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    La Jefa

    4.5 (43 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    La Jefa Photos

    LA JEFA ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - La Jefa

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    Latte
    Brooke A.

    This place was recommended to us by a local, and though we were just looking for coffee we got much more. This definitely isn't a grab and go/casual place but rather a sit-down with options to sit in the dining room or at the bar, which is a bit more dimly lit. I got an excellent latte with corn husk syrup. The bartender raved about the syrups being made in house, and I was not disappointed! We also got an egg dish which was made with a phenomenal sauce. If you come here, be ready to stay for the dark, moody ambience in the bar or the light sitting room. This is a great place to take refuge from the Philly cold!

    guayaba caramel cappuccino
    Gabriella W.

    La Jefa is a cozy spot for coffee and chatting with friends. After months of walking past it and being curious, I finally stopped in to visit and catch up with friends in February. There is an open seating area in the front with a coffee bar. In the back, there is a darker seating area with a bar and full service. I've tried a few pastries and coffee options and have loved everything I've tried so far. My favorite beverage is the guayaba caramel cappuccino. Just make sure to stir it to mix the caramel throughout! The decor is beautiful and the space is really unique architecturally. The staff is very friendly and welcoming. The pricing is pretty consistent with, if not slightly cheaper than the typical quality coffee shop. As I write this review, I am seated in the corner with a gorgeous plant filled shelf behind me and gorgeous sunlight spilling in from the window to my right. A beautiful setting to work remotely!

    Pesca del dia (swordfish), short rib, pollo, quesadilla negra
    Janet C.

    Came here with a group and had a fantastic dinner! The pesca del dia (swordfish), quesedilla negra with the calamari, ceviche Blanco, and tostadas were all phenomenal. For dessert, we had the cheesecake, which was the perfect finish to a great meal. Attentive service as well. They have a nice drink menu with good variety.

    matcha

    I would definitely recommend this place for someone who is looking for a casual but cute spot to get food in Rittenhouse! Ambiance is coffee shop x elevated bar. I was sick of a breakfast bagel so this Mexican inspired food was perfecttttt for me. Barbacoa sandwich is yummy as well as their eggs. Price is $16-18 which is a little pricey for eggs with little protein. My favorite is their pastries, concha and this coconut cream filled donut were yummy. -1 star because they got my drink order wrong. $7.50 for an iced passionfruit matcha but it came hot and plain - no passionfruit syrup at all (I even stirred it to see if it was at the bottom). I asked the waiter after I got it if this is correct and he said yes. Disappointed on that one, I was excited to try it.

    Kathleen D.

    I stopped by for brunch with two of my friends recently. Everything was fantastic from the service to the coffee and cocktails to the food and vibes. It was a freezing cold winter day, and I was grateful that we were seated far from the door in a cutesy circular half booth. I ordered the Chicano sandwich, green apple garibaldi cocktail, and their caramel cappuccino. There was some confusion with the bill as my friend asked to split it by person and each bill ended up being wrong, so we each just chose the bill closest to what we ordered. So note - ask for that at the beginning of service. I'd absolutely go back to try more of their menu or to sit at their elevated bar.

    Menu (Jun 2025)
    Sarah A.

    Love La Jefa's exterior entrance on Latimer, but once you enter, the atmosphere is way darker than expected, particularly for a lunch experience. (Bathrooms are shared with Tequilas restaurant on Locust, which, in comparison, seems bright and airy.) We were seated at a narrow, rectangular high-top table toward the back bar--would've preferred to have my feet touching the ground, though perhaps it was the only table that would fit 6 diners? We started with the house salsas, which came with thin, toasted baguette slices. The orange and green salsas were the table favorites, but we all would've preferred some sort of chips (with salt) to the bread. We tried the Huevos Alcapoche (brioche, poached eggs, bacon, parmesan, salsa alcapone, crispy macha, fresh greens), Enmolados (corn tortilla, fried eggs, mole dulce, crispy pork belly, quesillo, onion, sesame), Pastrami de Lengua sandwich (housemade pastrami, chili-manzano relish, coleslaw, chili mayo, sandwich bread), and Barbacoa sandwich (brisket, onion, cilantro, chili mayo, consomme, baguette). Since it wasn't evident in the translation of ingredients, our Brazilian diner noted that "lengua" means "tongue," which changed some diners' orders. Overall, everyone enjoyed the food, though were surprised that more had not been done to the vegetable sides (e.g., the cucumber was just a chunk of cucumber). The group enjoyed the teas ordered, but the michelada seemed like its ratios were off, as did the house ginger beer, which was zero-proof, but tasted as if it wasn't. It took a moment to get the check, but our server was able to split it three ways.

    agavette and totomoxtle latte
    Leah O.

    This place is super super cute. My partner had looked it up as a coffee spot then we happened to walk past it unknowingly and both said "this place is cute." There's a coffee bar to walk up to and get coffee and treats to go. Or you also have the option to sit and order off their brunch menu (you can make resys online!). We didnt try any food which I'm disappointed about because it sounded really good! But we got two of their specialty coffees -- totomoxtle latte and agavatte. Both were amazing!! I dont live in Philly but this is a spot I would take friends to and recommend to anyone visiting!

    mocha
    Elaine T.

    nice ambiance and unique drink options! the pastries are yummy. we had a reservation for brunch time.

    L S.

    The Enebro cocktail was great, I had to order 2. The food was good. The customer service was wonderful.

    Ceviche blanco
    Megan Z.

    Fantastic fare at my first dinner at La Jefa. Incredibly cute interior with many comfortable seating options. Friendly and attentive service. The three dishes we ordered were split between two of us and we did not leave unsatisfied. The star of the show for me was the carnitas vampiro. So many fresh flavors complementing the tender pork and smackin skin.

    Frosty
    Margaret B.

    I returned to La Jefa recently on a weekday morning. It was busy and cheery. Apparently this is a good first meetup/date spot because on each side I could hear what were clearly people getting to know each other. Meanwhile my capuchino was perfect and had a cute snowman. Then I tried an oatmeal dish that was great. Service was friendly but not overbearing. Everything hit the spot.

    Conner J.

    This is one of my favorite coffee places. I love it when they do half bar half coffee shop - it makes sence with the hours both would be open and they lean into it well. The warm and detailed atmosphere has nice touches thay play well as a bar and as a coffee shop. The coffee itself is creamy and rich and they have some of my favorite specialty coffee as well. We got the corn specialty drink and it worked surprisingly well. The staff is super friendly as well. They helped us with anything that we needed and we're quick to a recommendation. I wasnt here long enough for their bar to open but it seems like a great spot.

    Totomoxtle Latte, Cappuccino

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    Ask the Community - La Jefa

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    Cantina La Martina

    Cantina La Martina

    4.4
    (112 reviews)
    3.8 mi

    I can't believe I am giving Cantina La Martina a ONE star review! I couldn't even muster a 2 given…read morewhat they gave me to eat tonight. I ordered the carnitas tacos and churros. The meat in the tacos was so dry that it was hard to chew and swallow. Some of the pieces were cooked to a crisp. No amount of salsa could make them better. I'm sorry I didn't take photos of the tacos, but trust me me I get no pleasure from leaving a bad review for this place; I am not lying or exaggerating. I thought they were going to be one of our local gems. I choked down a half a taco, gave the rest to my husband and he couldn't eat them either. The churros actually had raw batter in the middle and the outside was rubbery and hard at the same time. You could barely bite through it. I'm a cook and I know that that is about keeping the oil at an even temperature to get the inside done and not overcook the outside. Someone in the kitchen did not know what they were doing. The thing is, I have had their food before and it was pretty good. I don't know if there is a new chef or what happened, but I can't trust them after this experience.

    Came here for lunch. Driving and parking is fine in the day. As others mentioned its not a good…read morearea to walk around. Inside I enjoyed the decor and vibe. Staff very friendly. Good: old fashioned, tri-mix of guac (liked the truffle one), steak tacos. Not so good:coco tartare app, I thought most of the other tacos were tried were very okay for the price and would not recommend (shrimp, pastor (one of my least favorite versions of pastor), one with habaenro (not spicy at all). Would have enjoyed some actual spicy salsa to go with it. Overall, I sadly can't really recommend it.

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    Cantina La Martina
    Cantina La Martina
    Cantina La Martina

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    El Rey

    El Rey

    3.6
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Honestly El Rey is great!…read more As a Los Angeles native, Mexican food is always a "not as good as California" affair, and with that bar, it's hard to find anything that holds a candle. But El Rey is good in its own right, taking familiar foods and flavors, with a bit of a fancier twist, and making a good meal that I love to eat and enjoy! Seating and service here is friendly and prompt. Even when it's pretty loud and seems packed, there are always a handful of open tables available, where we've usually been able to be seated almost immediately. Such was the case this evening. We were on a bit of a time crunch so we ordered immediately and our food came out so fast that the waiter for our table was surprised as the food beat him with our napkins to the table. We ordered the Tuna Tostada and the Yucatan Spiced Chicken Fajitas. Both were amazing! Good thing for our tight timeline, the food was gone as fast as it came. The waiter helpfully recommend the house hot sauce, which was certainly spicy and a good compliment on our fajitas. Overall, a great place to dine for Mexican-inspired! Laying aside my California bias, El Rey is a fun time every time we come.

    Valentine's Day magic at El Rey? Say less. The steak tacos…read morechanged my life -- and I stand by that. I hadn't been to El Rey in years, but we scored last-minute Valentine's reservations and WOW. The vibe was lively, warm, and perfect for a fun night out. - Let's talk about these STEAK TACOS . Perfectly seasoned, tender, flavorful -- the kind of bite that makes you close your eyes for a second. They were so good I came back two days later just for them. That's not a craving... that's infatuation. - The Chayote Salad completely surprised me. Fresh, bright, and paired with their homemade hot sauce? My palate was awakened. I even brought it home (with dressing and hot sauce on the side) and it still hit! Speaking of heat -- if you love spicy food, ASK for their homemade hot sauce. It's bold, fiery, and addictive. I genuinely want a bottle for home. Service? 10/10. From the manager to the hosts to the bartender -- everyone was kind, attentive, and patient. They even remembered me from Valentine's Day, which says everything about how they treat their guests. Bathroom Check: Clean? Yes. Cute ambiance? Yes. Great mirror for photos? Absolutely. And again -- CLEAN. El Rey, I'll be back soon

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    El Rey
    El Rey
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    La Jefa - cafes - Updated July 2026

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