Theorem

Good Coffee! Good ambiance! Creative menu, every month it changes and I love that a bout theorem… Their «Grand Budapest Hotel» drink is delicious!

Went there yesterday, so worth it! I was already a huge fan of Portola, so Theorem was definitely a pretty good experience. The theme for this month is Star Wars, so I thought that was prettyyyy cool. Hopefully in the future I can try their version of the butter beer, that would be awesome!

My friends and I wanted to get Portola’s coffee but we saw theorem and asked how is this different. The guy at Portola’s told us it has new and different coffee drinks. Decided to go there and asked the barista what is good there. He just shows us a menu with all these coffee drinks. So we just asked him what drink he would recommend since we don’t drink coffee much and the dude just didnt really seem to care and says «I like anything cold».
Oh, sure… I’d like a cup of ice water to go please. Excuse us for not knowing how all these coffee drinks differ. I have more important stuff to care about than the newest hipster coffee drink.

so there this guy, Bryant (asian dude), who makes thee best cappuccinos and chocolate milks. his attention to latte art is pretty spectacular for those instagram «foodies.» and I would give his music taste an A+. If you see him working Theorem’s bar, ask for a swan or abstract art. (he’s pretty creative.)
(; cheers!
P. S. please be considerate, English is his second language.

I’ve been to my fair share of hipster coffee shops on the west coast and generally find something I like at each shop; and I’ve experienced quite a bit of hipsterish shit. But this place wins. The douchy coffee maker behind the counter was more concerned with his little friends guessing who the DragonBall Z character was on the iPad lock screen than actually trying to sell a drink. Didn’t even bother with a drink after it was so difficult for him to tell me why they couldn’t do an iced decaf anything. Seriously, DragonBall Z?

Part of the Portola company next door. This branch really adds a lot of sophistication to the caffeine biz. Come here to get something special. The baristos know what they are doing.
This place rocks.
You have to just go. The other reviews are right.
Best mocha eva. For realz.
I will post some pics later once I get them off my camera.

Skyler is an awesome barista and every cup of coffee is always made to perfection. ^_^
Now that that’s out of the way, lets get into the area. It’s located inside the OC mix, and it’s a fairly small coffee shop, but outside, there are community tables where you can sit and get work done if needed. The staff is always friendly, and a delight to be around. I recalled seeing a barista messing up on milk. Without hesitating, he threw that milk out and made a new. Quality control!
Seriously, its my favorite coffee in OC next to Portola.
TIP: The cappuccinos is always on point

This place is located in the SOCO area, near the Portola Coffee Lab, on the adjacent side. I think the two places are related in some way. They sell «craft» coffee, which is kind of like something you’d expect for cocktails but instead with coffee ingredients.
The menu is rather limited, there are a few consistent drinks, and then there are the specials that I assume rotate (some of the items you see on the Unilocal photos might not be available when you come on your visit).
I had the butter beer and I enjoyed the taste of it a lot. It kind of tasted like a caramely coffee taste with some butterscotch mixed in. I assume it’s a Harry Potter reference but I can’t be sure haha. Overall it tasted pretty good, and I am interested in trying what other special concoctions they can come up with.

Theorem is owned by the same people as Portola, which is next door. The difference between Theorem and Portola is that Theorem serves experimental drinks which changes every week. They use to make reservations for $ 20-​$ 25 tastings few years ago, now it’s just an upscale intimate coffee bar that seats about 5 – 6 people.
I ordered «Butterbeer» (butterscotch, butter, milk and espresso), which was pretty yummy. A+ on the creativity but it was pricey… Their $ 4 latte was good, same price as Portola.
Please bring back the nitrogen affogato please! I still need to try it!
TIP: When the line is super long at Portola, Theorem makes the same same coffee for the same price. There was no line when I was there.

Absolutely PHENOMENAL. Best cup of coffee I’ve ever had in my life was here at Theorem!!!
Number 1 on my list of all time for coffee.
I love the creativity of the menu in the theorem part.
I was already expecting this place to be good bc of word of mouth from friends and co-​workers… But this place FAR FAR EXCEEDED MY WILDEST DREAMS for a coffee experience.

Decent coffee but disappointed with the lack of «entertainment» like how other Unilocal described. I was hoping for a show but I felt like I was just in a Starbucks.

This is THE place to get coffee.
Not in the area. just period.
I’ve been to great spots around the world. Nobody is more creative than these guys.
If you find yourself within 300 miles you should stop by. seriously.

For the coffee snob, this is your safe haven.
Spacing is very tight, hence why you need to make reservations. I went with a friend here and had the privilege of Truman serving us. This was right before he was leaving to compete in the barista championship so we got a taste of his competing working. That guy can make art.
If you want to give your coffee taste buds an adventure, try the Theorem. This is a place for the specialty drinks you’re curious about. Not sure I’ll be back, I’m just a regular cup of joe kind of guy.

This place is definitely very unique from any other coffee place I’ve been to. I loved it. They have your classic drinks: lattés, cappuccinos, macchiatos, but they also have limited time drinks that rotate every so often. I wanted something different when I came so I ordered their mint-​infused cold brew, per the barista’s recommendation. I was a tad bit skeptical about it at first, but after the first sip, I loved it. It was so good and definitely VERY different from anything I’ve ever had.
I’d love to come back and try one of their classic drinks, I’m sure even their basic stuff is absolutely grand.

So the only reason I’ve ended up at this place twice is because Portola is always closed when I come. I wish Portola would be more clear about their hours. Apparently Theorem will make coffee/​lemonade drinks on Portola’s menu but the barista/​bartender was pretty rude about it and said it was a hassle when my friend politely asked if it was possibility. That wasn’t very customer-​friendly, but I guess you kind of have to expect it since the Mix Mart is basically chock-​full of pretentious hipsters…
As for the drinks, they really are superior to normal coffee. I had never heard of a coffee concept bar so I was intrigued by their menu. The menu features 6 drinks that change every month, many of which are served to mimic a cocktail. The storefront menu is confusing it simply lists «enter, explore, imbibe, learn, relish, and taste» which categorizes each drink they feature. Go inside for a paper menu with a detailed description of each drink.
I was caught between ordering the blackberry mojito and the «Coffee Mule». I was disappointed to find they ran out of the blackberry mojito at the counter, but my love affair with Moscow Mules has no bounds so I went with that. I’ll admit I was not quite sure what to expect. The end result was a beautiful concoction served in a lowball glass which really made it appear as if it were cocktail. The cold brewed coffee that the barista/​bartender used was great– he shook it over ice and topped it off with ginger beer and mint. I really liked how refreshing it tasted in the summer heat. It was certainly unique and probably worth the $ 5.
I’ve also come here for the iced cold brew coffee which is excellent. It’s very strong and decently priced at under $ 3. You might need some agave to sweeten it up but I definitely recommend it for hot weather.
Overall, I would probably return. Hipsters really do know their way around coffee…

I’m still unsure of Theorem’s relation to Portola. I wish that Portola had clearer signage in their location for their hours and Theorem’s hours. A ‘coffee bar’ is a cool idea. At first, the lack of seating in Theorem seemed inconvenient, but there are many seats in the open space area next outside the bar.
That being said, the barista here was friendly, helpful, and speedy. I just had the iced coffee, which was strong and also very smooth and seemed to have a slight fruit aftertaste. The iced coffee here tasted less acidic and roasted than Kean’s iced coffee, which I previously considered the best iced coffee in Orange County.

This place wasn’t only about the amazing coffee we enjoyed. It’s about the experience we had while waiting for our coffee. Best $ 7 for a cup of experiance and knowledge by our barista.

I am such a Portola fan. I love the knowledge they carry and share, and their execution is always top-​notch. There is no denying they are the best at what they do in the area, by a long shot.
That being said, I also love the idea of Theorem. I mean… the former idea of Theorem? I was honestly realllyyyyy disappointed that I waited so long to come here. A few of us drove up from SD and I think it wasn’t worth it, all things considered. They used to do reservations and you could book for an hour and learn from really experienced and knowledgeable baristas. However, for some reason (I am sure to meet demands), they don’t do this anymore. Theorem is now a room with the specialty drinks, slightly pricier but worth it if you care.
I was really, really, really hoping to tap into the knowledge of the baristas for a while. As someone who is an aspiring coffee snob, caring about growing to roasting to brewing to nuances, I was hoping to glean some info. However, we came when it was busy and I felt rushed by the barista (nice as he is) to choose. My questions were answered quickly, so I stopped asking because I could see he had a lot to do. No points off for customer service, because he did his job well and was friendly, just busy.
I am sad Theorem is not the same as it was, I am sad they don’t take reservations, I am sad they are so dang popular that it’s hard to actually chat with them since their wealth of knowledge is so great.
I could go on a rant of how they have sold their souls for a buck, but that’s probably untrue. I think they have a solid business model of keeping up with what the clients want, but it disappoints me as someone looking for a completely different experience, one that was once offered but is no more. RIP tasting room/​reservations Theorem.

My best friend and I wanted explore the OC Mix and we found Theorem accidentally because the barista at Portola said they were closed but Theorem, which is also part of Portola, was still open.
We walked around the corner and saw the entrance into a mini bar like place. They had a regular menu (ranging from $ 3 – 5) and a special menu ($ 5/​drink). I am not much of a coffee connoisseur and my stomach is a weaksauce and cannot handle much coffee either so I definitely don’t know much about coffee. The barista was very helpful in advising us on what drink to get. In the end, my bff got the macchiato and I got the cappuccino.
Both are bitter but the smell of the coffee was very fragrant! I enjoyed the coffee art but I honestly cannot comment on the quality of it. There are a lot of tables around the area to sit and enjoy your coffee inside/​outside.
Very hipster place and there are a lot of other stores around the area to get lost in because the place is sort of a maze.

The best coffee ever. Also the most expensive ever.
Don’t be fooled by the $ 10pp eventbrite tix, that’s just the deposit. After you drink up, you’ll hand over your plastic for another $ 30 plus whatever tip you decide to give.
Yes that’s $ 25pp to have three coffee beverages not including tip.
It’s an experience, limited, 6 seats per session and seasonal, we had a spin on egg nog and also a peppermint latte. Oh and you get hit with a lot of bean knowledge.
I would do it again. Yes it’s THAT good.