Barista Society

Great place, friendly staff. Jasmine, Maria, Eddie, Anna, and Tanya are awesome and always welcome me with a smile!

So… I am not happy with Barista Society just now. Been frequently going in the union station Barista for months now.
A few months ago picked up a yogurt granola cup only to find a long dark hair attatched… yet I was like ok… things happen and continued to go in and get a cup of coffee in the mornings.
This morning as I waited in line one of the workers walked the whole length of the work area putting her LONG DARK HAIR up in a ponytail!
Her hair is flipping every where and when she finishes smoothing her hair with her hands grabs a coffee cup from the top and hands it to the barista! Then comes over to me and asks what she can get for me!
I wonder how many health violations were broken in 30 seconds!
I told her what I observed and please go wash your hands…
She said she would… but did not.
So… I will not be going back to Barista Society…

The best coffee shop in Union Station. Tasty choices in pastry .The staff always provides me with great service and smiles. It’s always a pleasure to stop by for a treat during my daily commute whenever possible. Better than Starbucks.

What awful attitude these baristas have. I came in at 2:58 and was told they were closed. I asked for a latte, but I when I heard that, I just asked if they had any coffee at all. I was told «there’s a Starbucks across the street».
Well, aren’t you thoughtful! you see me lugging 3 large bags, so you tell me you’re closed, and that I should walk all the way upstairs and across the street! Thank you ever so much, you super car driving person who has never had to carry anything on foot ever in your life!
My bus is in 10 minutes, I would never have time for that. I barely had time to walk over here, and now you do this. As I walked out, they then asked if I wanted cold brew. Why didn’t you offer that when I asked if they had any coffee at all? Why wait until I had all my bags gathered up and I’m almost out of it? Because you’re a cold thoughtless cruel bitch, who doesn’t want to do an ounce of work outside what she considers her job. Well, I did your job for 20 years, kid. And you’re bad at it! The whole point of it is to keep people caffeinated. You suck!

I am a regular here. Every night on my commute home from work I stop in for a coffee. Eddie and Jasmine know me by name and know what I like. I never have to order and They are both always so friendly. Eddie makes my coffee and starts it before I’m done paying, which means I don’t wait very long. 5 stars for service and tastiness!!!

3 dollars for a 12oz cup of coffee??? GTFOH!!! You guys are worse than starbucks when it comes to selling coffee. It seems the only thing I’m paying for is your spot that you are leasing and not some good tasting coffee. You get a paper cup stamp it and sell it for 3 bucks???
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!ME THINKS NOT!!!

I look forward to taking the train and flyaway once a week so I can just have a small piece of Barista’s heavenly coffee! I have tried the vanilla and Casanova latte both hot and iced. They are really good but I needed being hooked on the Casanova, it must be that condensed milk. They have a good selection of pastries too but I haven’t even ventures that far yet. They even offer available bowl but being on a bus and train might get a little messy, so maybe next time.
The service has always been good, so no issues there. You also get a 10% discount when you present your TAP card.
There is a Starbucks down the road but you can get Starbucks anywhere. When you swing by Union Station and have a hankering for coffee, come by Barista Society, you won’t regret it!

The Service: Friendly and efficient. Right in the Union Station (near Metro Customer Service counters). Not a restaurant, no seating area.
The Food: Beverage and pre-​packed food. Perfect to grab and go. Very convenient.

This is such a great stop while in the Station, some of the best coffee I have had in awhile!
I believe they use Stumptown, either way it was brewed perfectly, very very tasty.
Really expensive though, I paid over $ 5 for a pretty small cup.
They also have a small selection of food, passed this time.
Service was nice, all around perfect mid afternoon pick me up!

Ran in here on a Friday night and got a cold brew. Even though I ran in 20 minutes before closing, the employees were still very professional and polite. They were closing up, but they grabbed the half and half out of the fridge for me.
The coffee was not bad! Definitely above average, so I’d go here any day before the Starbucks on the other side.
I will say that the location ISN’T on the Alameda side of Union Station. It’s on the side that faces Vignes St. Pass all of the Amtrak boarding tunnels, and you’ll see it on the right.

Located on the Alameda st. Exit-​side of the Red line, Barista Society is a great alternative to Starbucks. If you happen to be here, i suggest trying their pastry goods. Theres not much to choose from but i highly recommend the nutella donut with the strawberry ontop (forgot what it’s called). The chai iced latte is really good. It’s a softer version of starbucks’ version flavor-​wise; it’s not as strong yet not watery either. I guess i can say its just right.
Give this place a shot!

I mean… why would you go to Starbucks when there is Barista Society just a stone’s throw away?!
This is so convenient. Whenever I’m an Union Station to take a train or the FlyAway bus to LAX, I’ll be swinging by Barista Society for sure. I was away on vacation in Fiji, and while Fiji is ah-​mazing, their coffee is shit. As soon as my husband and I got back in LA, we had our first sip of great coffee at Barista Society. Strong, dark, and smooth — perfection.
The coffee here gave us LIFE.

I needed to kill some time and really wanted a cup of coffee while I waited for my friend to meet me at the station. Though I am a fan of Starbucks, I always prefer to hit up local spots for my beverage whenever possible and this place was perfect option being located at Union Station and all. Another big plus — they use Stumptown Coffee!
It might be hard to find at first — so make sure to ask one of those nice info people to direct you if you get lost. I was asking for directions when I was told to turn around because I was there. Oops. As soon as you walk in, it’s hard not to focus on the delicious display of doughnuts and pastries. I knew we were having lunch, so I practiced self control — next time I know I wont be as lucky.
There wasn’t a line and the cashier greeted me and immediately took my order. I’m a coffee purist, so I went with the small Americano with nothing in it and it was pretty fantastic. While I was waiting, the barista noticed my Frankenstein shirt and started chatting about films at Hollywood Forever. I loved the interaction and it was genuine — plus he made a stellar drink.
Because the shop is small, there aren’t any seats, but luckily there are plenty of places to sit and enjoy your caffeinated drink around the station. It always makes for interesting people watching.
I’m sure I’ll be a regular here since I’ve been using Metrolink and Amtrak for more of my travels, and you can bet your ass I’ll grab a doughnut on my next adventure!
TIP: Don’t forget to check-​in on the Unilocal app as there is a 50% off your first drink discount as of 7÷01÷15! I forgot to use it, but that doesn’t mean you have to!

Located inside Union Station, this shop has a small menu of coffee selection. I got their cold brew, hoping for some caffeine to keep me awake during a long megabus ride. Indeed, I stayed awake for the whole 7 hours! Talk about strong coffee.
Also, if you check into Unilocal you can get 50% off. I checked in too late. Oh wells. Next time!

So glad to see another coffee option at Union Station! They are on the east side of the station or where the buses’ un/​loading area and located by the bathrooms. It’s a simple side café.
I asked the barista for a recommendation; she highly recommended the Casanova latte. Boy was that the perfect and delicious recommendation! :9 Unfortunately, I grabbed this right before hopping onto the Dodger Express… they don’t allow food or drinks. :’(So I had to «chug» this delicious coffee — next time I’m going to sneak it on! Despite having to chug my latte it was still tasty enough for me to come back.
They also sell Stumptown and Blue Bottle grinds. Staff is nice and cheery!

Find the same great coffee, tea, pastries and service as the other location. Union Station just got better with the Barista Society fueling you up when you’re on the go. There are plenty of choices for coffee drinkers and non caffeinated options for everyone like Izze bottled drinks.
The cronuts are as fantastic as the coffee. I’d have one with some iced coffee on a hot LA day. Service is friendly and prompt so you are quickly on your way in time for your train ride.
They are located at the sub-​level of Patsaouras Plaza on the east end of Union Station. Drop by and check out their new store.

YUM!
Delicious coffee, super funny staff and CRONUTS. Seriously, what more can a girl ask for?
Tucked in a corner of UnIon Station this little coffee shop is the same Barista Society that used to reside in Bunker Hill. I love the gorgeously chic atmosphere, sexy lighting and robust coffee options! The BF/​his mom loves them too :)
As a big traveling nut i’m admittedly turning in to an incredible coffee/​beer snob, and this place is the best coffee you’ll find in this part of LA, all under one roof!
Also– sidenote Charn, the owner is an incredibly funny, cool and unpretentious guy. A true 5 star coffee shop if you’re near Union Station!

I was excited to see a new business being built in Union Station East Portal, the fact that it was a coffee place was even more exciting to me — no more scrambling over to West Portal for some starbucks (which is often hit and miss).
With it’s hip purple low lighting, delicious looking doughnuts (today Red Velvet, Raspberry Jelly, and Sugar were some that I saw), and several choices of drinks (hot or iced, coffee or tea) Barista Society is totally worth checking out!
Coffee ranges from $ 2.50 (regular; hot) to $ 5 for fancier types (flavored, etc). Treats range from $ 2.50 (cookies) to about $ 4.
Service is also fast and friendly (I was in and out in under 5 minutes.) they have a Unilocal check in offer for 50% off your first drink and also offer 10% off to Metro employees who show their identification.

I am highly satisfied with the customer service that this place offers. Upon my initial review of 4 out of 5 stars I was a bit disappointed with their Green Tea Latte because there were matcha clumps in my drink. Often times this is caused from not stirring or whisking the matcha powder long enough so that the clumps dissipates and dissolve into the drink.
I was left a comment by the owner who apologized (though he didn’t need to) whom offered me a free Green Tea Latte on the house. I took him up on the offer and I visited the shop today. I showed the cashier (the same cashier that had taken my order the previous times) my phone with Charn B.‘s comment on it and he was great about it. No questions asked.
I had a $ 20 bill on me so I asked for change and ended up tipping them $ 3. Their service is wonderful. I literally got my drink less than 1 minute. That whole transaction happened within 4 – 5 minutes and I was on my way back to my office across the street from Union Station in less than 10 minutes. I still had 5 minutes left to spare to write this review. Amazing staff, amazing drink.
I added a packet of sweet and low to my Green Tea Latte because today just feels like an amazing day for a sweet morning drink.
Edit: Their cronut is amazing!!! This is my first visit since their grand opening and their pastry is simply amazing. I had the Strawberry Nutella Cronut and it was priced at $ 4.00.
They also have a new size to their drink. Same amount of coffee but they add more milk. Good for people who don’t want to drink strong coffee. There is no extra charge.

When I heard that their soft opening was starting today, I just had to go over and check it out.
It’s not in the normal front part of Union Station, it’s tucked all the way in the back where the FlyAway buses are.
Because it’s just their soft opening until April 14^th, they don’t have pastries available, but when they do, it’ll be from SK Donuts. Also, they have limited hours right now and will be open earlier and later once they open officially.
For the coffee they use beans that they’ve roasted themselves but they do sell bags of beans from Blue Bottle and Stumptown. They offer a variety of teas and espresso based drinks all $ 5 and under. Also, credit cards are accepted.
It’s nice that there’s artisan coffee in Union Station. Great addition to the improved Union Station!