Cortado Coffee + Long Black Coffee

It’s no exaggeration to say that there are thousands of coffee shops in and around Orange County – more than we could ever hope to count or visit, and surprisingly few with anything particularly distinctive to differentiate themselves from the rest. Cortado Coffee and sister brand Long Black Coffee (also styled Longblack) are exceptions: Long Black was the first to open at the end of 2021 in Fountain Valley, followed by Garden Grove’s Cortado in early 2024, then Costa Mesa’s Long Black in late 2025. Originally, each cafe was supposed to have a different name, but that plan changed at some point, leading to today’s somewhat confusing branding; depending on which cafe (or social media) you experience, you might see one brand or the other listed with two or three locations. Regardless, they’re all commonly owned by the same person, and their menus are roughly 95% the same.

In each case, coffee beans come from South Korea’s Fritz Coffee and Berkeley-based Hydrangea, Japanese matcha is from Kagoshima, and chai is from Portland. Long Black’s name refers to the Australian version of an Americano – a diluted double-shot of espresso – which can be ordered at each location alongside a handful of sweet pastries ($4 to $5), croffles ($5.50), and savory sandwich/pastry items ($5 to $6). Flavored lemonades, cocoas, and other teas can be had for $5 each, with the option of brewed “morning coffee” cups for only $3.50 with a single $1.50 refill. If you want to see latte art, the owner’s specialty, you’ll need to stick to one of the hot espresso-based lattes, which typically range from $5 to $6.50. According to a barista, each location has one or two seasonal items that aren’t found at the others, the specifics of which may be flagged on their social media accounts.

The Costa Mesa location of Long Black occupies the edge space of a small plaza, overlooking a gas station with large floor to ceiling windows, while Garden Grove’s Cortado is in the center of the same Little Saigon plaza as Banh Cuon Thanh Tri, a parking lot away from The Vintage 1979‘s second location. Each space has a large front service counter, a small pastry box, and shelves with merch, coffee bags, chai tins, and coffee-making tools, with seating for around a dozen people – including a spacious wooden table for one large group – and not much else. Nice-looking posters advertise seasonal specials (orange bourbon cardamom during our visits to both shops) and best sellers (einspanners) with small hints of Korean-American graphic design.