Bad Coffee, it is not.

Admin
Mar 23, 2017
2 min read

The previous short-term pop up Bad Coffee (lasted four days), has returned and they are prepared to stay.

Taking the space previously inhabited by ChocXo and Hidden House Coffee, Bad Coffee is breaking the curse of coffee shops past and making their mark on Harbor Blvd.

Open two days, Bad Coffee is making a name for itself among the Orange County independent coffee shops. What is beautiful about the growing coffee community in Orange County is unlike Starbucks, these independent stores are welcoming in the competition with open arms. This is apparent as Hidden House can be found at numerous locations in Orange County, and was obvious to me as I sat in Bad Coffee for an hour. While lounging in the shop with my current read I saw a flow of individuals attached to local shops pass through the doors and all left (some stayed awhile) with smiles on their faces. The owner seems to have a lot of local support and it is beautiful to see.

Bad Coffee has a great, while rather odd location. Located across from a couple major shopping strips, Bad Coffee sits on the corner of the ever-changing Costa Mesa Marquee. The physical space is perfect for a coffee shop. Wrapping around the corner of the building there is plenty of windows and seats lining it, with additional tables, bar seats, and outdoor seating. The space is minimalistic, which seems to be a trend among the independent coffee shops, though their's was more drastic as you can tell they haven't finished filling shelves and counters. They are not rushing into a state of permanency before they know they are on solid ground.

The only negative was that their menu also seemed not fully established and I felt as if there were items missing from their menu (there was, my freddo was not priced on the menu).

Now for the coffee...

I had walked into the shop overheated by the unexpected warm weather, having left the house in knits and boots expecting rain. I ordered a cold brew, but they offer instead a freddo (coffee brewed over ice). Today's freddo was a Colombian priced at $4. The Colombian was pleasant, but I much prefer a Ethiopian or Papua New Guinea. I was slightly disappointed as I expected. I find freddo's dilute the flavor of the coffee, adding an extra portion of water from the melted ice.

Instead, I switched for their espresso, which is a blend of a Guatemalan and a few other roasts they are testing out. I would say keep testing, but they are almost at perfection. The Guatemalan really stands out half-way through the espresso.

Presentation:

I thought they did well with presentation. They offer glasses for in-house coffees both hot and cold, and prefer to serve their espresso in shot glasses along with a bit of sparkling water. I believe that all espresso should be served with sparkling water as it helps cleanse the palate (boy do I sound pretentious (own it]).