Rekindle Coffee — Restaurant in Orange

I like this place and definitely plan to return. Now that I have that out of the way, I'm gonna discuss why it's not a perfect place -- it'll seem like I dislike Rekindle Coffee. Just remember, I'm a repeat customer and plan to keep it that way.

The Setting: It's not a particularly large shop, with a narrow interior and limited outdoor seating. Inside, there's a long counter with stools, maybe 8 total, with a small counter around the corner (room for maybe 2 more people). Outside there's about 3 to 4 tables. This is not the place for large groups.

That's balanced by the whimsical decor and solid music. When I came on a recent Saturday morning, they were playing Depeche Mode (Gen Xers will appreciate it!).

The Parking: There's a limited parking in front but it shares a larger lot with the nearby strip mall.

The Drinks: For a place with "coffee" in the name, I'm actually disappointed at the java. I got the cookie butter cold foam cold brew and found the coffee itself to be too sour and acidic. After stirring the cold foam thoroughly, it made the drink more palatable (though that isn't the point of cold foam). My wife got the snickers latte and we both agreed it was way too sweet and didn't taste like a Snickers at all. In fact, it wasn't worth the empty calories so we asked if we could "trade it in" for a different drink. Fortunately, the staff there was so kind and let us have a tropical tea as a replacement; and the new drink was delicious!

The Entrees: This is where it's at! I ordered the bacon avocado croissant and it was yummy! Sure, it was a little overpriced at about $15, but it was quite satisfying and came with a bag of chips. My wife ordered the keto wrap (essentially a lettuce-wrapped sandwich) that she was able to customize with her choice of protein and veggies. Not only was it tasty but it was also huge -- think Chipotle-sized burrito, but keto friendly. It also came with a bag of chips.

The Dessert: I ordered the blueberry cream cheese twist, which was $5 but a decent size. It was a little too soft for my liking, but certainly satisfied my taste buds. In fact, my only regret was not having more room -- Rekindle offers a huge variety of sweets, from muffins and scones to brownies and monster-sizes cookies.

The Customer Service: The staff here sealed the deal. I was ready to write them off because the coffee has never been up to par, but the folks here were so kind, understanding, and knowledgeable. They really made me feel welcomed, and that makes all the difference sometimes.

The Conclusion: It's rather ironic that I don't like the coffee at this coffee shop but love the food. If you enjoy sugary drinks (think Dutch Bros or boba), you'll enjoy their coffee. But if prefer strong coffee with traditional tastes (think Vietnamese or Italian), try the tea instead and stay for the food. My true rating is 3.5 out of 5, but I'm happily rounding up because of the awesome customer service and delicious sweet and...

Was looking for some place during our travel to the OC that wasn’t Starbucks burnt coffee. Searched reviews and found this gem! 💎

It’s off of Tustin Avenue with a decent size back parking lot and parking right outside the front of the Coffee Shop.

Walking in there was a giant glass counter full of delicious treats and a list of latte flavors and teas. There was also a food menu (I’ll get to that later) with healthy delicious options. So really something for whatever you may be craving…whether it’s a blueberry cream cheese pastry, a giant cookie (chocolate chip, sugar, m&m you name it), cheesecake, coconut macaroons (omg these were lit 🔥), or avocado toast with balsamic glaze, bruschetta bagels (my husband ate one almost every morning this week), or a ham and cheese breakfast sandwich just to name a few (so many options).

I can personally recommend the avocado toast, coconut macaron, the blueberry.cream cheese filling pastry, the ham and cheese breakfast sandwich, the bruschetta bagels, the strawberry 🍓 matcha, the coffee, the lattes ☕️, hot chocolate and the apple 🍏 jack matcha.🍵, chocolate chip cookie 🍪 and sugar cookie!

I was hesitant to review early on because anyone who tries this place will become regulars (and I was selfish and didn’t want them to run out of the bruschetta bagels - sorry!) but here I am leaking this info to the locals and those who are coffee aficionados seeking smooth tasting coffee that fills you with that warm comfort and early morning energy. 🌅 IYKYK

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5...

A cozy little coffee shop with some killer desserts.

Rekindle is connected to a small strip mall that had a decent amount of parking when I arrived on a Sunday afternoon.

Coming into the shop, there were some limited bar style counter seats on the inside and some tables outside. It was a bit busy when I got there as something else to be mindful of on the weekend.

After looking over the menu for a bit, I ended up get a DIY sandwich, a wild cucumber tea, and a pumpkin scone.

One thing I learned at the cafe was that the desserts are made in-house and think they shine as one of my favorite parts. There's a lot to choose from including cookies, pastries, and cakes. I ended up eyeing the pumpkin scone and was so glad I did. It had great flavor; not overly sweet; and was nice and crunchy on the outside/soft on the inside. Absolutely loved it.

The drinks are also pretty numerous with special seasonal drinks like a witch's brew to iced teas which is what I ended up getting with less sweetener. The wild cucumber had some notes of blueberry and cucumber mixed into a black tea. It was super refreshing!

Finally, the DIY sandwich had a ton of options. I mixed in turkey with chipotle sauce, pepperoncinis, and a host of veggies. Took a little long to make but was super delicious and filling when it came out. It also came with a side of chips you can choose.

A fun stop - hope to come...