Kelson Reviews Businesses

Coffee Cartel ★★★★★ Offbeat local coffee house with atmosphere that makes you want to hang out there.

The Comic Bug ★★★★★ Open, inviting, and kid-friendly, with friendly staff and a wide selection. Frequent artist/writer signings.

Comics Toons N’ Toys ★★★★★ The best comic store I’ve been to in Orange County. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the selection is incredible.

The Crafted Scone

★★★★★ Not just great scones, but a great variety of scones. Good for breakfast, lunch (they also make ‘sconewiches’), a snack, or just coffee or tea.

Doma Kitchen (Closed) ★★★★★ Used to be a great Eastern European restaurant. Bounced around the South Bay for most of a decade before closing.

Dōh Creamery ★★★★★ An ice cream shop that also specializes in cookie dough. Good selection of flavors for both, and you can mix and match however you want.

El Amigo #3 ★★★★★ Great spot for takeout Mexican food. I particularly like their Chile Relleno. Dine-in, limited parking.

The Empanada Shop ★★★★★ Great selection of both meat and veggie fillings, plus desserts (the chocolate one is intense).

Holiday Inn Express Murrieta ★★★★☆ Nothing fancy, but nothing bad either. Friendly staff, clean rooms, free WiFi and breakfast, ample car chargers. Next to a great coffee shop.

Kéan Coffee ★★★★★ Great indie coffeehouse. Good coffee, good place to hang out. Established by the founder of Diedrich Coffee, a local chain back in the 80s and 90s.

Lavender & Honey ★★★★☆ Good coffee and sandwiches, maybe a bit expensive. They also sell artisan honey and beeswax products.

Mysterious Galaxy ★★★★★ Bookstore specializing in sci-fi and mysteries, involved in local community and conventions.

Natureba

Small building painted green next to a sidewalk lined with palm trees. Dried palm fronds cover an awning, and two small round tables, each with a pair of chairs, flank an open glass door.

★★★★★ Tiny small business, great smoothies and tropical juices, plus Brazillian-style grilled sandwiches and Açaí bowls.

Neighborhood Grinds (Closed) ★★★★☆ This used to be a great local coffee shop.

The Press Espresso ★★★★★ Good coffee with a wide range of flavored drinks. Small but inviting.

Pure Bean ★★★★★ An indie coffee shop and roaster that opened in a space vacated by CBTL a few years back.

Remembering Diedrich Coffee

★★★★★ Small OC-based chain that used to be my favorite coffee place until Starbucks bought them out. The founder has since opened Kéan in Tustin and Newport Beach, and it’s every bit as good.

Rival Coffee Co.

★★★★★ Good coffee and creative flavor combinations. REALLY good breakfast sandwiches. A bit out of the way, but worth it.

Taishi Hainan Chicken ★★★★★ Variations on chicken and rice, all of them good.

Two Guns Espresso

Stark black and white image of a sign painted directly on an outer wall. Wooden boards are visible next to it, and the top of a window frame below it. The sign reads 'How about a cup of' in cursive, and then in MUCH LARGER SANS-SERIF BLOCK LETTERS, 'JOE'.

★★★★★ Serious coffee. Small chain in LA’s South Bay that introduced the Flat White to the region in the early 2010s.

Union Pizza ★★★★★ Thin-crust pizzas are good, deep-dish pizzas are REALLY good. My favorite is the Classic Deep Dish (spinach, roasted garlic, ricotta and mushrooms) - and normally I don’t even like mushrooms.