Great spot for niche specialty style coffee! I always get the Smokin Spaniards and I'm never disappointed. Service is also amazing with really kind, friendly and helpful staff. The only downside is the parking for this location. If you go in the morning or at night then you're fine but mid-late afternoon the parking is horrible. I've gone a few times and there is literally no parking so I would just drive in, give up and leave. Sadly, I end up going to alternative coffee shops. I do recommend Smoking Tiger but only for certain hours. read more

I came in looking for a boba drink after Korean barbecue and I was a bit sad there was none although I took a sip of my drink and I left happy. I got the iced jeju hojicha latte (you can have it hot). It reminds me a bit of black sesame and it was slightly sweet. It was really delicious! Can't wait to try other drinks. Service was really friendly. They have some pastries. There is a parking lot shared with the other establishments. So I went in, bummed they had no boba although it really wouldn't work with their drinks. read more

Check this place out if you're into Korean inspired coffee, and flavors. They also have pastries and other things aside from coffee. If the plaza is busy, parking can be hard to find, but there's also an underground parking. Definitely a nice place for coffee or study or do some work. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Hallabong Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

another bookmark cleared! what a super aesthetic pleasing shop! very spacious and inviting picked up a TGTG order and immediately drawn to all the pastries staff was super nice and friendly tbh, i wanted one of everything they had a case filled with croissants/breads, then on the counter there were individually wrapped pastries i think i started backwards but that's okay grab a tray and liner (super cute btw) and start filling up your tray i got the cream cheese garlic bread ..OMGoshhhh! i could literally eat like 5 of them, at once ill be back to try the other offerings and try out a coffee xx read more

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Really excellent coffee and baked goods, and a great space to do some studying or get some work done!

ALL SOOOOOOO GOOD-- highly recommend! Unique coffee and pastries-- such a fun find!! I loved their house pour over, and my husband got the sweet corn latte. It was DELICIOUS-- not too sweet and unlike anything I have ever had And pastries were superrrr delicious!! We thoroughly enjoyed their cheese salt bun and their lemon puff pastry. TOO GOOD. Looking forward to going back!! read more

I checked out Smoking Tiger with my parter on a lazy Sunday morning. I first heard about it at a Yelp event for its sister store next door (Podong) and then again from friends who visited their Cerritos location giving their coffees glowing reviews; so we figured we'd have to try it out. It is located in a Korean strip mall off of Western just north of Redondo Beach Blvd (just past Gardena Honda) and located in a unit that was previously Quickly Boba shop. The interior of the store is very roomy and calming. Just a few steps into the store, on your left is a counter where you pick up a tray and liner and can pick from an assortment of individually wrapped pastries; across from that is a case with various fresh breads. The case isn't very big and there were only 3 or 4 options in the case which didn't seem like much when comparing the selection you find at stores such as 85C or Sunmerry (which I am aware are Taiwanese, not Korean but I'm just using as examples of comparable coffee/bakery shops). Past the bread are a few displays with misc merch and then it wraps back around to the cashier. The staff was very friendly but a bit hands off. I was a bit unsure what to do but saw another customer take a tray to self-serve so I did the same thing. After selecting a few pastries, I checked out at the counter where we also ordered a strawberry match latte to share. I know it isn't coffee but it sounded too good to pass up trying (coffee would have to wait for our next visit). We thought the beverage was good but as they didn't ask if we wanted to adjust the sweetness, we're not sure if we could have but it was way too sweet for us. As for the breads, we got the matcha cream-filled croissant, some sort of Mochi pastry (I can't remember the name), and a matcha scone. We enjoyed all 3 pastries. The croissant was fluffy and over-flowing with filling. The Mochi pastry was so nice and chewy, and the scone paired very well with the latte and coffee (which we had at home). The only thing that made us think twice was getting the croissant as it came from the glass case. The issue here is that the croissant has some sort of dairy in it (we assume for the filling) but the glass case sits just a few feet from the store's large glass windows which face east and let's in plenty of light and heat... if we had come later in the day, I don't know that we would have tried the croissant but it was only an hour after opening so we thought it'd be safe... but we did wonder if perhaps they should install some shade or solid back to the glass case that would prevent the sun from shining directly onto the pastries? Otherwise the glass case has potential to turn into a mini greenhouse. We will definitely be back to try their other offerings but will likely stay away from anything in the glass case if we come in the afternoon. TIPS: 1. When the enter the parking lot, traffic is only supposed to FLOW COUNTER CLOCKWISE. So please don't drive in the wrong direction. The surface lot is pretty tight but the underground lot usually has plenty of spaces. 2. They only give boxes with the purchase of 5 or more breads... so if you want the box, buy more breads or you'll have to pay extra for the box. read more

We always get Tiger Latte at this store since it's very good. But today its QUALITY WENT DOWN a bit, the coffee aftertaste is way bitter and sour than it used to be. Also, the coffee is not flavorful at all. We hope the coffee quality will get back to normal ( Sunday 8/11/24) read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Tiger Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

Food Ordered the garlic cream cheese bread, had a real garlic flavor and a lot of cream cheese. I was personally a fan because it had a lot of flavor and feel like other places don't put enough garlic. Was able to split this was someone so it wasn't too overwhelming. Pistachio croissant - was good with the pistachio cream filling but just wished the croissant was warm and flakey. Perfect tea - espresso on top of a sesame latte. The sesame aspect was very good and creamy, the espresso on top was too strong imo. Would rather just get a normal sesame latte next time. Service Quick and efficient Ambiance Has a good amount of tables, perfect place to grab a cup of coffee with someone read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Garlic bread, pistachio croissant, and "perfect tea" with espresso and sesame - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

It's my first time coming here. They have a few locations in LA. I have heard good things about their bread and wanted to give it a try. Their garlic bread was awful and I was honestly confused. I couldn't taste the garlic or even the bread. The only thing I could taste is sour cream, cream cheese, and butter. the entire bread tasted so weird and what made matters worse is that I paid six dollars. they have high reviews but the garlic bread is awful I don't know why this place has high reviews. I have also tried a couple of their other breads and it just has way too much butter and tastes really heavy after eating it. If you come here I don't think I would try their breads. Notes: They have a few parking spaces available. The staff is super nice! read more

I forgot to thank the team that helped us order 17 drinks. You know who you are. Extremely thankful. I had recommended this coffee shop to my job and we decided to place our coffee run here today. Drinks were amazing thanks again. read more

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FAVORITE coffee spot. Incredible drinks and pastries. And wonderful service. Laid back, friendly, clean, and welcoming.

So amazing! Great choices! Savory and sweet and something in between :) I love this place for their unique choices in flavors. They have modern, homey twists on items like bacon and potato, which I'll describe later. Cheesecake square was semi sweet and it was pretty moist. I wish there was more cheesecake and less chocolate bread but it was still good. My favorite was the cheesy potato bacon pull apart bread. The potato filling was so smooth, like the best mashed potatoes I ever had. A tiny bit of sweetness paired w a little salty bacon and sour cream cheese ah!!! read more

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Coffee is so good and the pastries are amazing. Specifically the salt and cream cheese crossiant. read more

Came here and got a matcha strawberry latte. It wasn't bad, just a tad overly sweet for me.

The pastries are extremely good. Would come back for pastries.The coffee is not bad. The roast was mild, with some fruity notes to it, but nothing distinct on the palate. Definitely significantly better than Starbucks, but would not come here for the coffee. The people are friendly enough. They did not have half and half, only whole milk. There were plenty of options for those who like alternative milk. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Pastry case. Self serve with a tray and tongs - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

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Went for Sunday morning. They have a small selection of pastries and they all looked very good. There were both savory and sweet options. They had very interesting looking specialty lattes but they all looked very sweet. So I got the matcha latte unsweetened. They did not skimp on the matcha! Very rich. Inside is very bright and would be great for doing work(not sure if they have wifi). The tables were spread apart so somewhat COVID friendly. They also have outdoor seating. read more

Came with a friend and tried their corn latte and banana milk latte! The corn latte was delicious, not too sweet and very smooth coffee, it was like drinking cold brew. You do have to mix it pretty well to distribute the corn taste. I'm not a huge fan of banana milk in general but my friend loved it. The ambiance and decor were cute and well decorated! Next time I hope to try their pastries read more

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

Excellent excellent hidden gem! The service and ambiance were great. All the staff are super friendly and the baked goods and drink selection is fantastic. We love this spot. It always has a god amount of People here which shows this spot is good. Their pastries are unique and delicious too! I ate them too fast to post a pic. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Banana latte and fireplace latte. Both soooooo good. The banana one is incredible - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

I've been driving to the Buena Park location and I'm so glad there's a closer location! Tried the Iced Fireplace Latte (also comes hot too; vanilla cinnamon latte) and it was pretty well balanced and delicious. I did see previous reviews about the cups being soggy but the staff provided double cups for my drink so it was fine. I went at like 1PM on a Wednesday and the cafe was empty but the parking lot was almost full. There is also an underground parking lot too. Anyway, I am excited to come back and try all their other drinks and pastries! read more

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Card only establishment. Pastries are delicious but their cold brew is way too bitter for my liking even with adding syrup and cold foam. Yuk!! read more

Very friendly team members. There are lots of seating area. Coffee was delicious. I went in the afternoon, so most of their baked goods were sold out. Must go early in the day, for best selections. read more

Love coming here for coffee and pastries I haven't found another place that does my fav drink so far - strawberry milk w a shot of espresso The team is always nice read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Iced strawberry milk with a shot of espresso - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

Stopped by on a Tuesday morning to check out this place based on reviews. I ordered a Spaniard latte (hot) and a wanted to try a pastry. There was only a few scone options left, tried the blueberry it's good the coffee nothing special whatsoever maybe I need to try other signature drinks. The service was mehh read more

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

Got the spicy sausage croissant and a strawberry matcha latte. Me and my friend both liked it. It's a nice spacious place, with seating outside too. Parking was easy on a Monday but I'm sure it can be a little more busier on the weekend. read more

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab - Strawberry matcha pre stir - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Gardena, California

One of my favorite shops in LA. Every time I'm in the area I make sure to stop by. Great drinks, great sweet breads and treats. Esp love the Korean Honey Oat latte and Hojicha lattes. Also a great space to have a loong work/study session at. Free parking, good wifi, good drinks. Love Smoking Tiger read more

Amazing pastries, and super delicious coffee. The service here is hit and miss, depending on the barista. Two mean girls, the rest of the staff is pretty cool. The service is not the establishment. Haters gonna hate. I think this place is great. read more

Best tea in town at great prices with clean, comfortable seating. The people behind the counter are always friendly and helpful.

This is probably the best coffee place in the South Bay. The coffees and lattes are delicious and the pastries are out of this world. They play a variety of different music. The ambience is very conducive for relaxing and working on your computer. So gooood!! read more

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A very rainy day visit around 12:45pm. Upon arrival, Cafe was half full but within 15mins, 9 additional customers arrived. So a very busy place around this time however the 3 staff handled them all relatively quickly. After entering, if you want pastries you pick up a tray and place a wax placemat over it. The pastries are located in glass cases. Select the very uniques pastries with tongs located in the cases. Then head over to the cashier/counter to order your coffee and pay. I ordered a chocolate croissant (called a Pain Au Chocolat) and a Bacon Potato Bread, something I would generally not order. I was pleasantly surprised that it was very tasty. Like a small baked potato with a bit of sour cream, chives, and bacon infused into the center of the very flakey, delicious bread. The choc croissant was tasty and flakey :) as well, but was pleasantly surprised with the bacon potato bread. The pastries well very well with my large Americano. The 8 small tables can be rearranged into spots for 2,4,6 .. there is also a counter with single seating, and a large common seating area that easily fit a party of 6. Free Parking is located outside in the small mall area. There is a lower parking section as well. I would definitely recommend Smoking Tiger if you are in the area and want to try something new. read more

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This has got to be one of the cutest coffee shops and bakery I've been to! The inside is like 85 degrees and you can pick your breads/baked goods. You can see the baristas making the coffee. It's a nice vibe. The customer service was great, everyone was super sweet. The lemon glazed madeleines were so good! I'm actually craving another as I'm writing this. The spicy sausage croissant is really great! It was full of flavor but I wouldn't call it a sausage, more like a hot dog lol. read more

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I stopped for a coffee and ended up getting a second drink and mochi pastries. After missing out on Sakura mochi at Sakura-ya, I went to Smoking Tiger for a coffee. The Smoking Tiger Latte was made with a mean pull of espresso and some wonderfully steamed oat milk. The perfect accompaniment to their creative mochi. I ordered a second drink, a Jeju matcha latte, but ended up dropping most of it on the floor when returning to the office. The sip I tasted was delicious. read more

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Cute spot and delicious bakery items. Friendly service and we were able to sit on the patio with the puppy.

Comfortable space for working during the day. Powerful wifi and plenty of plugs. The staff is friendly and the drink I got - the Korean Honey Oat - was delicious. It was sweet and creamy and comforting, perfect for a fall morning when I was starting to get sick. There's also a ton of un-metered street parking right out front if there aren't any spots in the lot. read more

Drinks are amazing and you can't go wrong with anything you order. Spaniard, YSL, tiger latte, hojicha latte, kho latte, green goblin are popular amongst the family. Pastries are amazing during the day but those I've picked out during the evening are just ok. Service is amazing and everyone that has provided service to my kids and myself have been helpful and super kind. Also, it's a good place to catch up on work or homework while we grab a snack. We have also been the annoying family that plays a round of games there too, so we could hang with the littles. read more

We stopped at Smoking Tiger for a coffee when we arrived in LA before braving the rush hour drive to Glendale a few weeks ago. It's adorable, with an incredible menu of coffees, non-coffee beverages, and pastries - inspired by Korean flavors/cuisine. I would love to come back - and try even more! A great coffeeshop to hang out at - come hungry and ready to be caffeinated! read more

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Cool-looking store, good food, but a lean selection. After the Elite event at Podong across the way I decided to take a gander in here, as I learned that this business, along with the Oncle's pudding and Podong, were owned by the same group. The interior is nice and clean, with soothing wooden walls. There's a large, cool-looking wooden communal sitting platform to one side, and tables and chairs on the other. I liked the posters on their walls, which were images from old Korean paintings with text over them like "Eat More Bread", which I thought was funny. You see the smallish pastry case as you walk in, and there are a few more wrapped items on a counter beyond that--not a ton of stuff, but what they had looked good. I ended up getting a halloumi cheese croissant and a chocolate chip cookie for my husband. Both came to just under $10, including tip, which didn't seem outrageous. They also have all your usual assortment of coffee drinks, along with some specialty Korean flavors. I'd definitely like to try some of these drinks another time. I ate the croissant on the drive home, and while it probably could've used a wee zap in the microwave, it was still delicious, and a nice counterpoint to all the delicious sugar I had at Podong. The hubby gave thumbs up to the cookie. read more

Although I am a fan of STCB, having been to their other locations, this particular location has been pretty disappointing. Most of the times I have to this location has been at Open and my chief complaints are the service and quality of Pastries. For the most part, I've enjoyed the coffee/drinks I've ordered here. My favorites are the Espresso Tonic and Spanish Latte. I've had a few times where the coffee wasn't as delicious, but I wonder if my perception of the service has played a part in that. The baristas who made my drink weren't the friendliest- but perhaps they were having bad days or just aren't morning people? I think my biggest complaint is the Pastries. Having been here a few times at Open, I literally saw a barista take Pastries out of a box one day that looked like they were from the day before. I was optimistic that wasn't the case but was proven otherwise that day. So if you're hoping for freshly baked Pastries to go with your coffee, you might want to reconsider. Maybe they bring out fresher ones later on in the morning? I don't know, but I've learned my lesson and will be skipping Pastries here. Lots of parking. Lots of places to study. They so have outdoor seating to the side. No music the times I've been there. Place is usually clean. Typically looks to be the least busiest of the other locations the times I've been here. Overall, good coffee. Skip the Pastries. read more

Best Coffee and Tea, had the Fireplace and a Blueberry Scone. My Coffee was not too sweet and the Blueberry Scone was flaky and delicious. read more

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

Great coffee, not overly sweet and you can actually taste the coffee. The berry filled croissants are so yummy. Will definitely be returning next week. read more