So I decided to give this place another try and they made HUGE improvements! The ube coffee was absolutely amazing and the banh mi was perfect! They recommended I add an egg to it and from now on that's the only way I'm ordering my banh mi. I've been craving that ube coffee ever since and I can't wait to come back. Thanks for the awesome service! read more

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We love a good banh mi so had to give this place a try. Sadly, it was not up to our standards. Since Viet Noodle Bar closed, we have not been able to find a great banh mi place in Santa Monica - the closest we've been able to come short of heading out to SGV is Nong La in Sawtelle. Tran Cafe is a cute little counter wedged in between the pizza place and the acai place on the corner of Berkeley and Wilshire. You order through the kiosk at the counter and then, a long time later, they will bring out your food and drinks. The drinks were better. The strawberry smash was fizzy and entirely delightful - would 100% get this again. The lychee sunset tea had good flavor but was a bit too sweet for me. I ordered the street BBQ pork banh mi and my husband got the Saigon steak banh mi. They were entirely edible but not entirely enjoyable. The bread wasn't crusty enough on the outside or airy enough in the center. The meat was very salty but didn't have a lot of flavor otherwise. The cilantro was a little wilty. The carrots and cucumbers were not sufficiently pickled and they weren't julienned properly (it was like shredded wilty carrots that come in a salad bag as opposed to crunchy bits). There were no jalapenos to be seen (though it's possible that there were slivers without seeds, which meant no spice). Oh well, it was worth a try. read more

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Chicken Tonga street burrito IS a must order !!! It's so incredibly delicious I highly recommend. Respond when you do! read more

Tran Cafe - Chicken Tinga Combo - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Stopped by Tran Cafe on my hunt for the best ube latte. The Vietnamese coffee is super tasty with rich flavor. Luckily this isn't insanely strong Vietnamese coffee that has you up all night. It's more like a normal latte. Ube was great and not overly sweet. Highly recommend! read more

Tran Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Service was super good but I didn't like the seasoning of the food. I tried the beef sanduíche but hateeed sadly

I need to write another five-star review because Chi and Richard are the best. The drinks? Delicious, velvety, strong, and smooth. Unlike any caffeinated sweet treats I've ever had. We love them so much that we come here, on average, 2x a week. We stock up when we go so that we can enjoy them over the course of multiple days. The service? So friendly, happy, and welcoming. Chi and Richard go out of their way to get to know their customers. And they're so eager to please. As mentioned earlier, they're the best. I love Tran Cafe so much. So happy they're here in Santa Monica! read more

Tran Cafe - Sesame latte, honey latte, ube latte, all with almond milk - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This was my second visit here and my chicken and beef bánh mì sandwiches didn't have the same great flavor as it did the first time. There was more fat to chew on than meat from my beef sandwich and the bread from the chicken was soggy when I arrived home to eat it. I want to give them another shot considering how well my first visit went. read more

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Small shop located in a multi-vendor market area that is relatively small but there is parking in the back! The coffees here is so good and priced so reasonably, especially for the large size and not too much ice. I got the Sesame Dream and was the perfect nuttiness with a good coffee flavor. read more

This is a new Vietnamese ghost kitchen that just opened up. I got the grilled beef banh mi sandwich. It was super tasty! The beef was flavorful and juicy/not dry. The veggies were crisp and bread was perfect. I originally ordered the pork but they ran out due to popular demand. The staff was very friendly and super nice! I was surprised with a complimentary desert for running out of the pork. That was really a nice touch. I will have to edit this review next time I go bc I want to get the Vietnamese iced coffee. They have reusable cups that you can get discontinued refills! read more

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Small quaint vibes coffee shop specializing in Vietnamese coffee and speciality coffees! We are visiting the area from Florida and as my fiancée knows, I NEED my morning coffee so we thought, let's check this place out! We went with the coconut cloud and honey ice drip, respectively. Both were PHENOMENAL. The rich, bold flavor of the coffee stood out to us, and the additional flavors of coconut and honey complemented nicely. I consider myself a coffee addict and this definitely satisfies me. The service was 10/10, very friendly! They shared with us they only recently officially opened a few days ago so we're honored to have found it! We WILL be back to try out the other flavors! read more

Tran Cafe - Honey Ice Drip - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I was disappointed with my experience here. We ordered two banh mi's, and it took about 30 minutes even though the restaurant was not busy and there didn't appear to be anyone else waiting. I also ordered the egg coffee. It didn't really feel like the traditional egg coffee I've had in Vietnam, but the coffee base itself tasted good so I'm assuming most of other coffee drinks would be tasty. The bigger issue was that while eating my sandwich, I noticed what appeared to be a hair or hair-like fiber on the bread. When we brought it to the staff's attention, instead of acknowledging the concern or offering to remake it, they accused us of it being our own hair. You can see from the attached picture it is clear this is something baked into the bread so the response was very uncalled for. I understand mistakes can happen in food service, and I wasn't trying to make a big issue out of it. But between the long wait and the dismissive response, the experience was really disappointing. A simple apology would have gone a long way. read more

Tran Cafe - Banh Mi Grilled Chicken - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Big fan of Vietnamese coffee here, though I would admit that taking it often causes me jitters but it's just irresistible. Discovering Tran for first time on Yelp new coffee shop list, I got super excited to try. Its location was also super familiar for me as I've paid multiple visits to Katsu Bar and Paderia, located at similar location. It's nice that they did provide few seats, but I felt like the cafe style was more like for to-go. It's interesting that they offered different kind of nice reusable cups in case you're interested to add them into your collection. I opted not to go for them as I did have too much of similar ones already. Without any doubt, my choice went to their Vietnamese drip coffee selection, from which I got the sweetened milk-based one. As you have expected, alike typical milk-based Vietnamese coffee, it would be featuring condensed milk. It was more on the sweeter side, but still in decent level that I was fond of. The coffee flavor stood out strongly, successfully made me enjoying my cup of joe till the last sip! They did offer ube-flavored one, cream-top option, and even non-coffee menu! Looking forward to trying their beautifully-crafted desserts as well. read more

Tran Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Great coffee some original flavors. Didn't eat. Owner friendly with kind heart. She gave employee of nearby shop free drink.

This was my second time here and I tried both the chicken and the beef bahn mi. The chicken was salty and the veggies on there had no flavor, no cilantro or jalapeños. The bread was good, but I don't know what happened to the sandwiches as they weren't authentic tasting at all. The drinks, however, were worth it! read more

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I love coffee, and I can tell the owners love coffee as well! Their expertise and willingness to share what different flavors and notes that are in all of the different options is exceptionally helpful when it comes to choosing. My favorite drink so far is the CocoChata Latte! It is sweet yet still consists of the bold coffee flavor, not at all watered down or too bitter, it's just right! They had offered a small sample of one of the chicken pastas that they serve, it was absolutely delightful, so I will be coming back for the pasta and more coffee! read more

Tran Cafe - CocoChata Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Always happy to find and support new Asian food spots on the west side! I stopped by on a late Saturday morning. There's a free parking lot next door for the small food hall where Tran Cafe is in. There was no line at all when I got inside, and the guy at the counter was kind and very helpful! I ordered the viet matcha latte and hot americano, beef banh mi, and a blossom nerikiri. I got my entire order within 5 minutes. Everything was wonderful! The Vietnamese espresso was strong and complemented the earthiness of the matcha, and it was the right level of sweetness for me. The banh mi wasn't authentic but was pretty flavorful. And the blossom neriki had yummy red bean inside and was a cute little touch for dessert! I'd definitely come back to try the other coffees and sandwiches! read more

Tran Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

No cash, no customer service or humanity, and Italian offerings on the menu? All forgivable (kind of?) if the báhn mì is good. It was not. The usual, ubiquitous spread that's dressed every bahn mi I've encountered was replaced at Tran by a sweet, cloying, mayo-based sauce that was utterly unbecoming. But the cardinal sin was the bread. This was NOT the crispy, flaky, fluffy-on-the-inside bread that makes a báhn mì what it is. This bread was soft, chewy, doughy and sad. Most of my sandwich went in the trash! read more

Tran Cafe - Why did I think I'd get a good báhn mì at the place advertising pasta alfredo and steak burritos!? - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Was excited to try this spot because of the reviews! We got the honey ice drip coffee and honey citron tea. Both were delicious. The person who rang us up was really sweet. It is inside a food court type of environment so there is limited seating inside but there is some outside seating as well. read more

Tran Cafe - Honey ice drip coffee and honey citron tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Cute little cafe that's part of a small food court. I got the lavender matcha latte and combination banh mi. Drink: very affordable! creamy/thick, sweet and good lavender flavor. I didn't have much ice in my drink (a plus for me lol). Sandwich: tasty and solid. meat and veg in each bite. bread was soft but had a light crisp in some parts. loved the amount of mayo. they also had a little bit of mustard(?) inside which is something I'm not used to, but I enjoyed it a lot. The male owner(?) came out after I ate some food/drink and asked me how everything was--super kind. You can tell that they care a lot about their quality and customer feedback. Give them a try!! read more

Tran Cafe - Combination banh mi and lavender matcha latte. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Pros: nice service, egg cream was ok , just kind of sweet banh mi was also ok. GF bread would have been nice Discount if you're coming from fitstop. Cons: slow to make two simple things. Made my decaf cafe so now I am going to feel icky all day (I can't handle Viet coffee) . Egg was missing from banh mi read more

Been here a few times before and after school and it's always good. I have tried a few different items and they are also reasonably priced, which is a plus. Some of my favorite items are the guajillo bagel and the iced viet latte. The owner, Chi, is always super nice/helpful :) And thank you to Chef David for the delicious burrito from my most recent visit :) Definitely check them out! read more

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The "Peach on Snow" is crazy crazy good. I've never had anything like it. It's a creamy peach drink, not like a regular fruit tea at all. The Honey Ice Drip is also delicious! Their Grand Opening is July 8, but they're open right now! There's a parking lot in the back. The entrance is on the side of the street on Berkeley. It's located in a mini food court, and there's a little bit of counter seating along the windows. Fantastic, friendly service. Will be back. 10/10!! read more

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The Honey Ice drip was so smooth and creamy woke me right up 10/10 will come again.Excited to try some of the other coffees on the menu. Also customer service was excellent, kind, and quick. I never leave reviews but had to after my visit :) Cheers! read more

Tran Cafe - Honey Ice Drip - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

These prices? WOW. The flavor? WOW. I loved everything about this place. It was my boyfriend and I's first time and we decided to try something new. The coffee is suuuper strong but delicious. I definitely recommend. The service is also great! read more

People seem to really like the coffee and drinks here. However, my review is solely about the banh mi, which is only ok. There is hardly any meat or pate. I don't think I ever had a banh mi with so much mayonnaise. The baguette is kind of dense and not fluffy at all. You really need to go to the Eastside or Little Saigon for truly good banh mi. read more

Friggin incredible. Coconut cloud coffee is the best and my favorite coffee I've ever had. I usually get two days coffee out of it because it is strong but yet really does taste like a cloud. Pork bhan mi is delicious and their Saigon power combo of Vietnamese coffee and bhan mi for $13 is a great value for the quality. I come here every day in the weekend lol. read more

I do like having a new fast casual Vietnamese food option on the westside. Its one of the few things if not only thing I miss about my stint in the bay. What I don't like is the inconsistency of the bahn mis and Ive ordered two. Fried egg bahn mi Like another reviewer experienced, the sandwich had been entirely bread with very little fillings. I was pretty shocked because I never had a bahn mi like that before. The one positive was that they kindly did follow my instructions to not include the pate. Grilled steak bahn mi Much better with respect to the filling to bread ratio this time around but unfortunately inedible for me as the note I left for no pate was not followed. I had to dispose it. read more

If you come here expecting a mellow latte, you're in the wrong place. If you want coffee that actually does something, this is it. I ordered the Vietnamese iced coffee and it immediately stood out. It's not watered down or overly sweet like a lot of places try to make it. It's strong, with a deep, dark, almost chocolatey bitterness at first, then the condensed milk kicks in and smooths it out without killing the intensity. You can actually taste the layers instead of just "sweet coffee." It wakes you up in a way most coffee doesn't. Not a fancy place, not trying to be trendy, just really solid, authentic flavors done right. I'll definitely be back. read more

I cannot recommend Tran Cafe highly enough. I don't typically leave reviews but I felt like I had to given my overwhelming appreciation for this business. I come here about once a week and their coffee is consistently wonderful. Even more so, their staff always go out of their way to make me feel not only welcome and appreciated as a customer, but as a human. There's been a few times where I've gone following a rough day at work, and the small gestures like walking around the counter to hand me my coffee or asking about my day with genuine interest have lifted my spirit. Their coffee blend is to die for and the only grounds that I buy for myself and my friends/family for my home. The first time that I bought a bag of their coffee blend, the owner gave me one of their pour over cups and said, "now you can properly make your own Vietnamese coffee at home." I really enjoy their breakfast sandwiches and their eggplant parm as well. read more

Good coffee, nice and strong, combination sandwich was disappointing, little to no meat , pickle carrots or daikon. It is lacking the classic Vietnamese flavor that comes from a bahn mi sandwich. read more

Tran Cafe - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Coffee was good but why is there honey mustard salad dressing in my damn grilled pork banh mi??!?!?!??? HIGHLY UPSETTING. The banh mi lacks flavor- grilled pork is barely grilled and there's no seasoning....all I taste is that nasty salad dressing!!!! read more

Tran Cafe - "Grilled pork banh mi" Like WTH is this?? a joke - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Happy I found a Vietnamese cafe in SM. I got a Vietnamese latte and a chicken and a combination sandwich. The sandwich was so tasty. The French bread was fresh and soft with a nice variety of vegetables and sauces. I will definitely go back to try the other flavor sandwiches and desserts. . read more

Tran Cafe - Cute storefront ! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Very excited about this new place! I tried the black sesame latte and it was delicious. The sweets were super cute too. Will be back to try the bento boxes! read more

Tran Cafe - Japanese sweets - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Been here 3 times - their vietnamese coffee and ube lover were actually pretty good & I'd come back for it. Also, they provide a generous portion even for a small size! Amazing how you could get a $5 drink in Santa Monica. However, the strawberry matcha latte was very disappointing as it was very powdery and grainy. I don't think it was only the matcha powder, not sure what other powder they would use? I couldn't even finish the half of it. Also, I didn't like their cups. For a cream top drinks, it's best to use a clear cup with an open mouth lid. They used a paper cup with a black plastic lid (the one you see in hotels for free coffees) for ube lover, and I had to use a straw for it. For Strawberry matcha. they did use a clear cup but the dome lid. I wish they used a open mouth lid. Overall, it's okay. I would still come back for their vietnamese coffee. read more

Found in a small food court style plaza. Service was great! I tried to the Egg Coffee & the Salted Cream. Really enjoyed the salted cream and would get again. read more

If you're looking for strong, delicious variations of Viet coffees on the westside, THIS is the place to go. So far I've tried 1 drink and 2 different coffees and have loved them all. Prices are very reasonable and can't wait to try their bānh mì! read more

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I'm writing this review because it may be my last time in a while visiting Tran Coffee! I must sing their praises! My brother and I were helping out with an office move from Santa Monica to Los Angeles when we stumbled across Tran Coffee during our morning break. A coworker had mentioned to my brother a few days ago that they were opening, so we figured they were already operational. Turns out, they were doing a soft opening and we were the first customers! Tran Coffee is in a small building that shares its stand with four or five other businesses. It is right in between an acai stand and, as of 6/21/25, what seems to be a pizza stand. The workers were quite friendly and were very apologetic that not all the items were available just yet, but they offered stellar suggestions. My brother and I both got the beef banh mi, while I got an iced matcha latte for my caffeine kick. The sandwiches came out first, and they were warm and thick. The beef was so juicy and delicious! The iced matcha latte, however, became my instant favorite. We love this place so much that we visited this place an extra four or five more times since it's soft opening! I definitely recommend the beef banh mi and the iced matcha latte. I also really enjoyed the mango shake. We brought a colleague along who needed some caffeine to coarse through her veins for the move. She got a hot Chi coffee, which she said was not only delicious, but definitely perked her up to finish our job. We're going to miss this place! It's such bad timing that we moved when they opened up! read more

So happy Tran Cafe opened up in Santa Monica, I can get amazing Vietnamese coffee and much more! read more

Tran Cafe - Tran Cafe Strawberry Matcha Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I went to Tran Cafe shortly after it opened. It was cheap and cheerful. I went again yesterday. I don't know what that was that I was served, but it pretty awful. It was totally edible, but the weird, mayo-based liquid was poured on super heavily and resulted in what I assume was the chicken completely dissolving into the sauce (which was rather disturbing). The cut sandwich didn't have an uncut layer wrapped the whole thing, which was totally gross (thank goodness I took it out randomly facing up, otherwise I'd have had the entire cut side falling onto my counter). Kiosk items don't completely match the huge printed menu next to the kitchen entrance, the sandwich prices in the kiosk are more expensive than the printed menu, the kitchen calls itself a ghost kitchen (how can you be a ghost kitchen for one eatery that is actually based at that location), and the employee hiding in the back (who only emerge to bring out food and then go back to hiding again) don't call your name or order number when they bring out the food (even though the sign above the kiosk says to note your order number). This was a pretty awful experience overall. I don't plan to return. read more

I love the food, drink, service, decor, and the location! Meaning I love all! First time ever to see "nerikiri", Japanese sweets, at the cafe. Their menu selection is so unique, I love the idea to have Vietnamese and Japanese culture together. I tried "grilled pork sandwich" snd "Nerikiri strawberry" this time. I'd love to try one of bento boxes next time! I'll definitely come back! Thank you for opening such an amazing place! read more

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