Big Mug Coffee Roaster

The good:
–we tried the green tea latte, peppermint mocha, and the garlic toast and all tasted really good.
–The ambiance is very hipster and relaxing, good place for a date or to catch up on work.
The bad:
–pricey! The three things we ordered came out to around $ 20.
–The service was very slow. This is definitely the type of place you go to on a Sunday morning to enjoy your coffee and read a book, not the type of place for you to stop by and get a coffee. We wait about 20 minutes for our 2 drinks and a toast.

This place is HUGE!!!
Good spot to study or chat with friends with plenty of outlets and good music that’s not distracting.
Staff is pretty nice and the manager/​owner was extra cool chatting with customers asking how they’re doing.
Ordered a green tea latte and it was really good! Barista named Johnny? I think that was his name was really awesome. Latte art he did really made my girlfriend happy. MVP points to you buddy!
Definitely would make an effort to come back to try other teas and desserts if I wasn’t so full from dinner so save some room if you do have this place in mind afterwards!

Really love coming to this place!!! My friend and I stumbled upon this place while looking for an after dinner hang out. For me its always the Green Tea Latte, I am hooked on it. Plus they carry Marianne’s Ice Cream which is great since I don’t have to go to Santa Cruz to satisfy a sudden craving.
The staff are super friendly, once when we showed up just before closing they still offered to serve us in big mugs instead of to go cups. Appreciate it a lot guys.
A really good coffee shop atmosphere although we wish they would remain open till midnight on some nights.

Met up with a friend to catch up here. Plenty of seating which was nice. He ordered a green tea latte and I had an affogato. My friend’s drink had no art so he was quite disappointed. My affogato was decent, but not amazing.
Nice place if you want to hang out or study.

This café is super cozy and spacious! Perfect for studying. I love how they put a Christmas tree up for the holidays too. The décor is super cute. There’s a huge wall that has a map of the Coffee Belt. There is a huge parking lot outside in the square, so parking is very convenient here.
My friend and I ordered the green tea latte and the cacao latte. They attempted some latte art for us as well. The green tea latte had a nice strong green tea flavor and the cacao latte was actually pretty sweet (almost tasted like hot chocolate). This place is great to catch up with friends as well as study.

Solid coffee shop! I’m a fan of their vanilla soy latte and their green tea waffle dessert! They’re staples. I love that there’s a huge space with lots of people hanging out studying, working, hanging out, etc. but it’s also one of the biggest downsides. People tend to over-​extend their stay making it hard to find a seat. The restroom line also gets long too since there’s only one restroom stall to accommodate everyone and the wifi needs some work. Despite it all, it’s still one of my go-​to coffee shops. I just love the casual ambiance and coffee selection!

Nooooooooooooo! Just kidding, I still love Big Mug. I’ve just got a couple more points to add in to my review is all. It turns out if you order the frappes to go … it’s icier. There is less flavor and the cup is filled leaving about a good inch from the top. There was no whipped cream to serve as a filler for the emptiness. and it was really disappointing. I got the drinks on my way to work, one mocha frappé for me (WHICH I LOVE IN-​STORE) and a green tea frappé for my colleague. Big mug is definitely better as a stay-​in café than an on the go order. Regardless, I’ll still keep coming back [see previous review for reference] and I’ll most likely still order to go.
I came around 9:45am, and it was the first time I found front row parking upon arrival. Which is crazy! This parking lot isn’t big enough for all the businesses. Big Mug was still packed with people — already with their laptops out, noise-​canceling earpieces on and focusing on meeting their deadlines. Still, with a full house, Big Mug was still not as loud as I’d expect.

This place is so cute! I saw all the good reviews and I had to try it. I got a green tea latte and honey toast. The green tea latte was delicious. So much flavor & that matcha flavor was strong just the way I love it. The honey toast was heaven in my mouth. Warm, crunchy, sweet. I definitely recommend eating this little slice of heaven.
The vibe of this coffee shop is so chill! Lots of seating. They have music playing, a bookshelf of books you can read. I will definitely be coming back here again! My new favorite café!

Decided to head back to Big Mug to meet up with a friend and get work done, plus I had that Green Tea Latte to try– so why not check all of the above off the list?
The place is jam packed despite it’s large space. Be prepared to scope out for spots and outlets prior to ordering or you may be left roaming around with your laptop and coffee aimlessly, most people don’t leave on a regularly timed basis.
Luckily, I was able to find a bar to sit at with an outlet nearby. The Green Tea Latte is pretty good, lovely green tea flavor that’s slightly grassy and floral, but lightly sweetened to enhance the flavors. The service was good and the drink was made fairly quickly.
The only con I see of this place is that it’s highly popular and the clientele seems to work or socialize here for hours on end leaving little to no outlets available (if need be) or vacant seats. Wi-​Fi still needs a bit more work here. Other than that I still feel the same about the environment, drinks and service.

Really great place to study and chill for the whole day! The space is huge and there are a lot of outlets along the walls and on the floor. The only drawback to it being so comfy and spacious is the fact that EVERYONE WANTS TO STAY THERE. Like, ALL DAY. So if you want a good spot near an outlet, go early in the day!
I ordered an iced hazelnut latte this time and it came in a cute glass mug. It wasn’t super sweet but had a great hazelnut taste to it. It kept me pretty awake for the couple of hours that I stayed there.
I’m inclined to make this my usual spot (just like everyone else in Santa Clara)!

When you try to find Big Mug, you probably wouldn’t expect much judging from the outside. Which is why you should never judge places from the outside! It’s located in a plaza with a few other stores and although the parking lot is rather large, sometimes its hard to find a spot. Going in, I did not expect this huge spacious coffee shop adorned with cute lights and awesome book shelf wall thing. I was also really impressed by their large coffee belt chalk drawing that receives a lot of Instagram attention. I saw in the corner it had the names of who drew it, so I thought it was really unique until I realized that they ripped it off google and that the Starbucks next to my house on the south side of san jose has the exact same one along their wall so ehh, loss of creativity points, but still a cute place otherwise!
Since the last time I came, a few things have changed. They have added honey toast to their menu of desserts. I haven’t ordered a matcha since they first opened up a long time ago. I wasn’t a fan but after reading reviews recently of people raving about it, I decided to give it another try. I’m not sure why, but it was a lot better now than the first time I had it! Creamy and full of matcha goodness. Although it was good, what I really wanted to talk about here was their Sweet potato latte. I’m a lover of sweet potato everything, but a sweet potato latter seemed just far fetched even for me. But with Candice G’s approval, I decided to give it a try and I have no regrets! It was delicious! It is made with real sweet potatoes and originally contains no coffee, but I added a shot of espresso. The latte is actually not that sweet and is pleasantly just darn good in ways I can’t describe. If they made this a staple to their menu, I would be a happy camper.
On to food, the honey toast was perfectly crisp on the outside and soft inside. The honey was in perfect amounts and overall it was simple and good. The waffle however was so hard and crumbly, not what I was hoping for, so I would just get the toast again if I’m feelin’ the munchies. My only complaint here was that sometimes they let their bins/​Tubs overfill with dishes. This is a place where you take your own finished dishes to a bin, which is fine, but no one likes to try and balance the tower of dishes in fear of it all crashing down or putting them on other places they don’t belong! Overall this place is great for studying and meetings because of the space, or for whatever other coffee shop needs you have.

Came after a fat dinner on a weekday to eat the final fattening course, dessert.
They sell little pastires/​cookies, and ice cream.
I ordered the:
–mint oreo ice cream: good quality, really rich. But not enough crushed up oreos IMO.
They’re also from Marianne’s
–7 layer bar: not the best. skip
I took a bite of my friends affogato and I wished I ordered one from the beginning.
The vanilla bean with the coffee was the perfect balance of sweetness.
Next time, definitely ordering my OWN affogato
********And parking sucks. I circled 10 times around…
There’s also a lot of students studying which can create table issues.
Overall, cute hipster Korean/​Asian cozy place with surprisingly a lot of tables and seats.

If you love smooth coffee like Philz or Peet’s, you’ll love this place. And if you have a sweet tooth. it’s definitely #timetogetfat. They have freshly made bakery goods here, as well as buttery waffles topped with Santa Cruz’s famous Marianne’s ice cream here. It’s so good that I’m returning just to eat this stuff for breakfast! The coffee comes with cute designs like hearts, leaves, bears, etc. too. Another huge bonus.
My friend dragged me here last night at 9 pm, and it was a full house. This café isn’t small either. There are plenty of tables, chairs, and a few sofas. Lots of students and possible workaholics take advantage of the über fast WiFi and convenient outlets placed all around the shop, and yet others were like my me and my friend. People who crave good coffee and dessert at all hours of the day.
I love the neat décor in here, and how it kind of feels like you’re hanging out in a nice living room in someone’s modern loft. Great place to lounge while enjoying high quality coffee, tea, and bakery goods. just don’t forget the ice cream waffle! That’s the best part.

Bumping this up to 5 stars because of my most recent visit here! The fact that they have generous seating, free wifi and outlets was already a huge plus, but I wanted to update my review because of my encounter with the shop’s Manager, Jin.
I got the Colombia pour over because the notes were buttery and nutty. I initially drank it black but decided to add some cream because it was a bit too acidic for my taste. Jin saw me add it and then asked me if it was too acidic, saying that the notes weren’t supposed to be. I said yes and before I knew it, she had already brewed me another cup, using the appropriate brewing method and water temperature and told me to taste it again. I said it was better but that it still had a bite towards the end.
Jin was curious and had me taste a different coffee which was more mellow (Guatemala) and recommended to me a couple of other coffees to try that would better suite my taste and to also stop by for a coffee tasting.
It was super informational and although the shop was steadily buzzing, she still took the time to educate me and ensure my overall coffee experience, which is something I have never received elsewhere on my adventures in LA, SF or NY!

I really like the space because it’s suitable for studying, socializing, etc. BUT some of the seats aren’t so ergonomic. The large rectangular table and the one-​person tables are just low enough where your knees knock against the table. I even saw a guy typing on his laptop and his knees were facing sideways.
Anyhow, the drinks were average, maybe even below average. The mocha tasted just like overly sweetened chocolate milk and costs an extra $ 0.30 if you want it iced. The multi-​grain latte is like the roasted soybean powder on top of rice cakes or Korean shaved ice. It was well… grainy and very thick towards the bottom. The coffee also tasted burnt, like burnt popcorn.
The café looks like one of the newer, mostly wooden cafes you see in Korean dramas. Cute.

One of my proudest Unilocal finds that trip! This coffee place looked gorgeous from their pictures alone that while in NorCal. Why not!
The pictures actually hardly do the place justice. That coffee shop had to be one of the nicest and sweetest decorated ones I’ve come across yet!
COFFEE: It was raining that day on the way back to SoCal but I needed something more relaxing than caffeinating. Cue green tea matcha! Their temperature was perfect or it was just super cold that day that I didn’t care to wait for the drink to get lukewarm. Matcha just generally tastes more soothing. It has the creaminess of coffee but the lightness of tea! Perfect for a rainy day.
Missed out on their brick toasts, macaron ice cream sandwiches, & other food items! But I wouldn’t doubt their taste.
I unfortunately did expect more of their latte art but I was reminded that no matter what coffee shop you go to, always remember that every barista is different! Don’t be bummed about what you get simply because every barista has a different level of artistry and style when it comes to their lattes.
Look forward to coming here again soon!

Big Mug Coffee Roaster is one of the best coffee houses around Santa Clara to me. I call it a coffee house cuz it’s got that hipster coffee house vibe with their wooden community tables. they r much bigger than the other smaller shops which can only seat like 10 ppl. this one can easily fit around 30 to 40 ppl. that’s probably y ppl come in with their entourages of like 10 ppl from work.
they sell plenty of different coffees. like lattes, mocha, americano, machiatto, shakerato. (what’s a shakerato? gotta try that next time!) they also sell cold drip n hand pour over. in addition to all the high quality coffees, they also have plenty of good pastries to go with them. they have ice creams, shaved ice, affogato, n WAFFLES! mmm… waffles.
u can tell that this place is serious about their coffee game when they sell Chemex glass hand pours n they have a wall dedicated to cold brew.
the only fault I can find with this coffee house would probably b the parking here. it’s located in a strip mall with a Dollar Tree n some small Korean restaurants so the spaces get snatched up fast. I usually have to drive around for a few minutes til I get lucky. that’s one of the reasons y I don’t come here more.

Fact: Sweet potatoes are the worst ever.
Sure, with a pound of butter and brown sugar they can be made to be decent, but I feel personally victimized whenever someone asks if I’d like regular fries or sweet potato fries. B*tch, you know I want them regular fries. Do I look like a dumdum? I’m not fooling myself with any calorie cutting malarkey. Gimme the good stuff.
And yet for some reason when I found myself at Big Mug Coffee Roaster initially for a meeting and the green tea latte that everyone raves about, I accidentally blurted out, ‘sweet potato latte’ instead. It was as if I was sub-​par potato possessed.
But this latte… made with real sweet potato and apparently no coffee (although the barista recommended adding it so I did) was the ish. Actually a legitimately good seasonal that you’d think would probably taste hella sweetened (it’s not sweet at all) and fake actually tastes like a legit healthy almost meal replacement latte. I definitely didn’t hate it. I’d probably even consider ordering it again.
I also tried the spicy ginger macchiato, which was another win and something I’d definitely get again but not until I get what I’d initially came for: The green tea latte… and hopefully with some cute animal art because I’m hard to impress like that.
Inside is actually pretty huge with PLENTY of seating options and free wifi (check the bottom of your receipt for wifi password). The girls who were working were beautiful. Like, legit something from out of Kylie Jenner’s instagram account. They were helpful and friendly and I loved them until I overheard one of them joking about not doing something until she was «old… like in 10 years… when she’s 32» and then some dude sitting at the counter turned around and looked right at me as if to see if I were offended and I just shot him a look like, ‘turn around, b*tch, I’m thirty-f*cking-one… I got some time before I should be offended by whatever just happened.’ And then he turned back around. It’s also possible he was just cracking his back in his chair and made a face to accompany that but I like the story that unfolded in my head a lot better so I’m running with it.
Great space. Fantastic flavors. Horrible parking lot… but «two out of three ain’t bad.» ~ Jack Nicholson in Mars Attacks** (and also Meatloaf, who is wunderbar, but I’m quoting JL so just go with it)
** Legitimately been waiting 20 years to use that somewhere.

My classmates and I spent pretty much all day here studying. From the outside, it looks pretty small, but wow! Once you go in, there are sooo many places to sit. From counter tops, to huge tables that fit 12 people, small round tables for a more intimate group, couches, individual seating, etc.
Their drinks are good! We tried sooo many the whole time we were there. Green tea latte, mocha, pumpkin latte, peppermint mocha, and caramel latte. The latte art (s) were cute! Wish we got the bears, animals, etc haha but whatever. That’s irrelevant.
They close at 11pm. Big plus!
Probably one of my favorite coffee shops!

Wow. I’m impressed by the quality of drinks and customer service here. Whether it’s Nikky E., Jackie C., Jin, Judy or Giyeong, or other baristas, they always make me feel welcomed and comfortable because I tend to carry on conversations with not only my friends, but coworkers and acquaintances as well… haha.
Noise level can be out of control at times but I can contribute to the noise level reaching its’ highest peak. I talk loud at times when I should have inside voice. My bad.
Drinks here are beyond amazing. I love matcha green tea and chai lattes. They’re the best here. Made to perfection.
Great place to study, spend time with friends, hold a meeting, or have your quality alone time with people in the background hahaha.