It may be strange to say this as a restaurant blogger, but I’m not fond of breakfast.

I’ve mentioned that I don’t really care about breakfast or brunch fairly often and I really only eat it when I’m out at a restaurant. If I’m at home, chances are breakfast is an over-boiled egg. A day not too long ago I found myself walking into Drink Houz to have breakfast before heading to work. Sure I wasn’t that excited to get up earlier than normal, but the thought of not having to have a meal that I had to peel out of a burned eggshell was enough to get me out of bed before the sunrise.

Just as the sun broke through the clouds, I stepped foot in the shop that sat on the corner of Temple Street. The small café was quaint and I liked the comforting feeling I got as I scanned the interior and chatted with the staff behind the counter. After hearing a few suggestions from the staff on what I should order I was ready to go with their advice.

To start the breakfast I had a few drinks. The first was the Beet Latte ($6) made of milk, vanilla, and beets. When the drink was suggested to me I immediately declined it. Since I don’t like cold beets on a plate, the idea of hot beets in a mug was seemed revolting. However, hearing the way it was made and the way it would look was enough for me to at least give it a try. And if it wasn’t good, then I would pour it into a flower pot nearby. I’m sure it would be good for the soil, since it’s beets. After a few sips of the latte, I honestly have to say that it was weird for me to taste warm beets in liquid form. Thankfully, that initial weird taste dissipated and was made sweeter thanks to the vanilla. As I sipped it, I began to like that the beet flavor was really an after taste to the drink. This would be an ideal and creative latte for the person who wants to take a risk and try something different from the typical caramel or hazelnut latte. This would also be a perfect dink for the person who loves beets more than I do.

After I finished the beet latte I had the Crème Brûlée Latte ($6). I loved watching the latte being made in front of me! Seeing the steamed whole milk, vanilla, and double shot espresso being bruleed was so exciting. The crackling of the brown sugar as it became caramelized made me want to grab the cup and inhale the drink immediately. But it was hot, so I waited. Once it cooled down and I could taste the drink without burning my tongue, I found that it was delicious. I loved that the top layer of foam was torched because it gave the foam a beautiful texture. From there the brown sugar had a sweet crunch to the super smooth latte. The latte itself was smooth and rich to the point that I finished it faster than I would have wanted, but I managed to enjoy it just the same!

The final drink was Banana Nut Beauty ($11.95). The smoothie took almond butter, almond milk, bananas, dates, flax seeds, chia seeds, cinnamon, and cacao powder. My first reaction to the drink, before I even got it, was that it was expensive. I understand that there are quality ingredients in the cup to make the smoothie and that it has great benefits for skin and hair, however a drink over $10 is pricier than I could get regularly and it would have to be exceptional for me to get it a second time. Cost aside, the taste was what I focused on. I ordered this one with half the amount of bananas in order to get rid of some of the taste, but to maintain a portion of the texture. As a whole, I ended up getting a lot of the cacao powder flavor, which I liked. The seeds were merely a pleasant topping while the cinnamon was a delicious spice to the go alongside the banana which I enjoyed.

To end the breakfast I had the Power Quinoa ($9.95). The bowl was made with quinoa, three types of coconut (milk, water, and flakes) and was paired with strawberries, blueberries, mango, papaya, and sunflower seeds. As I stuck my spoon in this one the first thing I noticed was that it was dry. A few bites further and I couldn’t understand what the problem was. It had coconut milk and water so it should have been just right. It took a few more bites and digging with my spoon for me to realize that the coconut milk and water wasn’t at the bottom of the bowl, instead it was missing hence the dryness. There was a part of me that wanted to re-order it the right way, but with little time between this breakfast and work, I had to let that idea go. I was hoping that the juice from the strawberries would help to alleviate some of it, but it didn’t. It was pretty to look at, but like a superficial model at New York Fashion Week it didn’t go any deeper than that.

Breakfast at Drink Houz was ok. The staff was incredibly sweet and helpful and the lattes were a delicious surprise. While the price of the smoothie was more expensive than I could afford repeatedly and the bowl missed an important ingredient, the entire meal was ok overall. I’ll most likely swing by Drink Houz on another day to get the bowl done the right way, and there’s even a chance that I’ll order the beet latte to go along with. Maybe I’m starting to like beets after all or maybe I’m just really over boiled eggs.

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Address: 3231 W Temple St, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Phone: (213) 378-0529
Hours: Daily 6:00am to 6:00pm
Social: Website, Facebook, and Instagram.