Our Daily Grind

New owner!!! It’s now called Fig and Rose. Best organic coffee ever! The staff are extremely friendly and offer fantastic service. They are still making improvements but are open for business. I can’t wait to see all the improvements they’ll make. 120% improvement over previous owner!

I came in for a single shot latte. Lets put all the home atmosphere and friendly service aside, this place pretty much makes the best latte in town. It is definitely comparable to a latte from a certain intelligent place in Venice. If you work around here, go for it, you won’t regret it.

I was on my lunch break, just casually walking down Main Street, when I stumbled upon this place near the northern end. It was a hot day but I had been tired at work so I went in for a cup. The place was empty, but lucky for me they had just brewed a fresh batch of Mississippi Mud Urth coffee. Too often I settle for bland, over processed coffee that’s been sitting in the pot for hours. It was nice to get a fresh cup for a change.
The woman behind the counter was also incredibly friendly and talkative. Definitely made me feel welcome. I couldn’t stay because I had to get back to work, but I liked the atmosphere. It’s dark and cozy, feels like a place where you could get lost in. It’s not a spot for sunny afternoons, but rather a place to hunker down on a cold day.

Stopped by for a regular coffee while passing through town. They serve Urth coffee. The shop owner was very friendly and had a lot of regulars.
I would not necessarily stay here to read the paper or have friends come here to chat as it is rather dark and poorly lighted.

Our Daily Grind is located on Main St. in downtown El Segundo. It is one of the very few independent coffee houses in the area. Upon walking in, I saw quaint furniture that reminded me of a grandmother’s house in the country. The chairs were wooden or wicker. Vinyl tablecloths adorned the small tables. Most importantly, the room was very dark other than the sun peeking in through the windows. I would hate to see what this place looks like on a cloudy day. It was also silent, no music, nothing.
I looked at the mostly chalkboard menu which was hard to read with the poor lighting. There was no one behind the counter either. I thought I’d walked in on a closed coffeehouse where they forgot to lock the door. Then I noticed a woman in the back corner reading a paper. She looked at me and asked me what I wanted. It was a very awkward situation.
I decided to keep it simple and order the brown bag lunch that was advertised for $ 5.00 which included a sandwich, chips, fruit, and coffee. I was deciding on what coffee I should have when the woman informed me that she had just brewed some coffee that was a medium roast. I decided to go for it. As she prepared the coffee she told me that it was made from organic beans. She asked me what kind of sandwich I wanted and I said turkey. Then she said that all of her sandwiches are prepared on wheat bread. Clearly she wanted to make a point that this coffeehouse served healthy food. I then picked my chips from a small basket on the counter and a banana.
I asked her what the operating hours were and she said they open at 6 and usually close at 3. She also said that you could call ahead and order. With that she took off and went back to reading her paper. Feeling such a weird vibe from being inside the place, I decided to eat outside on one of the two patio tables also adorned with vinyl tablecloth. The coffee was not too strong, and not that bitter either. The sandwich was fresh but not too spectacular as it consisted of cold cuts. The banana was fresh. Overall it was good for the price but nothing out of this world.

We may associate liberalism with lattes today, but the rise of the right was fueled with coffee. Suburban housewives held coffee klatches that became the modern day salons that launched the conservative revolution.
I don’t know when the Our Daily Grind opened, but as soon as you step in to its doors, I was taken aback by its downhome décor. Large dining tables greet you and what looks like the owner’s personal effects appear throughout the store. A few of them were George W. Bush’s portraits. It felt like I stepped into someone else’s kitchen complete with jars of ingredients like chocolate powder.
That jar (or was it a box?) of chocolate powder went straight to my mocha. The stuff here is from Urth and so the mocha was well-​done.
One other way this place isn’t like any other coffee house: they close not soon after lunch. Coffee without a scene? Hey, what a concept!