Last year, I wrote an article ranking several of L.A.’s hyped coffee shops. Since then, my caffeine dependency has only grown stronger and thus, I’ve tried more “internet popular” spots. There’s literally always another “viral” cafe, and I love putting the hype to the test. While I love cutesy aesthetics, the coffee’s still gotta be good. Without further adieu, here’s another ranking, with my thoughts on more hyped L.A. coffee shops:
5. About Time
This cafe is probably the most hyped of all those on this list (on my TikTok FYP anyways). That being said, you may be surprised to find it at the bottom of this ranking. The latte was kind of just okay; I enjoyed it but it was nothing to write home about. The strawberry cream donut I tried was delicious though, and I’d definitely recommend it.
This cafe was really cute and chill, reminiscent of those I saw when visiting Seoul, South Korea. Though this may be an unfair factor to mention, the crowd is what really put a damper on the experience. It’s the kind of place people go to hunker down with their laptops and work for hours. Consequently, this means it may not be possible to find a seat. If you arrive earlier in the day than I did, this might not be a problem.
4. Cold Brew Black Caf (Disneyland at Docking Bay 7)
I wasn’t sure if this one counted but it’s super popular online and in SoCal, so why not mention it? Located in Galaxy’s Edge (the Star Wars part of the park), this is a cold brew topped with cream cheese foam and cocoa puffs. It’s a really good midday pick-me-up after hiking through the park. I was a fan of this from Disneyworld back home, so I was psyched to see that Disneyland has it as well.
3. Community Goods
Notoriously the coffee shop of choice of Justin Bieber, be prepared for a line when you visit this WeHo spot. I just learned that there is actually a mobile order option here, so absolutely do that to avoid waiting as long as I did. This is a small, unassuming building that you might pass by if you didn’t know it was a coffee shop. While the iced latte was yummy, the breakfast sliders are what stole the show. Weirdly enough, breakfast sandwiches are one of my favorite foods and this variation of Hawaiian rolls is such a good spin on that.
2. La La Land Kind Cafe
A trip to The Grove wouldn’t be complete without one of these notorious yellow cups in hand. I’ve tried several drinks from here and they’re always super solid. One of my go-tos is the “la la latte,” which is espresso, milk, and honey, poured over ice and topped with cold foam. If you’ve read my previous coffee article, you’ll know I don’t like my coffee too sweet and La La Land nails it. They also always have fun seasonal drinks too!
1. Yeems
I have to be honest, I forgot about this spot until I started writing this. Now that I’ve remembered, I’ve gotta go back immediately. Two words: Vienna Latte. It’s an iced latte sort of drink, with this amazing creamy topping and a sprinkling of cocoa powder. I order iced vanilla lattes pretty much everywhere I go and this shook it up a little. You’d think from looking at it that it would be sickeningly sweet, but it’s actually perfect.
In a city flooded with $7 coffees, there are bound to be some hits and misses. That being said, I did enjoy all the spots on this list. For more inspo, don’t forget to check out my previous coffee ranking!