Two drinks are introduced to Latinos when they are (truthfully) far too young: their first sip of beer, sneaked to them at a family party by one of their tíos
or tías, and their first sip of a warm cafecito.
Whether your first sip was a café de olla, black coffee, or the morning-suitable milkshake (frappuccino,) these hot and icy drinks can give you the pick-me-up you need for the day. Their flavors are more than just sweeteners with catchy names; if made right, they can also evoke memories and nostalgia.
Lucky for us, Los Angeles has more than a handful of Latino-owned coffee shops and restaurants that offer what some might consider some of the best-tasting caffeinated drinks in the city—from Picaresca Barra de Café in Boyle Heights, serving drinks like El Pino, a double shot of espresso with rosemary and chamomile syrup, to Gusto Bread in Long Beach and their ever-popular atole latte, which comes with heirloom maíz ganache.
And while these are great, things just got better because in the last year, L.A. TACO noticed a rise in at-home, Latino-owned coffee pop-ups throughout the city. So, of course, we’ve rounded up some of the best ones for you to support.
During a time when the current administration continues to target the Latino community with anti-immigration policies and rhetoric, uniting to support these coffee shops feels like an act of defiance against those anti-immigrant policies.
Yes, your coffee is political—so much so that reports are starting to come in that in Mexico, some coffee shops are starting to rename their Americano to the Mexicano.
The rebranding of the popular drink is Mexico’s way of protesting current government policies for those in the United States and letting their paisanos (friends) know that they stand with them despite being on the other side of the border.
This proves that beyond the specifics behind the perfect pour, a high-quality bean, and a great aroma, coffee is about community, the people who serve it, and the people we share it with. And where we spend our money matters.
So grab your wallets and your friends, because we’re going to try some of the best homemade cafecito L.A.’s neighborhoods have to offer.
Cafe Niña ~ Boyle Heights
The atmosphere at Cafe Niña is unlike any other. Janet Cerda serves her coffee straight from her yard, next to the 4th Street Bridge. Unlike stopping by any vendor's stand, arriving here feels like being welcomed into a family member's home.
The coffee stand is an ode to her grandmother, and the colorful rag doll in her logo represents her family's origin in Guanajuato, Mexico. The name also pays tribute to her grandmother.
“At the end, she had Alzheimer's, so we would call her la niña (the little girl), and she was, she was our niña,” she says.
The 32-year-old single mom of two is trying to bring those flavors from childhood and feelings of comfort straight to her community through the lattes she makes. Her customers' favorite lattes are her Mazapan and Lolita lattes, one of which is the flavor of Maria cookies, while the other has the nutty taste of a Mazapan. But the flavors range from paleta de payaso to her most recent, a Dubai chocolate latte with pistachio crumbles.
Ultimately, Janet's business was meant to be more than just a place to get a good cup of coffee; it was designed to build strong relationships with her community.
3264 East 4th St., CA 90063.
Open: Monday and Tuesday 7:30 A.M. to 1 P.M. and Wednesday through Sunday 8:30 A.M. to 2 P.M. (Always check her Instagram for available flavors and new items.)
Solis Coffee Co. ~ Lynwood
Although Solis Coffee Co. is four months into its at-home café, Vanessa Solis, the owner, has been a barista and has worked making specialty coffees for as long as she can remember.
Inspired by her culture and the flavors she and those around her are familiar with, she has created drinks like their Solis coffee, a Spanish latte made with lechera instead of sugar. It has a simpler and creamier taste than a traditional cafecito, but it is still a delicious sip.
“We saw a huge opportunity for quality coffee in our community,” she said while a new customer walked down the driveway. “We wanted to make sure we brought something to the community that we saw a gap in.”
And she has. Solis saw a lack of nearby places providing quality coffee, so she and her family got to work. With the help of her sister and brother, who greet and attend to customers, they created Solis Coffee, a weekly backyard coffee pop-up.
Some of her new customers come after finding her on TikTok and other social media outlets. In contrast, her everyday customers are her neighbors, teachers, and the nearby Roosevelt Elementary school staff.
Walking into Solis, you’ll be immediately greeted with welcoming smiles from everyone. Off to the side, you can shop from a clothing rack displaying their brand t-shirts and sit in their small seating area set to the side. The goal here is to provide cleaner ingredients for their customers, including organic milk options and homemade syrups made by her sister-in-law that pack flavors that represent her culture. More than anything, she hopes to build community through her business.
To do that, she collaborates with folks like The Caffinated Kitchen in Long Beach, which provides monthly specialty vegan donuts. They use Common Room Roasters in Long Beach as their whole bean provider for their coffee. And while you can't go wrong with any of their drinks this month, we recommend their pistachio latte paired with their pistachio rose donut. But always check their Instagram for new seasonal flavors and special add-ons.
10909 San Vincente Ave. Lynwood, CA 90262.
Open: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday from 6:30 A.M. to 1 P.M. and Saturday from 8:30 A.M. to 2 P.M.
Leba Cafe ~ Bellflower
This next Latina-owned coffee pop-up proves that our abuelitos really are our inspirations. And they may have been onto something when they introduced us to this dopamine-inducing drink when we were just a bunch of mocosos.
Leba Cafe in Bellflower is named after the owner’s grandfather, Abel, whose name, spelled backwards, spells the brand name.
“It felt fitting to honor him through his love for coffee, which heavily inspired me,” said the owner in an Instagram post where she shared her grandfather's photo holding his daily mug.
While the pop-up is fairly new, her lattes have already garnered the attention of cafecito connoisseurs like Joyce Marcellus, a content creator who supports local businesses across Los Angeles by highlighting their food.
In its short months of operation, Leba Cafe already has a signature drink per her customers' request. After launching what was intended to be a temporary item, it was so good it had to stay. While you can’t go wrong with her dulce de leche or tiramisu latte, her most popular item is her raspberry cheesecake latte. What's great about Leba Cafe is that they also sell breakfast burritos with frijoles puercos, eggs, potatoes, and a cheesy blend wrapped in a flour tortilla.
Location: Order via DM @leba.cafe to get the address.
Open: Saturdays and Sundays, 7 A.M. to 3 P.M.
Café Dealers ~ South Gate
Forget Starbucks. Go to this Latina-owned coffee pop-up named Café Dealers in the beautiful city of South Gate.
Here, you will find true nostalgia, and her drinks will make you feel like a kid again because her lattes are simply magically delicious. At Café Dealers, the popular items include lattes topped with cereal, like Coco Puffs, Lucky Charms, and the Cinnamon Toast latte. And yes, they top the lattes with cereal for an added crunch. This isn’t just a flavored drink; it’s breakfast on the go.
Other flavors are tied closer to the owner's culture, like the horchata, Mazapan latte, and the classic Spanish latte, another one which gives off the taste of a licuado but the energy of a strong coffee is their sweet banana-nilla latte, topped with vanilla wafers. They also have labubu lattes, to be specific, a latte that matches the iconic colors that Labubu dolls come in. In this case, a matcha latte with strawberry cold foam topped with a labubu sticker. And guess what? There's something for your four-legged friend, too, because with any purchase, Firulais gets a complimentary pup cup.
Like most at-home businesses starting out, we are not sharing the address, but as mentioned on their profile, you can place your orders via DM.
Daily availability is posted on Café Dealers' Instagram.
CafeTumbado ~ Norwalk
At Cafe Tumbado, Mexican-American Latino nostalgia is represented in their drinks. The Norwalk location, which sells out of its spacious backyard, has flavors like Cosmo and Wanda, an iced latte inspired by the 2000s Nickelodeon animation The Fairly OddParents.
The latte sports the classic green and pink colors of Timmy Turner’s wish-granting friends, who once filled our weekends with laughter. The rich green tea matcha blends smoothly with the velvety texture of the banana-infused syrup mixed into the drink. And the vibrant strawberry cold foam makes for the perfect combination.
Other flavors often showcased on social media by Claudia, one of the co-owners, include the sadness matcha that has the potential to brighten even the worst of days with its fresh matcha latte and blueberry cold foam. Other nostalgic flavors include fresas con crema, a strawberry and cream latte that tastes just like the popular Mexican dessert. And of course, like any Latino-owned coffee shop, they also have their version of a Mazapan latte.
Sit down in their beautiful backyard and share a cafecito and pastries sourced from local panaderías with your madrecita or a friend while you re-up on your first or second cup of coffee.
Location: DM to place orders and receive the address.
Open: Sundays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 P.M.
ERod Caffé ~ Paramount
We’ll never judge the amount of coffee you drink in a day. As Latinos, we are used to having coffee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We don’t need a special occasion to share this delectable drink; anytime is a good time.
Which explains why these Latino coffee pop-ups are on the rise. The community is clearly craving culture, flavors, and the warmth and comfort that only these drinks can have.
While some coffees will have you remembering your passed loved ones, others will make you feel young again. A sip that heals your inner child, if you will. And that is where ERod Caffé in Paramount will do.
One sip from Elaine's coffee will make you feel like you are having deja-brew.
Like their banana' n flakes latte, which tastes better than the bowl of frosted flakes cereal you had as a kid. The latte is even topped with frosted flakes and real slices of banana.
Or perhaps you’d like something a little sweeter. Try her cajeta latte, which is just as good. If you're visiting with your kid who isn’t ready to try coffee, she also sells homemade chocomil. And summer is coming up, so she also has refreshers like green tea and lemonades in different flavors.
Open Monday through Friday with daily pick-up times posted on her IG stories.
Chismesito Time Café ~ Compton
If you’re Latino, you know all kinds of conversations happen when coffee is served, from deep discussions to chismesito time with the girls.
A good coffee always tastes better with a good yap and good company. And here at Chismesito Café in Compton, not only will you get a green and spacious setting if you visit their at-home pop-up, but the items on their menu will spark childhood memories. First up on the menu is their chocomil en bolsa, for those who enjoy having their licuados the old-school way, in a bag.
The second is her Dubalin iced latte, which comes with espresso, smooth strawberry cold foam, and a good amount of chocolate and strawberry drizzles.
In total, she offers nine different flavors of coffee. For the chocolate lovers, they have a mocha Mexicano, with espresso, chocolate cold foam, and of course, Mexican chocolate. A mazapan latte is also never too far away for anyone craving that peanut and nuttier flavor. They also sell a horchata latte made with horchata oat milk, vanilla cold foam, and a dash of cinnamon to add the signature taste to the classic drink.
And because strong coffee always needs some good pastries to accompany it, you can also indulge in their homemade mini-pancakes or their molletes, which are bolillos cut in half, toasted with butter, and topped with your choice of chocolate, cajeta, lechera, or strawberry jam.
Open weekends only and hours and availability are posted every Friday on her IG.
Mexi Café ~ Compton
One thing we noticed while going around the city to find new Latino-owned coffee pop-ups is that Compton has a growing number of them. One of them is Mexi Cafe, which offers gansito, galletas maria, horchata, and mazapan lattes among other flavors.
One of the most popular items here is their gansito latte, which comes with Mexican chocolate and is topped with strawberry cold foam and the dessert's signature chocolate sprinkles.
The other is her Mexi caramelo, which has the perfect amount of sweetness and a great-tasting caramel cold foam.
They also have non-caffeinated versions of their drinks for the kids.
14926 S Williams Ave. Compton, California 90221.Weekly availability is posted on her Instagram.
Let us know your favorite Latino-owned coffee pop-ups in the comments.
