Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    South LA Cafe

    3.6 (22 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

    South LA Cafe Photos

    SOUTH LA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    More like South LA Cafe

    Recommended Reviews - South LA Cafe

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Jamie F.

    During a group trip I was able to get a much needed break at South LA Cafe. Ordered the Lavender latte. There is seating outside and inside. It's a good spot for people watching as the day I went it was packed. Service was good despite being busy. It has an excellent location and good access to the museum restrooms by the annenberg wing that are not crowded. Lots of community promotion on the table by the wall.

    Menu
    Joanice M.

    Honestly disappointed with this place. The coffee is overpriced and somehow still tastes watered down and overly milky. On top of that, the service always feels cold and unwelcoming like customers are inconveniencing the staff just by ordering. I kept trying to give this spot another chance because the location is convenient, but the experience is consistently underwhelming. At this point, I genuinely wish another coffee shop would take over the space.

    Nathalie T.

    I love going to South LA cafe's! The drinks I got were good but I do have to say that the drinks I've gotten from other locations have been better, tastier! The biggest thing that I was not happy with was the costumer service. I asked for a coffee sleeve since my hot drink was extremely hot and the employee who made it just tossed it very rude... I made numerous comments about him throwing the sleeve and he didn't bother in saying anything! I'm confused, if you're going to work at a place that promotes being there for the community how are you going to provide that rude attitude to the people from the community. Other than that I love this place just not a fan of this particular location.

    Menu
    Bianka C.

    We bring the kiddos to the Natural History Museum often and so happy to find a great coffee shop! Their coffees are so delicious, I look forward to bringing the kiddos just to get my coffee fix from South La Cafe! Lol My husband and I shared their Western and The Crenshaw because I couldn't decide between the two, the Western turned out to be our favorite! And the kiddos shared a chocolate chip cookie and a brownie, both were really good! Can't wait to come back!!

    Mushroom empanada
    Vanessa J.

    A friend recommended I stop by South LA Cafe and I have to say I love this space! The small space is inviting and the glass walls allow the sunlight in all day long. I ordered a cold brew with oat milk and a mushroom empanada. The coffee is amazing, nice and strong! And the empanada was delicious. Full of flavor and piping hot! It comes with a tasty chipotle sauce too! Overall this is a wonderful community space that is filled with great people and joyful energy. And the music they have playing is seriously on point! Hit after hit and honestly makes you want to dance while you work :). I will definitely be back and will share this gem with my friends and family.

    Coffee
    Theodore C.

    Loved the coffee. The service was great. Awesome location and they have seating so one can enjoy the food.

    Vanilla Latte
    Lady Esmeralda Q.

    Very open cafe staff is nice, cool soft music not too loud, very chill. They have small bites. Coffee is absolutely delish! Definitely coming back

    Vanilla latte with oat milk

    First time here, given I walked in 8 mins before they closed and was still accommodated was a huge plus. Coffee was one of the bests I've had . Perfect amount of everything in it Only issue was the parking to get here you'll most likely walk a bit . Other than that the location is nice inside and out

    Alba P.

    Didn't know what drink to get but I know I wanted something blended and the almond croissant. I was delightfully satisfied with whatever I got! Not too sweet, still tastes like delish coffee and so refreshing!! Plus, the croissant was delicious!!

    Delicious Mamba Drink

    See all

    4 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    The owner personally reached out and apologized and provided some assurances about the employee.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    Service was great! Nice ambiance and very clean. Drink was delicious and priced appropriately

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Luis H.
    116
    6
    2

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J P.
    1
    18
    2

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 3

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lilly L.
    42
    22
    33

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tracy C.
    399
    15
    14

    1 year ago

    Finally, a coffee option at the Natural History Museum. Not having to leave the building is a big plus.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alba P.
    11
    48
    35

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - South LA Cafe

    You might also consider

    Alibi Coffee

    Alibi Coffee

    4.5
    (292 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    I was headed to dinner at the fabulous Holbox, but driving there from Hollywood at rush hour is…read morenever a good idea. So I looked for a coffee spot closer to the restaurant at which I could do some work. Alibi Coffee is only 10-15 minutes from the restaurant, which made it a good candidate--and off I went. It sits on the corner of Washington and Raymond Avenue. While there's one-hour parking on Washington, Raymond seems to offer unlimited parking (other than street cleaning days)--the friendly, helpful barista directed me over there. Inside, it's a tranquil, clean and comfortable environment that mixes contemporary touches with brick industrial vibes. I'm in my cream top era, so I decided to get their Trademark Cream Top Latte, which uses cold brew and house made cream with a hint of brown sugar. The drink was smooth and not too sweet and, all in all, extremely enjoyable. Next time, I might try the Salted Caramel Cream Top Latte. I was warned it was a bit sweeter, but I'd like to see for myself. Wi-Fi seems solid, and there are plenty of outlets (yay!), so this was a great work spot. I'd definitely return anytime I needed to be in this area.

    My supervisor loves this place and recommended it. I haven't been inside, so I can't comment on…read moreservice, etc. Honeycomb Sugar Latte: I like the idea that you can add the amount of honey crumble into the drink based on your preference. I ended up adding it all. Salted Caramel Latte: I tried this drink the second time around, and I love it. It will be my go-to drink from now on at Alibi Coffee. It's sweet and creamy.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Pastry, HONEY LAVENDER LATTE, HONEYCOMB SUGAR LATTE
    Pastry, HONEY LAVENDER LATTE, HONEYCOMB SUGAR LATTE
    The counter.

    See all

    The counter.
    MEMORYLOOK

    MEMORYLOOK

    4.1
    (1.4k reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    So MemoryLook is a little expensive, BUT honestly the prices offset the cost of parking which is so…read morehelpful in K Town. And they are so sweet and do not rush anyone, you can stay here as long as you want. My friends and I WFH so we decided to Work From MemoryLook (WFML) one day together. I'm glad we did! Great pastries in the morning, i had the cremme brûlée donut which had tons of filling, and the pea foam matcha latte which was fantastic. And I had an EXCELLENT chicken Chipotle wrap at lunch that was recommended to me by the gentleman working at memory look. I'm not certain where these wraps are made. Another gentleman would bring them from the building in the same complex. I LOVED my wrap. They have a ton of seating outside too but there aren't any outlets out there so it's harder to WFH out there unless you're fully charged. But was great for separate meetings we all had to attend. The photobooth was fun but we were so thrown off by it taking 8 photos, we had no idea how many poses we would have to come up with hahaha. I would definitely come back here anytime!

    After dinner last night, we were discussing where to go for a second round, and one of my friends…read morerecommended this place. So we decided to come here for coffee or tea and ended up having a really nice time. I used to come here quite often about four years ago. Back then, I really liked their Einspänner and ordered it several times. But the last time I came, I thought it was way too sweet, so I hadn't been back since. It had actually been a REALLY long time since I last visited. And when I used to come here four years ago, I always came in the morning or around lunchtime. Last night was my first time ever coming here at night. My friend told us that they are open until midnight, so that's why we decided to come here after dinner. I had heard that parking here can be a nightmare because there aren't enough parking spaces and people have a hard time finding a spot. But once again, my parking luck was AMAZING! A car pulled out right in front of me just as I arrived, so I was able to park very easily. Another friend arrived later than I did, and she said she couldn't find a parking spot at all. She drove around for quite a while looking for one before finally finding street parking. Last night, we also had some tiramisu, and since I'm pretty sensitive to caffeine, I decided to have a caffeine-free ade instead of coffee or tea. It was a little sweet for my taste, but it was ok. We sat outside on the outdoor patio and talked and talked and talked. We had such a fun time together! However, it was actually pretty cold outside last night. I remember thinking that it felt surprisingly chilly. But what was even crazier was how FREEZING cold it was inside the café! They had the air conditioning turned up so high that both my friends and I felt like we were going to freeze to death. The restroom is inside, and I also went inside to get some water, so I mentioned to one of the male employees that it was freezing inside. He told me that they didn't feel cold at all because they were working, and that THEY were actually feeling really hot. I went back to our table and told my friends what he had said, and they were like, "WHAT?! We're freezing to death over here!" The parking lot here is actually pretty large, so I was wondering why it was so difficult to find a parking spot. Apparently, at night, the left side is the café, while on the right side there is a bar where people can drink and also play games. There was a huge line of people waiting outside the bar last night, so I'm guessing that's probably why the parking lot gets so crowded and it's hard to find a spot. It was also pretty chilly outside last night because of the low temperature, so one thing I wished they had on the outdoor patio was heaters. That would have made sitting outside much more comfortable on a cold night.

    Photos
    Strawberry cream puff
    Strawberry cream puff
    Matcha Einspanner
    Matcha Einspanner
    Matcha einspanner

    See all

    Matcha einspanner
    Rok Coffee and Tea

    Rok Coffee and Tea

    4.4
    (868 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    I LOVED this place soo much!!! It was my first time trying…read moreROK Coffee & Tea. I went on YouTube for the search of good Matcha in LA. A few different YouTubers raved about ROK Coffee & Tea, so I decided to try them out... and it definitely lived up to the recommendations! The MATCHA DUO was EXCEPTIONAL and delicious! It had the perfect amount of sweetness, the perfect creaminess, and the matcha wasn't bitter at all. You can tell they use really good, high-quality matcha because not only could I taste the quality, I could feel it in my energy level too. My sister got the MANGO MATCHA DUO with oat milk and absolutely loved it. My sister's coworker tried the SPARKLING YUZU MATCHA and said it was delicious! She loved that the yuzu flavor wasn't overpowering and said the matcha tasted very high quality. We also got the STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MATCHA DUO because it was recommended as one of their top picks. We gave it to another one of her coworkers, and she finished it so quick! She said it tasted like a dessert and raved about how delicious and amazing it was! There's seating area in front of the café and as well as inside. The inside is really cute and had a nice atmosphere. The best time to go is early in the morning when open. Customer service was exceptional! Everyone was very kind while at the same time quick and attentive to the line. If there tends to be a line, it moves pretty quickly, and our drinks were ready fast after we ordered. If you get lucky, you can find street parking, but be careful parking on Olympic Blvd. during certain times. Not to worry though because they do have a parking structure, which makes things much easier. Overall, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ROK Coffee & Tea! Everything we tried gets a 10/10 from us! The quality of the matcha, the flavors, the customer service, and the overall experience were all excellent. We will most definitely be back!!!

    ***NO WIFI*** I didn't realize until after I had already ordered a drink. I stopped by because it…read morewas on my way home and was hoping to get a few hours of work done, so that was a bit of a bummer. I didn't have a chance to check as I was driving when I decided to stop by. I came on a Tuesday around 3 PM and it was pretty chill, especially compared to how busy it usually looks on the weekends. I got the Matcha Duo and it was yummy, but definitely on the sweeter side, so keep that in mind! I'd say it's sweeter than DAMO's einspänner. Overall, I'd stop by again to grab a drink if I happened to be in the area, but probably wouldn't go out of my way for it.

    Photos
    Strawberry shortcake matcha, Chestnut latte, Mango matcha
    Strawberry shortcake matcha, Chestnut latte, Mango matcha
    Matcha Duo
    Matcha Duo
    Matcha duo, lotus einspanner

    See all

    Matcha duo, lotus einspanner
    DAMO

    DAMO

    4.5
    (1.2k reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    Solid matcha place in ktown!! There's so many places around and it's a saturated market so I get…read morethe competition... but this place holds its own! Matcha is rich and bold, there's a good amount so it's not weak. Milk ratio is good so it's not diluted at all. The cream top is nice and thick and doesn't melt into the drink! Matcha Cream Top ($7.75)-- I looooove me a nice and thick cream top and this place does it amazingly. It's thick and perfectly sweetened and doesn't melt with the drink/ice. It stays perfectly thick and still and above the matcha unless you mix it in. The matcha is also really nice and rich. None of the bland or grassy taste. Just genuine good matcha! Chocolate Forest ($7.75)-- Basically same as above but the cream on top tastes like Milo/Ovaltine mixed in. It's a nice and sweet nostalgic taste. Not a hint of bitterness so if you want mocha/dark chocolate this is not the one for you. It's more happy kid hot chocolate vibes. Overall I really like this place for their matcha and would get it again. Pricing is steep but all good matcha goes for around $8 nowadays. Theres a shared parking lot (free if you go in the afternoon) but otherwise street parking.

    One of my favorites. Simple atmosphere. Parking is $5 around the area. They have a bunch of…read moredifferent eispanners if You like those. If You want to actually taste matcha go here. I tried the matcha einspanner and it wasn't too sweet. The only thing I didn't like was the matcha powder sprinkled on top but that's more for aesthetics. The other one I tried was the strawberry einspanner and it was like a strawberries and cream drink and did not have any caffeine. Both of the drinks were creamy. Service was also fine. They all seemed friendly

    Photos
    Matcha einspinner
    Matcha einspinner
    Matcha Einspener | Strawberry Matcha
    Matcha Einspener | Strawberry Matcha
    Chestnut Einspänner

    See all

    Chestnut Einspänner

    South LA Cafe - empanadas - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...