As a former barista turned special-education teacher and new mom, I have a lot of coffee experience both out of necessity and enjoyment. Going to a coffee shop has been a sacred ritual for me for as long as I can remember, and now I love taking my daughter with me to try new places. Whether I’m meeting a friend, on my way to work, running errands or just looking to get out of the house, I’m stopping for coffee and now I’m excited to take other moms along with me with this review of Coffee Dose in Costa Mesa!
The Location(s)
Coffee Dose’s tagline, “Not Your Grandma’s Coffee Shop,” is fitting for this bright pink, ultra-Instagrammable, cheeky coffee shop. Coffee Dose is heavy on the vibes and they deliver on the coffee. Not many places can do both, but Coffee Dose never misses, guaranteed. (I’ve been there enough times to find out!) They make their syrups in-house, use the best plant-based milks, and their RX lattes offer a variety of health benefits.
In their own words, if you are going to drink coffee daily and pay a lot for it, it had better taste good and better be made with real ingredients.
Their first location began in the lobby of a hair salon on 18th Street in Costa Mesa. I tried it once, pre-kids-post-puppies (pictured below) and then would take any excuse to visit again when I was in the area.
When I was newly postpartum and going to newborn classes at The New Mom School, I would make a weekly stop before getting on the 55 to head home. You know the coffee is that good if I am waking a napping baby and putting her in the Solly wrap to go inside.
Now, much to my delight and that of many other moms, they have opened their Flagship location in the Irvine Ranch Plaza. “If you build it, they will come,” and if you stand in the parking lot on a Monday morning as Burn Bootcamp and New Mom School classes let out, you will see us flocking to the mothership, the siren song calling to us for an RX Latte.
The Vibe
Coffee Dose has a shared outdoor space with tables and umbrellas and seating inside with both tables and barstools. They have high chairs, coloring pages, and a kids menu for little ones including delicious food like the GF Cheesy Goodness (gluten-free grilled cheese) and yummy fancy drinks like the Baby Fanella (milk with vanilla and cinnamon).
There is no restroom inside the shop itself, but there is a shared restroom with the other businesses in the plaza just across the patio and it does have a changing table. The restroom is roomy enough to bring the stroller inside if you are flying solo!
The Service
Coffee Dose is good and people know about it so it’s not uncommon to see a line out the door. Don’t let that stop you! They are super efficient and friendly but if you do go during peak times, I would skip the stroller unless you plan to sit outside. They also have an option to do a pickup order with a limited menu if you are pressed for time!
What’s On The Menu
This is a great spot to meet up with mom and baby friends alike and BONUS they also serve alcohol! (HELLO, spicy skinny hibiscus margarita?!) I hear they make an amazing espresso martini that I have been dying to try. If you are gluten-free like me, they offer many tasty gluten-free options like waffles and sourdough that are usually really tough to find!
Check them out on Instagram and TikTok, get hooked on the vibes first, and the coffee second. You won’t regret it, and neither will your little ones! **
My favorite menu items:
- Bone broth waffle – I like to order this and share with my daughter, she loves it too!
- The Keto Queen (made with sugar-free hazelnut and half-and-half)
- The Beauty (made with Vital Proteins collagen)
Check out their other locations: Dose in a Box in Irvine and Rodeo 39 in Stanton.
The Score for Coffee Dose:
Vibes: 5/5
Taste: 5/5
Kid-friendly: 4.5/5
**Curse-word warning: if curse words are not your jam, you may want to avoid this shop as they are featured on a lot of their merch and cups!**
