Smiles Cafe USC

It’s a great coffee spot, and study space! When I went there on a Wednesday morning, there was plenty of table space, outlets and a very comfortable sofa to sit on!
I’m no coffee connoisseur, but the coffee was great as well! Service was very friendly and the coffee shop is very supportive of university organizations, which is wonderful to see!

Uhhhh… This place is amazing. Their coffee is fantastic and the service is awesome. Also, the outside is a beautiful Catholic Church in red brick and the inside is spotless which nice wooden tables– the works. I love coming here to study!

Very nice café on the USC Campus. They offer a great selection of coffee and tea and have a few breakfast and lunch food options as well. The service was fast and friendly. They offer free wifi and the interior is great for working and or studying. There is even a couch were you can enjoy a coffee and watch TV. Very cool place!

Coffee: average taste and price.
Service: got wrong coffee last time. Service is abnormally slow: already waiting 15 minutes (!) in the cue. 2 people were in the cue when I came.
Food: chicken quinoa wraps are great. Choice of pastry unsatisfying

Brewed coffee was lukewarm and croissant tasted like fish. Good atmosphere and okay prices, though.

3.5 stars
Nice to find a new café walking distance to USC. I tried chicken pesto panini, definitely doable to finish the entire thing. It’s more of a place to eat lunch rather than dinner — I came for dinner and was hungry soon after. Liked it and can see myself coming back here.
However, the only problem I had was with the strawberry banana smoothie I ordered (check my picture). First off, the smoothie came out in the wrong cup. I paid for a large smoothie but they put it in a medium cup, then when they changed the cup size, they literally just poured the medium smoothie into the large smoothie cup without changing anything. The strawberry banana smoothie was just over half filled! Are you kidding me… I’m paying for a large smoothie here.
I feel really bad writing this review because the service was great and I really like this place, but as of right now I can’t give it any more stars because of the smoothie. It’s just annoying to me when places rip you off for the sizes. Might as well just change the cup size or increase the price if you’re gonna do that. If you’re planning on coming here, don’t get a smoothie…

The food is good but expensive! Portions have gotten smaller over time and they took out the sides which is sad, but the quality of the food is good and their smoothies feel really fresh and are great on a hot day! Overall would recommend to go if you’re not too hungry.

Good drinks, great service. Cozy location.

Their service is really great but i found the menu a bit overpriced. A small smoothie is 4.25. I tried the chicken pesto panini which was 7.95 and it was a bit dry. They do offer a small usc student discount. The café itself is spacious and great for studying with good lighting and quiet music. Id give them a 3.5

This spot is a hidden gem at USC.
Great place for a light snack, getting work done, or sharing a great conversation with a friend. It’s not super well known, so it’s not very crowded, which is a plus.
The vibe is very relaxed, with lots of art on the wall. It’s very well lit, which seems to be an anomaly for cafes these days.
I usually go for an acai bowl. It’s not amazing, but it’s solid. Honestly, you come here for the vibe & the great service. Everyone working there is incredibly nice & helpful. The prices are pretty average as well.
If you’re in the USC area, looking for a positive atmosphere & hidden spot, this is the place to go.

Smiles Café deserves 5 stars for the customer service! The employees are always very helpful and extremely nice. I also love that they are so supportive of student organizations (I’ve stopped by here for various profit share fundraisers). Also, the clean and cozy environment makes it a great place to study or catch up with friends on the patio.
However, food-​wise, I’ve enjoyed the flavors of their food, but never feel like I am completely satisfied or full after eating here. I’ve had their chicken pesto panini with sides (I’d recommend the spicy noodles or the quinoa), and the panini was tasty but I was hungry pretty soon afterwards. The smoothie bowls are fresh, but a little too watery. And so far, the ones that I have received have been topped with a thick layer of shredded coconut that made them way too sweet.
I’ll probably return to Smiles for the atmosphere and friendly faces, or a quick cup of coffee if I’m close, but I’d look elsewhere for a solid meal.

A hidden gem close to campus! Spacious, well lit, and not too loud, this place makes for a pretty good place to study if you wanna get away from the dungeons of Leavey.
I came in early in the morning, so I ordered a cappuccino and an acai bowl. The capp was not bad at all, much better than I was expecting actually, but I was not too impressed by the acai bowl (although I do have pretty high standards for acai). My main issue was with the conistency, which reminded me more of an actual smoothie, whereas I was expecting it to be thicker. And I’m not sure if it’s just me, but the flavor of the acai wasn’t quite there. However, they were VERY generous with the portions of the toppings! On that note, service is amazing and they will bring out your food along with utensils and napkins and whatever else you need straight to your seat — I didn’t have to get out of my chair once! Prices are reasonable too.
I didn’t stay late enough try the paninis and salads, but seeing all the 5-​star reviews (sorry to break the streak) makes me so curious, which means I’ll be back before the semester is over!

Smiles, you get an updated review to level up to a five star rating. Woohoo!
I came by Smiles again today and got the same impeccable service that left me with a gigantic smile (see what I did there?) I came on a Tuesday around 9:00AM, so shoutout to the two dudes who were working at that time.
I ordered my hot vanilla latte with a sesame bagel and cream cheese. Got a stamp card this time – if you buy 10, you get a free drink of your choice – any kind, any size. Bam!
This time, I came with a friend to do some work, so we sat down at one of their oh-​so-​spacious tables. Server brings out our food again – I get my steaming hot bagel and a hot vanilla latte shortly afterwards.
The vanilla latte, as usual, is delicious. It might even be more delicious than the one I had the first time I came here (more caffeinated, a hint of vanilla, a lot of *slurp* followed by an immediate, «Ahhh…»)
BUT WAIT. HERE’S WHERE MY REVIEW GOES FROM A FOUR TO A FIVE STAR. The bagel this time was exquisite. It was bready, chewy, and just a bit toasted to give it the perfect crisp. No severely burned parts this time. Sesame seeds on top gave it a roasted, cozy taste. OMG YUM. Server brought out an extra cream cheese thingy for me, too, which put a huge smile on my face (again.)
Went back to order a vanilla latte to go for my friend, and they brought it out to me with a little stopper to make sure it didn’t spill all over my hands while I ran to class. Gave it to my friend (who is a vanilla latte fanatic just as bad as I am) and she agreed it was SO, SO tasty.
I love Smiles so much that I’m coming back again tomorrow to study. HOORAY. GO SMILES. YOU GO, BABY.

I seldom give a restaurant 5 stars. This place deserves 5 stars. The service was great, the food was fresh, the tuna melt delivered, and the yogurt parfait was reach, creamy, and the perfect amount of sweetness. If I’m ever hungry near this campus again, I will eat here.

Smiles Café is a cute little place near USC – they serve up many types of coffee/​smoothies/​smoothie bowls and also have sandwiches and salads. I came here for the first time today and the workers were VERY patient with me (I am incredibly indecisive). They let me try as many of the side salads as I wanted to, and even gave me 25% off :) Their side salads are comparable to Lemonade’s, as in, only 1 out of 5 or 6 actually had leaves in it. There are noodle salads, rice salads, quinoa salads, etc. and the best part is that they give you at least 2x the amount you’d get at Lemonade for the same price. Also, this place is owned by an undergrad at USC so you feel like you are really supporting an appreciative business (vs. supporting a chain of restaurants).
Today, I ordered the chicken pesto panini which came with a small side salad of my choice (I chose quinoa and black bean) and also ordered a 1 portion, which the employee happily split for me into a spicy Asian noodle salad and the citrus kale salad. Everything was very fresh and excellent – I especially loved the spicy Asian noodle salad and the panini. I sat down in one of the comfy chairs and did some homework while I ate. This is a great place to study too!
The only cons about this place:
— Not actually on campus so not as convenient as anything in the Campus Center (or even across Fig at Pizza Studio, Which Wich, etc.) if you’re walking
— Located inside a Catholic church… could make you feel a little uncomfortable. This was my first time in a church in literally 10 years and I was half expecting to be struck by lightning

I don’t normally write Unilocal reviews, but I feel completely compelled to do so for these guys.
Not only are their pastries and coffee really good, but they truly make an effort to go above and beyond in terms of customer service. It genuinely seems like they want your business, without being pushy or weird about it.
Plus, they’re on the way to campus from the row! Prime location

Hours:
Monday-​Friday: 7am — 7pm
Saturday, Sunday: 9am — 5pm
The smoothies and shakes are amazing! All natural, healthy smoothies are hard to find, and this place has never failed me. My favorite is the kale-​coconut smoothie with a scoop of protein (or flax at times).

Happiest place downtown. Seriously there is something magical about the atmosphere here. Everyone is so nice, I mean SO nice, and the decorations are awesome. Prices and food are competitive to stuff around, but the atmosphere is what really takes it over the top.

Smiles is near USC and is a great spot to grab lunch or a snack. They are always updating the menu and adding more items. Staff is friendly and I am always referring people to come check it out. I always love the free samples.
My only complaint is that the hours for a while we’re unreliable and I excepted a coffee shop to be open at 7:00a. They have been consistently open at 7:00a so I am happy.
Salads are great. Tuna melt is my favorite.

Great café for students, with sandwiches, salads, coffee, and pastries. They even sell juice in Mason jars! I had the tuna melt, which was perfectly grilled.
The space is well designed, with tables and couches to eat and study. It has great light and a wall of plants!
It’s also a student — owned project, and Jessie, the founder, will take your order or payment — how rare is that! :)