I'm feeling crazy this week - coffee shop review instead of a bar!
Play Coffee, Orange, CA
Welcome back to The Bar is Low! This week, for some reason, I’m feeling a bit burnt out of reviewing bars. I mean it’s been five weeks straight of it at this point. In lieu of a bar, I’ve decided I’m going to switch languages, and review my favorite coffee shop in Southern California! I might do another coffee shop next week as well, or maybe I’ll go back to bars. It honestly just depends. I feel like I understand why Youtubers/Tiktokers/etc. get burnt out now—like it's week six of our blogs and I’m still running my mouth about bars? I’m not sure, sound off in the comments. But for now, it's coffee!
I love Play Coffee because this location is a renovated bank. The building itself has been around since the early 1900s, which explains the coffee shops' grand ceilings and chandeliers. You can always tell when it's someone’s first time walking in because their eyes immediately go straight up to take it all in. It’s a really unique vibe, especially when a lot of coffee shops are cozier, sometimes smaller spaces. This is Play’s second location—their first is in Fullerton! However, I like this one more. It’s a really great space, there’s something fun about how people come together to work on homework or whatever it may be in one singular space. I think there's something special there–a third space within our urban planning that we can come together and remind ourselves we live within a society. On those nights where we’re really stressed and have a lot to do, the human connection of a coffee shop can really help. Play is a great spot to find that!
Grading criteria for coffee shops—the grading scale is changing this week since we’re not doing bars!
Quality of drinks - 5/5: The drinks are actually so good here! The quality is great and you can tell they are really passionate about their menu. I personally love the Strawberry Matcha, but since they make the strawberry milk in house, you can’t do an alternative milk which is unfortunate and every couple weeks it goes off the menu for some reason. I’m actually not in a big coffee phase right now, I’m more into tea, but their maple latte is great as well. I’ve been told their cold brew is good, but I’m not a fan of cold brew myself.
Customer service (service workers don’t owe us kindness but a nice barista can make your day) - 4/5: I love you Play...but this is hit or miss LOL. Luckily, I’m in so frequently that I know them fairly well now, and truthfully for the most part they’re all so sweet, but sometimes an unfriendly vibe is there. I can't lie to you guys about it, but don’t let it discourage you. Besides, service workers don’t owe us anything!
Seating - 3.5/5: Seating has actually as of recently gotten a lot easier to deal with. Which makes me kind of worried for them—where is everyone at… But it’s much less of a hassle recently, so you’ll probably be able to find a spot. It used to be incredibly hard to find a spot sometimes, but I think their initial hype might be dying (this location is only maybe a year and a half old now).
Parking - 4/5: Parking is fine here! It’s in Old Town Orange, so parking can definitely be tricky sometimes, but it shouldn’t be an issue. Luckily I always walk because I only live 3 blocks away so it’s not really a problem for me!
Overall vibe - 5/5: Maybe I’m being generous, but truthfully Play is probably in my top three favorite coffee shops in Southern California. My all time favorite is in Northern California and NYC, but Play is a special place! The location is super cool, the staff is mostly super sweet, and the drinks are great.
Final score
After tallying all that up, Play lands at an 86%, or a B! And I’m rounding that up to an A.
Fun fact
The term "coffee break" was popularized in the United States in the 1950s, but it was actually a clever marketing campaign! The Pan-American Coffee Bureau ran an ad encouraging workers to "Give yourself a coffee-break—and get what coffee gives to you." It was so successful that the coffee break became a staple in American work culture, solidifying coffee's role in both relaxation and productivity.
Grading criteria for coffee shops—the grading scale is changing this week since we’re not doing bars!
Quality of drinks - 5/5: The drinks are actually so good here! The quality is great and you can tell they are really passionate about their menu. I personally love the Strawberry Matcha, but since they make the strawberry milk in house, you can’t do an alternative milk which is unfortunate and every couple weeks it goes off the menu for some reason. I’m actually not in a big coffee phase right now, I’m more into tea, but their maple latte is great as well. I’ve been told their cold brew is good, but I’m not a fan of cold brew myself.
Seating - 3.5/5: Seating has actually as of recently gotten a lot easier to deal with. Which makes me kind of worried for them—where is everyone at… But it’s much less of a hassle recently, so you’ll probably be able to find a spot. It used to be incredibly hard to find a spot sometimes, but I think their initial hype might be dying (this location is only maybe a year and a half old now).
Parking - 4/5: Parking is fine here! It’s in Old Town Orange, so parking can definitely be tricky sometimes, but it shouldn’t be an issue. Luckily I always walk because I only live 3 blocks away so it’s not really a problem for me!
Overall vibe - 5/5: Maybe I’m being generous, but truthfully Play is probably in my top three favorite coffee shops in Southern California. My all time favorite is in Northern California and NYC, but Play is a special place! The location is super cool, the staff is mostly super sweet, and the drinks are great.
After tallying all that up, Play lands at an 86%, or a B! And I’m rounding that up to an A.
Fun fact
The term "coffee break" was popularized in the United States in the 1950s, but it was actually a clever marketing campaign! The Pan-American Coffee Bureau ran an ad encouraging workers to "Give yourself a coffee-break—and get what coffee gives to you." It was so successful that the coffee break became a staple in American work culture, solidifying coffee's role in both relaxation and productivity.
Thank you for tuning into The Bar is Low this week! As always, drop any thoughts or suggestions in the comments below.
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