I Went to Chamberlain Coffee, LA — My Honest Review
Emma Chamberlain opened a coffee stand in the City of Angels for her brand, Chamberlain Coffee. This is what I honestly think.
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Recently, Tina Fey went viral for saying that she hates it when celebrities have side hustles. “If you already have like $200 Million … I judge it.”
Many people agree with her — especially when it comes to celebrities who hawk random products that have zero to do with them. What does Kendall Jenner know about Tequila? What does Kylie Jenner know about vodka? What does Kourtney Kardashian know about vitamins and supplements? Especially when we all watched her tell her girlboss sisters on Keeping Up With The Kardashians that work was really her vibe. But what is her vibe? Money. If slapping her name on something and calling it a business gets her that, there she is. And while part of me thinks, “I’d do that, too,” the real question is: Should you?
What these celebrities fail to consider is the number of small businesses doing a better job from a more genuine place. Yet celebrities take up all the market share, hoard the wealth, and then buy more mansions as “investment properties” to beef up their net worths. Then, they have the nerve to post GoFundMe’s for their friends when they go through tragedies.
And, while I don’t think every celebrity needs to have a side hustle simply to make a buck, I do think that some celebs have brands that actually make sense. If a celebrity is passionate about something, who am I to judge? Especially when some of the more synergistic brands have brought me some of my favorite products. Shay Mitchell’s Beis fills a hole in the market for smart and chic luggage. And some celebrity makeup brands have become bestsellers not just because of the faces attached but thanks to the innovative items they make.
Hailey Bieber’s Rhode keeps changing the game with their skincare products and their accessories (hello, Peptide Lip treatment-holding phone case) alike. She also champions shade-diversity and supports emerging beauty companies with the Rhode Futures Fund. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty finally put pressure on other beauty brands to expand their shade ranges, and Savage Fenty killed the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show by revealing the importance of size-inclusivity and body diversity. And Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is a TikTok favorite due to the high-quality of its makeup.
Here’s the lesson: When it makes sense, it makes sense. And people respond to things when they don’t feel like a company’s making a meaningless cash grab.
This partly explains the success of Emma Chamberlain’s brand, Chamberlain Coffee. Of course, her personality and internet presence, the fact that she’s famous for good taste, and the quality of the products also have something to do with it. It’s so successful in fact that she recently opened a coffee store in Los Angeles. But is it worth the hype? Or is her side hustle going to burst like the influencer bubble? I went to Chamberlain Coffee myself to find out.
Who Is Emma Chamberlain?
Emma Chamberlain is a YouTuber (sometimes ex-Youtuber), influencer, fashion darling, podcaster, and now, coffee entrepreneur. But she’s not your average fashion influencer. While all the other fashion influencers are being accused of being boring and basic (ICYMI: It’s the latest TikTok discourse), Emma Chamberlain’s cutting her hair and purging her closet. She’s always blazing trails and leading the trends. But who exactly is she?
The 23-year-old influencer became an instant fashion darling. If you’ve been on the internet at any point in the last seven years, you’ve seen Emma Chamberlain’s face — whether it was on YouTube, a Louis Vuitton front row, or hosting the Met Gala red carpet. But if you somehow haven’t been paying attention (what’s it like to live off the grid?), here’s the breakdown: Emma Chamberlain is the internet’s favorite cool girl.
Born in 2001 in San Bruno, California, Emma first skyrocketed to fame in 2017 when her relatable, chaotic, and effortlessly funny YouTube videos started dominating the algorithm. Unlike the overly polished and scripted content that was ruling YouTube at the time, Emma’s vlogs were unedited (but also brilliantly edited), self-deprecating, and totally unfiltered — think: cutting out her own jokes, zooming in at weird angles, and just being herself in a way that made everyone feel like they were FaceTiming a best friend. Which makes sense because she filmed them on her iPhone.
Emma’s impact on internet culture is undeniable. She set the blueprint for casual but curated influencer branding and made drinking iced coffee and overthinking your life a personality trait. Whether she’s interviewing celebrities for Vogue, designing a fresh fashion collab, or disappearing from YouTube for months at a time only to come back stronger, Emma Chamberlain has cemented herself as the blueprint for the modern internet celebrity.
While her demographic is young people, she’ll emerge out of nowhere and capture the hearts of everyone and everything. Remember when she went viral for flirting with Jack Harlow on the red carpet? That “love ya!” is burned into my brain. Her Architectural Digest tour endeared her in the hearts of the pretentious culture set for its surprising coolness.
She’s not just a YouTuber — she’s a cultural tastemaker. Now, with her wildly successful coffee brand, a podcast, and partnerships with some of the biggest fashion houses in the world, Emma has solidified her place as not just another internet celebrity but a Gen Z icon who made being yourself the ultimate aesthetic.
What Is Chamberlain Coffee?
It started as a joke — a teenage girl on YouTube obsessing over iced coffee, making it her entire personality. Fast forward to today, and Chamberlain Coffee is a full-fledged lifestyle brand with a cult following.
Launched in 2020, Chamberlain Coffee is Emma Chamberlain’s organic, sustainably sourced coffee brand that’s as much about vibes as it is about caffeine. It started with instant coffee packets and steeped coffee bags (because, let’s be real, most of her fans weren’t into figuring out a French press), but it’s since expanded to whole beans, matcha, chai, and ready-to-drink cold brew cans.
But what really makes Chamberlain Coffee stand out? Branding. The packaging is so sweet — think: pastel colors, playful animal mascots, and an overall aesthetic that screams, “I go to Erewhon, but I’m chill about it.” It’s a lifestyle brand disguised as a coffee company, perfect for Gen Z and millennial coffee drinkers who care as much about the vibe as they do about the caffeine content.
Chamberlain Coffee is sold online, in select retailers, and — of course — at Erewhon, which tells you everything you need to know. It’s the cool girl coffee brand, designed for matcha drinkers who romanticize their morning routine and iced coffee addicts who spend way too much money at boutique cafes.
My Honest Review of Chamberlain Coffee
So, does Chamberlain Coffee live up to the hype? Or is it merely another overpriced influencer brand designed to look cute on Instagram and TikTok? Let’s break it down.
How does Chamberlain Coffee taste? You can buy Chamberlain at a grocery store. But there’s something so different about walking over to a coffee shop and getting it made by a barista with all the extras, syrups, and specials. Chamberlain Coffee is good. But most importantly, it’s trendy. These days, if you don’t have a sea salt cream signature drink, you’re nothing. And Chamberlain Coffee delivers. You can’t walk out of the joint without tasting their specialty drink concoctions. And yes, maybe you’re enjoying more syrup and cream than coffee, you wouldn’t be having the true Gen Z experience without it.
However, if you opt for an actual coffee drink, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. The beans are smooth, not too acidic, and far better than your average grocery store brand — though it’s not exactly a life-changing experience. Same with the matcha. Admittedly, it is shockingly high-quality for a celebrity brand. The tea powder is strong, but not bitter. However, there are better matcha places in LA.
The real standouts? The cold brew. The Vanilla Cold Brew is dangerously drinkable — highly concentrated but not too bitter and not too artificially sweet. This makes sense, as cold brew is Emma’s favorite.
What is the Chamberlain Coffee Pop-Up? Whether you’re a coffee snob or you buy coffee based on vibes alone, a visit to this coffee stand will still do something for you. The branding is impeccable, the packaging is adorable — it looks perfect on your kitchen counter or in an Instagram flat lay.
The aesthetic of the coffee shop is undeniably cute. Just like her AD tour, Emma brings her signature style to the shop with a bright, airy vibe. It’s located in the Century City Mall — the best mall in LA in my opinion. The location enhances the bright, light-filled space, as it sits in a glass enclosure on the top floor. It’s open for business from 8am to 9pm, making it one of the latest-open coffee shops in LA to get a sweet treat.
I say it’s worth the visit, and it lives up to the hype.
Best, Trendy Los Angeles Coffee Shops to Check Out
Chamberlain Coffee is an impressive newbie on the booming LA coffee shop scene. We’re finally proving that we’re more than just Erewhon smoothies and infused mocktails — though I love those, too. Featured in places like Eater and The Los Angeles Times, Chamberlain Coffee is a mainstay and I won’t be surprised if they move out of the mall and open a full brick-and-mortar in a trendy neighborhood soon.
But Chamberlain is not the be-all and end-all of LA coffee shops. The city is full of delish bevs in trendy cafes
Whether you’re visiting Los Angeles or a local looking for a new haunt, here are the best and trendiest coffee shops to try:
1. Community Goods
On opening day Emma Chamberlain herself showed off her barista skills by serving drinks at Chamberlain Coffee. But she doesn’t hang around the coffee shop or the Century City Mall (and if she did, she wouldn’t conspicuously dance around like her ex, Role Model, in his latest viral video). After all, Emma has a full coffee station at home, stocked with Chamberlain Coffee! But if you want to spot a celeb in LA, head to Community Goods. The line is ridiculously long, and the inside is small but cute, but it’s so worth it. The coffee — including the secret menu sweet cream drinks and the espresso matcha combos — is some of the best quality in the city. And if you get there early enough, you can avoid the line and maybe even see frequent visitors: Justin Bieber and Hailey.
2. Olive and James Cafe
The latest addition to the LA scene is known for their matcha drinks with a twist. From pink, purple, or even blue cold foam options to a tiramisu matcha with a Biscoff cookie garnish included, this is a trendy spot you’ll want to tag in your social media posts.
3. Madhappy
For fashion fans, you might be an Emma Chamberlain stan because of her effortlessly cool style. If that’s you, head over to the Madhappy storefront on Melrose for a surprise. Behind their hoodies and signature sweatsuits is a coffee shop and patio where you can order trendy drink specials, pressed juices — this is LA, after all — pastries, and bagels from Courage Bagels. This hidden gem is perfect for people who want to be in the know and immersed in the LA fashion scene.
4. Maru Coffee Espresso Bar
Maru Coffee is a downtown and east side institution. But here’s what many people don’t know: they have a small espresso bar in Beverly Hills that serves up the most exquisite espresso and coffee drinks. While Maru is known for their matcha, you won’t find it here. Real coffee drinkers head to this lowkey spot for Maru Coffee without the insane line.
5. Established Today
Emma may not be a musician, but after dating musicians, she’s submerged in the LA music scene. For audiophiles and people who love vintage vinyl, head to Established Today. Have a stack of vinyls in your room that you never listen to? Pretend you do by grabbing coffee at this terrific spot. You’ll be surrounded by giant speakers, warm wood, and, yes, a lot of vinyl and the smell of coffee — yummm.
6. The Motoring Club
Want to be surrounded by the most pretentious dudes in LA? Head to Motoring Coffee, part of the Motoring Club, a spot for vintage car enthusiasts. Sip your roast surrounded by collector cars and boys in vintage Levi’s with their Bronco’s out front. The coffee’s good, the cars are the main attraction, and the company is barely tolerable. But hey, what do you expect in the City of Angels? Not everyone can be as down to earth as Emma Chamberlain. But everyone can have a good cuppa joe.
