I wish I lived closer! Second trip, and now this is one of my fav OC coffee/tea spots…read more Brought my friend for her B-day on a Sat mid-morning in Sept. The line goes to the door much of the time, but they keep it moving, keep it kind, and the one barista keeps the drinks coming out so quickly that you barely have time to find a seat! It was pretty full again with half studier/workers and half friend pairs/ groups. We happened to come on the day they had a collab for jeans recycling with Madewell: donate a pair of jeans and get a free 12-oz drink from the "taplist" (regular menu list) plus a coupon for 15% off a pair of jeans! What a great and generous promo for a cause. Inside vinyl shops look fun. I am sad that the stationery shop is gone, but still looking forward to bringing my fam to check our the vinyl and fun drinks. The drinks: We came here just for the Fall Banoffee Latte because we crave/miss this British flavor. It was pretty good and a good sweetness, but I think toffee topping or a little more toffee flavor would've elevated it. I actually liked the free pour of Strawberry Swing even better! Green tea with strawberry flavor and a floral touch without bitterness. Had a taste of my friend's Princess Daisy green tea with mango/passion fruit, and it had a bit of bitter/tea flavor, but it grew on my friend's palate with every sip. The food: Only tried the cinamon sugar donut, which was tasty, solid regualr yeast donut topped with ?buttercream frosting and 8 or so cinnamon toast crunch pieces. The add-it-yourself maple drizzle dropper was a fun touch, though might've liked it a tad more viscous if possible (turned out looking like it rained maple syrup on the donut, heh). Plenty of parking on Orange St public parking lot or along that street. Now they charge at the lot, about $1.45 per hour (oh well, better than LA parking). Looking forward to returning! Maybe for the bananas foster matcha (heard good things from friend of a foodie friend :)).

If I ever open a café, the atmosphere of Contra is what I would try to encapsulate. Music + great…read moredrinks + stationery corner = They occasionally have someone play vinyls and it adds to the cool vibe of the café. They have drinks on tap. I also love the nod to Filipino culture with their Kuya and Ate lattes.

Another great experience at Ape! My boyfriend and I both decided to try something new today, so he…read moregot the Snow Monkey (iced brown sugar latte topped with sweet cream, garnished with cinnamon brown sugar) and I got the Cloud Ape (iced brown sugar latte topped with sweet cream, garnished with cinnamon brown sugar). Since I like my drinks a bit on the sweeter side, the barista suggested adding chocolate to my cold brew drink and I enjoyed it! The Snow Monkey was good as well and not too sweet in my opinion. Almost all of the tables were taken when we arrived except for one but the place was quiet since most of them were studying or getting some work done. I have enjoyed all of their drinks so far so will definitely be back to try more!

This location is significantly bigger than the Placentia location, and I love how spacious and…read moreclean it is! We ordered the Incredible Ape Matcha and Monkey Business. Monkey Business is my FAVORITE!! I order it almost daily from the Placentia location and I was so happy that it tasted exactly the same here. Usually when a place has multiple locations, the drinks can taste a little different depending on the location, but consistency is definitely not an issue here! We also tried the turkey croissants and they were super tasty. Service was fast and the whole place was super clean.

Rekindled has my heart! From the wonderfully delicious salads and sandwiches made from the freshest…read moreingredients, to the drool worthy desserts, to the incredible customer service. I appreciate the convenience of being able to drop in and quickly grab gourmet pastries or bagels on my way to work, to surprise co-workers or take to family functions! Thank you rekindled for providing such great food!

UPDATE! I'm thrilled to share that after my post, the owner…read moreof Rekindle, Rebecca, reached out to me and has been absolutely wonderful. It's not often today for the owner of a business to reach out directly to a customer - she did and it was a very positive engagement. There are time that even the best business has a hiccup and something goes wrong. What makes a huge difference is how the business responds, and therefore, Rekindle gets five stars. I'm certain my next visit will be fantastic - I'll be posting an update in the near future. Wow - So Disappointed! Rekindle was at the Taste of Orange this year and I enjoyed one of the Italian sandwich samples they were handing out. It was fantastic! We met the owner - she was very charismatic and charming. Today we stopped by to grab an Italian sandwich, and I just cannot believe they served me bread that was so old and dry - it would have been perfect for croutons, but definitely nothing like what we had at the Taste of Orange. The bread was so dry I had to dress it up with some olive relish to eat it - I don't expect when I pay $31 for a sandwich and chai iced tea latte to get home and have to start working on my sandwich. I accept some responsibility for this, because honestly, who goes to a coffee shop for a sandwich.

Very delicious and I do love a good cup of coffee ( bru)…read more Nice employees and relaxed environment. Go grab a cup and check a few emails In silence..

There are plenty of parking spaces, but if you want to park in front of the cafe, there are limited…read morespots. They also have indoor and outdoor seating available. We ordered the breakfast burrito and smoked salmon toast. The smoked salmon toast was really good, but the bread was a bit hard; it wasn't the soft bread. The breakfast burrito was okay because it was a bit dry to me. It does come with salsa, but I would prefer if they had their own sauce. I tried their seasonal Banana Foster Iced Latte, and it was good! Recommendation(s): - Smoked Salmon Toast - Banana Foster Latte Service: 5/5 Tip(s): - Restrooms available - Plenty of parking spaces - Indoor and outdoor seating available

Writing this review AFTER coming in for the 2nd time…read more Nice ambiance. Very classy, balanced, and not too loud. Feels like a great place to start a morning. The cafe is standard and the roast is a little dark (if that's how you like it). Also, what I thought was intriguing (and I ended up liking) was the "build your own toast" portion of the menu. There are "Built" options of things like the T.O.M. (Tomato, olive oil, and mozzarella - which is great with avocado ) and then you can literally have a build your own toast (you choose the bread, toppings, construct, etc.) Really cool establishment and I recommend you visit for a good coffee and toast!

Dropped off my partner at UC Irvine early this morning, so early that we didn't have time to make…read morecoffee at home, so I ventured in unknown territory to try some local brews. A mere 1.3 miles away, I find this eight year old coffee shop that has its name origins from the German word for bread. Evidently, they have a plethora of baked foods mainly consisting of flour, water and often yeast displayed in full display next to the counter. I asked one of the staff if the shop makes their own bread and she said a local artisan bakery supplies them. They look amazing and they even have gluten-free options! This is a family-owned business that provides a more than suitable area for working on your laptop with WiFi access, or simply enjoying your favorite hot or cold caffeinated beverage, oh, and I must mention that they have premium blends as well for the coffee aficionado! Spacious indoor area that doesn't feel cramped and the exposed ceiling vents, the jazzy beats that is playing at a perfect volume and plenty of potted plants give it a balanced chill industrial vibe. There are tables outside too that's perfect for early morning or late afternoon when it's not too hot. I ordered the Vanilla Latte hot and asked that they fill up my insulated mug instead of the cardboard cup. Even with the steady stream of patrons, I received my expertly prepared brew by their hirsute barista, who gave me "beard envy" (I can only sport a goatee) :D The crew are friendly, conversing with the regulars. I can tell they enjoy working here! I don't come to Orange very often but would definitely grab coffee here again if I'm in the area and would highly recommend this place. This place is doing something right and by mere observation, I can tell they will continue to do so for years to come! Kudos!

Really solid coffee, good food, and the prices are on point. You can tell these guys hustle because…read morethe service was FAST. We got our coffee and food in less than 6 minutes, which was impressive. The place is pretty spacious with plenty of tables, so it's a great spot to sit down, enjoy your coffee, and hang out for a bit. Here's what we tried: Butterscotch Nitro Cold Brew - BANGING! Vanilla Cold Brew - Also banging! Classic Breakfast Burrito - Banging! Blueberry Muffin - Really good. Ham & Cheese Quiche - Really good. Vegan Donut - Honestly, even this was fire! Overall, really enjoyed the spot. Good coffee, good food, reasonable prices, and ridiculously fast service. Definitely a place I'd come back to.

I like this spot, been coming for a few years, location is convenient for us. However, how can you…read moreoffer not-workable wifi? Better off to be like some others and just say no wifi to begin with vs wasting 15 mins to get on and off, restart computer, and the sign literally has: Still not working... you caught us on a bad day. Argh. Now I have a 16oz and dont want to spend another $7-8 at another coffee shop. Coffee is good if you are not looking for a place to work.

I visited Chai Wale in Orange yesterday for the first time with my wife and unfortunately, our…read moreexperience was disappointing. We ordered one gobhi paratha and one aloo paratha. The aloo paratha was okay, but the gobhi paratha was poorly prepared--the gobhi filling was falling out of the paratha with every bite, making it very difficult and messy to eat. After our meal, we wanted to wash our hands. Since we had just eaten inside the restaurant, we were surprised when a Male employee at the front desk told us that we had to use the hand-washing facilities outside because the restaurant restroom are closed as there are outdoor restrooms for the international festivals. What made the situation more disappointing was that shortly afterward, a woman customer came in and was allowed to use the restroom inside without being directed outside. Seeing different instructions being given to different customers made us feel that the rules were not being applied consistently. Additionally, my wife ordered a cookie that was extremely dry and tough. Overall, this was not a good first experience. The food was average at best, and the inconsistent treatment at the front desk left a particularly bad impression. I believe every customer should be treated equally and given the same information and access, regardless of who they are.

I honestly can't say enough good things about this place! I am absolutely obsessed with their chai…read more I don't know what kind of magic goes into making it, but it is truly something special. Every single sip is so comforting, flavorful, and delicious that I swear it touches my soul! I know that sounds dramatic, but it's genuinely how I feel every time I have it. It's one of those things that's so good, it's hard to even put into words. I find myself craving it all the time! And it's not just the chai! Everything I've tried from their food to their desserts has been wonderful. You can really appreciate the flavors and the care that seems to go into everything they make. There's something so comforting and satisfying about their food, and it always feels like such a treat. So far, I've only had the chance to order through DoorDash, but I've ordered multiple times and have been consistently impressed. I can only imagine how much better the experience will be when I finally get to enjoy everything fresh at the restaurant. I'm really looking forward to visiting in person one of these days! I'm genuinely so happy a place like this exists. It's not often that you find somewhere that makes you feel this excited about something as simple as a cup of chai. They've definitely won me over, and I'll happily keep coming back for more!

Love this place been coming for years... food is always great. Place sometimes is busy but worth…read morethe wait

I arrived at like 1:24pm saw on the sign they closed at 1:30 everyday, turned to leave, a…read moremanager-person stopped me, explained basically they stop seating at 1:30; I still had plenty of time. I decided to enjoy (really delicious, btw) COFFEE and a MIMOSA on a beautiful day. The reason I'm getting online later is to A) say I appreciated the hospitality and B) the CHICKEN and WAFFLES - one bite of the chicken (AND IM SOUTHERN) & IT TASTES LIKE WHAT MY GRANDMA USED TO MAKE! I know I'm shouting but this is a completely unprovoked review based on this chicken alone. It's delicious

Only one visit so far and I was extremely impressed with How the barista treated his work as if…read morehe's not creating a latte, but a piece of art ....and wow, can we talk about the physical space they got for the coffee shop? What was it, a theater before? I need to remember to do research on the history of this place. this coffee shop space is amazing! I am not as enthusiastic about the actual drink that I ordered - volcano latte but I think it was just wasn't my flavor. I'll try something else. Next time ane will happily raise the review to five stars.once I find something that tastes good.

I love when spaces are repurposed. The beautiful architecture of its former life as a bank lens to…read moreunique coffee experience here. The menu however, is minimal, and while they have some specialty drinks, be prepared to order something a little more standard such as a Matcha or coffee based drink like a latte. They have a small selection of baked goods, including ham and cheese, croissants, and I believe a cardamom bun, which makes me wonder if there's a slight Scandinavian influence since I only see cardamom buns at Nordic adjacent places. There's a decent amount of seating and plenty of parking in the back.

Isabella and Ethan were so friendly and the coffee was exceptional! I will be coming back again and…read moreagain :)

Another check off my list of running into random but great great matcha spot!…read more This is another one to add to one of my best matcha list. Their matcha is strong and of high quality though I did not get a chance to ask for the brand. I got a double matcha (waited for freshly made matcha cream top), matcha mango, ad a biscotti latte with the cream top, so yummy. The inside is pretty small, and in such hot summer weather, I don't think you can sit outside unless there are some room to sit inside. There isn't any space to sit or work or study either. Def just a spot to grab really good matcha and good coffee! Highly recommend!