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    Groundwork Coffee

    4.0 (516 reviews)
    ModerateCoffee & Tea, Cafes
    Closed 6:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Groundwork Coffee Takeout or Delivery

    Groundwork Coffee Photos

    GROUNDWORK COFFEE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Hipster
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Groundwork Coffee

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    Reviews With Photos - Groundwork Coffee

    Welcome to Groundwork coffee. #dtla #bnw
    Carl N.

    Groundwork Coffee (est 1990) is a large coffee shop located in the Arts district of LA. GC has other locations throughout the city. They serve coffee, tea, pastries and breakfast. Interior has a rustic feeling given the high exposed wooden beams and brick wall around the shop. Moreover, it's spacious and very relaxing place to start the day. Outdoor patio seats are available too. I came in the morning to check this coffee shop and ended up ordering a medium hot GC Latte. And it was very good. Coffee cups are artful and sturdy. Staff were cordial. Prices were fair. Plenty of street parking. Collectively, this is a nice coffee shop to chill and do work. Overall, I highly recommend this GC shop.

    Ken C.

    Groundwork Coffee has locations throughout southern California; however, their location in Arts District in Downtown Los Angeles was a perfect pitstop for breakfast and a coffee. My wife bought us a Daybreaker breakfast sandwich, which was the surprise I didn't know I needed. It had Bacon and egg with cheese over an English muffin with a harissa aioli. Balanced and flavorful! The mild zing from the harissa aioli really made the sandwich great. To drink, I had a Horchata latte, which was pretty assertive with its Cinnamon flavor. I ate it with a cinnamon roll from Gooey Center Bakery, so I had a lot of cinnamon this morning! Outdoor seating and indoor seating were available and it was, overall, good to hang out before we walked around arts district.

    Harrison W.

    Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Stopped by to get some snacks to paired with my homemade coffee. I couldn't decide which cake to get so grabbed a couple. The stuff was helpful and explained all the different types of pastries they have. All of them tasted great. I mixed them up so I don't remember which one is which. But my least favorite one would be banana cake. They have a nice out door seating. I will be back to try their coffee next time.

    Dj M.

    I ordered their beehive matcha latte hot and the pumpkin bread and banana muffin Of the two pastries the pumpkin bread was the best, it was so rich in flavor. The beehive matcha was just okay, it didn't really have a strong matcha flavor to me probably from too much milk or a light matcha and the spices were overpowering. There's a lot of indoor seating and it's nice and cozy inside. I may need to try a different drink like coffee instead as their matcha wasn't my favorite. It was pretty empty in the morning so we were helped right away.

    fried egg sandwich and iced mocha latte pictured in the outdoor seating area

    The iced mocha latte was delicious and the fried egg sandwich was off the chain. The staff was awesome. They could not have been nicer or more accommodating. They were really sweet and helpful. The entrance is not handicapped accessible though. There's four steps to get in and give your order and the concrete floor is kind of sloped at the entrance so you have to be careful. The sidewalk in front is kind of crumbly and messed up too-- not necessarily their fault, but it might be important to know if you are disabled. If you order food and sit outside, they'll bring you your order. There's open seating. Normally, when you order coffee or beverages, you carry them to your table yourself, since I was unable to navigate the steps with my crutches, they offered to carry my coffee out with my food order which I greatly appreciated. There is adequate indoor seating but it is all stools and raised tables/chairs. Nothing wrong with that but it doesn't work for some people. There's outdoor seating as well on the side of the building with regular height cafe-style chairs and tables with umbrellas and a pergola overhead so if it's nice weather, and you don't mind sitting outside, that's an option. There's 6 or 7 picnic tables as well. It's a dog-friendly establishment. The atmosphere is very laid back. There are a few families, couples and quite a few solo customers busy on their laptops. They seem to do a lot of business here on a Sunday but the vibe is still chill, not rushed or crowded.

    Karina C.

    I got the caramel latte coffee hot and my son got the same but cold. Both were so good. The lady was so sweet and helpful with a nice smile. The coffee looks so cute, lots of people not loud at all. You can sit and enjoy a good conversation and great organic coffee. The best is inside the LA Auto Show.

    Horchata Cold Brew
    Sophia B.

    The perfect place to get some work done All the employees are super inviting and my order is ready in seconds. My usual is the Horchata Cold Brew ‍

    The Fried Egg Sandwich and a Matcha
    Kylie T.

    I've stopped by a few times to work with some friends on the weekends in a writing accountability group. I love this spot because of the loft area seating, the overall relaxed atmosphere, strong coffee options (groundwork does NOT miss on any of their drinks), and abundant food menu! The fried egg sandwich is really good and very fresh. I'm a sucker for a good matcha, but their cold brew is also so solid I'm torn between which to order each time. There seems to be ample space to sit and enjoy the space kind of regardless of when I've stopped by. Parking isn't too bad either - for a while the meters on the street weren't working and the text to pay app also wasn't online, so I've been able to park for free the past few times I've stopped by. This spot is so solid!

    Pumpkin Latte 8 oz
    Martin D.

    The location is ideal that is nice to walk around and has plenty of local eats, shops and businesses that surround the coffee shop. Plenty of seating inside, with a 2nd level that allows you to work in comfort. I like this coffee shop solely for the ambiance

    Vanilla and caramel Latte with oat milk
    Sherree G.

    The coffee and almond croissant were actually really good -- no complaints there. The space has a great vibe, and most of the staff seemed upbeat and friendly. Unfortunately, the one person who helped my daughter and me created a pretty uncomfortable experience. When we ordered, the gentleman who took our order was cold, condescending, and didn't offer even the smallest smile. His tone felt more like "what do you want!?!" than "how can I help you?" -- not ideal when you're spending your time and money at a place. I asked about getting both vanilla and caramel in a drink, and instead of kindly explaining options, I was met with a dry "you can't have both," then a reluctant "sure" when I asked again. It just felt unnecessarily rigid and unwelcoming. Meanwhile, I noticed he was laughing and joking with others behind the counter while preparing our drinks -- so the friendly energy is there, just not extended to everyone equally, I guess? Overall, the food and drinks deserve a solid 5 stars, but I'm taking off one star for the poor customer service experience. A small shift in attitude -- even just a smile -- could've made all the difference.

    Vivi D.

    Love their food and their chipotle potato's! Their drinks are decent, nothing special but they'll do the job! Def coming back.

    Vegan (Or Not) BLTA
    Briseida N.

    First time coming to this location and I really enjoyed it! I came with a friend and we both got the Matcha Latte and shared the vegan BLTA which we loved. The sauce on the sandwich is so good. The service was amazing and fast. The ambience was really relaxing, a lot of people were working on their computers and the space is peaceful. We are looking forward to coming back to try their other food and specialty drinks.

    Matcha Latte - 12 oz. & Horchata Cold Brew - 16 oz
    Amy Y.

    Coffee: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 The horchata cold brew is so good here. It's such a unique drink that I haven't tried anywhere else (although I will say I'm not the biggest coffee drinker) and the combination of cinnamon, creaminess, nuttiness, bitterness is so good. It's pretty strong. I'd come back here just for this drink. The person taking my order actually recommended this drink and you can even sample it. The matcha was good but didn't stand out to me. Service is great, both the person taking my order and making my drink were very nice. Ambiance is cozy, there's an upstairs floor where there are ample tables to study or chill. There's also seating outside. Parking is not great but you can definitely find something. The space inside is pretty big and not too crowded. I really enjoyed the vibes of this coffee shop.

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    Ask the Community - Groundwork Coffee

    Are there power outlets ? How is parking?

    Are they currently open for indoor dining? Specifically for studying/working?

    They are not, which was very annoying to learn

    Does Groundwork's have specialty Holiday drinks?

    Is it dog friendly?

    Hi asked the lady at the counter and she said that you can bring your dog, but you have to keep it outside. I hope it is helpful

    Is the wifi password protected? Is it fast & reliable?

    There is a password they provide to customers, and it is both fast and reliable.

    View All 7 Questions

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    Groundwork Coffee - coffee - Updated August 2026

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