Some things you should know before reading this review:
1. I’m not nearly as cute as the other people that have reviewed this place (if those are their actual photos). I try. Really, I do, but sometimes you just have to roll with the hand you’re dealt, ya dig?
2. I’m not nearly as Asian as the other people that have reviewed this place. Once again, I try. I have Pho for lunch once per week. I’m also offended by the “peeing in the coke” joke, or at least feel guilty when I laugh at it.
3. I’m not a coffee drinker. In fact, I hate coffee. I can’t comment on the coffee at this place.
What I can tell you is this:
This place is awesome on a Friday night. They have great music. They have great pastries, cookies, brownies, etc. They also have great wine at a reasonable price. Most importantly, though, they have a BUNCH of big, fat, comfy couches where you can mellow out and listen to the great music they regularly have here.
I was there recently with my entire family (wife, kids, the whole nine), but would have been equally comfortable there with a first date, third date, buddy, whatever. It’s a very varied crowd, and it’s a very friendly crowd. Even the band was friendly, opening up the stage for people to come sing songs with them.
The people that work there are extremely cordial, helpful and prompt (not to mention HOT – even the chubby guy with the long hair has a certain je ne sais quoi). Honestly, as a troll-like dude living in the OC, it’s almost off-putting to have such nice looking women being so friendly. Yah, I know they work there – but in the OC, even people working the counter at coffee shops generally have this ridiculous arrogance about them. Not here.
It’s like everyone here is here to hang out and chill and be cool, and that’s why I will go back and back and back.
Yorba Linda, CA
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A good cup of coffee is a product of quality beans, careful culturing, knowledgeable roasting, and impeccable brewing. And in this, the coffee is a pleasure in itself. But to some, the love of coffee has less to do with the quality of the brew, but more to do with the moment of drinking it. And in this light, a great cup of coffee is not just a drink, but also a medium to an experience.
And despite how it looks, Java Joe’s offers a great experience–one of the best I’ve ever had at any coffee shop. I’m so grateful not only because there’s this wonderful independent coffee house in Yorba Linda (other two caffeine options being Coffee Bean and It’s a Grind), but because I’ve finally found a place that I absolutely adore to take friends or go by myself to kill time whenever I’m visiting my parents.
***
The thing is, Java Joe’s looks nothing like the romanticized cafs of my fantasies. It is in a strip mall. It has an ugly bright red neon light outside. Its windows don’t let in much light. There’s nothing too interesting or quaint in the store to explore. In fact, it kind of looks like the student lounge at any college with its dirty, but super comfortable sofas, random tables and chairs, refrigerators stocked with sodas and juices, and a piles of magazines (mostly of the Peoples, US weekly kind).
But Java Joe’s more than makes up for any of that. The coffee is really good and varied. I believe they have two different brews available during the day (one flavored–usually vanilla–and one unflavored)and rotate from their pretty impressive collection for a small caf (Coffees are about $2, and caf au laits are about $2.5). Their espresso drinks (about $3.5) are well made. The foaming isn’t impeccable, but they’re better than most. They also have really delicious smoothies too. I’ve also had one of their butter cookies and it was amazingly delicious–so soft and so divine that they just melt in your mouth! They also serve wine during the evenings.
But more than the drinks or the food, it’s the experience. It’s a quiet local hang out during the day, and they have great performances during most nights. The performers are local musicians, and despite no cover, they’re actually really fun to listen to. The sound system is a little harsh with too much bleeding (and thus shouting amongst customers to be heard), but other than that, it’s just perfect. It’s great to see such an unpretentious crowd (mostly in their 40s and 50s) enjoy themselves.
I love this place. I can’t think of a better way to spend an evening in Yorba Linda.
New York, NY
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Tired of the trendy Starbucks and Coffee Bean that have horribly tasting coffee and other way too sweet speciality drinks? Want a place that you can actually lounge without feeling uptight and paranoid that the staff is looking at you when you’re not looking at them? Java Joe’s is by far the best local coffee house you’ll find in Yorba Linda or Anaheim Hills.
Great place to lounge with lots of couches and a patio outside. Definitely not a coffee house you go study at even though they do have wireless. Not that it’s loud, which it isn’t but the vibe is way too relaxing for uptight studying. You can literally spend the whole night just talking, doing nothing, or playing cards. Order up a drink and maybe you’ll be lucky enough to catch the local kids playing cover songs on the mini stage. Hey, they might even write a song about you on the spot. It’s awesome.
Edit (11/2007): Now they are serving Diedricks coffee which I always loved, but could rarely find. Also they revamped this place and it’s all spiffy and modern looking. They changed everything from the counter to the tables, but it’s still the same vibe and the same menu. They even serve wine when they have spiffy performances catering to the older crowds.
New York, NY
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