The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

I’m a big CBTL fan. I’ve gone to multiple locations for a variety of drinks. Unfortunately, at the South Coast location I was very disappointed.
Service: There were two girls working when I came in, they had a couple of people already seated with no line. They we’re not very friendly at all, given they weren’t rude, but every CBTL I’ve been to always had a friendly and welcoming face. I do not need to be welcomed with open arms or anything, but a smile would be nice.
The drink: I ordered the Dry Hazelnut Americano, this is my go-​to drink every time, but for some reason, this cup tasted off, it wasn’t as amazing as it usually is, so i was disappointed after my first sip. Maybe the ratio was off, who knows, but I’ve never had this drink as weird as it was at this location. To top it off, i feel like gypped! My cup was missing a good percentage of the drink! where did the rest of the liquids go?
So sad. I was very excited for the cup of amazingness but was very disappointed after taking that fist sip.

When I feel like a need a break from Starbucks, I go here. I like that they’ve recently remodelled and the space is way better inside. Hated it before where you in line to order or even just waiting for your drink and you can’t even find a place to stay down to wait for your order or even sit down. Glad that it’s more spacious and they also have outdoor seating and can sit around their «bar area».
They do a lot of the BOGO like today for Valentine’s day after 12pm. This location may be hidden and not in the prime spot at South Coast, but it’s cool and it means, it doesn’t get too packed, but once in awhile, it still does.
I like their liquid non-​fat sweetener in the side area associates are friend which is a must! You get a 10% discount if you work at the mall.

This is one of the better CBTLs I’ve been to. This location is adjacent to Saks Fifth Avenue in South Coast Plaza. The closest parking area is in the lot near Macy’s and Saks.
There isn’t a tremendous amount of seating here, but the chairs they do have are plush and comfy. The service is also VERY fast. This is a great place to go for a quick break from shopping.
I ordered a Winter Dream Latte (no sugar added). This latte basically tastes like Christmas in a cup, and I prefer the no sugar added powder as its less sweet and slightly more friendly to my waistline. My boyfriend ordered the Cookie Butter Latte (they do not have a no sugar added option). The lattes were a perfect compliment to a long afternoon of holiday shopping.

Yummy Peppermint mocha. really hit the spot on a cold So Cal winter afternoon. Love the friendly servers. Very inviting. Great way to take a break during a busy shopping outing with my daughter…
Recommended…

I was one of the lucky few who has worked at three different coffee shops. I usually stay clear of starbucks and coffee bean mostly because they have terrible service and are always over priced. Today was only a reminder why coffee bean will never get my money again. I ordered a cappuccino because I wanted something strong that I could drink quickly, I was unaware that they only give you one size as a choice (peets coffee and tea gives you two different sizes) when I received my drink I asked the girl if I ordered a small by accident she proceeded to inform me that they only offer one size and ended her sentence with «do you even know what a cappuccino is?» Which I replied back «yes, you guys seem to be the only company that gives the smallest size as a choice». It is situations like this that remind me why I’d rather drive out of my way to get quality service and quality drinks then waste money at establishments such as this one.

Located next to Saks at the South Coast Plaza on the 1^st floor. My mom and I had a long and busy shopping day this past Sunday. Not that I am a big coffee fan, my mom was in the mood for some coffee on this cold day. So I figured Coffee Bean would be the answer so that I could get a tea and also use the gift card sitting in my wallet. After browsing the menu board, we decided to get:
Winter Dream Tea Latte, $ 4.59– I ordered the regular size, sugar free version (this drink is automatically made with non fat milk, but you can request for a different type if you do not like it). I have had the winter dream tea latte before a few winter seasons back and really liked it. This drink tasted the same with that chai like flavors. This tea was rather hot. I took the lid off and stirred it for a while to try to cool it off a bit faster.
Coffee Of The Day, $ 1.79– My mom ordered the small size. She ordered this coffee hot. She added in her sugar and stirred it. She seemed pretty content with her drink.
— — — — — -
(Total= $ 6.38, includes tax)
The employee at the register was friendly. My mom doesn’t normally order coffee at a coffee place like this (she usually makes her own). So when the employee asked if she wanted room for cream, she didn’t understand. She thought the employee was asking if she wanted her to add in cream to her coffee. I was trying to explain to my mom that if you want to add your own cream, they will leave room for you in the cup. But you have to add it yourself. The employee was friendly in also trying to explain what she meant and that there are different types of milk/​cream she can add in the back. (But being this is my mom, I still had to make sure my mom got it after she got her coffee. I think my mom is more of a visual learner and so explaining after she gets her coffee makes it easier to understand).
The employee was patient and was not upset or frustrated when trying to explain to my mom this simple meaning. I greatly appreciate that because there have been other places I have been with my mom and I some of those employees were rather rude and frustrated when trying to explain something to her (although English is not my mom’s first language, she has been in the states for over 45+ years, please do not misinterpret my review that my mom is not smart because she is HIGHLY intelligent).
I honestly prefer Coffee Bean and Peet’s Coffee over Starbucks and would not hesitate to come back here again if shopping at the South Coast Plaza.

Extra friendly service. Try the churro toast. It’s delicious! Kinda taste like a cinnamon roll. If you’re feeling like you need a kick of caffeine; Ask for your drinks ‘extreme’ for a few extra cents. Also the menu doesn’t show the size small cup, but they do offer it, I guess it’s a strategy to bring in some extra cash $$$$

Maybe they’re having an off day but the chai tea latte tastes like watery milk, the lady that took my order was blah, and they took forever with maybe 5 other customers waiting for their drinks.

I can’t think of a more glamorous place to grab a cup of joe and surf a wave of complementary wifi. The coffee is always quality and always done well. Oh, and the sweet treats are also nice to munch on.

«Fall in Butter Pecan Love»… Yesss, think I may do just that!
I totally fell for their product placement! Hehe!!!
*Try the Butter Pecan Latte!* yum!
Located in the renowned South Coast Plaza… Next to Sak’s Fifth Avenue.
This CBTL is somewhat hidden. Unless you search for it in the directory, or know of its existence in the mall — it’s not that noticeable.
Trendy décor. Plenty of cushioned-​leather seats strategically placed to enhance /​elicit conversations.
Super friendly baristas.
Just the perfect fuel-​me-​up at an unassuming & quiet café.

I hate to say this, but I get the feeling that CB&TL doesn’t have «customer service» as one of their top concerns. I frequent at least three locations (Brea, Chino Hills, and Monrovia) if I happen to be in the area. With this location as the fourth, I can tell that customer interaction isn’t a top priority. It’s not that the baristas are rude, though some stores that’s definitely the case (Monrovia, I’m looking at you), it’s just that «friendly» wouldn’t be a word I would use to describe any of the baristas at any of the locations I frequent (with the exception of Ash at the Brea location, but I don’t think she’s there anymore).
Anyhoo, that rant sums up my experience here. The barista wasn’t rude but she definitely wasn’t friendly and didn’t make this location warm and inviting. Drinks were good. For once in my life I wasn’t feeling like coffee so I got the Pearberry Granita. It was delicious. It was light and refreshing.

Every drink I order is always great. Hard to find consistency like this. The entire staff is friendly. I’m glad that I can come here in the mornings before I start work. A nice start to my weekdays (:

Hazelnut låte been drinking this stuff for a few years and I still love it. In fact we love their hazelnut låtes so much my wife named her dog after it. Vanilla låte isn’t too shabby either. Toss in a chocolate croissant and you start to feel the Chris Mathews tingle up your leg. Gotta love this place and it’s in a great mall!

The service here is truly quality. Ask for Amanda… came here two weeks ago and amazingly remembered my name. Everyone here knows how to make a perfect brewed coffee. Caramel Latte was perfect.

As indecisive as I am, I did not know whether to get the toffee nut latte or the iced version. I asked the cashier and he said as a personal preference, the iced was better. And so my decision was made! It was really good actually. A bit on the sweet side but nothing I couldn’t handle. Unfortunately, it is really hard to find, unless you like shopping at Saks. I had to ask a security guard and walk around in circles to find the place. [But then again it’s really hard to look for ONE store in SCP haha]. They have many tables to sit at and I would have stayed there if I had brought my laptop.

I go to this CBTL because I work in South Coast Plaza. It is in the Plaza right by Saks Fifth Avenue.
It is almost never crowed and the staff is super friendly and knowledgeable.
I tend to prefer CBTL over Starbucks, their coffee just tastes better in my opinion, and they also have a larger selection on tea.

I love this place! I live in Garden Grove and I drove all the way to South Coast Plaza to get my coffee here. I prefer CBTL over Starbucks any day. I go to school in Irvine and so I’d stop by once every week/​2 weeks. Their service is good. The lady with the short blonde hair (the manager/​owner?) is really nice. She somehow remembered me, probably because I come a lot. Their service is really friendly and they bring the drinks to you. They greet us very nicely too. The coffee here is great. I love the way the chairs are set up, especially the ones near the windows. If you get tired from shopping, just go here and grab a coffee & enjoy! It made my day every time. I go here on weekends to relax from all the stress that school gave me.
I recommend the Hazelnut Ice Blend if you like ice blend coffee

The General Manager Ralph is very nice and friendly! We chatted for about 20 minutes as he showed me their new product line, the Cafeitaly. It’s a new machine that Coffee Bean has put on the market. Apparently, it’s one of a kind!
It’s the only machine out on the market that can make Coffee — Tea — Espresso (3 in 1) in one handy machine.
It’s a very cute model with variety of colors. I had a cup of espresso and it was actually pretty comparable to a shot of espresso in Italy.
I guess the employees at the Coffee Bean Headquarters did a lot of tests to design this machine.
Now for the drink. The reason why I give it a 3, is because the girl who made my Black Forest No-​Sugar-​Added Ice Blended was in training. There was an overflow on the top of my lid and it was leaking out of the side of my cup. It was soo full inside that it was difficult to clean, so I had a very sticky drink.
Plus, the location of this CBTL is a pain! It’s all the way hidden in a corner next to Saks Fifth Avenue way on the end of the South Coast Plaza… It’s kind of a dead zone. I wish the CBTL was located more towards the center of the mall… but I guess I can’t complain …

Friendly staff, red velvet hot chocolate is delicious.
This location is probably in the least visited part of South Coast Plaza, near Saks, that can be good or bad.

Yes, it’s in a mall (a mega mall at that: South Coast Plaza, the granddaddy of them all), but fortunately it’s in a quiet corner near Sak’s, on the bottom level. Park near the Sak’s south entrance… hardly anyone parks there, and you’ll already be on the right level.
Praises for the staff, who were quick and friendly. I’m writing my review from there right now in fact… don’t be afraid to ask about outlets. There are about 6 – 7 tables inside the store, plus a counter with 3 stools. There is additional seating right outside as well.
One complaint. the WiFi here seems excessively slow, and if I’m lucky, I’m getting one bar on my iPhone (stupid AT&T).
Oh yeah, the coffee is good too!