Neat Coffee — Restaurant in Costa Mesa

Neat Coffee is responsible for the mess in the backseat of my car. On any given day, there's a mound of dead soldiers marked with Neat's signature "a-ok" insignia, splashes of their elixirs so lovingly brewed, lipstick stains that speaks to the passion behind my every gulp. I'm addicted to this coffee, so much so that the word coffee seems insufficient when describing the alchemy that goes into every cup. I love that Neat features a rotating lineup of local and nationally-celebrated roasters. That said, you must start your love affair with Neat by acquainting yourself with the drip coffee to truly taste the distinctive notes in these varying roasters' crafts. It's revelatory that a cup of coffee can taste so good, especially if you order it with cream and sweetened with house simple syrup. Quality control is on-point here, so you're almost always certain to get the same, consistent cup despite who's pouring it. Additionally, Neat tends to brew well-rounded, chocolatey, nutty varieties of coffee; if you see the magic words Colombia or Peru, you're in for a real treat. This isn't a coffee shop that brews bitter or acidic roasts. The coffee is decadent and dessert-worthy every time, no matter where the beans come from in the US. It's dope that Neat leaves the roasting to the experts and celebrates the best out there-- while perfecting its own preparation and presentation. Kudos for sticking to what you know and not trying to do it all! I recently needed more of a kick in my life, so I ventured out of the box for an Americano and I can honestly say it's the best version of this classic I've ever had. Their espresso is superb, and again, paired with a barista's dosing of cream and simple syrup, translates to an almost-too-good-to-be-coffee morning time drink. Love the service and friendly vibes when truly, they've earned snobby rights here, and I'd return just the same. Lastly, I'm not a vegan but the vegan donuts are awesome, so make sure to try one with your drip coffee and you'll be hooked on...

Neat Coffee is my favorite Westside Costa Mesa coffee shop. Their seasonal lattes are always delicious, creative, and not too sweet or over powering, probably because they're homemade. Their pan con tomato toast is my fave toast (though they're all good) and made on Rye Goods bread which is to dieee for. On the weekends they've got awesome pop-up shops out front from local small biz people that I often snag something cool from, like a handmade mug or some vintage jeans. They're vibes are definitely gram-worthy with a really clean and cute inside, and fun lawn games outside. Plus they've got community events like Run Club and summer movie nights! (they post all their events on their instagram) Anyways Neat...

Wow, one of the best establishments I've been to in months!

This place is for locals. Amazing community, people here know each other and have fun together after work. That said, it was equally easy to get hours of work done here.

Oh, and the baristas have honed their craft!

My oat cappuccino with real maple was the perfect ratio of sweet to rich coffee flavor! I'm most often disappointed with espresso drinks - too many shops are capitalizing on a wonderful European tradition without proper training. Not here. They know what's up!

I was especially taken by how one sifted and whisked the matcha with a Zen-like attention. I had to ask, 'Have you been to Japan'? Yep, that was it.

And classic name!...