Portola Coffee Lab

slow saturday mornings have a particular gravity to them, the kind where you want somewhere that takes coffee seriously without making it feel like a performance. portola coffee lab on hyland avenue in costa mesa has built a reputation as exactly that kind of place, well regarded locally and for reasons that hold up. you're not going to find shortcuts here. the roasting operation is in-house, which means what ends up in your cup has a traceable chain of decisions behind it, not just a bag from a wholesaler. costa mesa isn't a place people tend to associate with destination coffee, but portola has quietly changed that calculation. the cortado is a solid place to start, especially on a weekday morning before hyland avenue gets busy.