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Cerritos, CA

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Roots Cafe

4.5 (497 reviews)
InexpensiveCafes, Coffee & Tea, Waffles

Order Roots Cafe Takeout or Delivery

Roots Cafe Photos

ROOTS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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Recommended Reviews - Roots Cafe

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Iced Honey Rose Latte
Daniella P.

Stopped here for a quick coffee and ordered an Iced Honey Rose Latte. The rose flavors weren't too overbearing and it complimented the espresso nicely. Cool place.

Fruity Pebbles Latte, Honey Oat Latte
Jimmy C.

Roots remains one of my favorite coffee shops to go to. My go-to drink is The David but today I tried the Fruity Pebbles latte which was also very tasty. The baristas are always friendly and the drinks cost about the same as Starbucks, yet tastes 5x better. Whenever I'm around the area, I always gotta stop by to get my caffeine fix. I just finished my drink but I still want another one!

Outside
Michelle K.

First time at this coffee shop and if it wasn't for Yelp, I wouldn't have ever know there was a coffee shop in this plaza. My husband and I came here to try out some drinks. We ordered The David (iced Vanilla Latte made w/H+H and topped with Cinnamon Vanilla Cream) and Cereal Milk Smoothie w/Cinnamon Toast. The David was really good - just the right amount of caffeine to sweet to creamy for me. It's definitely worth a try at Roots Cafe. However, the Cereal Milk Smoothie was a huge disappointment. The "smoothie" was more icy than creamy and basically felt like I could've made it at home. Wish the drink had blended better since it's listed as a smoothie on the menu but wasn't the consistency as expected. There's a few tables for customers to sit and one restroom for customer use. Roots is located in a pretty decent plaza with tons of parking. The atmosphere is more calm so I can see someone coming here to study or meet with a friend to catchup.

Matcha Waffle
Lisa M.

I absolutely love the coffee at this cafe! If I was closer to it, I would stop by nearly every morning. It's a nice vibe with plenty of indoor seating. It is located in a small business plaza with ample parking spaces. This cafe serves tea, waffles, avocado toast, and more. Their waffle was decent. It was a nice treat to share between two people and comes with a scoop of ice cream. Personally tried the matcha waffle, which comes with condensed milk as a topping instead of the traditional syrup. Friendly service. Would recommend.

Honey Rose Latte and Smores Latte
Any M.

A hidden coffee shop! The drinks were good, we ordered the smores latte (seasoned item) and the honey rose latte. Will def come back

the DAVID
Jessica P.

The coffee is delicious here. The David is by far my favorite coffee from here. I am so sad they are closing.

Ham Cheese Jalapeno Panini, Churro Waffle, Matcha Latte
Jeremy C.

Food 5/5 The Ham Cheese Jalapeno Panini and Churro Waffles are really really good. Left me smiling. Fan of the Honey Lavender Latte and the David, will say the David is a small but underwhelming but still good. Matcha good as well, small after taste. Service 5/5 Everyone chill and ready to attend. Small dine-in space but plenty room to do some work inside. Like the aesthetic inside a lot. Notes Sometimes weird stingy customers, feel bad for staff.

Strawberry Matcha
Lindsey H.

Great vibes with a cozy, welcoming atmosphere, making it the perfect spot to relax or get some work done. The menu offers a fantastic range of coffee and espresso drinks, along with some delicious pastries and light bites. Whether you're into classic brews or looking for something more unique, they have something for every coffee lover. The service was friendly and efficient, with baristas who clearly know their craft. One of the highlights was the music - they play a smooth selection of R&B that adds to the chill ambiance, making it easy to settle in and enjoy your coffee. Definitely a go-to spot for a laid-back coffee experience!

Ingrid A.

My husband and I just recently discovered roots around first week of may and we find their coffee really good! We're from lb and I can say this is my go to when I need a good caffeine fix! The place is cozy, and It saddens me that they're closing this September 2025

That's a nice print
Joyce A.

Always on the lookout for a great coffee shop, and finally got enough coffee time today. Got myself a toffee nut latte, hot for takeout. Quick and personable server at the counter, he rang me up for my purchase. A different lady prepared the coffee itself. Cute little coffee shop, with some small tables, probably to encourage short visit customers rather than those looking to use the WiFi. I noted some small objets d'art and other crafted goods for sale. Coffee beans by the bag were $15 for 8 ounces or so. Took home raisin cookies, a lemon square (think of lemony coffee cake) and the banana pudding. Not sure if the desserts are made in house but that banana pudding is a perfect sweet end to anyone's meal! I had a spoonful of it after my workday and it just made everything seem so much better than it went. I was going to get a second cup but they close at 5 pm , it will have to wait until another day! Accepts credit card and Apple Pay.

Strawberry Matcha Latte
Jacob R.

I've gone twice now to roots and feel like I'll be coming here often. Not only for the drinks but for the relaxing atmosphere. They have a good amount of drink offers as well as foods with tables that are all two tops. No more no less. The tables are on the smaller size to doing assignments with textbooks, laptops, and notebooks might be a tight squeeze. The cafe offers their own merch and has a playlist to my liking, sorta catered to the younger crowd like myself. Roots will now be my "go to" for my latte cravings as well as when I need to get assignments done.

Strawberry Matcha Latte Iced

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Loved it! Had the breakfast burrito with salsa, it was sooooo good!! Plan to go back again

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2 years ago

Found this place since we recently moved close by. Love the Rose Honey Latte! Will definitely come back!

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2 years ago

Yummy avocado toast, vegan donuts, lattes and tea. Friendly workers. Cute family friendly cafe (although seating is limited).

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

So fresh & delicious! From their fantastic hot coffees tot heir cinnamon waffles.. mmm! Chef's kiss!

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

The food was delicious, and that coffees. The workers were very friendly. Definitely going back.

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

I love the vibes here, I recommend it for breakfast food pretty much. The French toast are amazing and the service is pretty quick!

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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5 years ago

Business owner information

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Peter P.

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5 years ago

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7 years ago

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7 years ago

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Peter P.

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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Page 2 of 13

Ask the Community - Roots Cafe

Is indoor dining avaliable again?

I noticed some parking spaces are blocked off in front of Roots; is there going to be outdoor patio seating?

Yes! We were preparing to do so.. but because of the ash from these fires, we were delayed

Are any of the waffles vegan?

Hello, unfortunately the waffles are not vegan We do have vegan sourdough and bagel options Thank… 

Is the internet connection better? I stopped going lately coz it was pretty slow few times I went, but besides that, I really like everything else about this place.

Hi, Im so sorry about our internet speed. Unfortunately this is the only service available at the plaza. I bought 2 internet lines to try to battle the speeds.. but I realize… 

Which one is better in terms of sweet wise, Iced Lavender Latte, Iced Hazelnut Latte, Matcha Latte and Toffeenut Latte?

Hi, Sweet-wise.. our toffeenut would be the most sweet out of those options. Followed by hazelnut, lavender, and matcha.

Any plans to open a new location in Irvine? I've tried almost all of the coffee shops in Irvine/Aliso Viejo/Mission Viejo/Tustin area and I do think you guys will be super successful down here.

Thanks for your input! We would love to add locations as soon as we are financially able. We will keep your idea in mind!

Do you have vegan options?

Thanks for your question! Our vegan options at this point include our avocado toast, bagels and most of our drinks!

Are there gluten free pancakes or waffles?

No, we do not have that option.

View All 11 Questions

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Homeboy Coffee - Ube matcha latte and their signature cream top. Balanced, creamy, and not overly sweet.

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My bestie got me so hooked on homeboy! I always, always get their sweet corn matcha! I really do…read morehope it stays on their menu permanently bc it's my absolute favorite in the area! And there's sooo many cafes to choose from in Cerritos. So that says a lot! I love being my friends and family here. Today, I brought one of my girlfriends with me and she ordered the strawberry matcha with cream top. She instantly loved it! She let me try as well and wow, it's delicious! Not too sweet and had a perfect balance of flavors! I highly recommend it! Again, get their sweet corn matcha when you go! That's a must. It's always busy when I go but the line moves quickly. There's a few tables inside but mostly for a hangout. I don't recommend doing work there. I only go on weekends so maybe weekdays are chill. There's plenty of parking! The staff are chill! I never had a bad experience. They're all knowledgeable of their drinks and are always friendly!

This place use to be very good. However, I don't know if it underwent some sort of managerial…read morechange or ownership but service has been lacking for a few months now. So much so I took a break from it went back and it was confirmed yet again. Service was lively and polite before now I go in and have to say hello three times before I get one back. Coffee use to be delicious and now I'm lucky if I get any, too heavy on the milk. I use to be able to order ahead and now that's not available or it's pushed out an hour or more, if they're super busy I'd understand but I've arrived at the shop and empty, so that's crazy to me!!l The place itself seems to get a new look every time and mood is nice but service and drinks have taken a hit. One thing that is still delicious is the tomato pesto croissant. That's it.

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Seven Syllables Coffee - 2/23/25 Interior aesthetics, comfortable

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4.6(191 reviews)
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A hidden gem of a coffee shop especially for a remote work parent like me! They're a Filipino owned…read moresmall business and their menu reflects those iconic Filipino/asian flavors. The white rabbit matcha and buko pandan latte are my go-tos. They've also expanded their food menu since I've been coming here and have pastries, toasts, and burritos. They have a fridge of pies that are some of the best I've ever had in my lifeeeeee too. Get the sunday in June (ube crème brûlée) and thank me later. This place has become a frequent spot for me to take my toddler when I need to get work done. There's lots of outlets and even a tiny corner of toys where your toddler can play. The staff is always so kind and after spending so much time here watching the staff interact with the community, you can tell that they've built something special here! We always come back and I encourage you to check it out!

Okay listen. The drinks are overly sweet. Whatever. But one of the baristas is rude in a weird way…read more We took some time to look at the menu, then we asked "what syrups do you have?" to the cashier, and the barista next to her responded over the cashier, in like a weirdly *loud* volume to cut her off "We have what's on our menu." Ok, she wants us to read the menu. Which is no problem, but wait - the menu does *not* actually even list the syrups. Which is why we asked in the first place. So what, she just wants us stand and read the whole thing over again and hopes that we find the syrup we like within the name of another drink or? And girl why are you hollering!! Ok and when we were waiting for our drinks, the loud barista would shout at the machine because it wasn't doing what she wanted! Mind you, the store has a slight echo because of hard floor and no music. The vibe is so weird, like I can't lmao. It's not that serious but it's weird. High cortisol energy.

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Bako Tea House - Lychee green tea

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Very impressed with this place! They have both kiosk and cashier ordering available, and I liked…read morethat they had a display that showed the flavor profile of each tea strain. Ordered the phoenix oolong milk tea and it was very floral and fragrant. I think I ordered with slightly less sugar (don't remember the %) and it was just the right amount of sweetness for me! Service is standard. Interior is clean and modern, great for chatting and hanging out with friends. I also noticed they have wifi available, so it's possible to study here (I didn't notice too many outlets or seating though). Will come back for their other teas.

The good: I got grapefruit green tea with aloe. You can…read moreadjust the ice and sweetness. They have unique toppings like purple rice and agar boba. The interior is modern with two tables fit for 2-5 people and a bench for waiting. They have a self-order kiosk but you can order with a person too. The grapefruit tea was refreshing and had great flavor without being too sweet or bitter. I got 25% sweetness which was perfect. Aloe was an additional 75 cents. The music was good. The drink had actual chunks of fruit too. The bad: I ordered wintermelon tea but they ran out. I also wanted to use the rest room but it was out of order. There's no outdoor seating. The interesting: The cup has a paper seal but also a plastic lid on top. Suggested tip auto starts at 22%. They have tea leaves out on display so you can see that they brew tea themselves rather than use a powder. They have a red bean frappe as a seasonal flavor (are red beans a summer thing?).

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Smoking Tiger Bread Factory

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I love visiting this place…read more Not sure if it's the nostalgia or just the great options to choose from whether you want a cool pick me up or hungry for a savory pastry. Most recently we visited on 10/2 for the debut of their new salt bread line and matcha line! Got to try 5 new flavors of salt bread and boy were they yummy. It was just me and my husband so we were tempted to buy more but we could only eat so much bread in a day ahhahaa We got the double matcha strawberry and it was refreshing. You could tell they use fresh strawberries to make their puree and it was the perfect balance with their matcha- finished it so fast should've gotten 2 Came back on 10/4 (2 days later) bc I couldn't stop thinking about the salt bread and wanted to try more flavors... my husband was like again?? Lol. Got the double strawberry matcha, 4 pastries, and the kimchi tuna melt. Take all my money hahaha Irene helped us out and she was soo friendly and nice!! She brought out our sandwich to us and we heard her greet everyone who walked in the Cafe. Will be back soooon!! Check out their new bread and drink options, you won't be disappointed

I can't speak for the bread, but I got a matcha drink and it was pretty mediocre for the price…read morepoint. The matcha taste was not very strong and it mostly tasted like milk. This is a decent study spot since it's spacious but it gets pretty crowded and loud. I would come back to try their bread, but I would not get the matcha again

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Ondo Coffee - Mt. Joji

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Although this area seems to be saturated with coffee shops, Ondo is an excellent shop for specialty…read morecoffee aficionados. They have a great variety of beans from excellent roasters around the world and know their stuff! They have a separate machine for their espresso so that they get it right. Instead of pulling their espresso for their milk drinks from the same machine, they are taking the time and care to make sure everything is dialed in perfectly. Espresso, pour over, and drip were all fantastic! Not only do they do good coffee correctly, but the barista was extremely knowledgable, helpful, and genuinely cared about their craft. This is definitely a place for people who love specialty coffee and I cannot wait to go back! Has become my new go-to coffee shop in the area! Also loved the small bar to work at.

A friend who had visited this place before told me that the latte was really bad. I happened to be…read morerunning errands nearby with my daughter, and she wanted matcha, so I looked up places in the area and found this shop. I thought that even if the latte wasn't good, maybe their matcha would be better. My daughter ordered a matcha, and I ordered a hojicha. I deliberately avoided ordering coffee because of what my friend had told me. But WOW!!! Both drinks were absolutely terrible! My daughter loves matcha, and we've tried it at so many different places, but this was by far the worst matcha she had ever tasted. The hojicha was just as bad. At first, I wondered if the drinks had simply been made incorrectly and considered asking them to remake them. However, since both drinks were so bad, I hesitated to ask for replacements. Honestly, I was even worried that something unpleasant might happen to my drink if I complained, so I decided it wasn't worth the risk. We ended up throwing away the unfinished drinks and leaving. Needless to say, we will never be coming back.

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Roots Cafe - cafes - Updated October 2026

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