Phin Smith | Garden Grove

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2024-12-25

I got this recommendation from a friend and decided to try it out. I ordered the Oahu Joe and I have to say it doesn’t disappoint. You get the hints of macadamia nuts overlayed with the coconut milk mixed with white chocolate. A good blend that doesn’t sacrifice the coffee taste. I have to thank my barista Cece for the kind and welcoming hospitality, the staff was friendly and very fast with service. I love the design of the shop, it gives off cozy vibes and the community is very welcoming. This shop is placed in a nice strip in Main street, and I think it is a perfect match. Stop by if you’re ever in the area.

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2024-10-22

First time trying Phin Smith during our road trip to LA. Will definitely visit their Vegas store after trying it. The barista help us with our order before paying. Since it’s our first time they ask to hold on paying to make sure we like we ordered I do recommend their original Vietnamese coffee. But I truly loved the banana coffee. My wife preferred to have their hot drip. They also sell pastries at the store and other merchandise. Parking was easy street parking vs parking lot behind the store. Will definitely come back and try their other coffee.

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2024-10-24

One of the most popular spots on Main Street Garden Grove is this Vietnamese coffee shop—Phin Smith. It’s easy to spot with its signature blue Vespa parked out front. The whole place has a great vibe inside and out, and they sell their own roasted coffee beans for $16 a bag. If you’ve had Vietnamese coffee before, you’ll know that it has a distinctive flavor profile compared to other coffee beans. Their menu is pretty simple, focusing mainly on drip and specialty coffees, with an emphasis on custom brews and teas. The coffee options were so unique that I didn’t know what to order at first. After quickly scrolling through some photos online, I decided to follow my gut and order the drink with green on top (which I assumed was matcha) and coffee at the bottom. So I asked, “Which one is this on the menu?” The barista replied, “Oh, that’s our Matcha Sua Da—it’s a secret menu item!” I guess I got lucky, so of course, I had to try this “secret” drink. Here’s where things got really interesting: when I pulled out my card to pay, the barista told me, “No need to pay yet. I’ll make the drink first, and you can try it. If you don’t like it, I can adjust it to your taste. If you’re still not satisfied, I can make you something else.” I thought this service might be exclusive to more expensive custom drinks, but it wasn’t! This is their standard practice for all orders. At $6.50 for a specialty coffee, it’s around the same price as Starbucks, but their approach (focusing on instant customer feedback) is top-notch! 👏🏻 Once I approved the drink after trying it, I headed over to the counter next to the canelé stall to pay. They don’t ring up your order when you first place it, so when it’s time to pay, you have to tell the cashier what you ordered, and then they charge you. This is probably because if you don’t like what you ordered and switch to something else, it avoids the hassle of refunding and recharging the order. It’s a unique system I hadn’t encountered before, but it makes sense. The place was pretty packed, with lots of seating inside, but since the weather was nice, I chose to sit outside and do some people-watching. There’s a fence separating the seating area from the street, so it feels safe. As for the coffee itself, it was slightly bitter, but the aroma was rich, and the matcha added just the right touch of sweetness to balance out the bitterness. I’d never had a flavor combination like this before, and I really enjoyed it! My friend also enjoyed her O’ahu Joe. 📍12921 Main St, Garden Grove, CA 92840