If you’re looking for a great coffee drink to celebrate National Coffee Day on Monday, Yelp has some suggestions for California java lovers. Yelp’s Top 100 Coffee Shops of 2025 list, released on Wednesday, featured 21 California coffee shops, known for their specialty drinks, unique decor, and a loyal fan base of Yelpers ready to sing their praises.
“Peeking into the future, shops are adding hojicha, a roasted version of matcha with a toasty, nutty flavor that has the same antioxidants but a lower caffeine content,” according to Yelp. In California, #6, Irvine’s Cassel Earth Coffee is already serving it up.
The top 100 across the nation were identified using the Coffee & Tea category, and then ranked by the total volume of ratings and reviews. Here are the 21 California Coffee Shops that made the grade:
- #2. 1022 Cafe & Gelateria, of Oceanside
- #4. Mate Monmigo, Los Angeles
- #6 Cassel Earth Coffee, Irvine
- #11. Classy Hippie Tea, Sacramento
- #12. Mission Blue, San Francisco
- #13. Tatiana’s Coffee and Tea, Ventura
- #14. Elevated Coffee and Confections, Lemon Grove
- #16. Pursue Coffee, Redondo Beach
- #17. Acurrucame Cafe, Los Angeles
- #21. Tim Is Making Great Coffee, San Juan Capistrano
- #23. Medieno Coffee Shop and Roaster, Danville
- #27. Sweet Oven Bakery, Sacramento
- #38. Rocklin Donuts and Cinnamon, Rocklin
- #40. Dolce Vita, Oxnard, California
- #41. Desta Ethiopian Cafe, Oakland
- #42. Slow Rush, Paso Robles
- #45. Mad Dogs and Englishmen, Carmel-by-the-Sea
- #55. Duck Donuts, Irvine
- #64. Deltina Coffee Roasters, Oceano
- #69. Joyful Noise Coffee, Menifee
- #70. Fraise Cafe, Fullerton
California has about 25 coffee shops per 100,000 residents, according to a 2024 analysis by the mapping software company Maptitude.
Nationwide, there are about 20 coffee shops per 100,000 people, with the highest concentrations found in the Virgin Islands (52.93), Alaska (50.49), Washington (44.35), and Washington, D.C. (42.80).
Yelp’s ranking of the top 100 coffee shops highlights everything from family-run roasteries to coffee shops offering trendy new flavors such as banana lattes and einspanners, social media-worthy latte art, and exotic coffee styles from around the world. Shops that offered a comforting sense of community were also a favorite among visitors writing reviews on Yelp.
To rank the coffee shops, Yelp analyzed review volume, star ratings, and health scores.
Yaw Farm Coffee Roaster of Las Vegas, which received 95 percent five-star ratings on Yelp, topped the list. It’s a no-frills place without seating and free Wi-Fi, but visitors describe the experience as “welcoming, friendly and patient.”
National Coffee Day is observed annually on Sept. 29. The exact origins are unclear, but a significant observance was popularized in 2009 by a New Orleans museum, and many businesses continue to offer special promotions to mark the occasion.
Where do you like to get your coffee?
