Ape Coffee

New coffee shops generally struggle to stand out from the pack in Orange County, as established brands have already covered obvious riffs on the basic idea, and often opened multiple locations within fairly short periods of time. Ape Coffee – a relatively young Orange County-based mini chain with existing Orange (Nov. 2023) and Placentia/Yorba Linda (July 2024) locations, plus new ones opening in Anaheim and Lake Forest across 2026 – is clearly positioning itself as a force to be reckoned with.

Combining atypically strong branding and interior design talents with a focused, high-quality collection of drink and cafe food choices, Ape presents itself as something between a “third space specialty craft coffee” shop and a lifestyle brand, selling branded clothing from racks in its dining rooms. Although the Placentia location has a basic list of coffees on the wall, the original Orange restaurant has a darker, sleeker look with only digital menus – a bit challenging for first time visitors in line – and glass display cases spotlighting available food items. Ape-y items such as Gorilla Toast (egg-topped avocado toast), Bonobo Sandwiches (turkey/cheese/chipotle), and Golden Ape (banana syrup latte) drinks are conspicuously available without overwhelming the menu.

Prices, however, are largely hidden – seemingly to prevent sticker shock. Most drinks range from $7 to $9.50, with basic coffee drinks at $5.30, and brewed hot or iced tea at $5. Sandwiches go for $7 (pesto chicken salad) to $16 (Ape tuna crunch); pastries carry no prices, but the black sesame almond croissant we ordered was $7. It was also very good, though not the softest or most buttery we’ve had recently: Its nicely crispy, unlaminated exterior was dusted with black sesame seeds and powdered sugar, while the inside included just enough sesame paste and almond flavor to register most bites as nutty.

Our note above on the challenge of distinguishing new coffee shops from existing brands was inspired mostly by Ape’s distinctive drinks menu, which leans into the primate theme with drinks such as the coffee-based Monkey Business (honey, banana cream, cinnamon, banana chip topping) and matcha version Incredible Ape Matcha; the Snow Monkey (brown sugar latte, cinnamon, and sweet cream); and The Kong (spiced mocha with cinnamon).