Cafe Maji — Restaurant in Artesia

I’ve been to this place five or six times. The coffee is usually great—especially the hot pistachio latte—but the service has consistently been disappointing, and my experiences have only gotten worse over time. I don’t usually take things personally, and I’ve never left a bad review before, but this owner has given me too many reasons to speak up.

On a previous visit, I came in to take an online class. I was almost late so as my friend and I were quickly setting up the owner interrupted and asked what I was ordering. I told him I’d order in a bit, but he seemed frustrated and said I had to order to stay. I did—no big deal.

This most recent visit, I brought friends. Knowing how things usually go, I went to the counter right after setting my stuff down to order. He told me, “Not now! I’m busy, I get your order in ten minutes.” The place wasn’t even busy, but I tried to be understanding. Still, he never came back. He took orders from two other groups who came in after us, and while my friends got their drinks, I didn’t get anything—by then it felt too late.

Fifteen minutes later, I went up to ask for water. Before I could say anything, he cut me off with, “No, you can’t have water anymore—I already gave water to other non-customers.” I was confused. He saw my friends had drinks, and I had tried to order earlier. I reminded him, and only then he said, “Oh right! What do you want to order?” He wasn’t rude at that point, but it was too late for coffee by then, and I just said “Never mind.”

Please don’t support places like this. The owner does not understand customer service. It’s a bummer, because the coffee itself isn’t bad—but it’s not enough to make up for how poorly people are treated. I’ve given this place multiple chances, and every time it’s gotten worse. He seems constantly stressed and frustrated, slamming things behind the bar, which makes the environment tense and hard to work in—even with noise-canceling headphones.

I don’t think he’s rude on purpose, but being overwhelmed isn’t an excuse to treat paying customers poorly. Sadly, I have to stop recommending this place. I genuinely hope he realizes that the way he runs this business isn’t okay.

Also the alarming amount of warning signs should be a red flag that should’ve noticed earlier.

If you still decide to go, get the hot pistachio latte. But don’t say I...

It wasn't the strange, uneven layout that deterred me. It wasn't the lack of AC or even the overpriced $9 drinks; it was the service. I can't recall the last time a coffee shop, of all places, had absolutely horrendous customer service.

The moment I sat down, I knew that I wanted to order something, but alarm bells were going off in my mind after seeing a menu placed on every table. It was like the owner was explicitly forcing people to buy something. Already at a rough start, I hesitantly sat down, and a quick glance at the menu revealed an overwhelming number of menu items, all at an inflated $9. It felt too intimidating and did not seem worth it at all. Still, the only saving grace of this place was a calm area to work, with a nice piano in the background. But all of those positives were ruined once the owner came up to me and rudely demanded, "Can you order something already? You can work later, but you need to get something".

After being forced to order something to even be able to sit down, I've never felt this humiliated in a cafe. I usually don't take things personally, but this struck several nerves. I get that in any business shop, it is customary to order something to sit down, but the staff would gently remind you to take your time, or at least be cordial and inviting. This man lacked any social etiquette. I advise for anyone reading this to please look elsewhere. There are plenty of local cafes in the area, with much better prices and service.

It really is a shame, though. I read another post here, and I do agree that the drinks aren't bad at all. The price, atmosphere, and service are what give this...

This is a magical place of good eats and desserts. It is a cute little cafe that is nicely decorated with old fashioned knick-knacks and anime. It is cozy and it serves delicious comfort foods.

The cafe is inside a shopping center and it has a parking lot. It can be busy on weekends in the afternoon. There is street parking available around the corner. The inside of the cafe is clean and well kept. They have a restroom available for paying customers. Staff is attentive and are quick to take your order. There's a water dispenser available which is nice when you get overwhelmed with all the sugar.

Now to the good part...the food. I have been to Cafe Maji a couple of times and have always ordered dessert. I wanted to try the food and I ordered the spicy chipotle chicken panini. It comes with chicken, bell peppers, onion, chipotle sauce, and mozzarella cheese. The whole plate comes with a side of honey and a small kelp salad. The panini bread has almonds baked on top of it. The sandwich was really good and flavorful. When you combine the sandwich with honey it turns sweet and spicy. The kelp salad was fresh and it was mixed with a light dressing.

Overall, this cafe is super cute and there's many options to choose from. It is definitely a place where you have to try everything...