Cacao Coffee House

I came here primarily to do some work since they are one of the few coffee shops (that is not a national chain) open till midnight near me. Am pleasantly surprised to the upside with the quality of the coffee/​latte and nicely done coffee art. Barista is polite and even though he was hanging with his friends outside at the patio he immediately came back To the counter the minute he saw me wandering into the shop.
There are folks smoking outside on the patio but that didn’t really bother me since I’m sitting a good distance away inside. Music is a tad loud at one point but gradually lighten up toward midnight.
I’ll definitely come back here since the place fits my three main requirements of fast free wifi, great lattes and a place to sit/​work :)

The best coffee I ever tried Cody was amazing with service, I will definetely come back, Thank you, I really enjoyed !)))) Recommend to everybody! Wohooooo

If you go for the experience as much as for the coffee or WiFi, you’ll enjoy it. If you go to accomplish some specific thing like «get a cappuccino and catch up on my email» and you’re going to be upset about getting an experience with your coffee, try Starbucks instead. This place is a den of communists, and I mean that affectionately. It’s cute, bizarre, and full of very strange regulars.

My 1^st time going here and i will not be going back. There was only 1 person behind the counter, doing everything. Not friendly at all. The place is dirty & the «menu» was a printed piece of paper with coffee stains on it. Sorry, but not for me.

Expert Guatemalan pour over today & the nicest staff. This is a very small, boutique coffee spot that unfortunately gets overlooked because of its location. Ample outside seating & good pastries though. No completions or of me. Good hours for night owls too. Hidden gem.

Quite a fine cup of cappuccino they make here! Friendly, prompt service that shouldn’t be hard to come by these days but for some reason is. Cacao is a place that will likely never be huge, given its size and location. But if you’re either a local or someone who’s looking for a little caffeine before or after a movie at the Laemmle just a few steps away, this is your spot.

first of all, cacao is EXTREMELY small. keep in mind it might not be your spot to get work done (because you wont find a spot HA) luckily my friend and i snagged a table.
the barista was so adorable and sweet. our table was a little wobbly so he ran to the back to get something to even it out. aw!
of course, i ordered an iced chai. either it’s the same exact chai mix i have at home from trader joes or verrrrryy similar. either way, chai was O.K.
the crowd was great and the barista literally knew every single person that walked in. they were all talking story about where they’ve recently been and blahblahblah. i thought it was really cool how the workers have such a good connection with their customers.
i don’t plan on being a regular just because of the lack of space. but i wouldn’t mind stopping by every now & then to grab a drink. i remember someone couldn’t sit down because there were no more seats and the barista ran to the back and said here’s another chair, sit! you feel so welcomed and comfortable here.
take the reviews to heart when we say the service is good, we’re not lying!

This place is great. They have really funny hours, which I think is very modernist. Just like pollack used paint on canvas, so they spread their business, uninhibited, across the surface of the week. There is only paint and surface; there is only time and coffee.
Consider what is not there: the negative space. Mornings? No, not really. Sunday’s: an ornament of dead coffee movements.
They are not making coffee, they are temporal visionaries working in caffeine. Their manifesto is written in cigarette butts.

I love this tiny hidden gem! I always feel like I’m the only customer when the baristas are taking care of me. No one yelling my mispronounced name across the room! The attention to detail and the seriousness of their coffee making is like no other, BUT still not pretentious as some shops and baristas can be. Free wifi, live music on Mondays and always full of friendly fellow coffee lovers! So glad this place has stuck around. I think the new owner made some great changes!

Love this place. Great coffee at a good price. The owner is ultra friendly and he’s ver knowledgable about coffee. It’s a smaller place but great to meet up with friends and surrounded by some good restaurants just in case you get hungry after you have a cup of coffee.

Dear Unilocaler,
Cacao Coffee House is located on 11 609 Santa Monica Blvd. This coffee shop is, «hands down,» in my opinion, the best coffee shop I have ever been. If you’re looking for a place to grab a delicious cup of coffee and/​or chill out, check out this cool coffee shop. I’m a «night owl;» therefore, I’m a huge fan that it is open Monday through Saturday late (midnight). The people there are great and welcoming. This place is a lot like the show «Cheers,» except it’s a coffee house.
Sincerely,
Alex

It’s a very small space, but the coffee is good, and the service has been friendly. I haven’t experienced the smoking problem others have mentioned (thank goodness) so don’t let that deter you.

Cacao to the rescue when i needed a quick caffeine fix late before driving back to the suburbs on a Saturday night (they were open til midnight)
the worker was open to make me anything not on the menu!
—iced mocha with almond milk: not bad but the mocha powder was not completely dissolved so there were chunks in my drink
NOTE: it’s a small shop with just sidewalk seating, which was PACKED when i came even at a late hour

This place used to be the bomb for their awesome hours, engaging staff and good coffee. I’ve updated the review because their hours stink and they are closed on Sunday. It’s unfortunate since I used to always come here to work, study and enjoy a Sunday Funday.

The first few times i had been here, whether it was a hot/​cold ice mocha, it was consistently good. There’s this one friendly barista who always takes his time in making the drink and you just know he knows exactly what he’s doing. I give him 4 or 5 stars =)
On the other hand, unfortunately today 2 other guys were working behind the counter and they just seemed very inexperienced. I saw on the menu that you can substitute with almond milk thus i asked first if he recommends or asked how popular it is, to which this guy dryly responded «whatever your taste or preference is». Seriously, wasn’t this guy trained to have better customer service? How about offering a sample first or respond nicely.
FYI — i know my mocha, i’m not just some complainer on Unilocal.I’ll stick with my favorites like Coffee Tomo (Sawtelle) or The Refinery in Santa Monica among others. But if the other friendly barista is working, i’ll for sure still give it a try…

Great quality coffee!
The only thing is that the interior is a bit cramped. There are a couple tables outside if you feel stuffy.
Good place to grab a drink with a friend to talk (or smoke) if you’re walking by or waiting for the next showing next door.

The atmosphere and the design is cool but this is definitely not a one dollar sign coffee shop. I got a cappuccino to go and for some reason they only make it in a 8 ounce cup and it’s for $ 3.75 and it’s not that good.
The place looks old but the guy was nice.
It’s just around the corner from where I live and I really wished it was good!

Cant complain
great service
great coffee
nice ambiance

Cacao gives off a Left Bank in Paris feel when you’re driving past it on Santa Monica Blvd. It seems that no matter the hours, it’s packed to the gills and people outside are having too much fun. I was thinking that either the coffee is banging or the crowds are so cool that others flock just to be nearby. Been meaning to investigate for months now; when I finally did, it all clicked.
This is a joint for SMOKERS. Cute. They have a plethora of no-​smoking signs all over the place and next to each of them on the tables there’s an ashtray overflowing with cigars stubs, cigarette butts and just ash.
Well, that explains it.
Got an affogato and a hazelnut hot chocolate. The affogato was kinda tasty whereas the hot chocolate was a total waste – tasted like nutella flavored hot syrup.
Not my cup of… coffee (ahem!) kind of spot. Still don’t understand smoking, especially in this day and age, but hey, if you’re looking for a really late closing café that’s smoke friendly, knock yourself out. Cacao is made for you.

Cacao was a godsend when we were trying to find a post-​movie beverage at midnight. I almost missed it because it’s in such a small space, but the inside feels cozy rather than cramped. Maybe it’s because of the cool local artwork hanging on the walls. I ordered a steamed milk with honey, which sounded comforting and delicious at the time. When I tried it, it was reaaaally sweet. Not to the point of being undrinkable, but still. Maybe their other drinks are better?
Chill place to hang out with friends if you happen to be in the area, but nothing I’d go out of my way for.
Drinks: 3, Service: 3, Environment: 4, Price: 4