50 Best Cafes near El Monte

“First time visiting, lived in El Monte for 5 years never knew this place was here; small but spacious nice little diner to come have a meal. I had the French Toast Combo with a large orange juice came out to $22.20. With a $7.80 tip came to $30 flat. Food was fine/delicious, place seemed clean. Lot of help in the kitchen, pretty fast service, no complaints. The atmosphere gives like veterans POW/Elk Lodge/small town/diner vibes, a handful of older(40/50+) dudes, a young teen couple and a family with toddler was here when I sat in at 10am on Wednesday morning. Parking: I was able to find a spot,but it is limited-if busy.“

“Excellent service, sweet ladies, great prices & a humble atmosphere�“

“We love the El Monte shop very friendly and vary good boba love it“

“Drive thru...blessing. Props to the person who thought about the design replacement of this location it is a drive-through next to a grocery store. What person hasn't woken up early to go groceries and realized OmG I need my coffee and this place is right here! Drivethru was fast and friendly.... I tried the mint Serrano and If you are not a fan of mint don't try it if you are this is delicious and I wish I wouldn't back to get a second one after I was done. It was a perfect combo of sweet savory and foam. As variant plays later when it melted and I actually could have more. Love the freshness of the mint and as I opened it I saw the fresh mint! I will come back again for a revisit

Parking: Drive thru available“

“Good food! Servings very good with the price!“

“Going local-origin for my next batch of pumpernickel bagels. Choco-latte and Nicaraguan chocolate down here are legit crazy awesome!“

“Their signature soufflé pancakes“

“Just kind of wandered into this place. It was clean, and a good selection of breakfast and light lunch fare (sandwiches, salads, etc). I had the vegan sandwich that came with a side of mixed greens. Everything was super fresh, the tempeh was flavorful, I loved the creamy spread, and the sourdough was perfectly toasted. And not a bad price! You order at the front and they give you a number, and the food came out pretty quickly. The staff were super friendly. Not a huge space, but there several tables open at 12:45pm on a Monday. 1 hour parking on the street (they might also have a garage, but I parked on the street).“

“Absolutely in love with this place. Gigi and her mom have built something special here. The BEST gluten free donuts I have ever had. I’ve been gluten free for five years and have been consistently disappointed with crumbly, dry donuts. Not anymore. This place has changed the game. Their donuts are perfectly moist and amazingly flavorful. I am beaming after visiting this place. Easily my new favorite spot and I will definitely be coming back. Impeccable vibes from the super chill baristas.“

“Love their sandwiches! Delicious!!“

“I had a great first experience here. I thought the portions are quite good for the price that you pay. First thing to mention is that this place is not that big. If you have 4 people then it should be easy to fit. The staff were nice and it seems like it is family owned.

The fish filet sandwich was really good! Just go for it! I enjoyed their curry as well, we got the pork katsu, I just wish that they had some of those red radish or green cucumber pickles, that would go quite well with the curry!

I noticed buzz and woody has moved here from Andy’s room. Will definitely come back if I am in the area! Until next time!“

“Nice cafe, Portions are huge, Great service“

“Highly recommend. Service and food are both great!“

“We always enjoy tea at the Gardens. Not only do we get tea for a reasonable price and great food but we also get to tour the lovely gardens afterwards. This is a regular event for us and looking forward to many more times with friends, food and setting.“

“es el mejor lugar los mejores cafes y postres ynoseles olvide llevar su rikisimo pastel selos recomiendo. está rikisimo todo“

“The influence is real and it definitely delivered! Wow, the Spicy California Caesar Wrap was DELICIOUS. I cannot wait to have it again! I was able to order online and pick it up fairly quickly because the restaurant is right outside near the parking garage. The ambiance is very relaxing, I love their outdoor seating area that doesn't feel like you're in the mall but I also like that you can just go straight to the mall if you wanted to. I'm super grateful for influencers that find gems like these.“

“very delicious food is always fresh the food is very good from sandwiches to bagels waffles smoothies cant forget the owners are very nice and polite always have the place clean“

“This place was so amazing! I specifically want to talk about the service because it was phenomenal. Zen was amazing, and he had a great attitude and was super kind and interactive. He gave us an unforgettable experience. 100% would recommend.“

“While Porto’s is well-known, the Downey location feels a little less crowded than others. The guava cheese pastry is always a winner—flaky, buttery, and sweet. I tried their Cuban sandwich for lunch, and it was huge and satisfying. The lines move quickly thanks to the efficient staff. Definitely worth the drive for affordable, delicious baked goods“

“almond and hazelnut butter!!!“

“Republik Coffee is as solid as it gets. It has good food, good coffee, and a good ambiance, which makes it a great hang out spot.The breakfast burrito, an almond danish, and a hazelnut cappuccino. It's not a large breakfast burrito, but I felt like all off the ingredients were good quality. The danish was good,and the cappuccino was solid as well.“

“Wonderful boba tea! Delicious food as well! :)“

“congratulation J&A's 25th anniversary! great food 🎉👍“

“Nice teas also great beverages“

“Muy rico desayuno auntentico de Guatemala,servició excepcional empezando por la cajera y terminando con los meseros mi primera vez en este lugar y wow 10/10“

“best place! been coming here for sometime. can't wait for them to open in altadena.“

“Went here on my birthday on October 23rd this year with my family and Maid Nagi was very attentive, helpful, and very sweet. I ordered the SR Kawaii Combo and got the Omurice with Ketchup writing as my Entree, Ichigo Cheesecake for dessert, and Sakura Flower Milky Tea. The food here is made fresh and hot, while the taste for everything was really delicious and I had a good time here. Maid Nagi also wrote Happy Birthday on my Omurice as well as my polaroid included in the set which I thought was very cute and generous. The place was really elegant and clean. I recommend Arcane if you’re wanting to celebrate a birthday, just want to chill out with friends, or family.“

“Simple and delicious food, with a wide range of coffee and a variety of food to try, perfect for coming here with friends!“

“Unusually pleasant tiny coffeeshop in a somewhat magical setting- - if it’s an odd time on a weekday, I am guessing. I came on a weekday afternoon and waited quite a while in line behind less than a dozen people for at least twenty minutes. It seemed excessive, to be honest- but maybe people were on break. The staff seemed really pleasant otherwise, and were also working hard - maybe something had malfunctioned and they had slowed down.
I noticed a patron sipping from an actual ceramic cup-always nicer than paper- andI ordered the gui hua latte. Both the flavor and the physical presentation of the drink were beautiful.“

“Excellent Taste for there coffee. Home roasted coffee beans. Vanilla Latte 10 out of 10. Hazel nut Latte is 10 out of 10. Ron provides one of the best service for his customers. Keep up the good work for the Whittier community! Bring your own mugs or insulated travel mugs for a better taste.“

“The place had delicious food. This place had many people coming in and was crowded during brunch time. I can see why so many people come here. The drinks and food are excellent but the seating was a bit of a challenge since it was quite noisy.“

“Best coffee shop for miles - everything about jpeg is first-rate. The baristas are serious coffee pros, and the drinks they make are among the best I’ve had. They roast on-site of course, and the variety and quality of the beans guarantees your next bag of jpeg will be yet another new adventure. We are Lucky to have them here in town.“

“This particular Klatch location has a special place in my heart - staff is always respectful, knowledgeable, and amicable. The quality of the coffee and drinks are immediately noticeable.

From espressos to cold brews, not only do they taste like ‘proper’ coffee shop coffees; they definitely do the trick. I unfortunately cannot say the same for all cafes, as there is usually something missing; whether it be quality, taste, effect, overall environment, or service. Klatch Coffee Pasadena, however, checks all these boxes and will thus remain as my go-to coffee shop :)

Special shoutouts to Isiah, Brenda, and Mia! Y’all probably tired of seeing me! Lol.“

“A great bakery, full of yummy baked items, prepared meals to go, breads to take home, sandwiches, salads and yummy desserts. I always stop here when I'm in the Sierra Madre area. They offer baked breads and prepared entries. Prices are a bit high, but worth every penny.“

“Been coming here for years, People are great food is excellent and I just love the old diner atmosphere all thumbs up from me .“

“wow first time here food was excellent. very nice customer service 👍💯.can't wait to come back 😀“

“My husband and I rode our bikes to this cute little café. We didn’t have to wait when we arrived. Service was good. I didn’t have to ask twice for refill of water. I got the shrimp spinach salad. The large shrimp was seasoned great and perfectly cooked.“

“Excellent food at a reasonable price. We are in Pasadena for a wedding and just had breakfast at the Cordova Cafe my wife absolutely loved the lox and bagel. And I had the Cordova breakfast burrito it was excellent. 10/10“

“They have great food large selection their service is great I definitely recommend this place“

“best chow mein ive ever have and good service 👍 10/10“

“Went for first time today. Extremely busy place. But considering the number of customers, they were pretty fast. I would definitely recommend them for their quality and efficiency. It’s noisy because of the hard surfaces construction but otherwise, all good.“

“If you’re looking for a cozy and relaxing spot, I highly recommend **Hide Out by Tea Lane**. It's a wonderful place to unwind with a great selection of teas and a serene atmosphere. Perfect for some quiet time or catching up with friends!“

“Nice little cafe in Alhambra near Pasadena with a simple menu of sandwiches, croissants, coffee, and tea. The location is convenient in a lot of covered public parking. The service is quick and the staff are polite. The food is good for a cafe and a simple breakfast, lunch, or snack. If you're looking for a full complete meal then you will need to find a restaurant.“

“I write for a music and coffee blog called Crooners In Coffeeshops, in which I interview local musicians at local coffeeshops. My writeup reflects the positive experience that I encountered at Kaldi Coffee on our interview date. Ever wondered where they shot the coffee scenes for films like Lady Bird, Prom Night, The Ugly Truth (AKA my favorite rom-com ever in the entire world) and tv shows like Brothers & Sisters, Parenthood, and most recently Splitting Up Together? Who knew that it was right underneath our noses tucked away in beautiful Pasadena, CA! Kaldi Coffee & Tea certainly has the appeal of the go-to coffeeshop with its weathered brick walls, worn wooden seating arrangements, maintained hardwood flooring, and classic oldies tracks playing in the background. Even with its somewhat infamous reputation in the film and television realm, the food and drink options are reasonably priced. An array of classic coffee and tea options with a seasonal signatures, like the deliciously refreshing honey vanilla latte that I couldn’t help but choose, showcase that they try to cater to every type of customer that rolls in. From the minute you step through the shop’s forest green framed doors, you can just tell that generations of coffee lover have come through here. Plus there is a strong sense of community with local artwork on display, and a bulletin board with notes of local events, offers, listings, etc. tacked to them. If you’re looking for a relaxing spot to spend the day reading, playing music (on their front seating area of course), or are a movie and tv buff looking to visit a place with some history, Kaldi Coffee & Tea is the hidden gem you’ve been looking for.“

“This is Pasadena's best kept secret. Adorable cakes in a tin that are perfect for picnics or to take home. Literally couldn’t decide which one was my favorite—the mango one that looks like a sunny side up egg, but I think the matcha yuzu with the fluffiest chiffon cake definitely won.

Besides sweets, they also have Japanese-style sandos. The staff recommended the one with pork floss--if you don’t know what pork floss is, give it a try, I guarantee it goes so well with the egg sando!

Thanks for reading! ^-^“

“Old school diner with really friendly staff, and massive pieces of pie!
We ordered breakfast that came out within 10 minutes. We had bottomless coffee and beautiful, massive, delicious coconut cream pie. It was made from scratch that morning. I knew I should have bought the whole pie ? I’ve been dreaming of it ever since.“

“Love this store very much! Old customer! ! ! ! Recommend Pink Peach Planet! ! ! And their milk tea! ! ! It tastes really good! ! ! I haven’t tried the others, but my friends said they tasted delicious.

Kid-friendliness: It tastes great, feel free to eat it! ! ! Very clean, no need to worry about food safety issues“

“Love the ambiance. Great food. Great service and excellent drinks are served at the bar. Great for an intimate dinner or for a special occasion.“

“I came here with a friend right after watching a movie in the nearby theater. The churros are otherworldly. Neither in Venezuela, nor in Spain would you find better churros (I'd know, I've been to both countries). The prices are incredibly reasonable too. The side toppings are varied, caramel and sweetened condensed milk are the two that stood out to me the most but you can also go for Nutella, amongst others. 10/10“