Coffélier ..
Yelp
INTRO: I am the worlds first Coffélier™ (pron: Coffee--lee-a). Think sommelier but for coffee. I've been severely addicted since I was 12 when my dad offered me a black drip coffee and I've never looked back.
Considering my coffee palate has been in development for quite a bit longer than most, I consider myself reliable to review coffee.
One thing is always true though, I never review stores with more than 100 locations. At that point, that would be as futile as reviewing every McDonalds, not worth your or my time. We know what we are getting with those stores.
COFFEE:
As my intro suggested, I am a fan of black coffee. I nearly always order an Americano, which for the uninitiated, is merely an espresso shot with hot water, or if it is iced, then an espresso shot with cold water and ice.
That being said, if your preference is to drown your coffee in sweeteners and cream, this coffee will pair nicely.
My Americano was surprisingly sweet for black coffee, the roast I would desribe as medium/dark, not nearly as sharp or as pungent as a starbucks Americano would be, but overall, a lovely UNIQUE roast, unique being used in a GOOD way.
CUPS:
My Americano was served in a plastic "sippy" cup, straws were available, I was NOT asked if it was for-here or to-go. My personal preference is to be served in glass/ceramic/something not plastic, but alas, this cup was of good quality and up to normal standard.
ATMOSPHERE:
A bit tired, but lovely none-the-less. The interior could use some love, but i've seen worse and I've seen much better. For a coffee shop that has not been remodeled or redecorated for 5 years, it is in fairly good condition.
Tables are clean, staff is extremely friendly, not very crowded (I am here at 11:30am on a thursday - 4/18/24)
PRICE:
My Americano was $4.25, which is right on the money for SoCal and is about what I have paid all week. I usually pay cash and leave the 75 cents in the tip jar, which is enough to make the staff smile usually, but not enough for me to expect more than regular service.
PARKING:
Abysmal. Some of the worst in Tustin.
If you can, walk, but if you cannot, I recommend parking by the bank of the back of the complex where there are NO parking TIME limitations.
OVERALL:
I've been coming to the lost bean for more than 10 years so I may have a biased opinion, but in reality, there is a reason I have been coming to this coffee shop for over 10 years, it is one of the best in Tustin. Hands down.
Only other direct competitor is Tru Bru.
FULL DISClOSURE: I am friends with the parents of the owners of the Lost Bean, and I have met the owners as well. Being born and raised in Tustin, I know a lot of the locals, and I feel I must acknowledge this. That being said, I do feel my review is unbiased and no different from any other review I would conduct, but in the interest of full-transparency, I feel I must disclose these facts.
Thank you for reading my review! Subscribe for me! (Is that even an option on yelp? Lol Idk X)
