Chango Coffee Inc

(213) 977-9161

1559 Echo Park Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90026 34.0812 -118.2548

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Neighborhoods: Echo Park, East LA

Price:

$

Last updated 5.05.12

Category:

Coffeehouses, Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Breakfast, Lunch Spot, Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Chango Coffee Inc

Featured Review

Kim Cooper

Contributor

Former Herbert Gallery owner Parris Patton brings an art-lover's eye to his coffeehouse (which literally means "monkey" in Spanish) from monthly exhibitions to a front counter mosaic featuring paintings of poultry leftover from its former incarnation as a grocery. Bright and welcoming, there are acid-etched concrete floors, exposed-brick walls and long benches. Coffee drinks feature micro-roasted Costa Java; loose teas are brewed to order. There's also daily packaged salads and sandwiches, Dandy Don's ice cream, soups and Italian sodas.

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
On the first Saturday of every month, this stretch of Echo Park has a block party with art shows, music--and sometimes sales.
The Extras:
Settle in for a long visit with the regulation chess board, which can be borrowed from the counter staff.
Save Money:
The morning after: Day-old baked goods can usually be found in a basket on the counter at a deep discount.
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “think their menu is creative for a small shop, but i miss the meat pies and i'm so glad they at least kept some ice cream!”
drinks
72.5% positive
  1. “PS - the coffee, drinks, food, and service are excellent.”
  2. “Yikes, what happened to the friendly funky place that served decent coffee?”
  3. “can say this is my favorite coffee shop.”
  4. “Tired of competent service and decent coffee?”
  5. “We used to go there all the time, they had great cupcakes, decent coffee and helpful people.”
  6. “The service I got was rude and quickly dampened my excitement to be back there, or to pay for my coffee and food.”
  7. “Well, yeah, but they obviously don't know how to pour a good espresso.”
  8. “chalk it up to all the good managers leaving-the manager now is totally not motivational and it's reflected in bad attitudes, bad service and really awful coffee at times.”
  9. “don't bother unless you like a spoonful of abuse with your coffee”
  10. “say if you want a nice cup of coffee with pleasant service in a clean environment, make the trek to Intelligensia.”
food quality
75.0% positive
  1. “The pastries looked good, but I didn't order anything.”
  2. “PS - the coffee, drinks, food, and service are excellent.”
  3. “The service I got was rude and quickly dampened my excitement to be back there, or to pay for my coffee and food.”
  4. “think their menu is creative for a small shop, but i miss the meat pies and i'm so glad they at least kept some ice cream!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “think their menu is creative for a small shop, but i miss the meat pies and i'm so glad they at least kept some ice cream!”
return potential
0.0% positive
  1. “The service I got was rude and quickly dampened my excitement to be back there, or to pay for my coffee and food.”
service
68.33000183105469% positive
  1. “The service was great, the baristas made eye contact and were polite and seemed happy that they had customers.”
  2. “The service is the worst and their stuff tastes like $$%%.”
  3. “It was like I was either invisible or the barista just had better things to do than deliver good service.”
  4. “say if you want a nice cup of coffee with pleasant service in a clean environment, make the trek to Intelligensia.”
  5. “We used to go there all the time, they had great cupcakes, decent coffee and helpful people.”
  6. “Tired of competent service and decent coffee?”
  7. “the 2 original manager were always friendly and cool (even at 5:30 a.m.!)”
  8. “chalk it up to all the good managers leaving-the manager now is totally not motivational and it's reflected in bad attitudes, bad service and really awful coffee at times.”
  9. “And super friendly staff, cute lad's and ladies working.”
  10. “Yikes, what happened to the friendly funky place that served decent coffee?”
  11. “The service I got was rude and quickly dampened my excitement to be back there, or to pay for my coffee and food.”
  12. “PS - the coffee, drinks, food, and service are excellent.”
  13. “and the weekend people were awesome!”
  14. “The employees are unbelievably rude.”
  15. “and, thanks for the wireless, it is a draw for me even if i have to endure some bad service sometimes.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “As I wrote it ended up to be a perfect place for a quick lunch.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/07/12

New owner, new look, similar menu

by foodtastic

I've been to Chango a few times, and since the new owners renovated and cleaned the place, it's a more comfortable place. The menu seems similar as before with some veg/vegan items, and a few sandwich choices. They've expanded the breakfast menu.

I don't really remember the service previously, but the new place seems friendly and service was quick.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

04/07/12

Chango new owners, new look, similar menu

by foodtastic

I've been to Chango a few times, and since the new owners renovated and cleaned the place, it's a more comfortable place. The menu seems similar as before with some veg/vegan items, and a few sandwich choices. They've expanded the breakfast menu.

I don't really remember the service previously, but the new place seems friendly and service was quick.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/18/09

A Unique Hollywood Hangout

by mwt

I have to laugh at the reviews that criticize Chango for having too many "hipsters." This is a hipster cafe in a hip area of town -- a totally unique, one-of-a-kind hangout in Los Angeles. Alternative Hollywood local color. If you aren't enchanted by gloriously hot tattooed art chicks, there are an infinite number of of bland, cookie-cutter Starbucks and Coffee Beans around where you'll feel right at home. Now run along.

PS - the coffee, drinks, food, and service are excellent.

1 Star Rating: Poor

02/17/09

A Real Dump!

by jj125869

What a dump! - the attitude just really s$$$. The prices are inflated. The service is the worst and their stuff tastes like $$%%.

Paid 3 dollars for rank plain coffEe. The nimrod behind the counter pretended we where invisible when we asked for a pastry.

Corner is just very cool but these silly hipsters ought to learn to respect the neighborhood. This just to be a neighborhood where

everyone knew each other and said hello. Now these arrogant hipsters have taken it over. In a few years they will be gone to

orange county or santa monica...so what are they so arrogant about...they don't even care about the place..it is just something they can

tell their buddies back in the burbs: "wow dude. i lived in LA..."

  • Pros: The corner is cool
  • Cons: Service, attitude, drinks are rank
3 Star Rating: Average

07/06/08

hipstered out

by snogger

far too many tattoos and slinkly hipster chicks. amazingly pretentious and over-styled clientele. but on an quiet day it's amazing, when all the little hipsters are sleeping off their late nights and hours of posturing. sleepy little corner, good mint lemonades.

  • Pros: great corner
  • Cons: too much attitude

The Details on Chango Coffee Inc

Place Categories:

  • bad service
  • loved funky place
  • decent coffee
  • great cupcakes
  • helpful weekend people
  • always friendly original manager
  • amazingly pretentious clientele
  • cool art
  • worst restaurants
  • just very cool corner
  • disgusting trash
  • not good espresso
  • friendly staff
  • horrible imposters
  • excellent drinks
  • good mint lemonades
  • unbelievably rude employees
  • great music
  • friendly cute lad s
  • interesting current art display
  • good pastries
  • clean environment
  • favorite coffee shop
  • bad attitudes
  • totally unique oneofakind hangout
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