A café that packs flavor into an affordable price.
This past weekend, I tried Café Cultura, which is located less than ten minutes from campus in downtown Azusa, right by Target and other small shops.
Upon arrival, the atmosphere of Café Cultura immediately embraces you with the smell of warm cinnamon and friendly faces. Many different groups of people eat there, from families to college students to people celebrating an event.
There is seating both inside and outside, with decorations all around. The inside is made of brick and wooden walls with beautiful touches of Hispanic culture. While there, you are able to eat, take your food to go, or even just order a coffee and leave.
I went with some friends as we celebrated our 2021-2022 cheer season. We were seated outside near the green wall with a neon sign reading, “El desayuno y el café son cosas que tenemos que hacer” translating to “breakfast and coffee are things we have to do.”
The tables outside were picnic-style tables giving that comfy, “at home” feeling. The server approached us with a great attitude, especially for 10 a.m. When looking at their menu, I noticed there were definitely a lot more drink options than food options. As someone who values more coffee options, I had no problem with this.
The pricing of the menu was very reasonable. Basic drinks started at around $3 and the highest was $6.79. Food also started at around $8 with the highest at around $13. Of course, if you wanted to add more proteins, such as extra chicken, your meal would increase by $3.
The cafe also had a couple of vegan options, such as the “El Vegano” breakfast burrito. A friend of mine tried it with the addition of avocado and said it was delicious. They used Soy Chorizo as the “meat” which still gave it that traditional Hispanic feel while being vegan.
I ordered the Banana Foster waffles and a regular iced horchata latte. The waffle came with 3-4 small waffles topped with banana, granola, powdered sugar, caramel and whipped cream. I did have to ask for syrup on the side because it did not come with the meal.
The waffles were soft but had a light crunch. The bananas were fresh, and not cut too thickly, so you could have a slice comfortably with each bite. The caramel, syrup and whipped cream each added the perfect amount of sweetness without feeling like you were going to get a cavity after eating it. The waffle was filling and was the perfect portion; it cost $10.49.
The food came out in less than 20 minutes despite our large table amidst the packed restaurant. The food also came warm, which was perfect considering the cold temperature outside.
The regular iced horchata latte was $5.99 and well worth it. It tasted like authentic horchata mixed perfectly with coffee. They do offer a couple of non-dairy options such as almond milk, oat milk and coconut milk. I personally am a fan of soymilk, so I opted for the default option of 2% milk. The coffee was delicious. If you’re concerned about the price, it is equivalent to a Starbucks latte price, so why not treat yourself?
The overall quality of Café Cultura was amazing. Their servers were quick and had lovely attitudes, the food was delicious and the atmosphere was rich, warm and welcoming. This café is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to eat at for under $20.