Cafe Alibi

Study Elements … hmph… it’s just aokay. u might see urself wandering into space
1) Noise Level: Low/​Medium
2) Drinks: sweet potato latte yummy!, smoothie okay! Disappointed in their green tea latte! I think their drinks need to be more consistent!!!
3) Plugs: limited
4) Lighting: OK, can be on the dimmer side on the inside
5) Food: Okay… their sandwhiches are a little greasy, desserts!
6) Parking: PAIN in the BUTT … fighting all of those ppl in old town for a parking spot … in a structure might i say headache if u study for a long time then it’s $ 6 just for parking
7) Available space: seating okay, but not that many tables inside, some tables on the patio… although those are not ideal to study
8) Comfort: OK, couch… is cushiony
9) Wifi: YES!
Overall you might catch yourself dreaming if you come here and study, plus also there is a nice soft couch!!! and you rather sit on that… it’s an okay place if u want to get not too much work done!!!
I think probaby a better date place b/​c it’s really cute, but then again … i dont know b/​c i brought my girlfriend here once and she didn’t like the drinks so date place for the ambiance, not sure about the drinks!

We came across this little café after searching in Unilocal for a place with wifi and outdoor seating and we got hooked!
The place is fantastic, the green tea smoothie drink is out of this World, the outdoor patio is really quaint but the best of the place is Gyozy (sorry if it is not the right way of spelling it!) their Japanese chef. He is lovely, chatty and kept us entertained with his life stories, we felt in love with him right away.
He let us tried his homemade sausages (Moroccan and Chicken sausage) and they were sooooo tasty, loved them!
He told us he is starting an open mic session on Fridays at 7pm and we will definitely be there!

Came here twice during the posted store hours but the café was CLOSED! I CANT BELIEVE IT.
Highly disappointing… and I was really excited for the sweet potato latte after having just came back from Korea. I haven’t tried to visit since the two times of rejection, and I am not sure if I will or not, so this rating is strictly on the discontent of the store closing earlier than it should, or not changing the store hours on the window.
The worst part was, the second time when I was there, I had just saw the store manager/​owner locked the door at 6pm, and it was too late to catch up to him to ask him why it was closing so early.
Although I live in Pasadena, it was still a waste of time and gas.

Is this place still in business? They’ve been closed for 2 – 3 weeks already…

Not much to say. Their machine was broken when I went, so I didn’t stay very long because I didn’t have any greenbacks with me.
FYI, the meters around the corner will rip you off if you don’t use quarters.

Prime location, beautiful spot, amazing sitting area outside to enjoy a beautiful afternoon or a romantic evening. You think you found a jewel right in the heart of Pasadena. But then you look up to see the menu.
Waaait! Whaaat?
It’s white, and plastic, and has almost nothing on it. Seriously, we literally had nothing to order from. And when we did, they didn’t have a half of the things anyways. I hope they are just between the menus, otherwise this is just pretty sad.
Please please fix this little situation and we will definitely be back!

Here on a Thursday morning, and it’s quiet and empty– perfect for getting some work done. Ambiance is cute and vibrant inside– white furniture, transparent chairs, couches along the sides, colorful decorative walls and soft jazz music playing. There’s also a small section of outdoor seating– seemingly quaint and perfect for relaxing.
Parking across the street in the parking structure is free for the first 90 minutes, and $ 2 for every hour following. Location is conveniently placed in Old Town Pasadena.
Ordered a Café Latte, and tasted like a typical latte. The Vanilla Latte (their popular coffee drink) tasted almost like vanilla soymilk– tasty but the hint of «latte» was hard to taste. Prices are a bit more expensive (~$ 3 – 4 per drink), but would come back when in the area (more for the ambiance than the drinks).
I want to try their waffles next time!

I came for bulgogi gawdammit!
Apparently as of November 2011… heartache… they no longer offer bulgogi.
I was forced to buy a chicken sandwich for the wife.
Sadly, it was terribly mediocre… even by chicken sandwich standards…
I was consoled by this little piggy.
But, sadder still, I couldn’t eat it.

My main issue with this place is that the times listed on Unilocal are misleading. I’ve gone here twice, paid for parking in a lot, planning on getting a good number of hours of work in only to be told that the place closes at 6pm.
That really sucked. I had the matcha green tea latte and it tasted kinda like stinky milk. It was probably pure cheap half and half.
so minus for the stinky milk drink, minus for poor parking options (i don’t think there are any free street parking options) and minus for misleading hours (i guess they can’t help what it says on Unilocal,but it still really messed up my plans twice).
it is a cute little spot and has its own little outdoor garden. if parking weren’t an issue i’d give it another shot but it’s pasadena — where parking should not really that bad, AND where cute cafes (with parking) are quite plentiful.

Cute place in busy Old Towne Pasadena. Parking and traffic will always be troublesome. I had already paid for all day parking ($ 5) so I wanted to make the most of my day and brought all my stuff here to be productive. The place was quiet and empty on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, which was fine with me. I like quiet work area. Seemed like this place is owned by Koreans. Plenty of seats (tables, couches, stools, and large outdoor patio). The workers didn’t seem to mind people just hanging out and using their free wifi all day. (Ask them for the wifi login info.)
Bathroom clean and nicely decorated.
Their menu is changing so they aren’t offering any sandwiches. Sad. I was starving so I opted for a plain bagel with cream cheese, which was fine. Also wanted something caffeine-​free and ordered a strawberry-​banana smoothie, which was only okay. Next time I’m ordering a coffee drink.

Stopped in at around 4:30 Sunday afternoon for a light snack. Initially upon entering, thought the décor was adorable, patio area was top knotch, and I was pretty excited that they offered boba on their menu. The feelings quickly disappeared due to lack of well, everything.
The guy behind the cash register greeted us as we walked in, which was immediately followed with a cyptic «…but we are closing in half an hour». Ok. Not a big deal, we just wanted something quick anyway. We check out their food menu, and he tell us that at the moment they don’t have any sandwiches… because they are closing in half an hour. I asked about their waffles, but they only had the plain and strawberry available… because they are closing in half an hour. I was told that the only pastries that were available were a couple croissants and bagels since they were closing soon. To top it all off, they wouldn’t put boba in my damn slush drink since they were closing as well. Seriously?! There was literally NO ONE in the shop but us, so it wasn’t like he was super slammed and wouldn’t get to our order for another 15 minutes or so. Either this kid’s boss is crazy about not paying overtime, or he just had no aptitude for customer service.
Anyway. I end up ordering my lame ass, overpriced slurpee with no boba. Not only was there zero flavor, I got to watch homeboy behind the counter chat it up on his cell phone like he didn’t have a worry in the world. I should’ve just purchased a Vitamin Water and gotten the hell out of there. What a disappointment.
This place blows. I won’t be back.

I love the smoothies here!
The food, not so much. I recently ordered a chicken avocado sandwich and I didnt care for it at all. It came with fresh fruit which was my favorite part– Not ok!
There’s free wifi but you do have to ask for the pw.
This is a really cute and comfy place with tons of seating both inside and outside. I always come in between 3p-​5p and its never too crowded or anything!
PS I love the lids for the smoothies here. very cool and unique!

This place is REALLY cute. Really cute. I love cute places to chill at and have tea. I’m a BIG tea drinker and if there is a couch or a comfy place to sit, you win my heart.
AMBIANCE:
I entered and it’s REALLY cute. It’s owned by Koreans so it’s very cutesy and artsy without being snooty. There is a couch (win) and WI-​FI (win). And they have a outdoor patio with a fountain. This would be great for a tea party or little get together for the girls… even studying if I had something to study for.
LOCATION:
On Fair Oaks near a wedding dress store.
Parking in lots and street.
It was walking distance for me.
FOOD:
They have sandwiches but I didn’t order one. They had very little desserts to offer. My friend did get a piece of carrot cake for $ 0.75 (I think it’s more but the owner wasn’t there, his brother was covering for him). Sweet.
TEA:
Iced Plumberry Black Tea
No sugar. No honey. It is bland but if you add sugar it’s good and such but I’m on a diet, so… can’t have honey or sugar. :sigh:
But they make it in a unique way to make sure you get the tea flavors. Pretty sweet.
SERVICE:
The brother of the owner was helping him out today. So he didn’t know what to do for some things — like how much the carrot cake cost. But he knew how to brew tea.
I felt bad for the guy. He was covering for his brother… WITH A SPRAINED ANKLE. Poor guy was walking around making stuff. I totally gave him a tip. He was really nice. I felt bad aww…
Overall: I’d come for tea and the ambiance.

cute little café with green awnings (just in case you miss it). found meter parking still with time left on it (score!) just long enough for me to get in, grab a cup of americano ($ 3.00), and leave. the décor is Ikea-​like with enough space to chill if you wish to lounge around, read the paper, do some work or surf the web (via their free wifi). they also have a cute outdoor seating area to the side of the building as well as a couple of sidewalk tables.
café is very quiet so one could easily get their work done here even on a busy saturday afternoon.

Love the vibe here. The outdoor patio area is great. It got a little chilly, so my friend & I went inside and it felt warm, comfy & relaxing~
The hot caramello is ok (your typical caramel latte). The iced blended Alibino Monkey Mocha was better. It reminded me of a raspberry mocha I had somewhere.
Haven’t had the chance to try anything else, but so far so good~

Waiting for my haircut by the lovely Michelle at Ravissant Salon up the street, I was in search of some sustenance and a place to get some work done. Thank goodness for Café Alibi, a peaceful, spotless, cheerful place that was just the shelter I needed on that rainy day!
I ordered the bulgogi sandwich, which was messy and smelly but amazingly delicious and a summer peach iced tea. I also really wanted to try the sweet potato latte, but by the time I was finished with my meal I was too full. They also had these honkin’ pieces of crumble cake for just $ 2.50! They were so big I was sure it wasn’t just one serving, but the nice Korean guy behind the counter assured me it was.
This place seems to be frequented by lots of work-​from-​homers like myself, who appreciate the comfy booths and couches, outlets and wifi. I wish I lived closer so I could visit more often! But at least I’ve found my new haircut-​day routine :)

Every time I leave here I always get the feeling that I just got ripped off. Seeing all the good reviews for Café Alibi, I wanted to give it a second chance. Maybe I was in a bad mood on my first visit, or the experience I had was just a fluke that one time.
Nope. Just as bad as I had remembered.
Overpriced. My cappuccino had 3 – 4 sips worth of liquid, mostly consisted of foam. I would have forgiven them if the coffee was any good at all. No dice. Coffee was weak. ($ 3.50)
Their version of the bulgogi sandwich is Korean inspired, but the bread needs to be toasted. I did not really sense any «bulgogi» flavor in here, just a really tangy sourness from their «tomato jalapeño sauce» with 2 – 3 slices of really thin beef. ($ 7.25)
On top of all that, their internet connection needs to be fixed. Could not connect with my laptop after I paid $ 11.42 for overpriced food and drink.
Either the hours listed on Unilocal are incorrect, or they like to makeup their own hours. On this particular Saturday night, they decided to close at 9 PM.
Also, no prices listed on their chalk board menu which is a little irritating.

This might just be my favorite lounge/​work spot in the Dena. It’s a bold statement but I’m willing to say it loud and say it proud. The place is just so damn precious. The cute décor, comfortable vibe, and quaint outdoor area combine for a dreamy café environment.
Why three stars then? Unfortunately I have only had on item from the menu (omelette bagel $ 6) and it was pretty grossville USA. The mustard was too sweet and tangy and does not a good morning condiment make. The bagel also had grilled onions and peppers on it which was not included in the description and it was missing the applewood bacon that was listed in the description. The plus side is that the fruit served alongside it was fresh and juicy! Needless go say, it wasn’t the greatest start to my day but the prices, music, and general cutesy woostyness of it will keep me coming back. Next time I will stick to a liquid lunch (smoothies, coffee, etc.).

Café Alibi, I found you! =P
This place has a great little outdoor garden area and delicious sandwiches. Free wi-​fi is always a plus. It just feels so at home here. If I were still in college, I’d definitely be here studying. The alternative is now curled up here with a good book and a good sandwich on a lazy day.
First Time:
Mozzerella — Light and tasty. A good alternative to the meaty sandwiches.
Chicken Sandwich — Slightly tart but pretty unique. I like. A must get sandwich.
Monkey Mocha — I wasn’t crazy about this drink. It was too much chocolate/​banana for me. Quite the large size though. You’re getting your money’s worth for sure.
They were out of the Bulgogi sandwich this time =(
Second Time:
Bulgogi Sandwich — I came back to get my sandwich fix and they had Bulgogi. It’s a perfect mix of a Korean inspired sandwich. Another must get.
Chicken Sandwich — The boy didn’t like this one as it was too tart for him. Nonsense! AND the sandwich is still yummy day old. Yep, I had some for breakfast and will have the rest for lunch =)
This place has awesome sandwiches! I love the bread and everything is so well paired. I also like that the sandwiches come with a side of fruit as well. A good deal for $ 8. From the food to the place to the people, everything just fits so nicely together. I really really REALLY like Café Alibi!

Hidden gem! I love discovering new cafes!
This café is really close to all the shops in Old Town and down the street from Elements Café. I don’t know why I never noticed it before!
There’s FREE WIFI here, lots of outlets to plug in your laptop, and the atmosphere is PERFECT for studying! While I was there, they were playing Yiruma music. :) The lighting is juuust right~ not too dark, not too bright. And the café is really clean. It’s pretty small with only about 5 tables and one huge comfy couch in the corner. They also have outdoor seating available in their patio.
As for food, I got the chicken avocado sandwich on ciabatta bread which was made really neatly and came with a side of fruit but the sandwich tasted a little on the bland side. They also have a small selection of pastries to choose from. As for drinks, they have all your standard coffees, lattes, teas. I’ve tried the iced green tea latte and the iced passion berry tea, both which were pretty good. They carry LAMILL products here and they also sell bottled water, soda, Snapple, and Vitamin Water in the fridge.
The staff here are also really nice! And the café’s open late! I think I’ve found a new study spot! :)