Wall Writers Coffee — Restaurant in Irvine

When I was a UCI Grad student in the late 2000s, the Starbucks in Campus Plaza was the place to plug in your laptop and work while getting your caffeine fix; it was always a tight fit, but even amongst the crowd, you were able to drink and study, alone or in a group. Today, I walked into Wall Writers Coffee and it felt familiar in all the ways I loved about my old haunt, but with so much more. I arrived a little after noon on a Thursday, and the tables were mostly filled, many of the patrons with laptops and books in use. Luckily, I beat the rush, as I was third in a line that very quickly grew out the door and onto the large patio. While there are a bevy of choices on the menu (classics, pour-overs, matcha, milk substitutes, etc.), I stayed simple with a white mocha and a ham and cheese croissant. The service was quick and friendly, and I had only sat down for a few minutes before my order was called. I'm happy to say that I enjoyed both the coffee and the pastry, but even more than that, I enjoyed all of the contradictions: it's in the middle of a corporate park, but it doesn't feel corporate; it's packed, but there's plenty of room and it isn't loud; it's got a lot of custom options, yet the orders are fulfilled quickly. What a marvelous find - I look forward to my next...

Positives before negatives. My coffee was a nice, full-bodied, flavorful brew. The staff were very friendly, and the location was attractive - it would be a really nice place to hang out or work on a regular day. Which takes me to the negatives...

I think this shop needs to get their seating under control. I went on a rainy Saturday, and the whole place was taken over by Magic: The Gathering players - many of which didn't even have coffee or other purchases from the shop. This left it impossible for paying customers to find a spot, with groups of customers huddled about, looking rather dismayed. For this reason, I don't think I'd return. I was told (with some apology by the friendly staff) that there was actually less of a turnout that week, and this group goes every weekend. Naturally, the card players are just living their best life - and good on 'em - but the shop needs to somehow consider paying customers as well. Maybe just allocate one long table for the game, and make sure they're all buying something. No purchase, no play?

Also... tipping. I always tip, but the tip brackets start very high on the drinks. As such, my simple black coffee ended up being $8!

Wall Writers has its charm, but sadly, at least on my first visit - these things were overshadowed by...

I wanted to love this place so much. This was our first time here. Unfortunately we didn’t have a great experience with the girl that took our order. We came on a Saturday afternoon, there were no lines, just my husband and I. The young lady behind the counter did not even greet us, just stood staring at us. She looked very annoyed, almost like we were inconveniencing her. I just looked at her hoping she’d say “hi” and still nothing. So I said hi and placed our order. No thank you from her. I felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome. A simple smile and hello, goes a long way. Service jobs really take a lot of patience but please don’t take it out on nice customers like me that didn’t do anything rude. Anyway I can’t even remember how my drink was, it was soured by that initial experience. I don’t know if we’ll be back if I assume my next experience will be the same. If you were the young lady working 4/5/25 between 11:30-12:00 please at least say hello to customers. There are a dozen other cute coffee options in Irvine. Sadly this was my experience and I feel like I wasted my money. Maybe she was having a bad day. Hope you get...