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    Tran Cafe

    4.4 (85 reviews)
    Closed • 7:30 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

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    TRAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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

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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.

    Chicken Tinga Combo
    Lynne B.

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

    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!

    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.

    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!

    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!!

    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!

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    1 year 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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    6 months ago

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

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    9 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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    8 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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    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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    Bay Cities Italian Deli - The godmother sandwich!

    Bay Cities Italian Deli

    4.2(6.2k reviews)
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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

    I'd been wanting to try this place for awhile, after seeing so many others rate it online and on…read moresocial media. The hype was worth it. What looks like an intimidating ordering situations was actually really easy. I think I was expecting a NYC style service counter where you get yelled at if you don't know exactly what you want, but the staff was so nice and helpful. My wife and I split the whole turkey sub with mild peppers and American cheese, no pickles. The bread was great--a little on the crusty side, but otherwise very flavorful. All of the veggies and meat were very fresh, and the experience was cool over all. You grab a ticket at the counter, wait for them to call your number, then you order and step back while they make yours and a handful of others at the same time. I grabbed some chips and drinks while I waited, which only took 5 minutes or so, then paid at the front (cash or debit only) and enjoyed our lunch at one of the outdoor tables. I'll definitely be back to try the meatball sub, which I eyed somebody else eating and immediately wanted a taste. I'll probably grab a turkey sub, too, while I'm at it.

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    Meymuni Cafe - The Mamani Sangak Wrap

    Meymuni Cafe

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    This is the next big thing. Such unique and cool menu items. I got: lavashak smoothie, the house…read moretorshi, the Barbari tunacado, and of course, the most famous item: lavashak torshak. Can't wait to explore more of the menu. Incredible quality of food and unique menu items that don't exist anywhere else.

    I really don't understand the hype around this place…read more I didn't personally pay for the food, thankfully. A friend of mine bought several things and I tried some of what they ordered. What I tasted was extremely disappointing. One of the things I tried was honestly so bad that I spit it out. The food struck me as mediocre at best, especially considering the prices, and calling it Persian food feels like a pretty loose interpretation of Persian cuisine. The service didn't help either. My experience with the employees was rude and unwelcoming, which made an already disappointing experience even worse. What really gets me is how much effort seems to go into marketing and promoting this place. If even 10% of that energy went into improving the food, value, and customer service, I think the experience would be very different. Los Angeles has way too much genuinely good Persian food to justify paying these prices for food I personally found this mediocre. I wanted to understand what all the promotion was about, but after actually trying it, I definitely don't.

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    Bread Head - Turkey Pesto

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    4.2(292 reviews)
    1.3 mi
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    After paying $24 for a veggie sandwich at Gjusta, I have new found appreciation for the team at…read moreBread Head. Their mozzarella sandwich is a masterpiece with Fresh Ovoline Mozzarella, Avocado, Alfalfa Sprouts, Pickled Red Onion and a delicious Za'atar Spread. What makes it stand out as one of the best sandwiches in LA is the bread. They make their own focaccia several times a day and it is divine. Probably the only other place that can dare to match their creations is La Zucca at the Beverly Hills Cheese Store. Some of our other favorites is the tuna sandwich. Service is always on point and the sandwich travels well for consuming it at home. There isn't a ton of space to sit, but there is some counter style seating. Tip: Their menu is limited by choice. Check their Daily specials (Sandwich of the Day) for inspiration. They have 3 kids sandwiches (all are meat based). Tip: The biggest challenge is parking, sometimes metered parking is available. Otherwise, park for free in neighborhood streets away from Montana. It's a pleasant walk.

    Ambiance - can't speak on it, since I ordered via DoorDash…read moreService - same thing, but I will say the sandwich was wrapped well Food - I got the turkey pesto, and I can see why people like this place! The bread was crunchy, arugula fresh, and the pesto mayonnaise was great. However, it almost felt a little....underseasoned? I wish it had a bit more of a punch to it. You do get a good amount of food for what you're paying for, but personally, I'd rather go to All'Antico Vinaio in Venice and get a sandwich that costs a little bit more, but you get more food and a better seasoning. I'd go here again if I was in a pinch, but personally wouldn't try again.

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    Lorenzo California

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    4.6(369 reviews)
    4.4 mi
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    I've been here twice in the span of 4 days. We tried their Thursday steak sandwich special (forgive…read moreme I don't remember the exact name) - exquisite We tried the bresaola sandwich - exquisite, turkey sandwich was great, chicken parm sandwich was fantastic, roast beef sandwich was excellent. Their home made pastas? Winners, every. Single. One. Place has a liiiiine all the time so I recommend ordering in advance and it's tiny. It's a small husband (the cook) and wife (the orchestrator) duo with excellent service. Tell them Karen sent you ;). You won't regret trying it.

    tl;dr the focaccia sandwiches are overhyped and underdeliver, beginning with the limp, lame,…read moreciabatta-like focaccia itself Focaccia sandwiches are in vogue across Los Angeles, and one of the most popular spots is Lorenzo California. The Brazilian-born Renato Araujo has been delivering Florentine sandos at the far end of the Golden Triangle since 2023. The upscale ingredients and wide variety have attracted a strong following, and the sandwiches have been featured by sites from the LA Times to The Infatuation. A few tiny tables are tucked up to the trim storefront. The interior is Parisian in style, from seafoam green shiplap to the trim half-booths in the window to the hexagon-tiled floors. The refrigerated display has prepared salads, cold-cut logs, and overpriced soda cans. Hanging shelves above the counter are stocked with seasonal decorations. The line waxes and wanes, but the restaurant is never empty. EDM echoes around the small room. I visited for weekend lunch with a few friends, and we split an assortment of sandos. Broadly, the sandwiches were slapped onto diminutive, bargain-bin "focaccia" -- although sourced from specialty bakery Bianca Bakery, the bun had none of the pillowy, herby, olive-oily goodness that I typically associate with a knockout focaccia. Otherwise, the parchment-thin cold cuts felt generous in portion, extending beyond the borders of the bread. Our favorite sandwich was the Cotto, featuring a melt-in-your-mouth truffle cream cut by a hint of lemon. I didn't mind the namesake Lorenzo, although the crunchy pistachios and sweet red peppers outdid the delicate mortadella and Parmigiana spread. Lastly, the Tacchino fared little better than a deli turkey sub. The thick-cut tomato dominated the cold-cut turkey and the overly subtle avocado aioli. The service was impressively efficient; expect your order to be prepared in a matter of minutes. The sandwiches were mid in quality, but Beverly Hills in price -- I racked up $70 for our three sandos, and we left feeling peckish. These duds won't offend the palate, but they won't wow it, either. There are plenty of other shops across the city to find cheaper, heartier, and all-around better focaccia sandwiches.

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    B&T’s Deli - Menu

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    4.7(76 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    •$$

    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!

    We finally made the trek to north Montana! We ordered the Peter and Wanda. I liked the Wanda more…read more The eggplant in the Peter was a little heavy handed on the salt or soy sauce. I loved the caramelized onions and mushrooms in Wanda. The bread was top 10 breads we've tried. The lettuce was crispy and the tomatoes had a bite. The $20 sandwiches are a little sticker shocking considering there is no protein. Maybe the cheeses are made from nuts. I would definitely appreciate like a marinated tofu slice or even slab or tempeh with the existing dressings/sauces. The old sport had the chickpeas so we'll get that next time. My partner was obsessed with the walnut date syrup brownie.

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    Menu

    Tran Cafe - coffee - Updated September 2026

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