Manga Lounge is an all-you-can-read manga cafe in Monterey Park (close to East LA College) that recently opened in March 2026. It is the first manga lounge in California and also the biggest anime manga lounge in the U.S. with over 7,500+ manga volumes (mostly in English with some Japanese titles like Weekly Shonen Jump magazines).
[Parking]: Manga Lounge is located within the same strip mall plaza as BOOKOFF Monterey Park and our party had no issue finding an available parking spot on Sunday afternoon.
[Checking-in & process]: No reservation is required. Visitors will need to download the app to access the lounge, but they can install it on the spot. After the installation is complete, visitors show the QR code at the front counter to start the timer. Need a blanket or phone charger? Just ask a staff member at the front desk. Once visitors are done reading, return the books to a black book cart and DO NOT re-shelf them.
[Complimentary drink guide]: Select a drink from the fridges and visitors can only pick one at a time. Then head to the front desk and scan the QR code. Visitors cannot get a new drink without returning the previous can. The lounge has a good selection of soft drinks such as Ito En green tea, pineapple / apple sparkling water, Mitsuya Cider, UCC black coffee, Gatorade, Coca-Cola, etc. There is also a complimentary water station.
[Special notes]: Children under 13 must be accompanied by a guardian. Some manga may be restricted for visitors under 18. Visitors are welcome to (1) bring their own laptops and work here and (2) bring their own snacks or light meals along with non-alcoholic beverages.
[Price]: A special $4 per hour rate (not just for the first hour - it is for the entire first visit) for first-time visitors and $8 per hour thereafter. There is a 5-minute grace period (1 hour 5 minute stay = 1-hour rate and 1 hour 6 minute stay = 2-hour rate). Recently the lounge introduced the Manga Lounge Monthly Subscription with unlimited access to Manga Lounge, two free guest passes every month, and early access to event tickets for $94.99 per month (membership capped at 30).
[Manga selection]: The lounge has all the genres you can think of - manhwa, yaoi, romcom, romance, fantasy, action & adventure, classic, sports, food, slice of life & comedy, dark action, horror, psychological, drama, light novels, Shonen Jump magazines, etc.
[Atmosphere]: Very quiet and relaxing atmosphere. The entrance has a wall mural of manga panels drawn by an independent artist and each bookshelf also has small laminated cards with descriptions highlighting some interesting titles and genres.
[Conclusion]: I was only able to finish one chapter in 45 minutes so it is not economical to stay here for 8 hours ($8 per hour x 8 hours = $64) for only 10 chapters. A better way to use your time here is to be strategic and pick a series you are interested in and flip through a couple of chapters to gauge your interest level as the lounge has a comprehensive list of manga. I am a huge fan of this lounge and can easily see myself stopping by here from time to time.
P.S. - The manga lounge also hosts various events (e.g. Jazz Night and Psychological Manga Club) so check their IG or website for more details. read more