If you’ve scrolled through Instagram or follow any of the thousands of “influencers” chances are you’ve probably come across a perfectly lit picture of the best looking salad, Panini, or green tea boba. Usually they’ll be a girl sitting across from this food, nonchalantly looking in the distance sipping her boba, and the location tag on the photo will say: Urth Caffé. Living in Chicago all my life, Urth was the epitome of trendy LA culture. So I decided to pay a visit to the Beverly Hills location to see what all this “hype” is about.
Asking around on campus the consensus was pretty clear: LMU students believe the hype surrounding Urth is way too high. Haley Harbuck said it best, “If I could describe it it would be: pricey, not that good of food, but definitely pretty for an Instagram”.
Upon first walking up, the line was out the door. I was handed a menu and immediately overwhelmed by the number of options. However, after some quick googling I discovered that the Urth Salad is one of their most popular offerings. While waiting I tried to take in everything and really get that Urth experience. The clientele seemed varied: mothers and daughters, tourists taking photos on the steps, and ladies in Jimmy Choo sneakers who had just seemingly gotten out of a workout. After about 30 minutes of people watching, my food came out.
Photo: Grace McCauley
Super cute right? But, here’s the deal: it was so underwhelming. Maybe I was led astray by the internet, but I had so many better salads before. Don’t get me wrong it was good, just not $18 good. My friend on the other hand got the Butternut Squash and Ricotta pizza and swears it was worth every bite. Then again, I’ve had very few pizzas I didn’t want to finish.
One customer said she felt like Urth was worth the hype because she felt like, “she was in Paris” when she sat down. My trip took a bit of a turn when I tried to get fellow customers opinions on the cafe. I was met with groans and some, “How long will this take?”. Maybe they could tell I was a Midwestern transplant from Chicago, but one thing is for sure: Beverly Hills lived up to its slightly snobby reputation.
Photo by Maeve Sullivan
Overall, Urth Caffe is definitely cute, and I’ll admit I’m a sucker for a great Instagram opportunity. In so many other ways however it simply just isn’t worth the hype. I recommend asking your local friends for their favorite lowkey spot.