Updated 2020! Philz Coffee was originally recommended to me by my good friend Hannah. She lives in the Bay Area, where this coffeehouse started, and raves about their Mint Mojito Iced Coffee. Hannah has an amazing ability to find special vegan-friendly spots, so I wasn’t surprised to see more Philz Coffee shops pop up. They now have locations throughout California, and a smattering of other big U.S. cities, like Chicago and D.C. Each store has a great range of dairy-free beverages and food, all covered in this guide.
Please Note: All menu items are subject to change at any time, and restaurants always carry a risk of potential cross-contamination with food allergens. This listing for Philz Coffee is for informational purposes only. Always speak with the staff before ordering to confirm ingredients and product safety for your needs.
Philz Coffee Overflows with Dairy-Free Drink Options at No Extra Charge
Most Philz Coffee shops now offer dairy-free almond milk, soymilk (vanilla), and oat milk beverages for customizing your own vegan lattes and mochas. And they are one of the few coffee chains that doesn’t have a surcharge for milk substitutes! But we’ve also heard that the coffee is so good, you might want to enjoy it black sometimes.
As a side note, one site misled people with a headline implying that Philz Coffee is replacing all dairy with oat milk. They did discontinue 2% milk at their stores in 2020 due to low demand, but they still have options like nonfat milk, whole milk, and cream. Despite being very accommodating, this is not a dairy-free coffee chain.
That said, you don’t need to worry about other dairy add-ins, because Philz Coffee doesn’t use syrups or toppings. Here is more information from the Philz Coffee team:
We specialize in coffee blends, each crafted by Phil himself to bring out the best flavor profiles in each mix. When you look at our menu online you’ll find tasting notes associated with each blend. These are NOT added flavors, but rather the natural tasting notes you might experience when sipping a cup (think wine tasting). There is one exception to this, our Philtered Soul does have an artificial hazelnut flavoring roasted into it.
Our approach to customizing a customer’s coffee is pretty unique. We prepare each cup by hand, using a pour-over method, so you won’t find any lattes or other espresso-based drinks on the menu. A customer starts by choosing a blend and from there, they can choose if they’d like to add any creamer [see milk beverage options above]or sweetener. For sweetener options, we offer brown sugar, equal, sweet n low, splenda, stevia, or honey.
On our menu, you may also see on our “Featured Creations” some specialty options with unique flavors. We have our Mint Mojito Iced Coffee, made with fresh mint and sugar – typically recommended “sweet and creamy” but just like our other coffees, a customer can choose if and how they’d like creamer or sweetener added. For our Iced Coffee Rosé, we incorporate a freshly made rose cream into the coffee. For our dairy-free customers, we offer an oat-milk version.
Bean to Cup to Your Home
Because Philz isn’t just a coffee shop. They actually manage the entire chain of production, from bean to cup. They source their beans from around the world, roast them at their roasting plant in Oakland, California, and then brew each order “one cup at a time.” Their custom blends range from two to seven different beans from around the globe, and they offer single origin coffees and seasonal blends.
In store, you can buy their custom coffee blends by the bag, and they also sell tea and spices. If you don’t live near a Philz Coffee, then you can order it online. They also sell gifts and coffee subscription services.
Ample Dairy-Free & Vegan Food Choices at Philz Coffee
The food and drink menus can vary a little bit by region, but each Philz Coffee seems to have a good selection of dairy-free and vegan options. All of the items noted below are listed as made without milk or dairy ingredients. Items with a (V) are also listed as vegan and items with a (GF) are also made without gluten ingredients.
Note that the vegan donuts are currently sold only at California locations and are sourced from Pepples.
Handmade Food (all locations)
- Almond Butter & Jam Toast (V)
- Mediterranean Avocado & Egg Toast
- Avocado Energy Bowl
- Protein Energy Bowl
Bay Area: Additional Items with No Milk / Dairy
- Vegan Lemon Poppyseed Donuts (V)
- Vegan Chocolate Donuts (V)
- Vegan Cinnamon Sugar Donuts (V)
- Plain Bagel (V)
- Everything Bagel (V)
- Sesame Seed Bagel (V)
- Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (V)
- Sourdough Bread
- Gluten Free Bread (GF)
Please note that the Pretzel surprisingly contains milk.
Sacramento: Additional Items with No Milk / Dairy
- Maple Pumpkin Donuts (V, GF)
- Vegan Samoa Donuts (V)
- Vegan Double Chocolate Donuts (V)
- Vegan Coffee Cake Donuts (V)
- Gluten-Free Granola Bars (GF)
- Gluten-Free Raspberry Muffin (GF)
- Plain Bagel (V)
- Everything Bagel (V)
- Sourdough Bread
- Gluten Free Bread (GF)
Southern California: Additional Items with No Milk / Dairy
- Vegan Blueberry Donuts (V)
- Vegan Orange Olive Oil Donuts (V)
- Vegan Sugar & Spice Donuts (V)
- Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffin (V, GF) – not in San Diego stores
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffin (GF)
- Gluten-Free Brownie (GF)
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie (GF)
- Plain Bagel (V)
- Everything Bagel (V)
- Sesame Seed Bagel (V)
- Sourdough Bread
Chicago: Additional Items with No Milk / Dairy
- Almond Financier
- Coconut Rocher (GF)
- Plain Bagel
- Everything Bagel
- Sesame Seed Bagel
- Cinnamon Raisin Bagel
- Country Sourdough
D.C.: Additional Items with No Milk / Dairy
- Gluten-Free Coconut Cherry Cookie (GF)
- Gluten-Free Honey Oat Bar (GF)
- Peanut Butter Cookie (GF)
- Morning Glory Muffin
- Vegan Banana Walnut Muffin (V, GF)
- Vegan Cranberry Scone (V)
- Gluten-Free Everything Bagels (GF)
- Pumpkin Loaf Bread
- Sourdough Bread
Please note that the wheat-based bagels sold at the D.C. stores contain milk.
Where to Find Philz Coffee
They have numerous shops in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Chicago, and Washington D.C. See the website below for addresses and hours.
Website: www.philzcoffee.com
3 Comments
why no mention about drinks and drink options besides the milk.. i appreciate everything else, but you said you’d cover it.
Hi Joanna, that’s because they’re all dairy-free, as long as you order the right “milk.” I realize it’s confusing, so I contacted Philz Coffee to get a better explanation – I assumed they’d know how to say it best, and they did! So I’ve added that information to the post above for clarity. But in a nutshell, all Philz drinks are within dairy-free reach.
The pumpkin chocolate chip bread is soooo good. I like the corner piece best. Moist and flavorful