Cafe West

Café West is my ultimate favorite café around my area. Seriously… I am always down to drive 6mi. just for their drinks :)
I normally get their grasshopper latte or some of their teas. I like their drinks too, but i don’t really go for that but for the atmosphere…
now im suuuper sad they closed and hope they’ll open again soon!

I came here to study. Bad idea, the couches were too comfy and the music was good but a little loud for me to listen to my own music. Service here was really good. The tea was good, and like everyone says, the panini with potato salad … delish! It’s a nice place to study, but this place closes at 6PM!!! Why?!

Ok So this place just isn’t my cup of tea. When my boyfriend and I walked up to this place we were looking for something quick but low key and I figured this would be a good place to start. I’ve been trying to visit every establishment on this downtown fullerton section. First thing that went wrong was the door wouldn’t open. Literally it stuck, my boyfriend was ready to turn around right then thinking it was a bad sign, being superstitious. I laughed it off and we went inside. When we got in it reminded me of a typical college run café like I used to work at back in the suburbs of philadelphia. A little run down, not a lot of people working some random art on the walls, I figured it was just opened or something?
But no I quickly realized this was a hipsters attempt at a hole in the wall café with none of the warmth I always associate with such. The art was so bad a troubled 10 year old could have produced it. None of the furniture matched which didn’t bother me, except it was all falling apart and uncomfortable. We ordered two tuna melts, they said they were decent sized so we didn’t get sides. And a chai latte for me. We waited at the rickety table for a half hour for some cold sandwiches while watching one girl do her nails at the counter and the other girl half heartedly maike our sandwiches. They were tiny. My boyfriend was pissed and we even had to later get more food because it was so small.
They kept these wierd pamphlets/​comic book/​poetry books for sale for 10 bucks on a table nearby which were by the same person who did most of the terrible art. With names on it like «how to not be emo in a hipster world» and stuff like that, would be funny but was just downright sad.
All in all I hated the place, and if your not a a young college student at nearby Cal State Fullerton then I wouldn’t suggest it. Or if you just have taste, and I mean for a good meal.

This review is based on the ham and swiss, fresh fruit, fuji apple iced tea (the lunch package), I am yet to try their coffee.
Service was slow, that’s all I’ll say about it. Wasn’t really upset, but it was incredibly slow.
Here’s the thing about the food though. $ 6.99 for lunch package seemed like a bit of a rip off after I got it. The ham and swiss contained quality ingredients (plenty of high grade swiss, semi-​decent amount of good quality ham, and incredibly fresh tomato), but it was SO easy to prepare and it was pretty small. I’m sure you can buy the ingredients and make this sandwich just as easily as the shop, but regardless, it was still delicious.
The fresh fruit was absolutely fresh, no complaints there. I’m assuming they may have even cut it while I was waiting (another prospective reason for the slow service). There IS a 50 cent additional charge to the lunch package, but that was money well spent.
The fuji apple iced tea was pretty good, but nothing TOO special. Definitely tasted fresh, but it didn’t have much of a tea consistency. It tasted more like fuji apple water than it did fuji apple iced tea and I drink iced tea incredibly OFTEN.
Would I go back here? Probably not for the lunch package because $ 6.99 (or $ 7.50 after the 50 cent charge for fruit instead of potato salad/​chips) is far too much for what they give you. Was I pleased? Yea, for the most part.
I’ll add to this review if I ever try their coffee.
P. S. Is the art there done by children? This isn’t to be offensive, but I was kind of confused looking at some of the art on the walls.

I love Downtown Fullerton. I come here a lot because it’s so close by, and they always have great little cafes and coffee shops — Café West is one of them.
The lunch special comes with half a sandwich or soup or salad with a side of chips or fruit (for $ 0.50 more) and your choice of Iced tea for about $ 7. I opted for the Turkey Pesto Panini with a side of fruit and the apricot iced tea.
The sandwich was really good — melty cheese with turkey slices and tomato with a generous spread of pesto and crunchy, toasty bread. The fruit was actually in season and delicious too– strawberries, blackberries and watermelon. The apricot iced tea was good too, although towards the end of it, it started to taste a little bitter.
Definitely coming back to try some more of their teas.

Summary: great panini! awesome teas
FOOD: Had the tuna melt and it was amazing! perfect crunch with the toasted bread. wasn’t too crazy about the potato salad. i also had a mint lemonade tea which was just perfect.
WI Fi: wasn’t working at the time i was there, but they had free wi fi. They also have abundant outlets because they put power strips around so its pretty nice if you are there with a laptop
Ambience: they had an art installation by a local artist when i was there called «you’re doing a really great job». i really liked it, i wanted to purchase one of the pieces but I didn’t know how to go about doing that. also there are these huge couches where you can hang out and pretend that you’re the cast of Friends!
for anyone from fullerton, it reminds me of the hub … kinda sorta.

This is a GREAT café. They have so many unique drinks and meals.
When I went, I had the lunch special that consisted of a tuna melt, fruit salad, and a Moroccan mint tea! My tuna melt wasn’t «melted» :(but the tea was so fabulous. I didn’t add any sugar to mine because I liked it the way it was. The mint was mild and was so flavorful at same time.
They have free wifi which is always a plus.

Nestled behind the hip little area of Downtown Fullerton, amongst the hidden parking lot world behind those red brick walls on Harbor, is Café West, a nice, humble little coffee shop, right next to a Labanese place, a pizza eatery, and several bars.
Interior has that urban, independent, artsy coffee shop feel. Earthy colors, vintage lamps, and urban paintings are on display. I could describe the place as «earthy and cushy.» There are comfy couches with cushions on the front and back. There are rectangular wooden tables for homework and round wiry metal tables for conversations. One of the couch areas has a curtain over it – a nice little touch. The place is medium sized, but quite roomy. A group of 5 – 10 would seat just fine.
Other than the usual coffee, loose teas, and iced blends with prices ranging from $ 1.75 to $ 5, the menu consists of various sandwiches/​paninis, salads, pastries, and $ 6.99 lunch specials. Offering more than coffee and a relaxing, hip atmosphere, it’s a good alternative to Starbucks.
I did not try the food yet, but I had drip coffee. Everything seems to be pretty much organic. There’s free wi-​fi. The password is the phone number. Excellent place for after-​lunch conversations. There is one restroom, but clean. There is also some outdoor seating. A real downside, though, is that they close at 6pm.
It’s always nice to find a nice, little independent coffee shop in this area, and it’s close to everything else. Overall, a pleasant find.

Came here for a girl’s lunch out and coffee one day. I really liked the comfy couches to sit in and even though you place your order at the counter, the staff serves you at your seat. The panini and sandwich options are good. Lots of variety. They have a lunch special that includes ½ sandwich or panini, side salad (potato dill or garden), and an iced tea. The menu on the wall doesn’t show they have salads, but the take out menu does include about 5 salads to choose from. They have a hot tea menu with a variety of teas.
I ate the garden side salad with ½ a calabrese panini and drank the lavender and black iced tea. It was very yummy. I had a taste of the dill potato salad from one of my friends and it was so creamy and delicious. I would definitely order that if I go again.
True to a coffeehouse, they have a variety of cookies and pastries. All looked really good, so will have to try on another visit.

Café West is a great place to study, hands down!
It is never busy because it is pretty well hidden, like everything else in downtown Fullerton and the drinks are to die for. The drinks are all organic and the price is not too shabby. The first time I came here I ordered the Black Tea Latte and it definitely made studying political science much more enjoyable. My sister came here with her friend to grab some lunch and from what I hear from them the Café West lunch menu is delicious. I definitely plan on being a regular here.
Overall, a cute café that plays great study music and offers up great drinks and food to make studying a blast!

Very cute place but a bit hard to find. There’s a free parking lot and it’s located to the north of the lot. I didn’t get a chance to try their food, but my friends who had lunch there before I met up with them said the food was good. I ordered an iced vanilla coffee, and it was really strong and had very little sugar — ugh. I had to put several packets in. So I don’t know if I’d order coffee again there (or at least I’ll make sure they sweeten it) but I’d try one of their yummy-​looking desserts or grab a bite to eat instead. You order and pay in the front.

I am convinced I ordered the wrong items. Had the panini with fresh mozarella (it was NOT fresh) with fresh tomato and basil (NOT FRESH) and olive oil. First, it took 30+ minutes («because the grills were not hot enough») although I was there at noon (lunchtime). The panini was soo salty and dripping with grease. I could nto finish it. The caprese panini at starbucks is 1000x better.
I saw other people getting only cold sandwiches. Maybe no one orders these hot sandwiches at this location. Anyways, probably won’t be returning.

Cozy, cute, and comfortable :) There are a few couches, lots of artwork on the walls, and cute tables and chairs. I came here with a friend on a Thursday for lunch. The place wasn’t too crowded, and parking wasn’t terrible. Service was pretty good, and our waitress was really friendly and sweet.
I had the Chicken, Cheddar, and Bacon panini with a side of dill potato salad (7.99). The panini was pretty good. I liked the chicken, tomato, and mayo combination. I’m usually a fan of cheese, but there was a bit too much cheddar layered on. The panini was pretty oily. I went through a lot of napkins. I might opt for a regular sandwich next time! The dill potato salad was tasty; it has a lot of dill and onions.
I also had the Café Cubano (3.59 for regular size), which is espresso with milk, honey, cinnamon and probably some other ingredients that I can’t recall. But this coffee tasted really good and was very fragrant; a hint of sweetness, a tad bitter, and lots of cinnamon. I’d highly recommend this if you want to try something other than a cappuchino or macchiato!
The restaurant isn’t really in an obvious spot. If you drive down Harbor and turn right on Amerige, there will be a parking lot on the right side. Café West is in that lot.
I’d definitely come back here to try some other stuff.

I love his place. I have been here a couple of times and whenever I want to eat a healthy lunch then this is the place to go to.
Everyone says hidden gem this and hidden gem that but this is really one of those places that you walk by all the time and then the day you go inside it just blows your mind.
TIP: Try some of the organic Teas. Really great and one of the few places that actually serves organic teas.
verdict: Love it

A lovely place to have lunch. I liked the atmosphere and the deco. As a Cal State Fullerton student, I wanted to find good eats around Fullerton and I found the perfect place! I love tea and they offer a variety– so far I’ve tried the Moroccan Mint and Citrus Hibiscus and they were both good. I got the lunch special, which is any ½ sandwich or panini, choice of side & a regular iced tea or fountain drink for $ 6.99. I chose the Hippie Chick Vegetarian sandwich, the famous dill potato salad and Moroccan Mint. As other reviews have said, the dill potato salad was BOMB. The mayo didn’t overwhelm the potatoes. The sandwich had alfalfa sprouts, lettuce, tomatoes, purple onion, swiss, avocado, cucumber, mayo & mustard on squaw. Yum!
The only thing I was disappointed in was the red velvet cupcake. I didn’t buy it, because I asked them if the frosting was cream cheese and they said ‘no’- which is why I didn’t get it. I’m sorry, but a red velvet MUST have cream cheese frosting on it!
Nevertheless, it’s my new fav place in Fullerton for the moment.

I wasn’t terribly impressed with Café West. I really wanted to like it, and from the other reviews here, it sounded awesome, but I found my experience here last week lacking. Sure, the aforementioned chai bomb was tasty, maybe a little too sweet, and their sandwiches are HUGE and the potato salad is very, very good, but the prices were a bit high, given the fact that it’s downtown Fullerton. This is Fullerton, friends, not Beverly Hills. Why is my head-​sized, plain bread, store-​bought deli meat sandwich almost $ 10? Why is my medium-​sized drink over $ 4? Jinkies!
The service, too, was mediocre. At first, I found the staff friendly and quite competent, but five minutes I ordered my drink I hadn’t received it, and when I wandered back to the counter to investigate, I was told that it as waiting for me on a nearby table. Huh? I turned, and there, at an open table, just sitting there, was my drink. What happened here? Was the girl going to bring it back to me and then forgot? Did she get tired from the heavy lifting? Did she need to sit down and take a break? And why leave it on a table? Why not the coffee bar? Why not call out that the drink is ready so that I could come fetch it? If I hadn’t investigated, how long would it have sat there? Worse than that, the staff weren’t even apologetic about it, as if leaving drinks on random tables is common practice at Café West. I understand that it was only a few minutes, but what if 10 or 15 minutes had gone by and then I came to find my drink? Would they have remade it? Scratch that – I shouldn’t have to come ferreting out my drink, period!
I dunno. Maybe my bias against all that lies behind the Orange Curtain prevents me from being entirely fair to Café West, but I just didn’t have a very enjoyable experience here.

What a great place! I walked in completely exhausted & asked for a recommendation. The lovely, friendly barista behind the counter recommended the Chai Bomb & boy is it bomb! Super tasty with a great boost of caffeine Chai Tea with Espresso. YUUUUUMMMM!
I love that they offer as many local & organic products as they can, it makes my heart and taste-​buds smile :)
Décor is cute, modern, and comfortable just the way I like it!
Goodbye Starbucks! I found my new favorite local café! Yay!
03÷11÷10 —
I had to go back to try the food! I called and ordered the Hippy chick vegetarian with the dill potato salad and the apricot iced tea (has more caffeine than coffee). It was super tasty! I am so glad to see that a coffee shop has so much vegetarian selection. They even have a vegan sandwich… niiiiiice~!

BEST I mean BEST Dill Potato Salad I’ve ever had… Next to my Grandma’s.
I always get the same thing. The club melt lunch special. Affordable and friggin yummy. And I get to eat it in the comfortable atmosphere inside orrrr the cute little set up they’ve got going on outside for those beautiful California Sunshiney days. Ideal for a study sesh or a cutesy afternoon date meeooowwww
Exceptional organic coffee and teas… never had the pastries but you can tell by the pictures that they’re EXTREMELY tempting.
Plus the woman who runs it all is the nicest. She always remembers my side of Tapatio. Thanks!

I’ve only been here once and tried one drink, so this review isn’t really based on their food offerings.
This café is located in downtown Fullerton — i’m in this area quite often but for some reason never knew about this place. It’s a really cute place and the things I like are 1) the big (and free) parking lot! (I don’t know about other people, but no matter how great a café/​restaurant is, if there isn’t ample parking, I get SUPER stressed out…) 2) there’s plenty of seating — and it’s nice and quiet (with some pleasant music)
I tried their cubano (?) latte. It’s basically a latte with honey+cinnamon. It was pretty good… but nothing to call mom about. It was tasty enough to make me happy (fyi I’m not a coffee snob so don’t trust me if you’re really picky with your coffee)
I just love this place for the ambiance. It’s a nice place to go, get something to drink, relax and chat/​read/​study (I never study) :).
Definitely will be going back soon!

This place is great! I really try to support local businesses and the fact that the owner is so friendly makes it even better!
There is a great selection of sandwiches and salads, and the iced coffee is excellent. They make their own vanilla syrup, and I’m a sucker for fresh vanilla stuff.
I also love the fact that they have veggie options, free wifi and a couple of nooks to hang out or study in.
The place is kind of hard to see from the street, but you can spot it by the tables and umbrellas by the entrance and at least there is usually parking in the lot.