"Returning to Costa Mesa feels like coming home," Karen Cutler said on August 26, as hundreds of people waited for the 10 a.m. ribbon cutting at the new Barnes & Noble at South Coast Plaza. Cutler has been with the company for 31 years and once worked at its former Costa Mesa store. Her new store covers 27,000 square feet on the third floor of the Macy's Home wing. In its northwest corner is a large café with coffee, tea, treats, and a small open-air patio.
That café is one of several places to get coffee and something to eat before noon that opened in Costa Mesa this year. Put them in order and a pattern shows up. Most of the city's 2026 openings serve mornings and middays. They're spread along three corridors, and each corridor starts its day at a very different hour.
Harbor Boulevard starts first, at 6 a.m.
The earliest new cup in town is inside Mercado González at 2300 Harbor Blvd. That's where Casa Libre opened on Thursday, September 24, according to the Orange County Register. The Register lists a 6 a.m. opening time.
Casa Libre serves only coffee grown in Mexico and roasts single-origin beans on site, so you can taste Chiapas and Veracruz side by side. You can also watch beans being roasted before they're packed. The opening lineup includes coffee from Doña Duglas Molina and her family at El Cielo farm in Villa Corzo, Chiapas, with notes of chocolate, red plum, and honeydew melon. Other beans come from small farms near Motozintla, Chiapas, close to the Guatemalan border, and near Huatusco, Veracruz.
"Casa Libre is built on a simple idea: mi casa es tu casa. Mexico is literally our neighbor, and its coffee deserves a place in the spotlight." Jeremy Creighton, Casa Libre cofounder, in a written release
The drink menu includes an El Jaguar Latte, made with a corn, cacao, and chile syrup, and an El Colibrí with café de olla syrup. Pastelería González supplies the pastries: canela rolls, jamón pockets, almond croissants, and colibrí galletas, the bakery's gingerbread hummingbird cookies.
Bristol Street spent the whole year adding counters
Harbor's big morning opening came in late September. SoBECA's came steadily from January on. The Register's preview of The LAB's newest tenant already counted Nook Coffee and Goodtown Doughnuts as part of the Anti-Mall's morning food scene. What 2026 brought was more of the same on both sides of Bristol.
| Opened | Place | Where | What it serves |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 10 | Daydrift Coffee | The CAMP | Korean and pan-Asian-influenced iced einspänners, matcha, hojicha, small pastry case |
| January 17 | Earlybird Breakfast Burritos | The LAB | Oversized breakfast burritos, bowls, sandwiches; first Orange County location |
| April 11 | Chafinity | The CAMP | Japanese matcha teahouse; official grand opening date |
| May | 1954 Egashira Bakery & Cafe | The CAMP | Japanese bread and pastries restocked through the day, plus coffee and matcha |
1954 Egashira's first U.S. location opened in May, but its exact first day isn't on record. A reviewer saw soft- and grand-opening activity there through May and June. The CAMP's directory gives Chafinity's date as April 4. The center's own event page puts the official celebration on April 11.
The newest morning stop on Bristol has nothing to do with coffee orders. Purrs in Paradise, a tropical-themed cat lounge where guests spend time with adoptable rescue cats, held its grand opening at The CAMP on Saturday, September 26. The Daily Titan covered the opening and reported the lounge is now open to the public.
South Coast Plaza now has its own breakfast, starting at 10
Casa Libre opens at 6 a.m. The mall's new sit-down breakfast doesn't start until 10. Blue Box Café by Daniel Boulud opened inside Tiffany & Co. on September 8. Its posted hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
Blue Box takes reservations only through Resy. Tables open at midnight, 31 calendar days ahead. Walk-ins can try for one of seven first-come bar seats. The Daily Pilot reported on October 2 that the $72 Breakfast at Tiffany's set is served all day. It includes pastries, fruit, granola or chia pudding, and scrambled egg with Ossetra caviar. The same story says Holly's Favorites, a $35 croissant-and-madeleine meal with juice and coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, is offered only until noon. The café's FAQ says every menu is available all day, so call ahead if you're planning a late Holly's.
Across Bear Street, the Barnes & Noble café gives the mall a second place to sit and stay. The store took over a space that was a Sport Chalet and, before that, a Borders Books and Music. In a statement, chief executive James Daunt said the company's Metro Pointe store in Costa Mesa "was forced to close nearly 10 years ago." The new store has vinyl, a large manga section, a toy section, and play tables for toddlers near the children's books. The address is 3333 Bear St., Suite 340.
On weekends, the morning runs past noon
On weekends, the stretch from breakfast to midafternoon belongs to LJ's Lounge. It opened July 17 on the upper level of Triangle Square, 1870 Harbor Blvd. at Newport Blvd. Owner Kenneth Jackson grew up in Orange County, and the restaurant is inspired by his mother, Linda Jean. Its Sunday brunch is called Soul to Sole. The opening announcement described a DJ playing old-school music on Saturdays and live gospel and jazz early on Sundays, switching to reggae in the evening.
The brunch menu includes the Sunshine Waffle & Soul Stack, a Belgian waffle with fried chicken, and Darlene's Shrimp & Grits. LJ's current posted schedule has it open at 11 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday runs until 10 p.m. and doubles as a live music night. Sunday runs until 9 p.m., covering brunch and dinner.
On weekdays the posted hours start at 5 p.m., so for now LJ's is a weekday dinner spot and a weekend brunch spot. Offset Coffee, the South Bay roaster, is served inside. The opening announcement said a take-out window for it would open in August.
The evening additions are fewer, and they're on Bristol
Maleza is the year's clearest new dinner destination. It's a modern Mexican kitchen and mezcal bar that started inside Drift Palm Springs. Its first standalone restaurant opened at The CAMP with service on September 12 and 13, then dinner from September 16 to 20. Full lunch service began September 23. Executive Chef Marco Arreguín grew up in Santa Ana. He was chef de cuisine at Taco Maria, where his work helped lay the groundwork for the restaurant's Michelin star in 2019.
Maleza serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Lunch includes a Barbacoa Burrito. Dinner includes Masa Cornbread made with Oaxacan green masa and smoked butter. The ipe patio has handmade Mexican wood furniture and fire torches for the evenings. Guests can also use The CAMP's shared picnic tables.
South Coast Plaza's other new food spot is Tiny's Burger from chef Sang Yoon. It opened June 15 on Level 1 near Carousel Court.
None of the next restaurants in line has a firm date yet:
- Zov's is replacing Playa Mesa at 428 E. 17th St. The Orange County Business Journal reported in August that it's expected "in late 2026."
- Three Eyed Tiger is planned for The LAB. Its chef told the Register in September that he hopes to open in early December, or at least before the end of the year.
- Zabon Kitchen is listed as coming soon at The CAMP, with no opening date.
October dates that fit around the new mornings
Several of this month's events are in the afternoon or run all day, so they can follow a late breakfast:
- Seasonal Adventures Pumpkin Patch, October 1 through 31 at OC Fair & Event Center Lot C.
- Scarecrow Festival, Saturday, October 10, 2 to 6 p.m., at the Lions Park Event Lawn, 1845 Park Ave.
- St. Mary's 13th Annual Armenian Food Festival, October 10 and 11 at St. Mary Armenian Church, 148 E. 22nd St. It opens at noon both days.
- OC Japan Fair, October 16 to 18 at the OC Fair & Event Center.
- The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Hallo-Queen Spooktacular, a free October 16 screening with a drag preshow on Segerstrom Center's Julianne and George Argyros Plaza.
If a new café has you seeing a corner of Costa Mesa a little differently, whether it's your own street or one you've been curious about, Alondra Guevara would be glad to talk it through over coffee at one of these spots. Let's Connect.
