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.
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.
This is another great privately owned coffee shop in Mission Viejo. They have a robust menu and some seriously delicious avocado toast. You can get a discount if you pay with cash and the ambience is casual and unique...mismatched couches for lounging and having a meeting and tables that were hand made with concrete for the tops. The bathroom is clean and hospitable and the patio outside is perfect for enjoying a cup of coffee in the southern California morning air and sunshine. Overall, this is a great place for coffee off the beaten path in the heart of Mission Viejo.
I had a coffee with a great tasting blueberry muffin. I sat on a very comfortable couch and worked for 2 hours. I loved it.
Since discovering High Ground it has been the go to coffee spot! Wonderful service and the owner is so sweet! We stop by every weekend! Thanks for the cozy welcoming atmosphere!
Have visited several times now and as nice as the staff are, service is so slow even during quiet times. I don't understand why there is no sense of urgency about fulfilling orders. Seems very disorganized.
Decent coffee, good local vibe. Pastries are hit and miss. Breakfast burritos are OK.
This is a small local coffee shop with leisurely service and outstanding coffee. Great for a relaxed weekend breakfast or an afternoon chat. Highly recommend!
Customer service great! Very spacious for work and meetings
Extraordinary espresso, incredible staff, extraordinary evening treat. The vibe was extremely great, we didn't remain to drink our espresso we took it in a hurry, yet I could perceive how it would be an exceptionally pleasant spot to sit and drink your espresso and visit with companions or read. We will return and prescribe the café to everybody I know!