portola coffee lab

the flat white hits the spot! atmosphere is nice, relaxed, and inviting. you couldn't ask for much more with your coffee. i am happy, and would come back!

nommy chai, sooooo gooood will come back for more. this place is like the anaheim packing district but less crowded ! definitely a place for studying and chilling with your friends. the scenery is modern and hip!

located inside soco, surrounded by high-end shops and home furnishing stores, portola's open 360 degree operation is beautifully designed in bright whites, grays and greens, with wood and metal accents throughout. a bit off to the side is a bar for extra seating where you can see their shiny white roasting machine. james and i ordered a cappuccino and flat white, respectively, and while the wait was long, it was definitely worth it. plus, i always enjoy watching the various drinks being carefully made at each station.

this place has excellent options for your inner coffee snob, from hand pours to a flat white, to a flat brown to a powerful cold immersion. it's a little pricey, but you get what you pay for. the original location in the oc mix is a great open space to work from, with free wifi and plenty of seating options. it's a great place i hope makes its way south to san diego!

this has truly become the place to try incredible coffee! however: i can only speak of the seemingly seasonal coffee bean experienced thru the following 4 brew methods, trifecta, siphon, v60 or kyoto!!! i believe if you come here for a traditional coffee(latte etc) you are truly missing out on an incredible coffee experience - it would be like going to an incredible sushi restaurant and ordering a california roll!!! lol
my girlfriend is not a coffee drinker and was amazed trying my black coffee v60 brewed. yes, a non coffee drinker liked my black coffee!:-) i have always found the staff helpful and yes (true to most artisan coffee shops i've been too) some of the staff have that mentally dark and tortured personality and seem to live on the fringe of life! lol
btw my gf had the hot chocolate which i have to say was amazing, incredible chocolate flavor without that artificial sickly sweetness too often found in hot chocolate. the veggie burrito was very good, the pop pies are great but some of the other pastries are kind of bland. however, this truly is the place to try and discover coffee. 4.5 out of 5 stars


-----24 dec, 2012-----

round 2, second visit! now made a favorite this place is awesome: i luv a place that takes its coffees seriously! got the siphon style the first time, then the same blend trifecta this time. definitely and difference in taste and so far i'm a fan of the siphon: seems lighter, the trifecta is bolder (note these are the same coffee black just brewed differently. had the pastrami sandwich,very good as well . this is a must visit if you are a coffee buff! 4 out of 5 stars


-----22 dec, 2012-----

great place! i love the concept: to extract the optimum flavor of a coffee ground, there is a optimum balance of steeping, temperature and water saturation: this places offers the implantation of those theories in a hip fun lab setting! can't wait to come back!
3.2 of 5 stars

ordered a capp and it suuuucked. dude spent 20 min making a heart in the foam but only put 1/4 of foam. espresso was pretty good though.

good coffee bad service. i love the coffee there is one of the most delicious coffee cups i've ever had unfortunately i don't go there as often as i would like to cause the people that work there are a real stiffs and when you ask any questions related to the menu they are condescending and almost like they are the ones doing you a favor. so coffee good snobby condescending hipsters are in the way of it, so that's to bad cause it could be good. bad atmosphere(not friendly at all)

all in all this was a much better experience than my first drink. there are a few more places at the oc mart mix that i would like to come and try so i will definitely be back and stop by for a drink! they also offer free wi-fi for patrons to use. a nice place to chit chat with friends over a good drink.

while the roaster is the star attraction, let’s not forget the brewers in the center island. here is where the other half of the magic is made. here they use one of three brewing methods. the v-60, trifecta, or siphon. let’s take a small trip on what each brewing method is and why they don’t just have one method of brewing.