Picaresca is hands down my favorite coffee shop in Boyle Heights! It's Mexican owned and you can…read moretruly feel the passion they put into everything they do. The owners are always welcoming, friendly, and genuinely make every customer feel at home. Their customer service is exceptional and one of the main reasons my family and I keep coming back. The food is amazing! Their chicharrón burrito is the best I've had, and the chilaquiles are always fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Their coffee is just as impressive--they roast their own beans, make their own café de olla syrup, and you can even buy their coffee beans to enjoy at home. Every cup tastes fresh, rich, and authentic. I also love the atmosphere. The artwork throughout the shop is beautiful and gives the space so much personality. It's the kind of place where you want to sit, relax, and enjoy your coffee. Another thing I appreciate is that their prices are more affordable than many other coffee shops, especially considering the quality of the food, coffee, and service. My kids absolutely love coming here, and it's become one of our favorite family spots. If you're in Boyle Heights and looking for incredible coffee, delicious food, beautiful local art, fair prices, and some of the kindest people you'll ever meet, Picaresca is a must-visit. I can't recommend them enough!

I've been coming to this cafe for a while now. But, every time I visit, I am constantly telling…read moremyself "yeah ima give myself a break from here for at least a week or two" because of the food OR the customer service, AND sometimes both. This last time might truly be the last time for me. This past weekend I went with my family to have breakfast and it was okay.. One girl who took our order was kind but there's this other girl who's usually always working there with short hair who always has this unwelcoming behavior.. Mind you, the ones who are in the front taking orders are like the "face" of the cafe and it'll reflect what kind of experience the customer will have. (Speaking from someone who has experience in customer service, especially in the food industry.) We ordered our food and found a table outside but it was dirty so I went to ask to ask the girl if she can give ME something to wipe down the tables. I don't have a problem doing so because it's just a habit of mine. She said that she'll tell someone to go outside and clean it. That short haired girl came out and cleaned our table.. the time we went was busy so I understand if they couldn't do their rounds of cleanups but even when it's slow, it's still not done and I don't understand? The cooks and baristas are obviously busy trying to take orders out, the least that some cashiers can do in the front is to communicate with one another to be able to cover both in AND out of the cafe.. Then, I asked for another salsa because I was given one and I usually always ask for another one and I'm never given problems over it or question about it but this time the SAME short haired girl with attitude asked if I wanted to swap it out for the one that's already on my plate? I was confused because I was never asked that before.. it made me feel like I had to choose one or the other because two wasn't the option It's salsa.. no pasa nada si me das dos.. I started questioning myself like am I tripping? But my family member was with me, witnessing everything, that she brought it up before I did. Mind you, our entire meal came out to $77... in this time AND economy, it's not that easy to just go anywhere and spend that type of money. So, when one does it, it's because we want to either treat ourselves AND our loved ones. The experience didn't feel like it was worth our money.. and c'mon, to be spending THAT much IN Boyle Heights is wild. Don't get me wrong, people in the hood also deserve a cool and calm ambience pero si se pasan with the prices and on top of that the customer service is mid? Also, can I mention about the dishes situation? Crazy how we spent $77 to put our own dishes in the bin? Not even Wingstop lets you do that!? Again, it's all about the customer service and the experience for the customer. Especially if it's the customers who are INVESTING hard working money into the cafe with every purchase. Now, there's only TWO other girls who are the sweetest and I wish I knew there names but they're the reason why I always give it another chance. Besides that, the customer service is always off. And the baristas gotta learn some customer service too. Smile and look up for once, it's really not that hard and making coffee isn't THAT serious. I've been off of social media for a while now but this place definitely brings in many "instagram" people.. so sometimes the atmosphere also feels performative and I've noticed it attracts that. I came across this place just by driving by and curious to wanting to try it but I also had some doubts beforehand. I gave this place multiple chances but it continued to prove me RIGHT From what I've seen, it doesn't seem like true Boyle Heights/East LA locals go to this cafe... the prices don't really cater to the community they're in! It caters another group of people for attraction and just another form of hipster It be the ones who are raza who exploit their own culture for money and attention because being and claiming brown culture is "cool" now. Don't get it twisted, the real ones see through it.

Damo has quickly become one of my favorite spots in the Arts District. Their premium matcha is…read morerich, smooth, and balanced without any bitterness. You can really taste the quality in every sip, and it's clear they take their sourcing and preparation seriously. The minimalistic interior is also a plus for this location. It's a great space for studying, catching up with friends, or just taking a break. It's a spacious interior with much more seating compared to the Koreatown location.

8/4/2026 3 1/2 Stars…read more First time at Damo. MATCHA EINSPANER Very creamy matcha. Matcha flavor is there, but it's not distinct matcha where you can taste the nuances of the matcha flavors. The cream top does make it very creamy and it does mask majority of the matcha flavor. It did taste like a dessert drink. It was enjoyable though. COLD BREW VANILLA Weirdly sour and smoky flavored cold brew. Slight floral flavor too. It was such an odd combination of flavors with the vanilla cold foam. The lingering aftertaste was not good either. It's neither this nor that. Would not recommend! FINANCIERS Their financiers are made by a local bakery called Musk. It seems their financier flavors are changed often, so no same flavors are in rotation. Sausage & Parmesan - The almond cake's vanilla flavor with the sausage and salty parmesan was a unique flavor. The almond cake was nice and spongy. It did take a bit of time to get used to the savory flavors with the almond cake. It's like a breakfast in an unexpected way. Nutella - Buttery almond cake with nutella and roasted hazelnuts. Enjoyed it! I think Nutella fans would like it. Mugwort + Fig - Buttery in the beginning and it ends with a good, medium-strength flavor of mugwort. Fig was garnish on top, so you barely get it. However, I like that they added the sweetness of the figs with the earthy bitter mugwort. Overall, it was uniquely delicious and mugwort was the star. Yuza + Apricot - A tad sweeter than expected due to the outer brush of yuza aka yuzu simple syrup. Loved the chewy apricot on top. It really brought a lovely fruityness to the financier. The yuzu flavor was there alongside the butteryness of the almond cake. All the financiers were done well! Delicious! Recommend trying at least one when you're at this location. Not sure if their financiers are offered at their other locations. CUSTOMER SERVICE It was good. Not terribly friendly, but still answered my questions. Staff were all busy making the drinks. AMBIANCE + SEATS Really large space with rows of tables and chairs. It was strange walking in and seeing various tables and seats to one side and it almost looked like a cafe used as office space. Seeing all the people sitting down on their laptops or talking, as though they're having a casual business meeting there. It was just strange. The tables were mixed wooden tables and chairs. There were long benches too for people waiting for takeout orders. The large space felt so roomy, I get why the tables were all taken. PARKING Street parking is available, yet when I was there in the early afternoon on a Tuesday, it was packed! The only place to park was the paid parking lot right across from Damo. Parking was $5.00. I wouldn't recommend parking elsewhere outside of that street, as it is a sketchy area and lots of homeless encampments around the area. Would I return? Not sure. I like the large, roomy warehouse space with lots of tables to sit in, but the cafe being in a sketchy area gives me hesitation. Not in love with $5.00 parking too. One of my drinks was good, but the other was bad. The only thing I loved was the financiers.

Got princess parking right in front around 1:30 pm on a Tuesday so I can't say much for how it…read moreusually is at any other time. It was pretty busy for late afternoon but I took it as a good sign. My sister has been a bunch of times before and really wanted me to try their cream top but I don't drink coffee and they apparently stopped allowing modifications to their drinks so you can no longer add the cream top to the matcha latte. She got the cream top coffee and I got the matcha latte so I could sip the top of hers and drink mine and it was honestly so so good. I have no idea how they make their cream top but it's unlike any other I've tried. The matcha itself was also very smooth and great quality. Both drinks came out to just $13.50 total, which is amazing. Would come again!

The matcha latte is superb-5 stars The service is fine, it's…read morecrowded but the line out the door went pretty quick. 4 stars The ambiance needs improvement. I get the Japandi minimalist design aesthetic but a lot of people would love to just sit down and drink their spendy beverage and there's just not enough seats for all the customers. I would suggest adding more benches along the North wall which is an entirely usable space as well as adding another counter along the window with barstools. For this, I have to give the ambiance 2 stars. I'd still come back for the exceptional matcha latte though!

Super quick service, delicious latte and food!…read more I got a London Fog with Matcha and the turkey provolone croissant. The matcha in the London fog was a nice touch recommended to me by the cashier. It's a cute and quiet cafe with lots of chairs for waiting and a couple of tables for anyone wanting to sit down and study/ eat.

I've been here a couple times now when I'm back in the area and do think its nice we have a "fancy"…read morecoffee shop in the area. Its a smaller space so more pick up and go but they do have some space if you want to stay and chat or work. Staff have always been nice and friendly and they have a lot of fun drinks (both teas and coffees). I think I always try a jasmine based drink but the jasmine never really comes through. Otherwise, I do think their lattes and teas have been pretty good, just don't expect a strong jasmine flavor or fragrance.

Great Coffee. The outside sitting area is beautiful Very good, fast, and friendly service.read more

Yia's coffee was great! I've been wanting to try it for a while and finally made it in. The service…read morewas nice and quick, which was a plus. The back patio was so nice and shaded, with music playing, and honestly made me feel like I was somewhere tropical. If I were still in school, this would definitely be a spot I'd come to get some work done. The only downside is that there isn't much parking since it's located on a corner surrounded by residential streets, so plan accordingly. Overall, I really enjoyed it and can't wait to come back and try something new!

After a lovely hike my friend suggested this place for good food and good coffee! I was all in!! To…read moremy surprise this is inside of a tiny shopping mall. So from the outside I walked in through what I thought was a flower market, then you see all kinds of shops, towards the end is Ulew. Small cafe where you place your order but there is a big seating area. I took my friends suggestions and it did not disappoint! I was absolutely obsessed with the coffee and food!!!! 10 out 10 experience! Also the dining area was super cool filled with board games, beautiful art, and so many other things . Thank you so much ULEW for the warm welcome and hospitality btw I recommended my friend this place and they mentioned they have a sister restaurant ChapMayan in Pico Rivera! I'm going this Saturday :)

I enjoy the staff here super friendly and kind. This establishment is the sibling location to the…read moreother coffee place I frequent called ChapMayan. This establishment uses fermented oat milk, which pairs really well with my latte. The brand is called Koatji. This time around, I tried a sweet and savory dish it was really good. The only downside for me is the parking. I always have such a hard time finding parking. If it was t for that I probably would come more often. Maltiox!

This place is such a gem! It's only a few…read moreblocks from my house, and I'm so happy I found it. I love supporting this woman-owned coffee shop, and the vibe is always so welcoming. Now, can we talk about the banana latte?! It is seriously the BEST I've ever had. It's smooth, perfectly sweet, and unlike anything else l've tried. If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and order one-you'll thank me later! Highly recommend supporting this amazing local business!

* toffee nut coffee * banana matcha latte…read more Studying spot? however it's quite inviting in here for a casual coffee spot to have sweet and savory conversation just like the coffee they have here! Service was great and the options! Definitely would come back to try all the other drinks! Toffee was a bit nutty but I didn't taste to toffee as much which was a great touch! Banana matcha tasted more like matcha and the banana flavoring wasn't really there but it was delicious nonetheless.

Cafe Cafe is open Mon-Sat: 8am-4pm…read more Cafe Cafe operates out of a shared kitchen with Macheen and Milpa Grille. I ordered the Ice Hot Cocoa Latte and it was a lovely drink to pair with breakfast burritos and tacos. I will certainly be back to try other coffees.

something about this place called to me...so i had to come try…read more. i was lowkey confused when i first pulled up and walked in ngl because it's part of Milpa but i saw a coffee menu and knew this was it. i loved the vibes in there and all the resources that they had available i ordered an iced americano and a berry jamaica. the americano was great. i had to stop myself from chugging it. the jamaica was taking a minute but it's because they make it to order! like legit from scratch. and it was well worth it. this drink wasn't for me but i tried it and i almost drank the whole thing too lol the texture is kinda thick, because of the puree so it's not thin like actual agua fresca but still good, even if you want to thin it with water