laptopcamper - Tumblr blog

[laptopcamper]

Hops & Beans Café, 4000 Bay St, Unit A, Fremont, CA 94538, Score: 36/50

This is a popular camping spot in the Irvington District (Central Fremont). It’s in a historic old building, Clark’s Hall and has a cozy, old-school coffeehouse feel. They also serve beers, wine, and cocktails.

Score: 36/50

Food: 4/5 – They have a kitchen on-site, so there are more options. Choose from breakfast sandwiches, breakfast burritos, French toast, crepes, sandwiches, salads, and tacos. The avocado toast on sourdough with everything bagel seasoning was simple but generous and satisfying. They also have pastries (croissants, Danish)

Coffee: 4/5 – You’ll find your standard espresso drinks, drip coffee, cold brew (no pour over). They also have flavored lattes. The cappuccino was decent.

Wi-fi: 3/5 – Free, unlimited, the password is by the register. The network security is weak and it’s slow.

Ambiance: 3/5 – Cozy, lots of hanging lights, ceiling fans in a historic old building. Two mounted TVs.  

Noise: 4/5 – Mellow instrumental music, people are pretty quiet

Plugs: 4/5 – Some around the perimeter

Parking: 5/5 – Plenty of parking in the parking lot

Comfort: 3/5 – Variety of seating options, mostly small tables but also some counter seating. Older furniture. Mix of padded and unpadded wood chairs.

Bathroom: 3/5 – One unisex, very dark

Art: 3/5 – Generic art

Tips: Place your order and pick up your drink. They’ll bring your food to your table.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Smoking Tiger Coffee Lab, 927 E Las Tunas Dr, San Gabriel, CA 91776, Score: 39/50

Excited to see Smoking Tiger open their first location in the SGV. I’ve been to two of their other locations and am a fan. This is a smaller location that’s focused on coffee and has a much smaller selection of pastries. They bake their own pastries but they’re baked in Cerritos and shipped to San Gabriel. It’s a Korean American business.

Score: 39/50

Food: 4/5 – I’ve only seen scones, scronkies (cookie – scone hybrid), and mochi at this location. The baked goods are big and filling. I do enjoy the scones. The blueberry one had lots of blueberries.

Coffee: 5/5 – They serve espresso drinks, signature drinks, Jeju matcha, and Korean drinks like the banana milk latte , choco mugwort latte, and Korean honey oat.  It looks like they have their own coffee (coffee that is roasted for them or that they roast themselves). They’re known for their Jeju matcha drinks. The coffee is really good. You can choose the espresso (three options – dark, medium, light) they use for your espresso drinks.

Wi-fi: 3/5 – Free, unlimited, but I couldn’t connect for some reason

Ambiance: 5/5 – Cute, purple and white colors, modern looking, love the mascot

Noise: 3/5 – Pop music is loud

Plugs: 3/5 – Some along the wall

Parking: 4/5 – Strip mall parking is limited to two hours. It can get crowded, especially on the weekends

Comfort: 4/5 – Chairs are padded, wood benches, only two top tables

Bathroom: 5/5 – None

Art: 3/5 – None, just Smoking Tiger posters

Tips: Coffee beans and coffee accessories for sale. They sell some of their own merch. 

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Havana Savannah, 24050 Copper Hill Dr, Valencia, CA 91354, Score: 39/50

Home of TornadoBrew, Havana Savannah’s own patented coffee brewing system that extracts the most flavor from coffee beans. It looks like there’s just one location but it’s a busy, large coffeehouse. They even have their own rewards app.

Score: 39/50

Food: 4/5 – There is no kitchen but they have convection ovens to heat sandwiches. There’s a wide array of pastries as well: croissants, muffins, cookies, Danish, cake pops, bagels, etc. The Cubano sandwich was surprisingly good ($8.15) with roast pork, slices of ham, cheese, pickles, and mustard. The pastries in the display case did not look good but I think they were for display only.

Coffee: 3/5 – They have hot coffee, cold brew, espresso drinks, teas, smoothies, etc. No pour over. My flat white wasn’t good – the foam was too thin and it tasted like something that someone made by pushing a button. No foam art.

Wi-fi: 4/5 – Free, unlimited, no password required.

Ambiance: 4/5 – It has a chain feel – very brown inside. It’s spacious and clean though.

Noise: 4/5 – Quiet music

Plugs: 3/5 – Good number of plugs at the communal table

Parking: 5/5 – Plenty of parking in the parking lot

Comfort: 4/5 – Lots of seating, big tables. Covered outdoor patio has heat lamps and also misters for hot days. It’s a good place for a meeting or for camping.

Bathroom: 5/5 – Two restrooms

Art: 3/5 – Didn’t see any, just pictures of their drinks

Tips: There’s a drive-thru. They sell branded cups and apparel.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Makisupa Coffee Bar, 2894 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles (Silver Lake), CA 90039, Score: 41/50

I visited Makisupa during the soft opening. They do not roast their own coffee but they serve coffee from Colectivo Coffee. It’s laptop camping friendly but with limited tables (more seating than tables). The shop is named after a Phish song.

Score: 41/50

Food: 5/5 – They have your typical pastries (croissants, cookies, donuts, cinnamon rolls), Maury’s bagels, mini burritos, and a breakfast sandwich. The burrito was small but satisfying. The salsa is housemade.

Coffee: 4/5 – Your typical espresso drinks and cold brew. Milk options: whole milk, oat, almond. The flat white had simple foam art and was flavorful (needed a bit more foam).

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, password in the lounge area.

Ambiance: 4/5 – Stylish Mid-Century modern seating lounge shared with the salon next door. The building itself is Mid-Century Modern. The shop also is very attractive with a wood island, wood cabinets, tile floor, and plants.

Noise: 5/5 – Mellow music, might even be Phish

Plugs: 3/5 – Spotted a couple of outlets

Parking: 5/5 – There’s parking in the back. Park in the spaces for the pilates studio (they took over the pilates studio space).

Comfort: 3/5 – Chairs aren’t padded and the tables are small

Bathroom: 4/5 – One restroom, it’s nice though

Art: 3/5 – None

Tips: Coffee beans and some merchandise are for sale.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Alana’s Coffee Roasters, 634 N Robertson Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069, Score: 43/50

Alana’s first opened in Mar Vista (West Side of LA). The WEHO location is their second. It’s a great space with locally roasted coffees, good pastries, and a camping-friendly environment.

Score: 43/50

Food: 5/5 – There is no kitchen but they will warm up your pastries. They have gluten-free and vegan pastries too. The pastry case has croissants, muffins, coffee cake. The cold case has chia pudding and overnight oats. The vegan mushroom & cheese croissant was really good – not as flaky as a regular croissant but it still had a buttery flavor and lots of mushrooms. The vegan cheese tasted like real cheese.

Coffee: 5/5 – They roast their own beans and offer filter coffee (batch brew, cold brew, pour over), espresso drinks, matcha, hot chocolate, chai, etc. Enjoyed the cappuccino though it was on the small side. Several pour over options, starting at $8.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, password is posted. There is a sign that suggests that you purchase a coffee or other item for every two hours you plan to spend there (seems fair).

Ambiance: 5/5 – A narrow space with multiple seating areas, cute bird wallpaper, plants, wood counter. There’s a nice outdoor patio too.

Noise: 4/5 – Music isn’t too annoying or too loud

Plugs: 5/5 – Lots

Parking: 1/5 – Going to be tough to find, metered parking on Robertson. We found free two hour street parking but there isn’t much of it.

Comfort: 4/5 – Can spread out but the tables are small, except for the communal one, and most of the seating isn’t padded. Great A/C.

Bathroom: 4/5 – One unisex for customers, clean and pleasant

Art: 5/5 – Multi-panel painting, like waves, it’s nice

Tips: They also sell coffee beans, mugs, and merchandise.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Bravo Toast, 1529 Griffith Park Blvd, Los Angeles (Silver Lake), CA 90026, Score: 38/50

Missing Breadblok, the previous occupant of the space that Bravo Toast took over. It still looks like Breadblok – same furnishings, same counter, same décor, same heat lamps, same dishes. Bravo Toast is a fancy toast café serving coffee, toast, salads, pastries, beer & wine.

Score: 38/50

Food: 4/5 – Bravo Toast uses quality ingredients (e.g., Bub & Grandma’s bread) and the high prices are the norm for this area, but the toasts are on the plain side. You can get similar toasts in the area with more avocado and more toppings though.

Coffee: 4/5 – Expect all your usual coffee and espresso drinks. No foam art on the cappuccino but the flavor was good. The coffee comes from a local roaster called City Bean Roasters.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, ask for the password.

Ambiance: 5/5 – Natural, Scandi style with light woods. Covered outdoor patio, interior seating.

Noise: 3/5 – The music is loud but it’s quiet otherwise

Plugs: 1/5 – There was one inside 

Parking: 4/5 – Busy area but if you can walk, you’ll probably find residential parking to park for free and for as long as you want, a block or two away.

Comfort: 4/5 – Chairs weren’t padded and wood banquettes are hard. But the tables aren’t close together and the patio is shaded.

Bathroom: 5/5 – Two restrooms, accessible from the patio.

Art: 3/5 – Didn’t see any

Tips: Order at the counter. They’ll give you a number and bring your food to you. They also have a large fridge filled with drinks.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Stumptown Coffee Roasters, 1982 Lincoln Ave, Pasadena, CA 91103, Score: 40/50

I didn’t realize that Stumptown closed their downtown (DTLA) location and probably shipped the roaster back to Portland. It’s nice to see that they’ve moved to the west side of Pasadena. It’s already a camping hot spot.

Score: 40/50

Food: 5/5 – There is no kitchen, so the food options are limited to pastries from Bread Lounge (croissants, Danish, muffins, kouign amann), Mush overnight oats, and fruit parfaits. Bread Lounge is an excellent local bakery. I enjoyed the pain au chocolat which had more chocolate than usual.

Coffee: 5/5 – For coffee, they have espresso drinks, drip coffee, cold brew, and pour over coffee. They also have Spirit Teas, hot chocolate, chai, and matcha. Espresso drinks feature double shots. Plant-based milk is not an extra charge. Milk options: Whole milk, skim milk, oat milk, almond milk. The cappuccino (6 oz, $5.25) featured excellent foam art and the flavor was stronger/bolder and less clean than your typical Portland espresso drink.

Wi-fi: 4/5 – Free, unlimited, no password required but you have to accept the terms and conditions before connecting

Ambiance: 5/5 – Modern, bright, stylish, like a hipster’s living room with art, plants, brick walls, and vinyl records

Noise: 4/5 – Music was loud but campers were quietly typing away

Plugs: 0/5 – Didn’t see any

Parking: 4/5 – Parking in the back, also easy to find in the neighborhood (though limited to 2 hours)

Comfort: 4/5 – New chairs, nothing was padded, smaller tables, some space between tables, lights are pretty bright

Bathroom: 4/5 – One nice gender neutral restroom

Art: 5/5 – Plenty

Tips: Ask for a drink stamp card. They also have an app that you can use to order ahead. And they sell Stumptown merch, coffee beans, and coffee brewing accessories.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Calic Bagel, 2748 W 8th St, Ste 107, Los Angeles (Koreatown), CA 90005, Score: 34/50

Calic Bagel opened recently in Koreatown. They offer LA style bagels, hand-rolled, and baked daily. They’re known for their Calic stuffed bagel which is a take on the Korean cream cheese garlic butter bread. Except for the super loud music, it’s actually a great camping spot. Place your order at the kiosk and they’ll bring your order to you.

Score: 34/50

Food: 4/5 – They have bagels (4 kinds: plain, sesame, everything, jalapeno cheddar), schmears (blueberry, fig pecan, jeju hallabong, sweet corn, black sesame, etc.), stuffed bagels, and bagel sandwiches. Bagels are $3. Bagels are on the softer side.

Coffee: 3/5 – I didn’t have coffee but they carry Groundworks organic coffee. I don’t think they have a full espresso bar.

Wi-fi: 4/5 – Free, unlimited, the password is posted by the register, wasn’t stable

Ambiance: 4/5 – Newish looking, semi-industrial, fairly simple décor but pleasant

Noise: 1/5 – Loudest pop music ever

Plugs: 3/5 – Saw three outlets

Parking: 5/5 – Covered underground parking, plenty of spaces

Comfort: 3/5 – Some chairs are padded, some are not, tables are close together

Bathroom: 5/5 – Male and female restrooms with stalls, nice looking

Art: 3/5 – Nothing, some color photos of their offerings

Tips: They also sell some drinks, hot sauce, salt, and other condiments. Online ordering is available.  

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Phin Café, 34460 Fremont Blvd, Ste D, Fremont, CA 94555, Score: 41/50

Phin Café recently opened in the 99 Ranch shopping center in North Fremont. It’s already a popular place with campers.

Score: 41/50

Food: 4/5 – They serve banh mi, musubi, egg puffs, fries, and pandan waffle. The egg puff was too soft but they have more savory food options than lots of camping places.

Coffee: 5/5 – They specialize in Vietnamese coffee but also have smoothies, tea, fruit tea, milk tea, and matcha drinks. The Phin Coffee is Vietnamese coffee with your choice of topping (e.g., egg, durian, pandan, ube) - $8.50, served with a few crispy sweet baguette chips. I selected coconut for the flavor. Interesting drink. The coffee is made with a small filter that sits on top of the cup (Vietnamese style). There’s condensed milk on the bottom, under the coffee. An iced coconut slush is served in a separate cup, topped with coconut shavings. You add the coffee and condensed milk to the coconut slushy and stir. The drink was very sweet, like a dessert drink, but the flavor was also very nice. Coconut and coffee go well together.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, the password is on the receipt

Ambiance: 4/5 – Cozy, lots of hanging pendant lights, plants, light wood accents. Grey and brown with plants.  

Noise: 4/5 – Mellow instrumental music, people are pretty quiet

Plugs: 5/5 – Built in to the posts under the benches

Parking: 5/5 – Plenty of parking in the parking lot

Comfort: 3/5 – The shop is small and popular with campers already. The wood bench is uncomfortable but the chairs are padded. Tables are small and close together. The seats near the windows can be too bright.

Bathroom: 3/5 – One unisex

Art: 3/5 – None. They have their lit up logo on the wall

Tips: Place your order and they’ll call your number when it’s ready for pickup.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Laidrey, 17034 Ventura Blvd, Encino, CA 91316, Score: 35/50

Laidrey seems to check most of the boxes for a coffeehouse and camping spot. They roast their own coffee, have a food menu (in addition to pastries), and they have free wi-fi. The shop is on the small side and parking is somewhat of an issue. It’s also expensive and popular with campers.

Score: 35/50

Food: 4/5 – On the food menu they have made-to-order toasts, breakfast sandwiches, breakfast tacos, and bagels. In the pastry case you’ll find croissants, cakes, cinnamon rolls, and more. They also have cookies, rice Krispies treats, and food items in the fridge. My avocado toast was good but the bread wasn’t as good as Clark Street or Tartine and the avocado mash wasn’t as good as either. I thought it was overpriced at $14.50.

Coffee: 5/5 – For drinks they had your typical espresso drinks, signature drinks, cold brew, pour over coffee, and even Japanese flash brew. They also have tea based drinks. My latte was quite good.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, the password is posted by the register

Ambiance: 5/5 – Bright, cozy, big counter with white tile, cute merchandise display

Noise: 3/5 – Quiet music but poor acoustics, sound travels due to the concrete floor

Plugs: 3/5 – Saw three in the area closer to the front door

Parking: 1/5 – Three spaces behind the shop and neighborhood parking that’s limited to 2 hours

Comfort: 3/5 – Some chairs are padded, some are not, smaller tables

Bathroom: 3/5 – One unisex

Art: 3/5 – Framed burlap sacks used to transport coffee beans

Tips: They sell coffee beans, coffee accessories, and some random merchandise. There is a rewards program. Overpriced.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Café Nido, 2810 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles (Silver Lake), CA 90027, Score: 34/50

Café Nido is easy to miss since the entrance is from the parking lot. It’s a beautiful, open courtyard café with a French mini van parked inside filled with books that you can read or buy. It looks like it used to be a nightclub/bar and the shelves still hold lots of bottles of hard alcohol.

Score: 34/50

Food: 4/5 – There is no kitchen but they will make cold croissant sandwiches and toast with butter, jam, or honey. I found the lack of effort they put into making the sandwiches pretty discouraging. The Fontal & Calabrese sandwich had slices of fontal cheese and three slices of Calabrese (salami). The pastries (cookies, croissants) are not made in-house but they chose a quality bakery.

Coffee: 4/5 – Counter Culture coffee beans, hot and cold espresso drinks, cold brew, tea, and juice.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, ask for the password

Ambiance: 4/5 – Open courtyard with various places to sit on tile, wood, or stools. Love the van filled with books and the plants.

Noise: 3/5 – Music is laid back, lots of talking

Plugs: 0/5 – Didn’t see any

Parking: 2/5 – They have six parking spaces in the back (one is a handicap space). Parking is possible in the residential areas but requires a short walk. It’s a busy area.

Comfort: 2/5 – Too many flies, too hot though they have some shaded spots

Bathroom: 5/5 – More than one

Art: 5/5 – Liked the painting, interesting – it’s leftover from the previous tenant

Tips: They also sell coffee beans, mugs, and merchandise. It's a popular place, so you may have difficulty finding a place to sit.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Iron & Kin Coffee Company, 536 W 1st St, Claremont, CA 91711, Score: 40/50

The last time I was here, it was still Augie’s, an outpost of the Redlands-based coffeehouse. Iron & Kin took over the space inside the Packing House in 2020. They roast their own coffee beans.

Score: 40/50

Food: 4/5 – There is no kitchen but they have good pastries (cookies, muffins, croissants), overnight oats, and a birria burrito. They can heat your pastries. Enjoyed the ham & cheese croissant

Coffee: 5/5 – The menu includes espresso drinks, specialty lattes (called Affirmation Lattes), drip coffee, and cold brew. They do not have pour over coffee. Milk options: whole dairy, almond, oat. The Peaceful latte ($6.25) had turmeric, ginger, cardamom, raw honey, black pepper and whole milk. I asked for it to be not too sweet and it wasn’t. The spices were definitely present but not overwhelming. The drink was balanced and the spices tasted fresh. Love the freshly ground black pepper on top. Nice latte art too.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, the password is posted by the register

Ambiance: 5/5 – Cozy, high ceilings, wood floor, skylight, white walls, lots of plants, white tiles. In a historic building.

Noise: 3/5 – Loud but mellow music

Plugs: 3/5 – Good number of plugs at the communal table

Parking: 5/5 – Plenty of parking in the parking lot

Comfort: 4/5 – The shop is small but they added lots of tables right outside (but still indoors). Small tables, except for a communal table in the middle.

Bathroom: 3/5 – None but there are some in the building.

Art: 3/5 – None. Walls are unadorned.

Tips: Place your order by the pastry case and then move to the register to pay. Service was friendly. It seems like people camp here for hours, so it might be hard to find a table. They sell coffee beans, mugs, hats, and shirts.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Highly Likely, 5526 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles (Highland Park), CA 90042, 35/50

This stylish, all day casual restaurant is Highland Park’s new camping spot/meeting spot. You can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner there with coffee, tea, cocktails, and more.

Score: 35/50

Food: 5/5 – The breakfast menu has breakfast sandwiches, chilaquiles, French toast, and toasts. The lunch menu has grain bowls, sandwiches, falafel, salads, etc. The curried black rice bowl was fresh, healthy, and interesting (lots of flavors and textures). The pastries are from Friends & Family (love Friends & Family).

Coffee: 4/5 – They worked with Common Room Roasters to come up with the house coffee, which is a medium roast. The cappuccino was good though it had a bitter finish.

Wi-fi: 3/5 – Free, unlimited, not secure. It seemed fast and stable.

Ambiance: 5/5 – Bright and hip with light wood walls, concrete floors, white ceilings, a skylight, and hints of a dark orange/warm brown. The interior has a large counter where you place your order and they make the espresso drinks. You can also sit at the counter. The cocktail bar is in the outdoor patio area.

Noise: 4/5 – Loud but mellow instrumental music

Plugs: 0/5 – Didn’t see any

Parking: 3/5 – Can be a challenge but if you’re willing to walk a few blocks, you should be able to find free parking

Comfort: 3/5 – Variety of seating options, from padded counter stools to padded banquettes and chairs inside. There’s also a large outdoor patio.

Bathroom: 4/5 – Two restrooms

Art: 4/5 – None but it’s a stylish place

Tips: Place your order when you enter. They’ll bring your food and drinks to your table. You can get breakfast all day.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Origin Story, 2020 Barranca St, Los Angeles (Lincoln Heights), CA 90031, Score: 31/50

Origin Story opened earlier this year on the bottom floor of a new high rise apartment building in Lincoln Heights. It’s a small coffeehouse/café with no indoor seating, La Colombe coffee, Bread Lounge bread and pastries, and a menu of breakfast, bagels, hot and cold sandwiches, paninis, and salads.

Score: 31/50

Food: 5/5 – Love Bread Lounge! They use their bread for sandwiches and toasts. The pastry case had many options from Bread Lounge, like danishes, muffins, croissants, bagels, and scones. They even had some gluten-free and vegan options.

Coffee: 4/5 – La Colombe Coffee is decent and you can choose between light or dark roast. My light roast flat white was quite bitter but strong. They have cold brew, pour over, drip coffee, tea, matcha, chai, and kombucha on tap.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, ask for the password

Ambiance: 4/5 – Nice, white walls, small place with attractive patio. They put plants around the patio.

Noise: 4/5 – It’s on a smaller residential street but near the I-5 freeway. I could hear the freeway traffic. The courtyard patio is otherwise quiet

Plugs: 0/5 – None

Parking: 3/5 – Surprisingly tough but if you do find it on Barranca, it’s free and unlimited

Comfort: 3/5 – Tables aren’t too close, chairs aren’t padded but there is some padded outdoor seating. The patio is uncovered so I wouldn’t sit there on a hot day. Smoking isn’t allowed in the patio.

Bathroom: 0/5 – Didn’t see one and I saw the employee go to a neighboring business to use the restroom

Art: 3/5 – Didn’t see any but there was a sign for a piece of art on the wall

Tips: There is a rewards program. The high rise apartment buildings provided shade during my visit.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Smoking Tiger Coffee & Bread, 2445 E Imperial Hwy, Unit D, Brea, CA 92821, Score: 42/50

Smoking Tiger is a Korean coffee and bakery in a strip mall in Brea. They serve some Korean coffee roasters (but not exclusively Korean coffee). They’re known for their Jeju matcha drinks.

Score: 42/50

Food: 5/5 – Freshly baked offerings include cookies, scones, croissants, financiers, cream cheese garlic bread, etc. They have so many different kinds of croissants, including milk strawberry, halloumi, and double corn. Grab a tray and help yourself. They can heat up pastries.

Coffee: 4/5 – Beans sourced from Korea and SoCal. Cappuccino was nice but a little bitter.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, password posted at the coffee station

Ambiance: 5/5 – Small place, newly remodeled, white tile, purple accents, cozy bakery feel

Noise: 3/5 – Pretty quiet except some people can be very chatty. Loud pop music (not Kpop though)

Plugs: 3/5 – Some along the wall

Parking: 5/5 – Park as long as you want in the strip mall

Comfort: 3/5 – Wood bench style seating, padded chairs, small tables

Bathroom: 4/5 – One unisex, cute decor

Art: 5/5 – Contemporary Korean art

Tips: Coffee beans and coffee accessories for sale. They sell some of their own merch. They sell cold Korean drinks.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

Mammoth Espresso, 821 Baronne St, New Orleans (Warehouse District), LA 70113, Score: 31/50

Mammoth Espresso roasts their own coffee beans and they’re single origin, light roast. They even make their own oat milk and almond milk. It’s a small place, so seating might be an issue.

Score: 31/50

Food: 4/5 – Their pastries are made in-house too. During my visit I spotted cookies, muffins, cakes, scones, and pinwheels. Nothing was labeled or priced in the pastry case. They only have pastries.

Coffee: 4/5 – For drinks they had your typical espresso drinks, signature drinks, and pour over coffee (six kinds!). The milk in my flat white was a bit cold but the coffee was very flavorful. Nice foam art too.

Wi-fi: 5/5 – Free, unlimited, ask for the password

Ambiance: 5/5 – Nice tile floor, counter, simple / minimalist and clean, some plants

Noise: 4/5 – Quiet music

Plugs: 2/5 – Didn’t see any

Parking: 1/5 – Didn’t have a car but I suspect it’s not easy

Comfort: 3/5 – Chairs aren’t padded and the tables are small

Bathroom: 0/5 – Didn’t see any

Art: 3/5 – Didn’t see any

Tips: They sell coffee beans, tote bags, and t-shirts.

“Laptop Campers Unite!”

[laptopcamper]

French Truck Coffee, 650 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130, Score: 37/50

French Truck Coffee has 11 locations in NOLA, one more than Starbucks. They roast their beans in small batches for freshness. They even have pour over coffee! And New Orleans iced coffee. The locations have a polished feel. They have more options than Starbucks. The owner was inspired by a bag of coffee his cousin brought from San Francisco.

Score: 37/50

Food: 4/5 – Pastries include cookies, muffins, croissants, banana bread, and bagels. They also have a breakfast menu (toast, granola, waffles) and lunch menu (sandwiches, salads, quinoa bowl, soup). My toast was too toasted (didn’t like the bread) and super tangy. The avocado mash was bitter. But there are lots of options.

Coffee: 4/5 – The cappuccino seemed pretty good, with decent foam art and a bitter edge, good fruity notes. They have cold brew, hot and cold coffee drinks, drip coffee, cold brew, pour over coffee, and tea.

Wi-fi: 4/5 – Free, unlimited, the password is by the register; the network seemed slow

Ambiance: 5/5 – Floor to ceiling windows, ceiling fans, wood tables, white chairs, blue tiles, pops of yellow (signs, cups, coffee bags), plants, cheerful

Noise: 4/5 – Didn’t like the music but it was easy listening/jazzy and not that loud

Plugs: 2/5 – A few

Parking: 1/5 – Didn’t have a car but I suspect it’s not easy

Comfort: 4/5 – Chairs aren’t padded and the wooden bench was very hard, but you can sit inside or outside

Bathroom:5/5 – Two gender neutral restrooms for customers only, ask for the code. The restroom was clean.

Art: 4/5 – Framed pictures of coffee farms

Tips: They sell coffee beans, tote bags, mugs, t-[shirts, hats, and even cold brew pods. 

“Laptop Campers Unite!”