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Tran Cafe

4.4 (82 reviews)
Closed 7:30 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Updated 2 months ago

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TRAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Tran Cafe

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Sesame latte, honey latte, ube latte, all with almond milk
Kevin S.

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!

as of 8/23/25
Joshua P.

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.

Banh Mi  Grilled Chicken

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.

Grilled beef banh mi sandwich
Kristen G.

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!

Honey Ice Drip
Vince H.

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!

Jessica G.

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.

Jennifer N.

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!

CocoChata Latte
Esther P.

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!

Louisa L.

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!

Why did I think I'd get a good báhn mì at the place advertising pasta alfredo and steak burritos!?

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!

Honey ice drip coffee and honey citron tea
Rose C.

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.

Combination banh mi and lavender matcha latte.
Natalie C.

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!!

Penelope P.

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!

Honey Ice Drip

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11 months ago

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10 months ago

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4 months ago

Terrible service and even worse drinks. I am Vietnamese and this place is a disgrace.

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1 year ago

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11 months ago

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10 months ago

Food taste So GOOD, service they are so kind and the place is so designed pretty and look at the varieties of the menus they all are amazing

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7 months ago

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

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7 months ago

Closed with no warning posted online. drove 1 hr to get here, super disappointing. Hope this doesn't happen often??

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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6 months ago

best place to open in santa monica in a long time. very quickly became my favorite spot, 10/10 coffee

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11 months ago

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1 year ago

The coffee is great ! The service is very friendly and price is really reasonable! Would highly recommend if around Santa Monica

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1 year ago

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Tran Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

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Yummy yummy I love deli sandwiches! This is a little Italian one,, we got two and split it!…read more - burrata caprese: I love burrata so loved this, was p basic w balsamic, tomatoes, basil - the godmother works: the store worker person suggested to us,, and ITS GOOD! If you go here, get this one. So so yum - had a bunchhh of diff meats and pickles lettuce tomatoes and some spices and stuff!! - vibe was v chill deli THE LORD IS always so kind but dude I love food & Carrie ! the Lord is sooo kind

This Italian deli and market is a true staple in the community! I've been coming here for many…read moreyears, and growing up in the Santa Monica and Venice area, it's one of those places you simply have to know about. If you're visiting the area, I highly recommend making a stop here. My biggest piece of advice is to go early because it gets incredibly busy by lunchtime--and for good reason! Keep in mind they are closed on Monday and Tuesday. While you can order online, I'll always choose to go inside so I can browse everything they have to offer. Their selection of fresh pasta salads is fantastic, and the desserts are always tempting. Whether you're craving lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, a chicken Parmesan sandwich, or one of their many other Italian specialties, you really can't go wrong. Be sure to check out the wine section in the back left of the market. It's extensive and absolutely incredible! This is the kind of place that keeps people coming back year after year, and it's easy to see why. Being Italian American and growing up with an Italian mother who loved feeding everyone, this was one of our favorite places to visit together. Those memories make every trip here even more special. My personal favorite is the Godmother sandwich--hands down one of the best you'll ever have. It's packed with flavor, made with quality ingredients, and it's the sandwich I find myself craving every time I come back. One of the things I love most about this place is the atmosphere. It has an energy that immediately makes you think of family. Everyone is genuinely kind, welcoming, and happy to help, making you feel right at home the moment you walk through the door. It has that warm, old-school Italian family vibe that's becoming harder and harder to find, and it's a big part of what makes this place so special.

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My girlfriend and I went to this sandwich shop last week and it was great. I got the BLT with…read moreturkey added and she got the veggie wrap in a sandwich form. We liked it so much that we made a plan to come back next week. So we went to today and I ordered a BLT with turkey added, no problem. My girlfriend asked for the veggie wrap in a sandwich form and the guy at the register said "we don't do modifications". My girlfriend responded by saying they were able to do it last time so could you check. He looked fairly new and had trouble putting in my order in the register since I modified it by adding turkey. So he went to the back and just asked, do we do modifications? To which the guy in the back said no. She's vegan and that's all she can have off the menu so she ended up not getting anything and she was bummed since she really liked the sandwich they made last time. So we won't be coming back here and this place gets one star based on the customer service. It's a sandwich shop, if it's an extra charge to put a veggie wrap into a sandwich no problem. But the hard NO when it was made last time is PRETTY LAME for a sandwich shop not being able to make a veggie sandwich.

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Soooo glad I was finally able to try Lorenzo! Seriously the…read moreBEST sandwich I've had my entire life. I know that seems like an exaggeration, but I'm being truly honest! First time here and opted for the Cotto, which had Prosciutto Cotto, truffle cream, brie cheese, lemon zest and truffle oil and black pepper for $22. Their homemade and freshly baked focaccia bread was sooo good! Toasted perfectly. Not too crispy, not too soft. Their finely shaved prosciutto felt like butter, along with the perfect combination of Brie and Lemon. SIMPLY DELICIOUS! Cynthia and Renato have brought an incredible sandwich spot to Beverly Hills! Cynthia took my order and she is as sweet as can be! And Renato was busy preparing all the orders. It was bustling with the lunch crowd so super busy but I was able to snag a spot inside and listen to the great music they had playing. I rarely give a five star review but I truly love this place! I definitely need to come back over and over again to try all the other sandwich options. One of the best!

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4.7
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From the moment we walked in, we had a great experience -- greeted right away with warm and…read moreenthusiastic hellos at the door. I ordered The Old Sport, my husband had The Peter, and our three-year-old daughter went with the classic PB&J. We all absolutely LOVED our sandwiches. We also had the chance to meet the two owners (a woman and her partner), who were so friendly and incredibly sweet to our daughter -- such a nice touch that made the visit even more memorable. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, and the ingredients are refreshingly simple. I really appreciate that they don't use fake processed meats -- they keep it straightforward, yet the sandwiches are still outstanding. The bread deserves a mention too: crisp on the outside, soft and pillowy on the inside. I rarely hand out five stars, but they've earned it here. Making sandwiches taste this good with such simple and whole ingredients is no easy feat, yet they pull it off nicely. Highly recommend this spot for both carnivores and vegans alike!

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Menu

Tran Cafe - coffee - Updated July 2026

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