"Stopped by Academic Coffee in Santa Clara around 9:30am and ordered the banana cream matcha—and honestly, that drink alone deserves 5 stars. It was delicious, not overly sweet, and you can clearly taste both the banana and the matcha without one overpowering the other. Smooth, balanced, and really well done. That said, the overall experience brought the rating down a bit. When I walked in, there was no greeting or simple “hello,” and I noticed the same with others coming in while I waited. The guy who took my order just said “what can I get you” with no eye contact, which didn’t feel very welcoming. Not a huge deal, but a friendly vibe goes a long way—especially at a coffee shop. Parking is also pretty rough. There are only 6–30 minute spots, which were completely full, and some cars were clearly parked longer than allowed. I got lucky with street parking, but it could easily be a hassle. Overall, amazing drink, but the lack of warmth and difficult parking brought it to 3.5 stars. I’d come back for the matcha, just hoping for a more welcoming experience next time."

"Matcha was pretty yummy here! I like the banana cream from bloom bagels more but the banana cream here was not bad. My sister's seasonal drink the cranberry strawberry matcha was better imo, the jam made it thicker which I liked. Be careful pulling into the parking lot if your car is closer to the ground, the dip is huge so it could hit the bottom of your car as you go over it."

"Academic coffee is worth the hype. After finally being able to try their guava matcha with guava cream, I finally understand the long line outside. The matcha drink was so good. The morning bun was delicious. The outside seating area was so inviting. I will definitely be coming back here. One important factor to note is that parking is free, but very limited! Be careful parking on the street and in the residential area as cars are subject to towing. Regardless this was a great experience and I can’t wait to try more!"

"i’ve been wanting to try the guava matcha latte with guava cream and it did notttt disappoint. the tart sweetness goes so well with the creamy matcha. the color, taste, and consistency of the matcha at academic coffee is one of the best i’ve tried and i love all of the unique flavors this place offers. the savory pull apart (bell pepper, cheese, ham muffin) had a great texture, just wished they could warm it up. well worth the 15-20 minute line on a saturday morning. there’s like no parking though, so you might have to park across the street. outdoor seating is great, no indoor seating really."

"Had academic a few times at some pop ups! This time just got americano. Standard no frills. Minimal seating inside, a bit of outdoor seating Street parking, might be able to park in the lot but not sure. Two of us ordered: Matcha Latte $7.00 12oz hot or 16oz iced. Our premium stoneground matcha with milk of your choice. Hot Oatly Milk ($0.50) Unsweetened Americano $4.25 Double shot of espresso + 10oz of water Available iced as 16oz OR 12oz. Black Regular Ice Regular Americano"