A Guide to Huntington Beach Coffee Shops

AOSA Coffee

Community is the first word that comes to mind when reflecting on this welcoming neighborhood gem among Huntington Beach coffee shops. Rather scenically situated just a sea shell’s throw from Bolsa Bay, they’ve managed to create an incredibly inviting space, dappled with chic wooden tabletops, for people to gather and enjoy the consumption of coffee, tea, and snacks. While most trendy cafes are attempting to capture vintage Americana, AOSA lives it, and perhaps the radest part of all may be their support for the surrounding neighborhood’s artists – who regularly schedule gigs here.

Milk & Honey

The lively foliage touched, twinkling light spangled, rustic-looking Milk & Honey storefront beautifully blurs those boundaries between nature and the everyday bustle of life in coastal Orange County. Being on Main Street and a short stroll down the road from what’s amounting to nearly dependable craziness in downtown makes this adorably cozy getaway an ideal study destination and escape from all the noise. Venturing beyond the spiritual goodness of uniquely concocted, organically grown coffee specialties and loose leaf teas, you can also expect to discover this intimately sized cafe serving scrumptious vegan pastries, refreshing smoothies, and nutritious acai bowls.

Portola Coffee Roasters

Portola Coffee Roasters is the brainchild of roastmaster Jeff Duggan and his wife Christa. Every year, Jeff journeys to the far stretches of Africa, South America, and Central America in an effort to search the world over for the greatest quality coffee beans which, upon finding, he then serves at his numerous coffee houses throughout Orange County. Their Huntington Beach java bar is wonderfully situated in the high-end shopping center known as Pacific City; keep in mind, there is trendy food court-like seating nearby and then plenty of comfortable furnishings available throughout the posh, mostly outdoor, grounds.

With their flagship location in Costa Mesa, and others in Tustin, Santa Ana, Old Towne Orange, and one most recently opened in Long Beach, Mr. and Mrs. Duggan have undoubtedly created something special. We’re just thankful they work so hard to share it with the rest of us!

Surf Cafea

It was a brief move to London that reignited the seemingly dormant passion Andreea harbored for java culture since she was a little girl sampling spoon fulls of her grandmother’s stovetop brewed, soul-warming morning coffee. Upon returning to America, she and Kelly Moyes opened Surf Cafea, a minimalistic – though occasionally featuring that vibrant pop of Baja California-inspired artwork – beachside bungalow revered for powering surfers and cyclists cruising up and down the coast. Nestled inside what was once a fabric store, you can find this sleeping beauty among Huntington Beach coffee shops tucked away along Pacific Coast Highway, in the tranquil community of Sunset Beach, a sunny drive North of downtown.

602 Coffee House

A beloved java outpost located along the golden state’s legendary Pacific Coast Highway, swaying palm tree encircled 602 Coffee House is an ocean-facing gathering point just several sandy steps from the shimmering seashore. Regarded as a third-wave espresso coffee producer, they serve top-tier fair-trade coffee beans sourced from Guatemala and Papua New Guinea and then ultimately brew them for tasty signature beverages. Most of their tables are outdoors on the shaded patio that’s also heated by night and which simultaneously functions as an optimal, sure to entertain, people-watching position.

The Coffee Tale

Settled slightly more inland, among the shops of Old World Village, is this intimate little intellectual nook accentuated by nostalgic wooden floorboards, stylish victorian wallpaper, and a large cushioned corner bench paired with an antique coffee table. In true European fashion, tea is all the rage at The Coffee Tale and along with universally adored java classics, there’s an abundance of rare find, flavorsome infusions available, such as the award-winning Earl Grey Creme, decaf Turkish Apricot, or even the slightly smokey Gun Powder! A few more of their exotic specialties include authentic cold brew coffee, macaroons, the breakfast bistro plate, traditional Turkish coffee, and Turkish delights.

Coffee Nature

Proudly serving world-renowned Tectonic joe, Coffee Nature is a high vibe-having, plant-dappled cafe conveniently located in an unassuming strip mall off Atlanta Avenue. Ownership of the original Costa Mesa store changed hands in 2015 and since then, they’ve fairly recently opened the desert-inspired Surf City shop, which is underscored by adobe tones, comfortable woven furnishings, and vibrant cacti. Aside from unique specialties like the Chagaccino and nitro cold-brew, they also offer a variety of breakfast options including mouthwatering toast toppings from avocado to prosciutto pesto.

Philz Coffee

Let’s rewind our figurative clock to the year 1978 – when Phil Jaber purchased a convenience store in the heart of San Francisco’s lively Mission District. During his off-hours, the young man blended and tested brews, attempting to formulate the perfect cup of coffee. After 25 years of experimenting, he finally decided to move his very own kitchen table into the convenience store, and thus, Philz Coffee was born. While Phil’s humble java empire now spans all of California, with locations in Chicago and the Washington D.C. metro area as well, since the moment he operated his first storefront, he’s consistently stuck to a single fruitful principle: better the days of everyone who walked in.

Java Point

This hidden coffee hut can be stumbled upon when venturing into Surf City’s iconic Huntington Surf and Sport shop on the famous downtown corner of Main Street and Pacific Coast Highway. Beyond browsing the surrounding world-class surfboards by foot, you’re probably gonna want to grab and go here, considering there is no seating to speak of. However, Java Point’s prime positioning a crosswalk’s distance from the sparkling surfer-speckled waves, sunny pier views, sandy beach, and groovy coastal bars assures abundantly memorable experiences to be had.

Euro Caffe

Euro Caffe is a spacious, locally adored coffee house off Edinger, near the 405 freeway, that’s accentuated by hanging chandeliers, pleasantly cushioned chairs, and photo-worthy verdure backgrounds. Of course, above all else, this place brings a zestful dash of European flavor to the ritzy shores of Orange County via award-winning farm-to-table java blends, sweet and savory crepes, and scrumptious waffles.

If you enjoyed this guide to the best Huntington Beach coffee shops, be sure to check out our list of the Top 10 Coffee Shops in Orange County!