Blu Elefant Cafe

Great little spot! Friendly and fast, yummy food and cute outdoor seating. Very relaxed and lovely vibe. Hidden gem. Entrance is in the back in the parking lot. I felt silly circling around the whole building so I hope that helps someone.

Just boom the best smoothies in californiaa. First time trying and i fell in love with it .
For sure i will come back, space is good, really relaxing, good place to do homework or hane a nice date

This place has major issues — something that all self-​described hipster bars have in commonality. While I don’t take immediate umbrage to the service or food, their choice of décor makes it unsafe for the hapless customer in danger of being scalded.
1^st they use glass to serve boiling coffee. See pics. At those temperatures, it’s unwise to put freshly made boiling coffee into a glass cup.
Next, and this is the biggest issue, they have holes in the table, and cover it up with cloth. I spilled boiling coffee all over, and luckily the person to meet me hadn’t yet arrived.
This is to be considered a consumer hazard. A recommendation to the owner: multiple holes in a table covered up by line can spell a disaster and a lawsuit.

This place was pretty cool. Décor was a bit overwhelming but the coffee and turkey sandwich was good.

Cozy café on the corner of Washington and Harvard. Street parking in the afternoon is easy around here.
I love the elephant décor [: It was almost empty when I walked in so it was a perfect time to get some studying in. Plenty of tables and seating.
The service was great. I didn’t get her name but she was very nice: D
The food was good. I had the veggie wrap. My only complaint is that it was overpriced. I also had an iced latte with vanilla syrup. It was good. Next time, I’ll try it without the syrup to reduce the sweetness.
Free wifi. Yesssssssssssss

Chicken Caesar salad was way too over dressed and over priced. Canned chicken in a soggy salad with croutons…$ 13.00. And we had 2 of them!
I only gave 3 stars because the customer service and ambience was very nice! My man gave it 1 star for the food.

Really cute place first time there today for breakfast everything was so delicious and great customer service and clean too and the food AMAZING!!! I love it and would go back again oh also cheap

This place is really cute and has so much to look at. Love that they have games to play.
I had the chicken chipotle wrap that came with a salad. The wrap was so delicious but the salad was a bit too salty. Couldn’t tell if it was the dressing or the salt that I seen was put on top. So if you don’t like your salad salty then you might wanna ask about the dressing and salt. Other than that I had a delightful time with my partner.

Blu Elefant is the kind of place you come across in Northern CA, or cosmopolitan college towns. It has a relaxed funky vibe with inspirational sayings on the walls, and focuses on coffee/​tea drinks with a small menu that has some sandwiches and salad. I didn’t try the drinks, but the food is just ok: the turkey sandwich is more like a green bell pepper sandwich with a couple of thin slices of turkey and a tiny bit of mushrooms and onions; if I wanted a bell pepper sandwich I would’ve ordered one. They griddle the fillings and bread and it’s OK, but they need a better balance of essential ingredients (turkey, eg) and less of the other stuff.
They make a point of saying they don’t offer fries which is cool, but the salad dressing needs to be punched up although the black sesame seeds are a nice touch. You get a really cool bag when you order to go, too. Service is very friendly but kind of slow.
I give these guys props for trying to provide a food venue that also features creative activities (like live music, poetry, etc), but there’s a part of me that thinks this neighborhood isn’t quite ready for them yet, time will tell. I also think that more than $ 12 for a marginal sandwich and a bag of chips is not worth coming back for; I suspect they sell more coffe/​tea/​cookies than they actually do food.
Worth going once if you’re local, check ‘em out.

First impression: very unusual and exquisite. Comfy, I could bring my book here.
My friend ordered herself a latte with a chocolate muffin. I ordered a very berry blast, based with water and two macaroons.
Going to start with the chocolate muffin: not sweet as the oversized Costco chocolate muffin. Definitely dark chocolate. I dig that.
Smoothie: they 100% use real fruits with nothing else added. I would get it again.
A staff forgot to ring us up for the choco muffin so he gave it to us for free. He didn’t have to, but he did. And that gave me more the reason to come back.

Customer service, vibe and the «Very Berry Blast» (trying saying that fast 5 times hahaha) is delicious!
They also have these old baseball and basketball trading cards that add nostalgia to the ambiance!

Where to start? This is a great family-​run neighborhood café with a bohemian vibe. Great for a late night study session or to play some board games with friends, which can’t be said about most spots around this area. The Dirty Green Tea Latte is a must try as are any of their pastries. Make sure to check out their open-​mic acoustic Mondays!

What a gem! This place is so full of character and quirk, it is my kind of space! It is so visually stimulating! When you take a close look at any spot in the café, you’ll notice something interesting, unusual, or nostalgic… kinda reminiscent of an I Spy book!
I ordered a medium latte and a veggie wrap. The latte was delicious! It was smooth and not too hot. Great flavor! The veggie wrap, according to the menu, includes mixed greens, mushrooms, tomato, avocado, and hummus in a whole wheat pita. It actually came in a spinach tortilla, which I would choose over pita break any day! So that was a nice surprise. The whole wrap was enormous!!! It came with a side salad with sesame oil dressing. I loved it all! Definitely recommend this place for eating, chatting with a friend, studying, or just to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. Great little spot here!

Came here to study while letting the LA traffic simmer down. My friend told me about this place and I’m glad I went here.
Ambiance:
Parking: There is timed parking on the streets (1hr). However if you go on the neighborhood area, then timing is more is unlimited.
Seating: Plenty of seating both inside and outside with some different types (group, lounge, tables) 40 – 50 people.
Feels: Quite eclectic. I was welcomed by some background spanish music and the barista. The art is very random as you’ll see board games, stuffed animals, succullents, baseball cards, and gameboy games.
Food:
Pomegranate Vanilla (Recommend)
Served warm. The pomegranate was salient and the subtle vanilla complemented the tea well.
Customer Service:
Solid service. My drink took a tad bit longer than expected (6 – 7 minutes) but she was shorthanded.
Overall:
4 stars. The service was neat, the place was unique, and the price was reasonable. This is definitely a place I’ll check out if I’m around the area again.
TL;DR Tips:
* They have all types of hot sauces (tapatio, sriracha, tabasco) you name it!

Hello
Thank you for creating this place first of all.
A few of friends had recommended this gem but didn’t get around to come. Finally today a friend and I had the blessing to come and try this amazing place.
The teas!!! Love the idea that you sell them in a jar for at home brew. Since I am on a tea hype since I heard of all the good things it does for the body.
I had the Veggie sandwich and it was delicious. The grilled onions had me but the hummus (need I say more) Lol.
Don’t forget to grab a Hemp energizer drink to go!
Thank you for the books you have as an option to read instead of being on our phones.
See you soon Elephant café :)

Blu Elefant Café is a true hidden gem that is really not close to anything popular which makes it even more interesting. A few facts about the neighborhood, I believe it was once referred to as Harvard Heights and the city is starting to put up those historic signs once again as part of the gentrification process. The average homes in this neighborhood are of 2 and 3 levels typically referred to as California Craftsman homes solidly built and cladded with wood siding. A huge front porch on raised concrete slab and matching pillars. A lot of detail with decorative trim everywhere and some homes even showcase wainscoting with riverbed rock. Some have managed to survive the decades and not fall into that heavy security bar look, siding replaced with stucco, double hung wood windows replace with aluminum and a cinderblock wall separating front yard from public. Being raised in the neighborhood, I can tell you that Washington blvd along this stretch has always been a subject to vacancy through the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s. The only successful businesses that have managed to survive are a official police tow garage, cemetery with tombstones dating into 1800’s and Washington Dog & Cat Hospital.
BEC is ideal for those who are seeking a place to conduct a one on one business chat, students looking for a place to relax and do a study session with the comforts of home, or perhaps come for a drink of your choice and absorb the moment. The business is rather unique and very welcoming and one can’t help but notice the eclectic décor. It’s pure simplicity and very inexpensive but yet attractive to the eye. Lot’s of sofas, coffee tables, small round tables for two, dark and warm floor rugs, a vast amount of wall décor, bookcases and board games. Exposed cement slab with medium stain and lot’s of natural stress cracks. You can even do your own art project with jumbo size chalk on concrete in lieu of canvas. It really is a place for everyone to enjoy a personal experience from a Latino owned business. You won’t find that commercialized feeling where everything is perfectly placed like from a conglomerate corporation.
Coffee and tea bar are serving all of your favorite hot and cold drinks. They also serve smoothies and juices. A small kitchen is partially hidden and they prepare some unique dishes for breakfast and lunch. Of course a nutritious menu is top priority providing you with the freshest ingredients. Plus you won’t smell that nasty and disgusting cooking oil stench when you walk into those happy fast food restaurants attracting you with a window advert and a limited toy surprise.
As for some of the negative comments I read from other Unilocalers, if you feel like you have a lack of flowing fresh air, eat outside with secondary seating provided. Others expressed a lack of service. Hello, it’s a family owned business with little overhead and limited staff on hand. The person up front is multi-​tasking and sure, things are going to be on a slower pace. Same goes for your food, it’s being made to order and it’s not under a heatlamp remaining warm for you to arrive. Eggs are cracked open and cooked to order, it’s not poured out of carton from a premade batch.
Monday night is open late till 11pm with poetry and live acoustic music performed on a very small stage. Being a novice musician, I totally support the art’s and if I happen to stay late, I will definitely make it a priority to attend and if the opportunity arise, sit in on bass guitar «el bajo» .
Points of local interest:
— LA Live
— Staples Center
— Papa cristos
— USC/​Coliseum
— Santa Monica FWY
— Korea Town
All credits cards accepted
No Alcohol served
Restrooms
Free Wifi
Pura vida :)

Trying out a Dirty pirate-​chai green tea & espresso
With a waffle caramel cookie (pricey)
The place was quiet today, I guess it’s ok for studying
Food– not that many choices
Parking in the street

Came across this place while working in the area. I was hoping for a more delicious experience than the one I had but you can’t love them all, right? I ordered the chipotle chicken wrap as well as a hot Moroccan mint tea. Service was fine and I didn’t have to wait long for what I ordered. The food itself was only decent, nothing to really rave about. I didn’t get enough of a chipotle taste in my wrap and the chicken had a bit of a spongy texture? Maybe it was a meat alternative and I had no clue. My tea was definitely over-​steeped (I can’t take credit for this since there was no tea bag when I received my drink) and had a really strong taste that I had to dilute down a bit when I got back to my office. The space itself is pretty cool and I wouldn’t mind holding one of my book club meetings here at some point, however, I wont be rushing back so soon.

So I happened to be in the area and since I was craving an iced café latte I stomped upon this place. Wow never been to such a warm, charming coffee house with such inviting atmosphere.
As you see in the pictures they have a lot going on here including games so you can socialize with your friends when you come here for your cup of coffee or food. They have a full sandwich, wraps and salad menu that look delicious. I didn’t get to eat here but like I told the owner Inri I will be back. Oh and to add to the great experience here, she was just so friendly and out going.
They are expanding their café so it’s going to get even bigger. From what she told me they have acoustic nights and so many more events throughout the week.

Simply an oasis — LOVE the ambience of this place! Cosy and relaxing, doesn’t feel pretentious at all like some other coffee shops. Plus reliable wifi :)
The couches are ridiculously comfy, feels like you’re in a friend’s living room if that friend traveled the world and was an avid art/​artifact collector. Funky urban art lines the walls and there’s lots of board games and books/​magazines scattered around to keep your mind occupied.
If you’re tired of waiting in line at overhyped coffee joints and pretending to get work done on a tiny table, this place invites you to make yourself at home! You can feel the love and care the owners put into it.
Favorite local café I’ve been to in the neighborhood!