Contra is one of my favorites! It's probably my favorite at the orange circle. There are so many…read moredifferent options to try out and they even have a flight if you want to try multiple drinks at a time. I tried one of their seasonal drinks: Buko Kape, which was coconut vietnamese coffee topped with pandan foam. The coffee was strong and delicious. The pandan foam was the perfect addition. My other favorites are the Lovebirds and Foxy Cleopatra. I really love the flavors of their drinks. As always, their service is superb and I love interacting with the baristas. They're so sweet! Lots of space to do work and reliable wifi. There's a bathroom in the back as well. I love the songs that they play. Parking can be a little hard to find if it's later in the day. Most of the parking around there is 2 or 3 hour paid parking.

I've been following Contra Coffee since the early days, back when they were in Santa Ana near 4th…read moreStreet and later when they were operating out of their rolling pop-up van. It's been awesome to watch their growth over the years. What stands out most is their consistency. No matter where I've caught them, the drinks have always been on point. They continue to put out quality coffee while staying true to what made people fall in love with them in the first place. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, creating an environment that makes you want to stay awhile. I'm also a big fan of the library-inspired concept. It's a unique touch that gives the space character and makes it feel more like a community gathering spot than just another coffee shop. It's great to see a local business continue to evolve while maintaining the quality, hospitality, and atmosphere that got them here. Looking forward to many more visits.

Better than Starbucks …read more They win on quality, service ,simplicity, fresh ingredients, and just being that local coffee shop that Orange County people love .Can't beat that Starbucks...

Had some time to spare before our son's soccer game down the street and stumbled upon this fabulous…read morecoffee shop. I decided to try the iced Mexican mocha from their seasonal menu--and it did not disappoint. Next time I'd add just a touch more sugar, but that's purely my preference. I also grabbed a loaf of fresh sourdough and couldn't wait--I tried it in the car and it was absolutely spectacular. The decor is adorable, and the little Jesus detail... yessss, I loved it. Highly recommend this spot! The service was great--just be patient, as it's clearly a popular place. Even with a line, they moved quickly and had my drink ready in no time

First time in Orange County Downtown. Pretty cool place. We…read moreactually stumbled with this place walking and thought it was super original a Coffee Bar inside an old bank building. Lots of space to sit, love the ambiance feel like you were in an old train station. Service was great, I had questions about some of the coffees and they took their time explaining it to me. For food they only had pastries but for coffee and matcha lots of interesting options. They have beans from various parts of the World, but mainly Norway!!! We got really excited about this. We ordered a Volcano Latte and a regular latte. The Volcano latte had an explosion of flavors topped with a smoked salted foam out of this world. My new favorite. I will keep on coming to try more things while in town.

I was in the area and decided to try this spot. I really liked how spacious it is inside; I'm…read moreassuming it used to be a bank back in the day. One thing to keep in mind is that parking isn't free, and depending on the time of day, it can be a little challenging to find parking if you're just stopping by for coffee. I tried two different lattes and unfortunately wasn't a fan of either. Yuli, the barista, truly did her best to make it right and was so sweet, which I wholeheartedly appreciated. Her service alone made me want to give this spot a higher rating. That said, the lattes were a 2/5 for me. They tasted too milky, and the coffee had an aftertaste I personally wasn't fond of.

Philz coffee is my favorite coffee spot in OC! I can't rave enough about it. Their coffees always…read moreget me wired and locked in. The coffee is delicious when served sweet and creamy and the staff is always nice to adjust your drink if you don't like it. I typically order the Iced Mint Mojito as its fresh, sweet, delicious and comes with fresh mint! This time I opted for the new seasonal Cashew Cocoa. This drink was also delicious, but a little too sweet for me, and if you don't like cashew milk I would opt for a different beverage. The pastries are on the sweeter side, so keep that in mind if you order the almond croissant or cinnamon roll, but the flavor is there. The blueberry muffin was probably my favorite as it was so moist and paired well with my coffee. This Orange establishment is nice and offers games (like most Philz') so you and your friends/family can play, while enjoying a coffee or pastry. The company even offers used coffee ground to take home for your garden - a full recycle moment! The staff is always pleasant and friendly, and each barista usually has a name tag in front of their station. If the place is busy (and it can be busy) you can also order online for a quick grab and go! The coffee, staff, and atmosphere keep me visiting the delicious Philz Coffee. Thank you!

I've given Philz Coffee multiple chances, but at this point it's just frustrating and…read moredisappointing. The biggest issue is the customer service. Every time I come in, there are 5 to 6 employees behind the counter, but more than half of them are just standing around talking and laughing. It creates a distracting environment for the few people who are actually trying to work, and it shows in how slow and disorganized everything feels. What really pushed me to write this review is how often the app is completely inaccurate. I'll get a notification saying my drink is ready, only to show up and find that it hasn't even been started yet. Meanwhile, the person who is supposed to be making drinks is busy chatting with coworkers instead of focusing on orders. This isn't a one-time thing either. It's become a pattern, and nothing seems to improve. Long waits, lack of urgency, and poor communication make the whole experience frustrating, especially when you're paying premium prices for coffee. I used to enjoy coming here, but the repeated lack of professionalism and attention to customers has really turned me off. Hopefully management steps in and addresses this, because right now it feels like customers are not a priority at all.

Blk Dot Coffee is a neat, urban shop with a minimalist design and straightforward menu. Some bakery…read moreitems are offered, but the primary focus is a fresh cup of coffee. I popped in on a Sunday morning after a brunch nearby and opted for my regular order, a cold brew with a splash of oat milk. My coffee was GREAT and I was really digging the decor and red brick exterior. However, the mood was dampened as the ambiance inside was a little soulless. No music, no laughter. Additionally, the staff was a little moody for my taste. I got decent service but staff were frowning and not having a good time. Maybe I visited on an off-day? However, the shop wasn't busy nor were customers being unpleasant. I just think the band of baristas needed a social check-in. I can see this shop taking off one day and becoming a hit in many cities. I'm rooting for this place, they just need to work out the social kinks. Note: Merch is available for you Blk Dot superfans.

I went in here today, because I wanted to get their Yuzu-mango matcha latte drinks to help boost my…read moreenergy so that I can walk to the CVS pharmacy on the other side of Orange without losing so much energy. It worked. The servers were busy and thankfully there is an iPad you can utilize to order your drink and/or meal without causing any disruptions. I really like that. I also love how lovely and comfortable the indoor furniture is.

I remember trying to go here a while back ago when it blew up on TikTok but ended up not sticking…read morearound because it was so crowded (and also because I got harassed by a neighbor outside who, in his own words, was trying to make people feel not welcome here because he was angry about people coming in and parking in the neighborhood... weird). Still, I decided to give this place a second chance (no angry neighbor this time), and I was glad I did! PARKING: There's street parking around the neighborhood - I parked on Almond Ave so I wasn't in front of a house. The spots right outside the shop were 30 minute only. If you can't find parking there's probably tons as you go east if you're willing to walk. WHAT I ORDERED: Pistachio cream cold brew THE DRINK: Amazing. I've had my share of acidic or bitter cold brews, and this was not one of them. The cream was perfectly sweetened and flavored . SERVICE: Exceeded my expectations. The baristas when I came in were very bubbly and answered my questions and gave me suggestions, and were funny too! I wish I got their names, but they were working on Monday early afternoon - I hope they get some recognition. We also got some samples of the food items (which may have swayed me to get the turkey panini next time I come in). Even with the experience I had above a while back ago, I remember going in to let the baristas know and they were very understanding and apologetic, which I really appreciated. VIBES: Probably one of the top coffee shops to get work done in OC. Here's my work-from-coffee-shop checklist: * OUTLETS: So many. Not at the tables downstairs but in the private rooms and at a lot of the seating upstairs. * WIFI/INTERNET: Yes, good speed * BATHROOMS: Yes, clean * WATER: You can ask for free water * VOLUME: Music was a little bit loud but not terrible * SEATING AVAILABILITY: Lotsssss of seats when I came on a Monday late morning-afternoon. Very cool that there were private rooms (which can be reserved two hours in advance if you call them), tables, bar-style seating upstairs, and most importantly, comfy couches!! * LAPTOP FRIENDLINESS: No restrictions BOTTOM LINE: I can't believe I almost missed out on this gem. I'll be back soon!

Food/Drinks: matcha…read morelatte - not the richest matcha taste or quality and when i got it with oat milk, the oat milk flavor ended up overpowering the matcha a bit. although, it wasn't bad it was still decent to sip on while working! iced caramel macchiato - on the sweeter end of drinks and if you get oat milk it will overpower the taste a bit but still a decent drink banana cream matcha latte - has the creamy texture from the banana cream and surprisingly the banana didn't have a strong artificial banana taste. to me, that's a little rare and in a good way. the matcha isn't a strong matcha taste but still present avocado toast with egg - it was plated and presented nicely which i was kinda surprised about. it tasted decent. the bread is on the softer/soggier end rather than the crispy and toasted end. the sauce and radish overpowers the taste. i got a runny sunny side egg and it was a nice addition for me. service: this spot has one of the nicest helpful service. i was here for a few hours working and despite shift changes, each new staff who was working were so nice and helpful! ambiance: it's such a bright and spacious spot with a few study rooms and many seating. it's bright and has a cozy wooden feel. i love that there are many outlets and it's not overcrowded or too loud. it was the perfect spot to work at!

tldr; delicious matcha and coffee. also yummy snacks/food, i love their veggie quiche! small…read moreparking lot but doesn't get too busy, i've always found parking here! i always recommend it to my friends and family, even got my coworkers to start going there too! SERVICE: 5/5 workers are so friendly and sweet! i've never had a bad experience here and they always make my morning with their compliments DRINKS: 5/5 i got their mango matcha for the first time and it was sooooo delicious. the matcha was so flavorful and i loved the mango flavor in it. they paired so well together.

It did not look like anyone went into any of the stores, but when I walked into ape coffee it was…read morereally busy in a good way. The girl at the counter was nice and all of the baristas were busy consistently. It was a little tight in there at times with the amount of people, but there's seating if you get a spot. Drinks -monkey business: a good blend of flavors and sweetness -snow monkey: I wish it was a little more coffee tasing with more sweet cream on top Food: -gorilla toast: I think the toast needed more flavor such as seasonings or more balsamic glaze -ham and cheese croissant

I genuinely think Ayer Coffee has the best matcha in all of OC. Ever since they opened, I've been…read morethere 4-5 times a week and somehow still haven't gotten tired of it. The quality and consistency are honestly unmatched. I've tried pretty much every drink on the menu at this point, and every single visit tastes just as good as the last, which is rare these days. Yes, the line can get long sometimes, but the staff does such a great job moving things quickly while still being friendly and attentive. You never feel rushed, and they're always happy to answer questions or make recommendations. Their new guava matcha is AMAZING! Super unique and refreshing without being overly sweet. I've already convinced a bunch of my friends and family to try Ayer and now they're hooked too. Even my dad, who visits Vietnam often and is very picky about coffee, said he liked the coffee at Ayer even more. I've also purchased their Saigon blend to make Vietnamese coffee at home, and the staff were incredibly helpful in guiding me on how to brew it properly. You can tell they genuinely care about both the quality of their drinks and the customer experience. Ayer deserves all the hype. Easily one of my favorite coffee spots ever.

Best matcha I've had. Always crave it after I finish it! I…read moregot the matcha one and it's the perfect sweetness, I've also had their coconut coffee and it's amazing, a little on the sweet side but still great!

UPDATE! I'm thrilled to share that after my post, the owner…read moreof Rekindle, Rebecca, reached out to me and has been absolutely wonderful. It's not often today for the owner of a business to reach out directly to a customer - she did and it was a very positive engagement. There are time that even the best business has a hiccup and something goes wrong. What makes a huge difference is how the business responds, and therefore, Rekindle gets five stars. I'm certain my next visit will be fantastic - I'll be posting an update in the near future. Wow - So Disappointed! Rekindle was at the Taste of Orange this year and I enjoyed one of the Italian sandwich samples they were handing out. It was fantastic! We met the owner - she was very charismatic and charming. Today we stopped by to grab an Italian sandwich, and I just cannot believe they served me bread that was so old and dry - it would have been perfect for croutons, but definitely nothing like what we had at the Taste of Orange. The bread was so dry I had to dress it up with some olive relish to eat it - I don't expect when I pay $31 for a sandwich and chai iced tea latte to get home and have to start working on my sandwich. I accept some responsibility for this, because honestly, who goes to a coffee shop for a sandwich.

This is one of those places where I immediately gave it 5 stars, didn't write the review, left it…read morefor too long, and have completely forgotten why it was so good. Guess I have to go back and find out. At least I have pictures. This'll update when that 2nd visit happens!

It's Chai Time! Loved the place, the ambiance, and their…read moresimple yet delicious menu. They also have plenty of great options for kids, making it a perfect spot for families to relax and enjoy together!

Chai is for me. If you don't like chai... well we can't be friends…read more Thank you! So delicious.