JC Beans Coffee House

Bomb breakfast burrito– bomb coffee– and I love the book lined walls! You must buy some coffee to take home. I love sitting outside on the patio!

Service was bad. It was obvious the young guy working the cash register was new but there was no greeting from any of the staff and they talked more to each other than to any customers. the whole staff seemed confused and unorganized., I have to guess the croissants and burritos are purchased somewhere else as there was no preparation other than zapping it in the microwave. Our food was placed on a left counter from where we were standing and we had to ask if this was our food. My husband said the coffee was average at best. I like to support local businesses but won’t be back here. I’ll be at the well run Stacks down the road where the food is consistently excellent.

I’ve got to start off with their Breakfast Burrito.
FANTASTIC AND ONLY 4 BUCKS
A bakery on premises. They make everything.
Custom coffee house. Any mocha Java combo you might need.
The interior is a library. Many books and cozy places to read and hit your electronic portal.
Outside seating too.
Really a very comfy place.
I wish it was around the corner.

So delicious! Was surprised with a visit here on Valentine’s Day and had an amazing Dark Chocolate Soy Mocha! I love the ambiance and the coffee!

I’m new to the area, and a Coffee Bean enthusiast. So I was excited to see something different here, and apparently good quality. This place is ALWAYS busy… so I thought it must be great. I’ve tried it at least 6 times now, and I love a caramel coffee drink, with real caramel, not the fake syrup. Every time I’ve had one though, there is absolutely no flavor… a slight coffee flavor and absolutely no caramel flavor, whatsoever. Each time, I’ve had to ask for more caramel, even paying more. Still, NOTHING. The last time, the woman preparing the drink, (I hesitate to call them actual baristas) said the caramel they used was simply for decoration. Why ask for more money then??? Why try to pass it off as real caramel??? This is a food/​drink establishment. why use fake ingredients??? Not only that, each time I’ve had one of the baked goods, they are consistently dried out. The scones are flavorless and powdery..
And last, but definitely not least, the service has been horrible. NOT ONE SINGLE SMILE, NEVER a ‘good morning’, NOTHING! And when I had to mention, each time that for some reason my caramel coffee tasted like nothing, they seemed perturbed with ME! only to eventually find out from the employee that their caramel is a fake. Horrible service.
A waste of good money each and every time.

This place is the best! Will drive out of the way for their coffee and pastries when in the area!

So here is the deal, this is not my first time in. I really love to support local business, but I have to agree with other Unilocalers, the service has declined dramatically.
The coffee is great and I prefer it over Starbuck’s which is right next store, but you have to be willing to commit your time if you actually want to go into the store (as opposed to the drive thru).
First, once you get in, the service is slow as molasses. I don’t mind waiting for fresh food and coffee, but when the delay is not in making my order, but due to staff negligence and apathy that’s when it becomes an issue for me and grow impatient.
Second, there is the entire parking issue and yeah, that’s a truth for a lot of businesses in Dana Point, but I can’t for the life of me understand WHY they block the few spaces they have with the drive thru cars waiting to get their coffee. Seriously, this is the best system they came up with? Do they realize that cars have a difficult time pulling in and out and often have to wait for the drive thru cars to get their coffee and pull away before they can leave?!?
It’s crazy, but at least I have a good cup of coffee to enjoy in my frustation…

Good coffee and good atmosphere. The place is a block away from Starbucks but it’s not even a competition! Great coffee and the library wall setting really gave me the perfect atmosphere to enjoy reading and drinking coffee. It’s drive-​thru was backed up to the street. It’s great to see local business thriving.

Great ambience and location but the service was mediocre and the coffee is stuck in the past. Flavored beans from unknown origins and dark roasts do not good coffee make. My cup of the house blend was burnt and watery.

Bottom line, one of the BEST coffee shops around! Amazing quality and taste (don’t sleep on the Vanilla Chai Latte… amazing!)
Service there is tremendous, funniest part right next to Starbucks and you can’t ever go back to that low quality after tasting JC Beans period.

If I could give it no stars I would… Horribly bitter coffee that tasted so watered down. Not only that the service was horrible. The cashier was rude never smiled or was remotely nice. I need to erase this morning All together. Thanks for the horrible experience.

An honest thought…
What a great place JC is. The atmosphere and the coffee are lovely. And it’s wonderful to support a local establishment.
Im hoping to change this review soon, but my issue at present is the service which has fallen off terribly in the past year. Used to be great spot, great coffee, and great service… sadly the last doesn’t hold as true. Not sure why? Sad to realize. The past visits (and i go often) the staff seems lethargic, not engaged, disorganized… and their apathy borders or rude :/​
A sad thing, but something that can be fixed. Maybe a shake up? Whatever the cause its sad that such a gem is falling behind.
The food is great, the place is awesome. .come knowing the wait might be longer than needed, and the service might be lacking… but its local and still delightful, if not as good as it was and could be.
Hoping to see better.
A fan

I’m a Starbucks lover to my core (say whatever you want), but I was pleasantly surprised with this «mom & pop» coffee shop.
I’ve been here a few times and the inside is cute and very cozy and they have a great patio out front. The coffee is alway good…
What is not always good is the service. I’m not sure what their system is for dealing with the drive thru and honestly, I don’t think they have one, but getting a coffee here takes FOREVER!
If you’re short on time I’d advise you to not use the drive thru. I went here the other day and probably sat for 5 minutes before I even ordered (which was fine, I get that everyone wants coffee at the same time). While I was ordering there was a car in the waiting area in front of me that had been there for quite some time, after 5 minutes one of my drinks came out and they asked me to pull up to wait on my other one.
Sidebar: If I were the car who was waiting on my one coffee I’d be pissed that a car behind me was getting their drinks before me!
Another few minutes goes by and I watch a barista slowly and casually saunter out and hand the car who was waiting forever his coffee. On her way back she takes her sweet time while pulling out her phone to text before going in. THERE IS A LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING AND SHE’S TEXTING! It’s incredibly annoying. So finally 10 – 15 minutes after I ordered I finally had my very simple medium iced coffee brought to me by the same slow barista. Not sure what takes them so long or if they’re understaffed but they need help in this area asap. This same type of situation has happened to me on multiple occasions now.
Again, the coffee is great, the person at the window is usually really friendly, and the prices are very reasonable, but I only go here when time is not of the essence.

Great egg burrito and large ‘thunderbird ’ coffee for 6.15. Can’t beat that. Burrito was huge. Would definitely make a return trip here when in the area.

JC Beans Coffee House
CA Dana Point
2pm Tuesday 1^st September 2015
Five Stars
I am glad, there are still real coffee shops in Orange County suburbia especially with a Starbucks next door. I am have been here before but it was before my Unilocaling days. On this warm summer day, I decided on their Affogato ($ 3.5) which was two shots of espresso poured over a generous scoop of vanilla gelato. The mixture of sweet milk and bitter espresso was heavenly.
They have a drive-​thru which is very impressive.

Great experience!
Fair pricing. Good wifi and seating inside out. Loved the quaint look and feel.
House blend was ok. Egg and cheddar cheese croissant was good.

Can’t get a more local coffee joint in Dana Point than this place. And the drive-​thru situation is just classic.
Parking is a little tough– so look on the street first and foremost. There a tiny parking lot in the back with 4 spots.
Their coffee is good but when I go here, I am all about their chai! Chai latte, iced chai, dirty chai. It’s just the best.
Outdoor seating can be a little windy and chilly– I usually love sitting indoors because it just has that cozy feel. They have a whole library of books for sale lining the walls, which makes it even better.
The only downside is that this place is usually flooded with teenagers. Which is fine, but sometimes you have to put up with excess noise. Just depends!
If you’re scouting for coffee in Dana Point, look no further

3.5 stars.
Nice ambiance. Cute little place. Very little parking. Service ok.
Maquiato latte was really good. Perfect sweetness to it.
Chai latte was decent.
Choc cheesecake was rich and tasty, but way too sweet.
Pumpkin bread was dry and way too sweet.
Crispy treat wasn’t good.

I decided to do some coffee shop exploring in southern Orange County. I happened to find this little place as I strolled thru PCH. Very cute and chick I must say.
Their service is one thing that will break this shop. They might have great coffee but customer service is key. I was not greeted nor acknowledged and stood at the cash register waiting for someone to take my order for far too long even though there were multiple people available to offer their assistance.
I ended up going with a caramel cappuccino, very good but too foamy and the actual espresso/​coffee did not even fill up half of my medium cup. As soon as I picked up the cup it felt like it was all foam (even though I know cappuccinos have a lot of foam, it was more than the necessary).
I had not eaten all day and decided to go for their ham breakfast burrito. I must say it was pretty good and had lots of flavor. Thanks for adding the side of tapatio! Can’t have my breakfast burrito without some spiciness.
Their wifi was not connecting, which was one of the reasons why I was coming here… luckily i was able to connect my laptop to my phones hotspot, but many people were complaining and very concerned with this issue.
I would definitely stop by if i was in the area but would not go out of my way for lack of customer service.

Super happy that we found this coffee shop through Unilocal.Thanks fellow Unilocalers. Great coffee shop in Dana point with awesome customer service. You are greeted the minute you walk in. The menu is to the right on the wall the minute you walk in. They have a nice assorted of pastries if you are looking for a nice little treat. My mocha was made to perfection, but overall the the best discovery was to see the vast selection of used books at $ 2.00 each. Yes if you love books like I do then you will definitely love this place. They also offer free wifi.
Super cozy place with plenty of tables and great lighting to enjoy reading one of the great books you will find here. And for a good cause because all proceeds of the books go to the Dana Point library. Stop by for great service, wonderful coffee, and a great book and not to mention the amazing views and cool breeze you get from the amazing outside patio !! Will definitely be back !!