Still a huge fan of Smoking Tiger and here to update my review with new favorites. The staff are always very friendly! Baked goods - 5/5, I LOVE the new chicken pot pie croissant-like pastry!!! The filling is sooo delicious. Sconkies - 5/5, the scone x cookie hybrid is also a favorite. I like the density and their flavors are so fun and unique! Kimchi musubi croissant - 4/5, is very unique and savory. But can be quite salty, better heated up. Yuzu black tea - 5/5, I appreciate their decaf menu because I don't usually drink coffee or caffeinated teas. This iced tea is my new go-to. I like that it's not as sweet as their usual decaf selection. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

TLDR - Coffee is good, Bread is good, Service is good, Parking is good. Would recommend. The Coffee is good, they can accommodate coffees that aren't on their menu but are typical to coffee around the world (cortados, flat whites etc.) the staff tend to be very friendly and service is quick and polite even when in a rush. A lot of study space and tables for you to chat with your friends. Parking is plentiful read more

Service was really nice but personally, I just was not impressed at all by the coffee. I got the tiger latte, I believe it's the most popular one. But man when I tell you it just taste like coffee I pour for my espresso and add milk. It's kind of crazy. I was really expecting something more because I've been meaning to try this place for a long time so I was quite disappointed, and then my coworker also got a black coffee and then he even said that that coffee tasted like water. This does get three stars because this cream cheese bread thing was amazing. Very indulgent and just right balance of garlic, cream cheese and butter read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Whenever I'm in Brea area, this is my go to coffee place. The corn latte is great here. Staff is friendly, just be ready to spend more than usual because things add up when you switch from regular milk. A lot of the places now don't charge extra for other milk options, this one still does and it's not cheap. So not the everyday splurge for those on a budget because it will add up. They have plenty of choices for the bakery but I have not tried yet. The Place also has plenty seating if you wish to do your work here. Outdoor seats also available. I recently tried one of the specialty barley honey coffee and it was so good. The flavors are yup definitely smoking here! read more

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Review 32/365 Day Challenge It's been a good minute I've been here to STCL it's change quite a bit. Came on a Sunday afternoon around 2 p.m. They offer mini cakes and slices. Associate was really friendly. There are a view outdoor patio seatings and a good amount of tables and seatings inside. They offer Different assortment of breads. My fav as always is the ~ Cream Cheese Garlic Bread. Packed filled w Cream Cheese & the bread is soft w brushed on butter & garlic. So good when toasted at home. Located in the same plaza Off The Hook & Super Juicy Dumplings. Lots of parking available. read more

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Cute little coffee shop! Delicious selections and calming seating area. There were a few people just studying peacefully so it's more of a relaxed vibe. Customer service was excellent. They prepared my drinks quickly and were kind enough to mention if I needed any modifications to please let them know. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Banana Milk Latte / 바나나 라떼 Latte / 라떼 cheese garlic bread honey butter cone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Boricano and Baby Latte were delicious! The service was amazing as well. The barista created beautiful latte art, which made the experience even better. I'd definitely make a trip back here! read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

This review is no knock to this particular location, but more so for the entire Smoking Tiger franchise itself. For starters none of the Smoking Tiger locations outside of the Cerritos one carries salted bread. Totally did not know that entering this location so we were disappointed from the get go already. Pastry selections felt very limited so we ended up settling for the garlic cream cheese bread and a creme brûlée bread to try both their sweet and savory options. For what it's worth both were very sweet. The garlic cream cheese had both sweet and savory notes while the creme brûlée was just sweet. What confused me was the thickness of the creme brûlée bread as well. It felt like I was eating an appetizer bread from cheesecake factory instead of an asian brioche. It felt dry and dense. We also tried the Black Sesame Hojicha and that was disappointing as well. It was watered down and tasted very bland. No hints of tea whatsoever. Although food and drinks were disappointing, service was great. We got our breads heated up and drinks came out fast. Would I go out of my way to come back? Probably not. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Garlic cream cheese bread - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Came by for coffee and some pastries, I decided to try the Apple Pie Latte from their seasonal menu. It's a weird combo but pretty good with bits of apple in the drink! I love how they garnish it with a dried apple slice. The pastries I got were yummy as well, especially the cream cheese garlic bread and the Four Cheese Tiger tail. The sconkies are always great, I tried a new flavor - blueberry. It was good with lots of blueberries inside! I was kind of surprised that the pastry cases were so empty though...maybe it was because I stopped by in the late morning and everything was gone...? Staff was friendly and efficient! read more

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amazing coffee and the friendliest staff ! get the banana milk latte or get one of my new favorites which is the tiger latte. I just found out about the brea location and i'll definitely be coming back. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Hojicha was 3/5. The roasted flavor was there but it wasn't strong, almost tasted a bit watered down. It was also a little grainy. Matcha was 4/5. Also was a title watered down but slightly better. Ham and cheese garlic bread was 5/5. String garlic flavor. Ham and cheese were standard. Warning that there was mustard inside. I didn't mind it personally but I also like mustard generally read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Hojicha and Jeju Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

William is a PHENOMENAL employee. My weekly tiger latte was extra tasty when he made it.

Was in the area and needed a quick pick me up, and I picked the right spot! The service was quick and the coffee was delicious (I'm a sucker for banana coffee). The pastries looked great but were definitely picked over later in the day. Wish I had one closer to me! read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Banana Milk Latte / 바나나 라떼 - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Lots of parking. Drinks are just ok here. The best item is their cream cheese garlic bread. Every bite is so good. It's garlicky and creamy from the loads of cream cheese, it has these buttery salty chips on top. Delicious! If I'm in the area I stop by to grab one. They heat it up and then yum! read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Cream cheese garlic - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Plenty of parking, good wifi, and lots of seating make this such a great study/WFH spot while enjoying amazing bread and good coffee! The bench seats aren't the comfiest but the chairs have a decent cushion. There aren't many outlets either, so that coupled with the hard seats make this a good spot for ~2 hours of solid work before your butt starts hurting. Garlic cream cheese bread (5.0) I wanted to buy another after wolfing it down. It's so soft with a nutty crunch from the fried garlic chips. It's perfectly sweet and creamy from the cheese. Definitely let them warm it up for you, patience is a virtue. It's so damn good this way. Banana milk latte (3.5) I had an iced latte from them a few months back that I really liked but I couldn't recall what I got. This was a bit underwhelming but the coffee was still flavorful! read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Garlic cream cheese bread - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Love this coffee/bakery shop in Brea! Lots of parking so easy to park since it's in a large shopping center! Nice staff when you walk in and happy to take your order. They have an easy grab & go cooler with yummy looking sandwiches and drinks. They have great looking bakery items. When you walk up, they have a cute tray and tissue paper to put your treats on, tongs in each section! Or I did notice they can grab for your too if you'd like. We went with the sconkies! What a cute name!! Scone and cookie dessert that look and taste amazing! Make sure you have them warm them up! We had the Oreo and Smores and they did not disappoint! I had the Banana Milk Latte. I love bananas so this was right up my alley! Kind of tastes like a banana runts candy with a hint of espresso? I loved it but if you don't care for bananas, you might want to try something else. My hubby had the Espresso Tonic. And he really liked the flavor of this one! Good mix of espresso to tonic! And they do have different espresso options to choose from! Check this place out! Grab a snack, take your coffee to walk and shop! We'll be back! read more

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Cute cafe with great breads and pastries! The prices here are quite affordable for the large size of the breads. I had the their classic Tiger Latte, which was delicious. I really enjoyed their garlic & cream cheese bread-- very garlicky and soft. I also had their matcha croissant, which was gorgeous and gigantic but unfortunately, slightly stale. Overall, I had a good experience here. They also have lots of seating and are device friendly. read more

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You need the goguma (sweet potato) latte in your life. It's basically the same as the viral sweet potato mochi bread but in latte form. I sincerely hope they'll keep it on the permanent menu because it's currently a seasonal item. If it's gone, then their other signature lattes are also worth trying such as the fireplace latte. I came here specifically for the bread though because they have a great variety of items you probably don't see often. I would say two must-haves are the salt breads or the sconkies, their scone and cookie hybrid. I got the ham and cheese salt bread but did not expect it to have ketchup or mustard so that part wasn't my favorite. They did kindly warm it up for me though so it seemed freshly baked. If you're craving something sweet, the matcha pistachio croissant and matcha sconkie are solid choices that aren't too sweet but still satisfy your sweet tooth. There's plenty of seating indoors and I saw some people working on their laptops so it might potentially be a good study spot. There's also outside seating if you prefer that. read more

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Would recommend coming here in the morning as the pastries are baked fresh ! My favorite was the garlic cream cheese bread and the honey walnut bread. Absolutely delicious. I got the seasonal honey bori latte and was such a good drink. Coming back for sure!! read more

This place is good. I feel like there are a ton of boutique coffee shops that have popped up, so it's hard to find one that leaves a lasting impression on you. I got the Spainard and found it to be a good sweetness level (aka not too sweet) and had a very smooth taste. It irks me when the milk taste overpowers the coffee taste, but definitely not a problem here. They also have cool merch (my husband ended up buying a hat) and plenty of seating. read more

Yooooo. The Biscoff cookie is the best cookie I've ever had in my life. Nice service, good coffee, and unique items. Highly recommended. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - THE BEST COOKIE EVER. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Another great experience here! Came in on weekday (late) afternoon. Was really excited to see they still had a good amount of pastries left. The garlic cream cheese bread is my favorite - SO GOOD. Delicious latte. Vibey music. Shout out to Susie for taking such great care of us! :) read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Vanilla latte w/ blue house espresso & spicy sausage bread & garlic cheese bread - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

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I went in knowing exactly what I wanted... Garlic!!! It was fast and easy. Breads were still warm.

ordered a honey butter walnut bun and instead was given a honey croissant with a hair on it. Couldn't drive back bc i was on my way to work. Super disappointed. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Had been dying to try this spot and so glad I finally made it. They have an extremely intriguing case of Korean-inspired pastries, and my only regret was not being able to try more. The garlic cream cheese salt bread I did try was fantastic. Really enjoyed my corn latte and the strawberry matcha as well. Kind service, cute shop. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Strawberry Matcha / - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Amazing. Love it. A rare combo of good vibes, great drinks, and reasonable prices. I'm caffeine sensitive and usually stuck drinking decaf, which is often hit-or-miss. But their decaf coffee is actually good. I've tried both the Iced Tiger Latte and the Iced Smokin' Spaniard, both decaf and light sweet, and both were perfectly balanced. Not too sweet, not too creamy, and still retained that clean coffee flavor. The Smokin' Spaniard especially had some cozy warming spices that made it feel fancy without trying too hard. Walking in, you're greeted by shelves of loose-leaf tea, coffee beans, and merch. Then there's a fridge with sandos, cheesecakes, and canned drinks. And then, the pastry cases... dangerous. Or as their pastry bags say "방! 방! 방!" ("Bread! Bread! Bread!")... so cute! Here's what I tried: - Goguma Mochi: An absolute delight. The chewy 떡 skin on the outside mimics the crinkled sweet potato skin, and the inside is a smooth goguma filling. It tastes like someone turned Korean sweet potato into a cozy dessert. A must. - Spicy Sausage Salt Bread: Not my thing. The inside is filled with yellow mustard and ketchup (which I personally can't stand), and topped with mayo and corn. My husband, on the other hand, loved it. Just depends on your taste buds. - Jalapeño Cream Cheese Musubi Croissant: This was wild in the best way. So many flavors: spicy, savory, creamy, umami, and each bite uncovered a new layer. That said, I think it needs more seaweed mixed throughout; when the blanket of seaweed on top slipped off in one bite, that ended up being my favorite bite. The space is clean and cozy with a slightly quirky, homey charm. You can settle in or take your treats to go. Either way, I'll definitely be back. read more

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Great little bakery for pastries to get for your family because they bother you too much to get them some. I love stopping by here after work to grab a little snack. As a Filipino, I love the garlic packed flavor from the cream cheese and the adorable little sweet potato yam here. The drinks here are even better, but didn't get the chance to get any this time. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Cream Cheese Garlic and Purple Sweet Potato Mochi - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

The Korean lattes and pastries looked intriguing, so met up with a friend here. Ordered the sweet corn latte because it sounded different and unique. Got it with oat milk instead of their standard whole milk (extra $1). This drink only comes iced. It was light and refreshing and not too sweet, which I liked. They also have a variety of Korean breads here. Unfortunately, I just wasn't a fan of the ambiance/vibe here. Everything felt kind of dingy/dirty and the tables and chairs were hard/uncomfortable and wobbly. The music was also turned up so loud that we chose to sit outside to talk. So while my drink was fine, it's not a place I'd choose to come back to. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Sweet corn latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

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Nice, cozy cafe that is great for studying for a few hours or catching up with friends! This coffee shop has good drinks and yummy pastries, and decent seating options. There aren't outlets at every seat, but they do have them along the walls. It wasn't too crowded when I came either so it was a decently chill vibe even when other groups were chatty. I would come back here again! read more

EASY 5 STARS. As soon as I stepped inside, I adored the vibe and aesthetic. You pick your own pastries (they're in cases) like at some bakeries (e.g., 85 degrees) then you order drinks at the register. I HAD to have the garlic bread - soooooo good. The kimchi croissant pastry thing is really really tasty too. Luckily we all got different drinks so I had the chance to try the banana milk latte, the corn milk latte, hojicha latte and the smokin' Spaniard. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS ACROSS THE BOARD. Bonus points for super cute merch! Wonderfully done, will be back soon read more

Very cool flavors of coffee choices at Smoking Tiger. I tried the Hallabong Tonic and was pleasantly impressed... The orange flavors mixed with the espresso are brilliant... There are no food or pastry options at this location so I can't comment on those. But I will be back to try another one of the coffee concoctions... read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

Tried their garlic cream cheese bread and another pastry (forgot name), but were 3.5 out of 5. They didn't taste bad at all, but didn't quite "wow" me. Also tried their Tiger Latte, and was also 3 .5 out of 5, as it lacked the strong espresso taste and aroma. Nice and relaxing environment though! read more

Not sure if they changed the matcha but I always get the strawberry matcha at their other locations, and this one tasted like seaweed with a hint of strawberry. The banana milk latte didn't taste like banana either. read more

When Smoking Tiger first opened up in Downtown Fullerton, their Espresso Tonic was recommended by a friend and I absolutely loved it. After the DTF location rebranded into Sip & Savor, it was not the same. This past Monday, 12/09/24 was my first time here. The girl working the register in the AM was extremely friendly and super professional. I ordered their Espresso Tonic and the drink came out fairly quickly. It was absolutely delicious and I definitely missed that flavor. I've had so many different ET's and this place delivered. Smoking Tiger still exists in my top 3 spots for a nice, refreshing ET. I will definitely try to come more often since it's very close to home. read more

I also went buena park and whittier. Brea store was bad No foam on sweet corn latte Go another branch read more

Great service and coffee. My favorite drinks include the tiger latte and hojicha latte.

the bread options are so unique i definitely want to come back and try more! the coffee was also very good. I like how you can choose what blend you would like in your coffee. I got the rose of sharon blend which was flavorful. The workers are very kind and attentive. I sat and studied for a couple hours and the space is nice with plentiful chairs and tables, some outlets, and strong wifi. The main downside is that there is little to no ac so it is quite warm inside. slightly musty if you sit inside for too long. might be because of the summer heat, but it would be great if they could turn up the air conditioning! read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - iced americano and Cream Cheese Garlic - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

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Just a quick coffee stop on the way to work, coworkers always go so I wanted to try. Vibes on the inside are nice and it's very open. Ordered a drip coffee and it was close to room temperature unfortunately. Tried the jalapeño cheddar musubi, but they didn't offer to heat it up. Staff were nice, but the food/drink temps didn't do it for me. Might give it another go on a group order next time. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Jalapeño Cream Musubi - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Brea, California

11/24/2024 I've been to both Buena Park and Cerritos locations several times over the years. This is the first time at the Brea location. Came in past noon. COFFEE BUN SALT BREAD This tastes exactly what it says it is. A coffee bun bread with flakey salt on top. Love the flavors together! The coffee bun bread with that hit of salt brings a new flavor to it. When paired with a really good latte or espresso, I think this would be a lovely pairing! Sadly, this wasn't served fresh out of the oven, so the outside was not crunchy, but soft. The overall bread was soft. The flavors are great though! Would definitely buy again, but would love to buy when fresh out of the oven. COOKIE SALT BREAD Reheated in the oven at Smoking Tiger. This was surprisingly good. I don't love raw cookie dough. But the chocolate cookie dough and the chocolate cookie exterior with the salt bread were delicious together. Strangely, it works! It wasn't overly sweet either, but just the right amount of sweetness because it was a salt bread and not a croissant. I think they should keep this on the menu as a cookie alternative! It reminded me of the holidays and baking cookies at home because of the cookie dough. :) SPICE & EVERYTHING NICE (Sweet pumpkin cream top latte spiced with cinnamon with a double shot of espresso) This tasted exactly like you're drinking kabocha squash. All I remember is the strong kabocha squash flavor with coffee and cinnamon. Cinnamon was strong too. The cream top did have this vanilla and maybe maple syrup flavor at first sip, then it tastes like kabocha and coffee with cinnamon. The drink wasn't too sweet. It was so strange to taste the kabocha in a drink! I grew up eating kabocha squash and I love kabocha, but this drink took me by surprise. I'm so used to American Pumpkin Spice Lattes, that I didn't expect an Asian twist in this drink! Funnily enough, I did finish the whole drink, as it was so unique in its own way. However, I don't think I would recommend this drink as it may not be to everyone's taste and liking. I don't think this drink was a success flavor-wise. Too many flavors happening all at once. However, they did succeed at creating a Korean-fusion beverage that is uniquely theirs. CUSTOMER SERVICE Only two people working at the front. One was the barista and the other worked the front register. Service was good. Both were nice and friendly. No attitude, which I truly appreciate! PARKING Plenty, as it was a larger strip mall with several shops and restaurants. I don't think anyone will have trouble finding parking here. read more

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I ordered a sweet corn latte and a sausage pastry. The latte was great, but the pastry was cold on the inside. I returned to the staff and told them that my food item was cold. They proceeded to apologize and say that they can't do anything about it because I already took a bite. Not only was the pastry cold after warming it in their oven, it contained meat and dairy. This pastry item was sitting in their display case for who knows how long. Worst case scenario I could've gotten food poisoning. They could have offered me a refund on the food item or offered me a new pastry. Instead of this, they denied me service and did nothing about it. My visit to this place was in the afternoon on November 13, 2025. It was a female staff member that denied me service. I even left a tip on transaction, but I guess I didn't tip them generously enough. read more