Harvard Coffee

After shopping at sport chalet on sunny sunday, i was craving for ice blended coffee. the store had logo similar to diedrich. As I walked in to the store, i was greeted by an asian gentleman who was sipping his coffee on customer table. the place looked like «out of business». he said they are remodeling or going out of business. i wasn’t quite sure exactly what he said. far right of the store, they were selling commerical use freezer for $ 1500.00. i told him that i wanted «blended coffee» then he said something i didn’t quite understand. so i repeated again, «medium size blended coffee» after waiting about 5 minutes or so. he gives me hot cup of espreso. i told him that i wanted blended coffee then he tells me that i said blended espreso. he wasn’t really argumentive, but he told me i should’ve said «ice blended». anyways, he goes back and remakes my drink. after waiting another 5 or 10 minutes, i finally got my ice blended coffee. i looked at the price chart and it seems that he under charged me. he didn’t say anything about me paying the difference so i left $ 2 tip. The drink was a bit stronger than starbucks (vietnamese style). the drink was pretty good.

It’s a quiet unknown coffee shop attached to Sport Chalet.
I remember they used to open later than 6pm, but I guess its probably because they might be cutting hours to times where its most optimal to run a business. The place seats about 20 people comfortably; they have cable tv, internet, basically it’s home away from home, except that you pay for the food you eat. I just ordered a bagel egg and ham sandwich plus a café latte which came out to be $ 7. I like coming here because its well lit with natural sunlight and i can study here, so please be quiet.

Upon beginning this review I actually asked myself, can I give something zero stars? Apparently not. All I wanted was a delicious dirty chai and avoid supporting the chains. All I got was a watered down, smoky tasting excuse for a beverage, and a slight regret for boycotting starbucks since October of 2009.

This place is a dump. I went in for a simple cup of coffee and I got flavorally– molested. I got the heebie jeebies walking in, but then I saw their sandwich board that boasted «fresh coffee! Made every hour! «So I went ahead and ordered a small Hawaiian Hazelnut, which was their coffee of the day. As soon as I ordered I heard the staff whispering… which I know is never good. I should have just walked out right then. However, I went ahead and paid and waited. Then I heard a woman say, «we are out of it, what do I do?» her boss responds, «just give her what’s left of the drip and a pump of hazelnut».
(I KNOW!) So I took my cup and put some half and half in and then tasted it… sure enough I was tongue raped by super sweet hazelnut flavoring that I never asked for. W… T…F. I threw it in the trash and walked out. I hate you Harvard Coffee.

I decided to try somewhere brand new. You know, support the little guys. So I bypassed my normal Starbucks stop.
I LOVE coffee. And I love White Mocha’s. This coffee was sooo sweet I felt like I was drinking straight syrup. I took a couple of sips. Stopped and then went back to it 10 mins later and took a couple more sips. What’s the definition of stupid? Doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a different outcome. I ended up throwing out my $ 4 cup of joe. (I was driving to work, couldn’t exchange)
The guy behind the counter was nice, once he finished making his own coffee and started on mine. But hey. I wouldn’t cross me in the morning before I’ve had MY coffee so I guess I kinda understand where he’s coming from.
But then again, I just lost my cup of morning coffee and didn’t have time to get another, so, one star. I’ve been crossed.

The iced coffee was watered down and weak.
They charged me .30 extra because my purchase was under $ 5.
I was told they did not have breakfast sandwiches — even though I was standing right next to a sign that said, «breakfast sandwiches».
The sign in the front does not match the name of the place.
Basically all of the display’s where bakery items should have been were empty.
Worst coffee place around, in my opinion. Serious suckage.

— Locale destination —
It’s in a big shopping mall right off 405 fwy exit Beach Blvd. Close to Office Depot. It’s very tiny. Friendly service. There’s tons of Vietnamese food menu signs around the counter. I was confused… Do they offer the Vietnamese stuff !!! I didn’t check the truth because I just dropped by here for wi-​fi. There’s plenty of tables and chairs even for wi-​fi users ;). There’s a few outside seating.
— Gluttony expedition —
Green tea smoothie: It’s not too sweet and light green tea flavor. Milk flavor seemed a bit too strong for me, but it was OK.
— Conqueror’s deduction —
You can get a wi-​fi password at the register. I’m not a fan of coffee, so it seems to me «nothing special». If they offered the Vietnamese foods here, it’d be something unique…

I rate this place strictly on the quality of the beverages they serve. The best coffee beverages I have had in Huntington Beach, based on flavor and caffeine kick. I usually order the Americano, and the Barista uses the traditional espresso machine that requires him or her to grind the beans, pack the grinds, and pour it without pushing a button (unlike the new Machines at Starbucks that I despise). I guess you could call it the old-​fashion-​way of making espresso. I kid you not when I say that the crema, or thin layer of foam for those of you who are not coffee afficionados, is thick at the top of the glass. What’s better that that? The free wifi is great, but the atmosphere could be better. Not what you would expect from a coffee shop, too much stuff cramed into a small space and lots of smokers who hang out there. I come strictly for the coffee and then bolt.

I did a follow up today as I had to be at the Auto Club one block away. I wanted to see about the old sign that another Unilocaler had reported. Shucks. That sign is hundreds of feet away. It is part of a large stone sign that would cost thousands of dollars to change.
Sorry, I forgot to mention earlier that this coffee house has a fairly new owner. I visited in the past and the atmosphere was chilly if not down right cold. That chill in the air is gone. Every server I have met has been knowledgeable of their products and friendly. Real coffee cups upon request. Real china plates. They serve a coffee that I like. Tasty but not too strong. I drink my coffee black — so I get the full tasting experience. Yes the old owner wasn’t my type — however he is gone.
Wi-​Fi is free and they supply a surge strip for charging your laptop.
It’s me.
The owner came out from behind the counter and asked if I wanted something special baked for Mother’s Day. No other patron was asked. I often get special treatment wherever I go. See my next review of Albertson’s.

One star for being retarded. First of all, the sign off of Beach still says Coffee Capital on it. I showed up here around 8pm, in which case I’d be completely understanding if they were closed. HOWEVER they had two bright «Open» signs turned on that I could see clear from the street. When I drove up I thought to myself, «Good thing they have their open sign on because it looks so dark in there I would think it was closed». Turns out it was.

This coffee shop clearly has completed a lot of improvements and now is one of my favorites in the area. Friendly service and good coffee is always a nice combo. The coffee is very good and my friend enjoys the White Mocha coffee very much. They also have a huge selection of cookies, bagels, sandwiches and even lunch specials. It really is a great coffee shop and well worth the visit. Enjoy =)

One of my fav. local wifi/​coffee spots. good coffee, good space, good service, and just nice and low key.

Really great plain frozen yogurt… way better than all those trendy yogurt places that keep popping up every where. A tad bit pricier though. I haven’t tried their coffee yet, but it smelled great in there.
Free wi-​fi which, as a student, totally rocks.
I would go back because they have friendly kids working there, clean tables to study on and great plain frozen yogurt.

If you want a coffee review, read the others. I don’t drink the java joo but I’m drinking their mango smoothie right now on a comfy sofa. It is very tasty. Cool, refreshing chunks of frozen mango love. Asked friendly Miranda what cookie would dance well with my sugary beverage and she offered the «elephant ears.» Good call because it’s buttery, semi-​sweet, and crispy. Clean joint with two big screens.
Karaōke on Saturday nights; it’s random yet weirdly charming at the same time. Free wifi but pretty slow. The only thing that blows about this café is that the Wave 94.7 is on the PA system. I find myself getting pepe le pew on the couch for no apparent reason other than that the smooth jazziness of Dave Koz performing «Besame Mucho» has forced me to do so. BTW, there is nothing «jazz» about «smooth jazz.»

good coffee… hell, its Diedrich’s…
opportune spot to get some work done…
free wifi…(I’m actually here at Harvard right now as I type)
decent amount of seats…
doesn’t seem like ‘the cool spot to be at’ filled with ‘cool guy hipster d-bags’…or ‘cool girls that talk out loud about buying the new Radiohead on vinyl while wearing a Led Zeppelin t-​shirt’…
folks who’ve come in are studying, working on their laptops, etc…
or just on the go, ordering up some java…
would be perfect for the late-​night study session but they close at 9p Mon-​Thurs…
they’re open til 10p on Friday and Saturday though…
thats the only drawback…
F’ck that… just don’t order that extra Black label on the rocks the night before and start your a day a little early… pull up to Harvard Coffee with your copy of Businessweek and Money and post up, dammit…
let all the ‘cool guys’ sleep in…

If you are a Diedrich’s Coffee fan then don’t miss this place. You can get your fix and take home fresh beans as well from Diedrich’s. Great service, plenty of tables, plenty of electric plug-​ins for laptops and great space to work or hang out in. The staff is friendly and they have a great variety of cold and hot drinks.
If you want frozen yogurt, skip Pinkberry and go here! It is the REAL THING! Frozen yogurt that actually tastes like yogurt! They have a fresh berries, kiwi, mango, etc as well and for way less $$. I’ll make the drive to Huntington Beach for this! Absolutely the best frozen yogurt in So Cal to date! Free wireless too! Just ask for the code.
Come on people, we have to support our local coffee houses. It’s easy to miss but look for the Sport Chalet, it’s in the same parking lot.

this is the old Diedrich’s next to Sports Chalet. they’re renamed but they still serve Diedrich’s!