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    Academic Coffee

    4.2 (371 reviews)
    Closed • 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

    Academic Coffee Photos

    Business Info

    ACADEMIC COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Academic Coffee

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    Inside
    Natalie T.

    Drinks good. Parking bad. Ordered a banana cream matcha less ice and less sweet, the banana cream is delicious with the crumbles on top to add to the extra delicious texture! Next time I'll get regular sweet but I wanted to be conscious of my sugar intake, it was still a good sweet level if you like less sweet drinks regardless! Parking is so bad, just park across the street or along the street, there's only a couple spots to park and limited to 30 minutes Also lines can get long on the weekend so be prepared to wait but it goes by pretty fast the drinks are made quicker than I thought. After ordering I barely waited a couple of minutes

    HanNa P.

    Met up a friend here. First time. Parking lot fills up quick so you have to street park. We went on a weekend early. Around ten people in line. Workers are fine. We got two drinks and they came out faster than I thought. We sat outside. One Matcha banana cream and One Espresso banana cream. Pretty good drinks. Would come back to try the other drinks.

    Ann N.

    My daughter likes their matcha. When we are in town, we usually have to go downtown to pick it up. Glad this location opened. Parking right behind the shop is very limited. Some spaces on the street but plenty across the street. For a Saturday late morning, it was not that long of a line. We got to the front and really like the cashier. He's so knowledgeable about the drinks. Provided a bunch of stickers for us to take which I did grab 2. And was just nice and pleasant. There were 2 small bench inside for you to wait for your drinks. But they are pretty quick I'm making the drinks. Enjoyed their espresso banana iced drink. They have a small room on the side that you can chill or meet up friends. In front, plenty of outside seatings to enjoy your drink. Great service and drinks.

    Guava matcha
    Faith S.

    Definitely a solid matcha spot! Well known for their banana cream matcha, I opted for the guava matcha because I love tropical flavors. I loved how they pack the cream tops onto the drinks, and the vibrant guava hue was definitely very aesthetically pleasing. In terms of taste, the matcha is quite good. However, I found that their matcha in general is on the thicker side, which it gives the drink an overall thicker texture. If you like your matcha on the more runny side, I would suggest getting a drink without the cream top to minimize that thick texture. However, I really liked it overall and if you're a student at San Jose State, they also have a location close by that you can walk to and study at.

    Very unique! Doesn't taste artificial and no lingering aftertaste| Melon Matcha
    Andrea A.

    This is the go-to place for matcha in the area! I like that they offer creative flavor combinations you don't find at most matcha shops. It's tucked away in a park area that almost looks like a rec room and sits in front of an apartment complex, so it's easy to miss if you don't know it's there. Parking is also very limited, so I usually end up parking in the neighboring streets or getting dropped off. The times I've visited, the line has been manageable and the wait hasn't been too long. I usually take it to-go, but there are tables inside and outside where some people hang out and/or do work. When I first visited last year, I tried their seasonal melon matcha for the first time, and I was so happy to see they brought it back for a limited time. I was skeptical at first, but it ended up being one of my favorites! It's not overly sweet and doesn't leave a lingering aftertaste. I actually prefer it without the matcha cream top, so you can taste more of the melon. I've also tried the guava matcha, but I thought the guava overpowered the matcha, and the cream top made it a little too thick for my liking. I've also tried the banana matcha latte that went viral. It's good, but nothing particularly memorable. Overall, the matcha here has been consistently solid and is definitely worth trying. Just be prepared for the rough parking situation.

    No ice
    Eunice T.

    "Guava matcha" attracted me to this location. The drink was definitely unique. I do remember liking the cream. The matcha part wasn't very memorable though. The coffee my husband originally wanted was out when we got there, so he just got an Americano. There's parking available/reserved for cafe customers in the lot behind the entrance, but it might be tricky to find space if they're busy.

    Raymond B.

    The service was really fast here! We ordered 4 drinks, the Madagascar latte, matcha banana cream, melon matcha & guava matcha and everyone was very pleased with their drinks! All high quality drinks! Looking forward to coming back to try more drinks again

    Banana Matcha - Yes it has bread crumbs. Yes it was good.
    Alesia D.

    Street parking only. Small - cozy seating inside, they have seating outside as well (no tables) Not great for groups in my opinion. But the inside was actually pretty quiet. I ordered the Banana Matcha. The soft top with bread crumbs is the star. The matcha itself was okay but mixed with the top, it really pulled it together. The size is perfect. I had a 10 minute walk back to my hotel and still had half left. There was a few people ahead of me and I spent 10 minutes IF THAT waiting. So id say fast service. If im ever back in the area id try their lattes. Get there early if you want pastries. Its located on the corner of a busy street so try to turn into the closest side street. Its downtown so there's a lot of one-way turns

    Banana Cream Matcha, Guava Matcha, Banana Cream Latte
    Leah Y.

    I really liked this cafe! They have a small, but well crafted and unique drink menu. I love the fun drinks they have available! I tried the guava matcha and it was really good! The matcha on its own was slightly grassy for my taste, but mixed with the guava cream was really delicious. The flavor came through really well and was perfectly sweet. So far this is one of my favorite matchas in San Jose. They don't really have a food menu here, but there are some pastries that look pretty good. I can't vouch for how they taste however. The drinks came out super quickly and the servers were really sweet! I also really liked how we could take the drinks outside to the large seating area and enjoy the drinks, but there is also some indoor seating. Parking might be a little annoying but there are some spots out front of this location. Overall I really liked this spot and I definitely want to come back to try some of their other unique drinks!

    Annie Y.

    There's a small parking lot in the back; otherwise, you can find street parking about a block away and walk a few minutes. They offer both indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered the Piloncillo Latte, and it was rich, creamy, and good. Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Small parking lot in the back - Indoor and outdoor seating available - Accept Apple Pay

    Brenda L.

    I've been wanting to try Academic for the longest time but always found myself delaying my visit because of the comments I've heard about their parking lot lol. (They were right... the parking lot does suck!) If you're lucky enough to come at a quieter time and are able to snag a spot, I definitely think it'd be worth the visit! I ordered the guava matcha. As someone who isn't necessarily the biggest fan of matcha, I actually thought the drink was solid. The matcha had a lot of depth and the guava flavor was STRONG. My drink came out only a few minutes after I ordered; they're super quick to make drinks here, which is appreciated! They have a few seats inside the cafe and some outdoor seating if you plan on staying and hanging out. It is quite expensive here though - my matcha ended up being closer to $10. Not sure if I'd go out of my way to come again given how busy it typically gets but was definitely worth a try!

    Emily M.

    I was excited to academic coffee as I've heard many great reviews. Parking was easy to find on a near by street. For drinks I ordered the Pandan coffee but it mainly just taste like coffee with no Pandan flavor.

    Banana matcha and guava matcha
    Clare K.

    I've heard my friends raving about the Banana Matcha for a minute, so we decided to try! We went to their second location? Huge plus that it's right next to the park. It was super convenient if you're out walking your dogs like we were. I'm usually a fan of their Pandan, but I think I have a new favorite. The banana cream and Guava cream paired with matcha is a total game changer. You can tell they aren't using cheap ingredients; the matcha is high quality and the cream is actually thick and rich (hopefully its from real fruits haha) which makes such a difference for a latte. It's definitely on the pricier side( about $9 per drink if you want to substitute with other milk), but for the quality and the vibes, it's 100% worth it. Service was fast and great! Plenty seating indoor and outdoor but parking spaces were limited.

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    Academic Coffee Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Academic Coffee

    What's the phone numbers of the SJ & Santa Clara Coffee shops? Also, where exactly (land mark) is the Santa Clara shop next to? We had a hard time finding it, & despite Gps,…

    Hi Shirl! I'm not sure what the phone number is to this Santa Clara location but I can tell you that it's located on the same side of the old strip mall that has the Shoe Cobbler in the corner located on Dorcich Street. It's just a little further… 

    Are they still serving guava matcha latte?

    Yes we are still serving it!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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