South Bay Favorites: Our Favorite Local Coffee Shops
After living in the South Bay my entire life, I have a lot of favorite local coffee shops. Some secret, some not so secret. Some are cute and "grammable" while others are a bit more old school, and I have to admit I love them equally. I hit up a local coffee shop or two every week and wanted to share some of my favorite finds with you all.
I have been completely obsessed with Two Guns since they opened. This is easily one of the best the South Bay has to offer, and was really the "first of its kind" as far as trendy coffee shops go. While literally everything is delicious, my go to drink is the Flat White (deliciousness straight from New Zealand) and for breakfast a "Stanwich." The menu is simple and I promise you cannot go wrong here.
A couple things to note: the outdoor seating is in a parking lot & there is always a line. BUT they have a "sister shop" called Suite6 next-door with art and local goodies so you won't mind wasting a little time here.
3. Hermosa Beach: Java Man
This coffee shop has been open as long as I've been alive and yet I just discovered it a few years ago. Its one of those places you squeeze in to, hear the baristas predict 4/5 orders, and feel totally overwhelmed by a huge menu... in a great way. Java Man is fast-paced, loud, and bursting with local vibes. I've sat outside a couple times but the Hermosa pier is just a block away so I am normally taking my coffee to go! They have some really creative coffee drinks (for example, a "chocolate orange delight" that you really do have to try) plus giant pastries and a ton of food options. My drink of choice is a Double Short Mocha with whatever coffee cake is available.
4. Redondo Beach: Pursue Coffee
This coffee shop is a hidden gem! It is owned by a couple and truly lives up to the "mom and pop" name in every sense of the term. They are so kind and take pride in the homemade items the offer. The thing to order here is the Vanilla Bean latte, hands down.
5. Torrance: Offset Coffee
If you asked me what my number one favorite coffee shop is, the answer is Offset. (Sorry all other coffee shops. It's not you, it's me) I love everything here from the vibe, to the owners + staff, and the insanely delicious drinks and food. When we walk in the door (weekly, at the least) they greet us by name, including my daughter who goes by the nickname "Muffin" because of her affinity for their baked goods. My drink of choice is the Iced Mocha with Macadamia Milk. They also have a few specialties depending on the season, including a coffee flight, Campfire Mocha (roasted s'more included), Root Beer Latte, Tiki Cold Brew with pineapple juice... these guys know their coffee and like to get creative. They also rotate through some of my favorite beans like Dune, Stumptown, and Onyx...
The only drawback is the location. But they have made the most of their little lot and we stop by here during a walk or driving on our way to the beach.
6. Palos Verdes: St. Honore French Bakery & Cafe
It's strangely hard to choose a favorite PV coffee shop because they aren't many to choose from! But here is why I like Sr. Honore in Lunada Bay:
The LOCATION. And that vibe of being in PV and feeling a bit like you're on vacation... This is the only place you can grab a coffee and walk to the PV cliffs. The street takes you straight down to the Lunada Bay Cliffs and its kind of the perfect calm morning adventure.
Honestly the coffee is super average. The food is good when you want to sit outside and experience something different- and they do have a lot of options from cookies, to omelets and crepes, to hot sandwiches. My drink of choice here isn't actually coffee at all... its a vanilla chai latte!
7. San Pedro: Colossus
San Pedro is kind of a drive for us and I wouldn't typically include it on a South Bay Bests kind of list BUT... For Colossus, its worth it. It's next door to a certain breakfast burrito joint (hint, hint, another blog post coming soon) and that is the only reason we came across it. Colossus just opened a little less than a year ago by a couple that was originally pastry chefs and bread bakers. They took those passions, added some great coffee, and created the perfect neighborhood coffee shop. If I lived closer I would walk here daily, and also probably consume a loaf of bread a week. My favorite drinks here are the iced coffee and Vanilla Latte with Oat Milk.
Well, fellow coffee addicts, those are our South Bay favorites. What are yours?
