Had a wonderful time here with loved ones. This place has been open for over 22 years and not only does it have good coffee & food, it has character. Sit on the outside patio surrounded by beautiful greenery. Or come inside where you will be surrounded by art, trinkets, books, funny signs and what I liked to think of a museum of their old used coffee equipment which was just a cabinet with interesting coffee equipment. The owner was very kind and welcoming. They also have wifi available for use. I will definetly be back again.

A small place with numerous fresh roasted coffees options. I have passed by this place many times until I saw a review on Yelp about their pandan Mochi waffle.Stopped by here today to try out their famous pandan Mochi Waffle. When we walked in, greeting us were at 15 coffee grinding machines at the door. Whatever flavors or types of coffee you want they can make it fresh from your favorite coffees beans.Since we don’t drink coffee, we wanted to try their pandan coconut milk tea and their famous pandan mochi waffle. After the first bite, we immediate got why people flood here from all over to get the waffle. Unlike other cafes, this place make a perfect pandan mochi waffle. The waffle was very crispy and the mochi inside was so soft and chewy. The flavor from the pandan leaves made this waffle so tasty. Now I am a fan of their pandan mochi waffle.Now for the pandan coconut milk tea, it’s a perfect drink for those people who love HK milk tea but are sensitive to dairy products. With the combination of coconut milk and pandan, the milk tea drink is like a drink make in heaven. I love the flavor. The owner told us that people would drive all the way from New Port Beach to come just to pick up this drink.The restaurant does offer food, but we didn’t really see any people eating inside. So we can’t really comment on the foods.

I like a Vietnamese coffee and mochi waffles there~ you can take a break and have a quiet time.

First time back in several years but the proprietor still has a memory an elephant would envy. And, despite COVID the experience is truly wonderful.Was just going to savor a wonderful cup of coffee but the aromas enticed me to get an order of Hong Kong Egg Waffle as well.

Old school cafe. Little grimy and rustic inside. Pandan coconut iced latte sweet. Try the durian egg waffle and iced Vietnamese golden egg coffee

Loved the pandan coconut coffee and pandan mochi egg puff!The mango smoothie was decent - you can taste the fresh fruit.The Hanoi Insanity Coffee (golden egg coffee) was just okay to me. It was served extra hot, and a tad too bitter. It tasted better once it cooled down.I will come back to try the iced durian coffee!

Fresh roast is super close to my work. Always been wanting to stop by for their famous egg waffles and coffee. I was the first customer this morning at 8 am! Lol. Uncle Jimmy welcomed me and took my order. I ordered the Pandan Egg waffles with mochi. You do have the option to add mochi or without it. It came out hot and crispy, soooooo delicious, tho can actually tastes the warm mochi and Pandan. I literally finished the entire waffle within 10 mins. I KNOW!They also have a selection of breakfast and coffee menu. You can order your waffles in different flavors. The sandwiches looked very mouthwatering. Probably gonna be on my list for my next visit.Service is good and quick. The atmosphere and set up is very homey. Unfortunately, wont be able to dine in due to COVID.

This is a family friendly place. Delicious food prepared fresh as you order. Their menu is amazing. My daughter and I stopped there for breakfast and it was very tasty. The place is clean well lit and it has plenty of tables inside and out in the front. Im not sure if the have parking in the back but there was parking available on the main Street.

Came at 9pm on a Saturday night. Had two other parties there, so not too busy. Got the egg coffee for $5. Ive had egg coffee before in Vietnam and it was very frothy. This version is less frothy and you cant really taste the egg. I think the top may have been food coloring (I could be wrong!) but the coffee was still good. Was very strong caffeine wise. The egg waffle and ice cream was delicious. We got the green tea and chocolate. I definitely recommend with the ice cream. Goes good with the coffee which isnt too sweet. The setting itself is definitely a little worn in and disorganized. Menu items are also random. We wanted to pay but the man told us we pay when we leave. Overall, waffles are good coffee is strong. Good snack, not the cleanest, cozy.

Strong strong coffee and Americano. Lots of seating and variety of food from Taiwanese, Vietnamese to regular American cafe. $5minimum spend to use credit card with charge of $0.50 if it is under $15. Good for working on laptop, studying with outlets inside. Free limited parking lot. Super nice mom pop shop -- speak English and Mandarin.Popcorn chicken is more like a meal, larger chunks compare to tiny ones at Taiwanese cafe.

Surprisingly good coffee with a deep menu of unusual desert items including egg waffles.

Fresh Roast is a small quirky vietnamese french corner coffee shop off E. Broadway and San Gabriel Blvd on SGValley. They offer house-roasted coffee, sandwiches, smoothies, juices, HK style egg waffles, chicken wings and noodle soup. Indoor and outdoor seats were spacious, organized and well lit. Indoor vibe is welcoming and relaxing. Interior decor is filled with books, toys, memorabilia, old car plates, assorted old souvenir collections, wooden bird clocks, etc. We came here on a lazy Sunday morning breakfast. We ordered their fresh baked Croissant (ham with lettuce, egg, avocado and tomatoes) sandwich, eggwaffle and coffee. Coffee blend was average taste. Croissant sandwich and eggwaffle was soft, tasty and fresh. Service was moderately fast. Staff were nice, competent and professional. Prices were reasonable and competitive. Free Wi-Fi (pwd required) available. Ample of street parking and back rear parking lot available. Overall we had a good dining experience and breakfast meal. We recommend this coffee shop.

Unique coffee house with excellent egg waffles and snacks! Many unique coffee beans from all over the world are roasted on site and available by the pound. The serious draw is the HK style egg waffle, which comes in many flavors. They are crunchy on the outside yet chewy on the inside. Perfectly done and comparable to the best waffle in HK.Free street parking, cash only (50 cents surcharge under $5)

Great food and nice atmosphere for brunch!

I only tried the egg waffle and it tastes amazing. It’s crispy and you mustn’t skip out on the filling. The filling makes the experience so many times better. The chocolate flavor is the very best. You have to go try it for yourself.

Coffee is not as fresh as before. The owner was not pleasant n forgot to put flavored syrup on my coffee. I understand during this pandemic, he is stress out n hardly can find any helper.

Did you know? Coffee is a brewed drink prepared from roasted coffee beans, the seeds of berries from certain Coffea species. All fruit must be further processed from a raw material—the fruit and seed—into a stable, raw product; un-roasted, green coffee. To process the berries, the seed is separated from the fruit to produce green coffee. Green coffee is then roasted, a process which transforms the raw product (green coffee) into a consumable product (roasted coffee). Roasted coffee is ground into a powder and mixed with water to produce a cup of coffee.Coffee is darkly colored, bitter, slightly acidic and has a stimulating effect in humans, primarily due to its caffeine content.[3] It is one of the most popular drinks in the world,[4] and can be prepared and presented in a variety of ways (e.g., espresso, French press, caffè latte, or already-brewed canned coffee). It is usually served hot, although chilled or iced coffee is common. Sugar, sugar substitutes, milk or cream are often used to lessen the bitter taste. It may be served with coffee cake or another sweet dessert like doughnuts. A commercial establishment that sells prepared coffee beverages is known as a coffee shop (not to be confused with Dutch coffeeshops selling cannabis).Clinical research indicates that moderate coffee consumption is benign or mildly beneficial as a stimulant in healthy adults, with continuing research on whether long-term consumption reduces the risk of some diseases, although some of the long-term studies are of questionable credibility.[5]The earliest credible evidence of coffee-drinking as the modern beverage appears in modern-day Yemen in southern Arabia in the middle of the 15th century in Sufi shrines where coffee seeds were first roasted and brewed in a manner similar to how it is now prepared for drinking.[2] The Yemenis procured the coffee beans from the Ethiopian Highlands via coastal Somali intermediaries, and began cultivation. By the 16th century, the drink had reached the rest of the Middle East and North Africa, later spreading to Europe.

Love the waffle eggs and the coffee is really good

Breakfast was a hit! The Belgium waffles were great, and the fruit was very fresh and sweet. We will definitely be back soon to try the egg waffle.

Nice and comfy place to relax and hang out. Friendly service. They also help artist consign their products for sale. Its a pretty cool place.

Found this place via yelp and was surprised they have an array of durian flavored items. We def had to try the durian coffee which was quite strong and has durian chunks in the bottom. We also had the durian egg waffle which was very tasty and has soft chewy durian morsels in each puff. The owner was quite nice and recommended us to try other durian flavored things but we were too full. There’s seating inside and outside. Gotta try the tofu pudding with durian next time!

Its an interesting little place. Some of the decorations looks like they have price tags on them and so they might be for sale. I got the Vietnamese Coffee which was ok a little on the bitter side for my taste. Wife got the Chai Tea Latte which she really liked. Its a little on the cluttered side and on the way out I seen that they had a B rating which makes me wonder.

This place Shouldnt be open its SUPER DIRTY! Poor guy that works there is all lost and tired place smells and looks Horrible! Just close..

Food and drinks are decent. Got the Hong kong waffle and the Durian coffee and both were really delicious. I find the place a bit cramped though.I stumbled upon this place when I was trying to find a nice place to sit and study. But most of the boba shops I normally go to does not open until 11 am so I ended up here since it opens on 7:30 am. I disliked how they have a 2 hour limit compared to other coffee/tea shops in which I can study for hours. I also found the place to be a bit too dim.

I was served by the owner. A really nice man. Will stop by again in the future. This was only my second time.

They roast their own coffee,better than Starbucks

Went to a Lunar Festival a few weeks ago and got a mochi hong kong waffle at a stand and was craving more.I searched on Yelp and saw that this place was cheaper and had more flavors. We ordered a matcha flavor with chocolate filling and a regular mochi one. Out of the two, my bf and I liked the mochi one better, but I felt like we should have just ordered one to share because I felt like I was getting a headache from all the sugar I was eating.If I was ever feeling Hong Kong Waffles again, I wouldnt mind coming back to try their other flavors.

Very good quality coffee, nice gold and crispy waffle, nice and friendly service. Im going back to try more on the manu.

Interesting decor, friendly service, Latte was good. Well worth the visit.

Lovely locally owned small coffee shop that smells, feels and tastes old school. Very charming and unpretentious. Hand poured over ground coffee beans and various hkg style deserts, you come in and cant help but want to sit awhile.

Really enjoy the garden & relaxed feel of this sweet place. Large & very unique menu. Very good cappuccino! :)

After visiting a few spots near Alhambra I found myself returning to this nice place. The folks running place were kind and courteous each time. The food was tasty and the portions are great. The coffee was what brought me back tho. Espresso was flavorful and aromatic, and the Ethiopian roast they had was just as satisfying. I look forward to coming back.

Ample parking behind the cafe, very unique and homey vibe. Vietnamese Egg Coffee was delicious!

Quirky and eccentric coffeeshop/cafe with a variety of drinks and foods to munch on. The gentleman was very kind and the Hanoi egg coffee, mocha, spam musubi, and spring rolls were all very satisfying. So much to look at and indulge in this place!

Amazing coffee!! I also love the Hong Kong waffle for Bfast!! Yum!

Im just gonna call this a 5 stars night, because all the new places that I visited on this Friday Night are all going to get 5 stars from me. Heading into Fresh Roast, I was overcome with hospitality, friendly service, and satisfying coffee.A small family-run coffee shop like this one might not be for everyone, but I suggest trying Fresh Roast at least once to experience a place that cares about their customers and coffee made with gusto. This place was supposed to be closing, but when I popped my head in to ask, I received a friendly Of course, open for you!-=- Coffee Lover -=- This was the recommended coffee to get. It was sweet and had a light caramel flavor. It was not too caramel-y or too anything for that matter. It was like a smooth blend of all the sweet coffees.-=- Waffle Bites -=- We didnt even order this, but the owner came by and said that we should try it. So awesome and so friendly. They were on the plain side, but thats what I like. These go down pretty light, so it could get dangerous if you are trying to avoid eating too much.

Egg waffle & iced coffees were fantastic. Cozy seating inside & outside with lots of greenery & interesting decoration and art. Nice little hipster stop in the area!

Awesome place to come and get coffee, or to sit and study. Theres a small outside patio to sit outside thats covered with plants. My favorite thing is the Hanoi Insanity coffee which comes hot or iced and has a creamy foam top made of egg whip. They also have a a lot of sandwiches to choose from made with Belgium or bubble waffles . Definitely coming back to try their wide variety of coffees!The only parking I know of is on the street but this place is definitely worth the stop.

Love this place. Super cute vintage style decorations with good food.

I usually come in get some vietnamese coffee to go prior to going to class, so this time I came in and actually had time to hang out and chill inside. We ordered Mango, coconut milk with sticky rice, a matcha waffle with Nutella, Thai milk tea, and the golden egg coffee unsweetened.I really enjoy this place theres book available to read while your here, the staff is so friendly and nice, I felt like I was visiting relatives with how they treated us.Great place I recommend stopping by.

Food and coffee were all pretty nice. The owner time to explain all the differences in the origin of the coffee. However stars are deducted because when we went to pay we were overcharged about $20. There were seven of us and our order was scattered among many different items but $20 over charge is no excuse. If you do go make sure you check your receipt thoroughly

High quality coffee. I always ask Jimmy if I can try a new coffee sample and he always makes me a fresh sample coffee. Try the sumatra plain then with milk and sugar. Kenya is delicious on its own plain. His house blend is not too bad. Colombian is good as well, stronger than most. Very good place to buy coffee per pound. He has his own machine and always brews fresh roasts. I write this post as Im waiting for another sample (Italian).

This shop was great and has a so good coffee and sandwiches as well. This is my all time favorite place with good customer service.

With fast free WiFi, decent coffee, and select Asian style snacks and food, French roast is a great spot to burn some time. Cozy seats and small tables for groups of 4. Nice atmosphere for work or casual conversation.

I liked their ambiance te most. Cafe owner and his staff were friendly. I tried their coconut coffee on ice. I can distinctly taste both the coffee and coconut flavor but the its not a good combo. I couldnt even finish half. I would like to try different drinks next time.

Closed.

Good food, nice people. A mom and pops independent coffee shop, worth checking out.

Coffee was good! It is a bit cramped though. More of a quick in and out place! They also charge .50 cents for any purchase made with a card.

This must be the best coffee shop I have ever been. The coffee is of high quality. I recommend the Mochi waffle. Wow. It kelp fresh till the next day. Chewy. A must try.

My go to place to get Vietnamese iced coffee. Their coffee to condensed milk ratio is perfect. Its small and dark, so not the most ideal place to do work. I usually just grab the coffee and go. Parking is in the back.

Coffee is Great, But the place need needs major Cleaning!!!!

I basically lived here during my college years. This was my second home for studying. They have a very friendly staff. Great coffee and snacks, give them a try if youre nearby.

It has an almost unique menu. I liked the coconut jelly, but mostly favored for breakfast waffles

The scenery here is pretty nice. A little disorganized, but it feels cozy to me.I tried the infamous civet coffee here before, tbh wouldnt recommend it, but it is called cat poop coffee sooo... Anyways, the waffles here are good. Several flavors are available.

Small mom and pop shop for unique coffee and tea with asian influences. Some desserts available as well. Home decor as well for the interior.

This cafe have very unique (but can also be view as messy) décor.The coffee is amazing, the food is tasty, the pricing is decent.Theres parking in the back but many people is unaware of it.

CAUTION: DO NOT come to this place this place is totally DISGUSTING! Found a cockroach in my drink!!!!! The worst part is when I went back with the cockroach coffee, the owner refused to come out, they were very rude and acted like its not a big deal they cant do a refund but can replace a new drink for me. Excuse me????? I DO NOT need a refund I need EXPLANATION and APOLOGY!!!!!! The overall hygiene is horrible they wear no gloves when preparing food and drink. I am also reporting this irresponsible store to FDA. This place is a nightmare! Again, WARNING! DO NOT come to this store!

Love the many options for food, especially the bubble waffles. Like all good places the parking sucks.

One of the best mom n pop shops in town!!! Their desserts and drinks are unparalleled, made with lots of love, & taste impeccable

Local favorite!Delicious coffee and snacks

The coziest coffee shop in the whole 626. Great cozy ambiance. Owner Jimmy is super nice.

Feels like Im having breakfast at an antique store / Grandmas house! And they have wi-fi too!They have soooooooo many decorations / antique stuff and a BIG selection of coffee.Their coffee is amazing ! I had their vietnamese coffee!And their food is good :)!Got the Hong Kong Waffle and Croissant Sandwich!Drove far for this place, worth it! :D

Incredible coffee. The fresh waffles are a must try. Jimmy the manager is a coffee enthusiast.

Good coffee, had a hot chocolate once and it tasted a little like coffee.... Which i thought was a little weird. Also they have a strict time period on WiFi one drink will get you and it really ruins the vibe of the place.

Tried the coconut jelly serve in a coconut, not too sweet, and the coconut taste is very nice.

Well, its NOT very clean, and they use parts of the restaurant where customers sit for storage instead of putting all that crap in the back. Food is OK. Menu is not good at all. I wont come here again.

The best coffee in town and in California, forget about Starbucks, the Vietnamese coffee gives me extra energy its insane, I love it

They do not except credit cards under $5 purchase. And I believe the owner said they only allow wifi for some other minimum purchase. I am only rating low because I didnt get to try the coffee and wanted to post this so that others will know about the credit card policy.

Nice place for girl’s talk

A rarity in this world. An owner operated coffee shop with fantastic egg coffee!

Hong Kong Style waffles, yummy

Best fresh home made coffee beans in the area.

My favorite spot in San Gabriel area for coffee, sweet treats or a convenient lunch.

Best coffee shop in SVG. Great snacks and Hong Kong waffles.

A nice quiet place with very good coffee. Coffee lover is my favorite

I keep wanting to go back for another Hanoi Madness!

I wasnt a big fan after trying this place. Didnt meet my expectations of HK egg waffles. I came here on a weekend because I saw yelp had some good reviews that the waffle is really good like its from Hong Kong so I decided to give it a try since I have been craving HK waffles and havent had it since I moved to LA. I got the durian coffee and Green tea waffle with durian and red bean. I love durian so I decided to try anything with durian. I never had durian with coffee and never came to my mind that would go together so I decided to try it and it literally just tasted like durian with coffee. Iced coffee with pieces of durian as you drink it. The green tea waffle was not the best I have tried. I probably wont be back as I had better in NY and HK so this was just okay. Didnt have the taste or texture I was looking for. There was no fluffy or puffiness that I have tasted before. I will have to continue my hunt for good hk style waffles unfortunately.

We found Fresh Roast on Yelp. The picture of the HK waffle lured us in. We love the HK waffles. You can get plain waffle, or with fillings. We tried blueberry, chocolate and mochi. Chocolate is everyones favorite. They also serve good coffee. The friendly owner recommended #1 Coffee Lover. Its made with espresso, milk, caramel and condense milk. Just the right amount of sweetness with the bitter taste of caramel. It was great, and perfect with the waffle. Its a comfy little place where you can relax or hang out with friends.

Great service and atmosphere, free WiFi, great prices and you have to try their fresh croissants,

Jimmy is a grumpy owner that is a hit it miss. Service was poor, forgot my order several times. The ice had something in it, and dont get any sandwiches. Dont waste your money...

For over a decade, Fresh Roast has been a popular coffee shop serving citizens of San Gabriel. It was around even before the third-wave coffeehouse movement began. Dating back in the late 90s and early 2000s, customers around the neighborhood came to surf the Internet at computer stations in exchange for purchasing a cup of coffee. This practice remains the same today, except customers are bringing in their own electronics, and they understand and appreciate artisan coffee much more.Fresh Roast is one of the rare places in the San Gabriel Valley that uses a siphon to brew coffee. The siphon technique involves brewing coffee at a constant temperature, which ensures the extraction time is controlled. It yields one of the cleanest and most crisp cup of filtered coffee. Pair it with the latest roast and you have the best tasting 20oz (~2 to 3 cups) of coffee in San Gabriel.A wide variety of single-origin coffee beans is roasted in-house by owner Jimmy. The beans are country specific, but are not sourced from specific microlots or farms like third-wave coffeeshops do. However, the beans are inexpensive at around $10 to $12 per pound except for the special Jamaican Blue Mountain Wallensford Estate ($50/lb). Third-wave coffee shops typically charge much more, in excess of $20 per pound. Jimmy seems to roast the beans a little darker than I prefer.

Great Vietnamese Iced Coffee here. I make my own Caphe Sua Da at home but Fresh Roast literally fresh roasts their coffee with their in-house coffee roaster. This coffee beats anything you can brew with Cafe Du Monde or Trung Nguyens pre-ground nonsense. I love stopping here and then I like to head to Golden Deli to get some delicious pho and egg rolls!

Straight up, a hidden gem.

Coffee/juices/Tea/food: 4/5 starsThey roast coffee and whole sale from here so their coffee is always fresh. They have Hawaiian, blue mountain, and even luwak coffee here. Try the siphoned coffee for kick if you havent. The latte is on point. The house blends beans used to be better years ago with a unique flavor but now its more like a normal flavor but still very good latte. The HK waffle is excellent. Snacks and sandwiches are very good. Noodles are just ok.Atmosphere: 4/5 starsIf you like eclectic old country look then youll like it here. Mom and pop kind of place. Friendly and relaxing where you can sit for awhile and forget the traffic outside. It could use a thorough clean up and freshen up.Service: 5/5 starsYou can get coffee/food Togo or sit in. Friendly staffs that get to know you. Mom and pop will greet you by name so service is very personal if they are not busy. They have snacks, sandwiches, and food beside coffee and more fancy coffee.Expense: 4/5 starsPrices are less than your local Starbucks.Return: 6/5 starsIve come here for decades for coffee so thats an achievement by itself.You can see my bias in my rating do just come and support your local mom and pop coffee shop if you dont want to see a Starbucks replacing it.

Really good HK waffles with filling!

Best mango sticky rice ever!

Good coffee and cill place.

Really friendly

Their vietnamese coffee is the bomb!

Coffee very good.

Best coffee in San Gabriel; its roasted on site!

Best coffee in San Gabriel Valley..no really !

Wonderful service with excellent coffee

Good food

Was not gourmet or even fresh.

L do not see 24 packs in stores, just 16-18 packs at grocery stores and 56-84 packs at warehouse stores.

What a great spot!!!

Best coffee around.

Attitude sucks!

BEST SERVICE EVER:)!!!