while she studied. I managed to be very productive during that time myself. We got to spend a bit of time in this cute little café. It’s cozy and the staff is very friendly.
Have a great cup of coffee, a sandwich and get to cramming. Whether you want to spend sometime by yourself or want to go and have a nice break during your afternoon, this place is great. They have an interestingly tasty looking shaved ice dessert!
Oh and did I mention it’s pretty cheap too?! A few hours of study in here and you won’t be feeling empty with your pocket book. Now get to studying!

For studiers, this place is great! Just a few minor comments that could improve this place, but overall, I have to agree with others that this is a good place to get work done, or just to hang out. My 5 star is somewhat subjective — based on how much studying I get done at the café, so overall, it is more a 4.5 star.
I used to hang out at this café when it used to be Metropolitan, and I never came back to it once it changed to Sabor — until today. The food is fresher and tastier than when it used to be Metropolitan. I can’t comment on the pastry items though, as I don’t usually order pastries when I study.
Food: Today, I ordered the turkey pesto sandwich and the organic tomato soup. The sandwich was good, but not the best turkey pesto I’ve had. The mixed green salad that came with it was fresh; two separate containers with balsamic dressing and feta cheese accompanied the salad. The dressing and feta were great compliments to the salad, but I feel it’s a waste of containers, and I think we should be working on reducing waste. They can easily ask customers whether they want dressing or feta mixed in, or whether these can be put on the side. Better this than using plastic containers. The Korean shaved ice looks good; too bad I haven’t yet had the opportunity to try it. The organic tomato soup was yummy.
Service: Staff here are really nice. They don’t bother their clients, especially if they know you are studying intensely. They bring the food directly to your table.
Price: A little pricey for café food, but the food does seem fresh, and I know I’m also paying for table space (which I use for several hours), as well as for electricity for my laptop.
Wi-​Fi: Works fine, ample outlets for your computers. You need to get the password from the cashier, if this is your first time here.
Music: KOST 103.5 FM, played all day while I was here.
Bathrooms: Clean, and you need a key to get in.
Ambiance: Bright, cheerful. A nice view of busy Colorado Blvd. The light can get blinding later in the day. The big down side, like others have already pointed out, is apparently no AC? It gets a little stuffy/​hot in the afternoon. However, the fans are on. The place is comfy and spacious. Overall, I think it is an improvement from the previous Metropolitan Café. I wish I had kept coming here more often after the café converted to Sabor — well, I guess I can now!
Addendum: Hmm, 5 minutes after I wrote my review, it appears that I feel the AC coming on – not sure if I’m just imagining it getting a little cooler…

Sabor 2 is a great alternative to large chain coffee shops; it’s a cute place to stop by with friends or just to get some work done. Though I wasn’t there long enough to observe all of what they offer, it’s worth trying if you are in the area and looking for a change of scenery.
The location is quite large, has plenty of seating (though not the most comfortable for a long time), and more importantly is pretty inviting. It probably helps that the staff aren’t bad looking either!
The panini (~$ 8)
was decent, stuffed with avocado, onion, cheese, and your choice of meat. They ran out of chicken, so I settled for turkey. The bread itself wasn’t what I expected for a panini, but it was decent. Each sandwich comes with an organic spring mix salad with a vinaigrette dressing and feta cheese on the side. My guy pal said my order didn’t look filling, but it was a decent size for a smaller individual ;).
Some good things:
–free wifi (all day w/​purchase)
–plenty of seating
–parking is ample (street or lot in the back)
–ingredients are organic/​healthy
–they take Visa or MasterCard (minimum $ 8 purchase)
Not so pleasant things:
–it was incredibly HOT here [on a Wednesday evening] & no AC?
–one employee operation the evening I was there (I wanted to order a latte, but it took forever waiting to place my food order and I was short of time)
Bottom line, I would come again! :)

I ordered a vanilla cup shaved ice (small size VS bowl shaved ice). It was basically crushed iced milk topped with caramel and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It’s hard to go wrong with that BUT they added a lump of bitter white powder. Whatever it was, it completely ruined the otherwise nice and simple dessert.
Our order took a long time to make. The gigantic key for the bathroom just complicates things! Everything else was mediocre; I won’t return.

I tried their English breakfast tea (pot) today, it tasted good!
I really like this place, they have high speed internet, free parking lot just behind this store, and lots of electrical sockets that you can use your laptop everywhere without losing the power!
Their Mexican Mocha is always the best.
This is why I come here so often!
Friendly for laptop users!

We came here on a whim. We were looking for a brunch place and happened to drive by so we decided to give it a try. It looked like a regular café with cute little chairs and a cool looking chalk menu. The cashier/​waitress wasn’t all that friendly when we asked how the tomato soup was… she didn’t eat dairy so had no idea. We decided to order the breakfast plate, tomato soup, grilled cheese, a cookie, a latte and a cup of hot tea.
We got our drinks and cookie first. The cookie was cold, like it came out of the fridge. I think it would’ve been a lot better warm. I got a huge cup of tea, which was nice, but it got cold cuz it took forever for our food to arrive! I had to go ask them about our meals and get more hot water for my tea (the people who were sitting next to us came after us got their food first)! We finally got our food a little while later. The breakfast plate was ok… something I could have made in my own kitchen. And their fresh fruit was just cut up bananas… hmmm. The tomato soup was pretty good but the grilled cheese looked really smashed and flat… something I could’ve made better in my own kitchen.
It’s a bad sign when one of the people who works there (might’ve been the owner) brings in food from another place! Also, it was raining when we were there and it was pretty cold outside, but they decided to prop the door open and we froze to death, so at that point, we decided to leave.
All in all, I would say that I will most likely not be back to this place. I’ve definitely been to better cafes!

Came here last week looking for something new. Many intersting choices on the menu. The place seemed a little empty, it was big and seemed like people were scared to make noise. There were some people working on their laptops, others were just whispering to each other.
The staff is friendly although I think one was training because the other one kept correcting her. I ordered an organic tomatoe soup and ½ the turkey pesto sandwhich. The turkey was basically the packaged deli meat at the grocerie store with a slice of provolone that didnt taste like provolone. The pesto spread had a good taste and the bread was at least soft. The soup was lacking something for me, it was like drinking canned tomatoe sauce but it was cold out and the soup was hot so it did its job. I think it can definitely be improved but for now its ok, hence 3 stars.

Another great café in Old Town Pasadena!
— FREE WIFI with a good amount of outlets!
— spacious, good lighting, and lots of seating– both small tables that are good for studying and coffee tables with couches! But I kinda wish their regular chairs were a little more comfy…
— I love the artwork that’s posted all over their walls.
— good sandwiches! I tried their turkey cranberry sandwich, toasted and it was delicious! It had the usual lettuce and tomatoes, but it also came with bellpeppers in it too which added a nice kick. And it also came with a side of mixed greens with vinaigrette dressing on the side.
— drinks were okay. I didn’t like my iced mocha too much. It was a little too gritty/​powdery but their passion iced tea is pretty good.
— Free parking in the back!
Definitely a café I’ll be returning to! :)

Location #2 of LA’s Sabor y Cultura Café, I walked in hunting for coffee and wifi and was surprised, but not disappointed.
I pictured a café that was a mix between the drink selection of Long Beach’s Viento y Agua Coffee House and culture of Santa Ana’s Libreria Martinez (
)…This is going to be way cooler than coffee and wifi!
This place is way larger than it appears from the outside, several tables for two, plenty of outlets for laptop users, a chalkboard menu showcases their specialty drinks, above a series of reviews and awards they have won, including Best Coffee Shop from Tu Ciudad magazine. Just walkin’ in here feeds my Chicanismo…
Ready to order my Mexican Mocha, the barista greeted me… Damn, this place is Chino-​Latino! Latino by name alone, everyone behind the counter is Asian… Sabor 2 is as pocho as I am. Despite their identity crisis, Sabor 2 is a chill spot to sit down and get some work done, or relax with a coffee and enjoy the moment.

This is of those local indie coffee houses you go to because Starbucks is too common, too commercial, and too crowded. Strolling down Colorado Blvd., I bypassed a Starbucks of this exact description and walked about a block down to Sabor instead.
It seems like a lot of locals come to this place. They may look up at you with some curiosity for about 3 seconds, but then are polite enough to act slightly bored and bury their heads back into their laptops. And oh yes, people sitting alone with laptops are a sure sign of free wi-​fi.
I opted for a turkey pesto sandwich. The turkey, processed but decent, was on some ciabatta soaked in pesto with some sliced tomato. It was accompanied by mixed greens (Romaine and friends) with fetta and creamy vinaigrette on the side. For about 8 bucks, it also came with a plain coffee or tea. I chose an iced coffee. Everything tasted okay. If you want a specialty drink, it would set you back about 4 bucks, not a competitive price to say the least.
The décor seemed confuse– yellows, purples, oranges, and browns all trying to figure out how to not make one another look bad. They’re still working it out as we speak. The place just doesn’t have much ambiance, perhaps due to it’s overall tacky, somewhat barren look which is especially disappointing in an artsy place like Old Town Pasadena. Lesson of the day: if your friend failed Design 101, do not like him or her decorate your up-​and-​coming small business.
Occasionally, people would get up from their tables to greet one another, reinforcing the local coffee shop feel of the place. Local small businesses are good, but they do need to have a bit of charm or quaintness or ambiance or some exceptional food or a competitive price or something– something that makes me feel like I made the right choice walking pass that Starbucks in the first place. Sabor, with Starbucks prices, average food, and a grade C+ interior designing, makes me wonder if I should have saved myself the walk.

It’s a little sad that I see Shant, the guy who works nights, more than my own best friend. Since the beginning of fall quarter, I have found myself practically living inside this coffee shop, usually with a couple of school books and warm cup of tea.
True, they don’t have a plethora of comfy couches like Zephyr, where you can easily fall asleep with a laptop burning up your crotch… or maybe that’s your STD. However, they do have a lot of real tables and bright lights that force you to be productive, as well as cool ass people who watch your shit during your many smoke breaks. Hell, he’ll even let you bum one if you run out.
I get that paying $ 1 coffee refills is kind of steep, but seeing that they let me sit here for hours and never give me attitude the way those Zephyr a-​holes do, I’ll pay whatever I can to keep this place open. And not only is the service way better, but the drinks are too (ask for Anh’s special green tea latte. Yes, I’m especially special.).