High Ground Coffee House

Sweet and delicious! I’m on a quest to find the coziest and most delicious coffee shops in Orange County, and I have so many wonderful things to say about this place. First, the warm almond croissant is a must try! Dip the croissant in your latte and you’ll be in love ❤️. I got a honey cinnamon latte and the level of sweetness was perfect. I don’t like for my coffee to be too sweet, but I don’t like it black either, and this coffee was perfect! I also tried the spinach burrito. I love that they cut the burritos in small pieces. That’s honestly a brilliant idea because then you’re not stuck with a whole burrito! Plus, it gives you room to try a pastry :). The environment is cute and cozy as well. I love the antique art. I will be going back and can’t wait!

I walked here at a busy hour since I was working at the farmers market nearby and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The drinks were very well-priced and the atmosphere was relaxing. The drinks took a little long to make but it makes complete sense since I did come here at 9:30 which is busy time. The drinks were pretty good, I got the peppermint mocha and I would get it again.

looove this cafe! it’s awesome. comfy chairs. i don’t drink coffee but i love cafes (ironic i know) but they were so kind to make me a mocha frappe without coffee (yes basically a milkshake) well it was great and i highly recommend it. i spent the whole afternoon here editing photos comfortably! thanks!

I used to be a regular customer of this place under the old management, and when the name was "It's a Grind." Today I stopped by to check the the place out under the new management and... It looks good. And these were happened: they asked for my name during the order process. However, they didn't announce my name with my order, and I had to play the guessing game to find out if the order belonged to me. When I was picking up my order I thanked the two girls who were prepping the orders, and out of the two, only one barely had eye contact with me with no reply or feedback; the "hot latte" was quite warm and tasted like warm milk with a hint of coffee. These were reasons I never go to any franchise coffee places and try to explore and support local shops instead. However, I believe I wasn't a lucky customer for that day, and this place will deserve another chance.

California is getting spoiled by lovely coffee places. I noticed High Ground Coffee House last week, and I had a chance to try a coffee there today. It was a very lovely fall-inspired latte that I liked.
The interior is cozy and friendly.
I wish they were open for another hour, so I could stay there and enjoy this place more.

The BEST coffee!! Rich without bitterness, smooth, and full-bodied. Ordered the “eye-opener” made with dark roast and one shot of espresso. PERFECT! Along with that I got the most delicious lemon poppy muffin. Amazing combo. Friendly and knowledgeable staff made my first visit a good one so went back the next day. This is my new fave coffee place!

I come here most mornings to work and study. The chairs are comfortable to sit on for extended periods of sitting. There's adequate spots for a laptop and a notepad in the shared table and on the individual tables. The coffee is reasonably priced and tastes good. The baristas are friendly and accommodating. You even get to dog spot a lot because people walking their dogs come here often to just relax and chat. The music isn't overbearing. Overall, highly recommend getting a coffee in this place.

Always a favorite place to hang, chat, work. Pleasant staff. Great alternative to national brand coffee shops. Lots of tables inside and out. Cozy couches and big cozy chairs. Beverages are all standard and tasty - feel free to ask for any specifics, more of this, less of that, different milks, etc. Food is simple pastries and sandwiches.

Never been disappointed in the drinks and food, everything is so delicious! The staff is so incredibly friendly as well! Also the ambience is very calming and inspires good study sessions.

Overall pretty middle of the road. Would likely be higher in a state with less competition.

The interior design is similar to a lot of the second wave coffee joints; it does not *feel* like speciality coffee in that sense. This isn't necessarily a bad thing -- just depends on what you're going for. It's nice for what it is.

I am less impressed by the baristas and quality of my drink. I ordered a latte that the barista airated for approaching 8 seconds (!), which may not sound like much, but if you're a trained barista you'd know that even foamier drinks like cappucinos aren't even close to *that* long. As a result, the drink was a foamy mess in that regard (pic attached). No effort at steaming the milk such that it can be poured like a traditiona latte---just dumped the milk in. Perhaps the experience would be a bit different if one opted against milk-based drinks.

Although less important to this review, the internet is also bit clunky.

TL;DR: It's alright and it'll work in a pinch. It's better than Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, but I would rather go to almost any other specialty coffee shop---Orange county has a lot of them.