Café Mak

Cafe was great overall! Great atmosphere to work/study in, hangout, etc. If you’re planning on working/studying here with the hopes of getting good internet: don’t. You’re better off going to Starbucks. I was hoping to get some work in while enjoying my grub, but it ended up with me using my own hotspot. Food is good for the most part. It’s a bit expensive considering that their portion sizes are not that big. Would come here once in a while.

This place is a gem in Ktown. We came here after dinner for drinks and dessert, and it does not disappoint. There's a sign upfront that the parking is full, however, the guard waved us in, there are quite a few of parking space in the back lot. Once your step inside, this café is quite spacious with several seating options. Quite a few customers are there to study or work, although the wifi doesn't seem to work well. We pressed the button on the table and placed our order with a friendly staff. The sweet potato cake and carrot cake are delicious. The Korean coffee and the Dachae iced tea are fragrant and well balanced.

Great cafe with a quiet area for studying and a decent menu. Im writing this review because i realize that the cafes wifi has restrictions for a lot of websites and are not VPN friendly. I was really looking forward to spending time in this cafe to get work done but i cant even access pintrest, ged.com etc and it was overall really disappointing i could not use a VPN to protect my connection. I understand why the cafe has done this but just wanted to give yall a heads up before you come in.

Had this place saved awhile back and decided to pay this place a visit on my day off. Very much worth it! Food was good esp the chocolate matcha surprised me!!! I was super excited about that! The carbonara wasn’t the authentic Italian version which I miss so dearly from my visit in Europe a week ago but it still hits. Spacious little shop and parking is very limited in the back of the property. Not sure where else you can park to visit this spot but maybe around the block. There’s a printer and free wifi. Lots of rules like you need to order something within 15 mins of seating but I do like the press the button to order or find service system. Helps with not having to wave down anyone to get order in. I believe dine in only, you get 50% off on non-alcoholic drinks and a party of 6+ has a service fee. Place is a solid 9/10 to me.

A vast, cozy cafe with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, free parking in back, and late hours. The blueberry cheesecake is huge and scrumptious.

That said, the prices are steep for the quality of the food. You are unable to order small side dishes such as rice and miso soup for $5 total unless you order a main dish, despite this being more expensive than the cheapest item on the menu, a $4.50 SmartWater.

The reserved table and seating policy is frustrating. Larger tables that sit bigger groups require ordering 5 menu items, including food. These tables often sit empty while 4-person tables are often hogged by two or even one person in the library.

Lastly, the service is often terse; quite a few servers could use a lesson in friendly hospitality.

TL;DR: Though an oasis for studying and working, it could be paradise with higher quality food, service, and better seating policies.

Comfortable library workspace aesthetic. Warm lighting with beautiful decorations. Delicious variety on their menu (most items are pricey, however). Friendly staff, large selection of seating options, clean restrooms and plenty of charging outlets. And they're open until midnight! Only negative is their internet frequently goes out (can be really annoying when you're working). Overall, no complaints. I've been coming here for a year and I've enjoyed all of my experiences. Would highly recommend.

Love this place! So much space and a parking lot! The interior has so many separate seating areas that give the space a cozy feel. Lots of people studying/working here, but also great hangout place. Didn’t love the Pat Bing Su (a weird combination of toppings), but overall still love this place.

Did not have a good experience. The matcha tasted like sugar water, the AC didn't work, and wifi disconnected all the time.

Looking for a place in Ktown to study or just lounge around for hours and hours? Look no further people of SoCal.
I've been to Cafe Mak more times than I can count that I probably know more about this place than the waiters.

First off, the food and drinks are a bit pricier than your usual coffee shop, but I think it's worth it for two reasons. 1) You can stay for as long as you want. I've seen college students stay for at least 5 hours on multiple occasions. 2) Free parking. Why pay $5+ for valet parking when you get it for free?

All their drinks and coffee are pretty good but when it comes to their food, my favorites are their potato wedge fries and kimchi fried rice. They honestly might have the best fries in Ktown and their kimchi fried rice tastes like it was made by a Korean mom.

Let's not forget about their cakes. Their sweet potato cake isn't for everyone but if you like sweet potatoes I would highly recommend. My favorite cake has got to be their saeng cream cake. It's a very simple cake with just whipped cream and strawberries, but it's also very light and fluffy.

As great as all these things sound, no cafe is perfect. The wifi has always been a problem here. When the cafe becomes congested, the wifi becomes just as packed. Mak tries to alleviate this problem by offering multiple wifi ports, so if your port is slow, try connecting to a port that isn't so congested and hopefully it'll be a little faster.

It also gets very busy during lunch and right after dinner so service can get a bit slow and waiters might make mistakes. If you're the unfortunate recipient of a mistake, please be patient and understanding. If your drink hasn't come out after 5 minutes or your food hasn't come out after 20 minutes, just calmly press the service button on your table.

Every drink and food item has A LOT of dairy in it. But they have games, books, relaxed college dorm like environment with lots of students doing homework or working from here between meals. Desserts, coffee and booze are bestsellers. The hours of operation are great for people looking to have a “office cafe” experience. Huge location, some parking, responsive staff at the push of a button. I hope they introduce more options for people w lactose intolerance.

Great place to get work done. I'd recommend coming early on a weekend so you can grab a parking spot. Ambiance is really chill. Coffee was a little pricey but you pay for good service, atmo, wifi.

I come here so often because it’s a late night cafe with a perfect studying atmosphere! they’re food is way too expensive and the light is sort of too dark, but you can’t beat free parking, free wifi, and seats everytime you’re there!

Its nice they have parking in the back, bathrooms, and wifi. My server was really nice but everything is pretty pricey. The parking lot signs were kind of scary with the threats to tow if you don't leave your phone number on the dash & tell your server which car you are and overall just made me feel uneasy. There are a lot of policies which I understand but not a place I plan on returning to personally

Drinks are good and the overall atmosphere is calming. However, if you’re coming here to do work the requires wifi, don’t come here. The wifi is terrible. They have two wifi’s but they both are stagnant when it comes to providing good connection. Most times it’ll work smoothly but other times it’ll be the slowest thing you’ll ever experience.

If you are a digital nomad looking for a good place to work and have a nice cup of joe, this is probably not the place for you.
As with most Korea Town coffee houses, it was overly crowded and cramped with tiny tables. Although it is a spacious place and has a cozy vibe. All the decent sized tables are reserved for parties of 5 or more or if you order 5 or more items. I told them they should just charge for tables. All the other tables were too small really to work at. I understand they don't want students hogging a decent sized table all day but almost all of the large tables had reserved signs on them and were not being used. Not sure how the coffee or food tastes. Also again, like most of Korea Town, parking is very difficult. Maybe good for coffee and food but not for working unless you come with a group. One good thing is it's open late till midnight.

Cafe/restaurant that seems to almost specifically cater to students and working professionals, with lots of folks on laptops or open books. Lots of seating and power outlets. This was exactly what I was looking for! But as others have mentioned, the wifi can get slow and often drops. This happened several times to me even with the cafe about 2/3 full. Lighting can also get dim at night but can be fixed by finding a spot strategically.

A very cosy place for studying and working. Food is delicious and coffee is tasty.

Hidden gem. Open late, excellent coffee and atmosphere for working and studying, or just hanging out. Just tried the new fried sampler, mozzarella, zucchini, and seasoned fries. Delish!

This place rocks. Single handedly saved my writing career. The evening working vibe is a vibe.

Terribly hot inside. wifi sucks. Over priced espresso.

This it's a very nice and organized place with plenty of tables, a good variety of drinks and food, and plenty of outlets. They also have servers and bells on each table.

It is a good place to study/work as the noise level is comfortable. I also found it to be a good place to meet people. Having faster wifi would make this spot terrific.

Given that the wifi is slow, I wouldn't recommend coming here if you have a video conference call.

I wouldn't hesitate to revisit here.

Really great for working! There is a call button on every table for whenever you need service, which is very convenient and ensures that you won't be interrupted, and also that people aren't walking around all the time. The interior is furnished and decorated eclectically; the atmosphere is very warm and cozy. Bring headphones because they do play pop music, both Korean and American. The one downside is that the menu is very overpriced, but you expect that from a cafe in Ktown. Since I typically stay for so long, I don't mind paying extra for my drinks. There are entrees but I'd recommend not eating a whole meal here, the savory food is not that good. I read reviews complaining about service, but in my experience they've been very willing to change my order, take stuff back etc.

More and more cafes are putting two hour limits on wifi and stuff like that. I understand why they do it, but if you want to work somewhere comfortable that's not a library, this is perfect!

There was a black paperlike thing inside my cup of water. Not clean, water tastes bitter. Their black sesame latte did not taste like latte at all. It tasted like black sesame milk.

They need to change chair cushions because they are falling apart, and there's so much dust everywhere. They need to clean the area. Good thing is that they have their own parking lot, wifi, and a lot of power outlets. Service was good.

I've been here lots of time, this is a good place for using laptop doing work with comfortable atmosphere and open until midnight. Beside, the price is reasonable and there staff are nice. However, it is always hard to find a parking space except valet. So if you want to find a place to use laptop doing some work after dinner, no doubt here is the best place for you.

There is no better coffee or tea or environment than Cafe Mak in Los Angeles. The ambiance is unforgettable. Each table has wifi and plug sockets to plug your computer in. The tables are large and roomy. The atmosphere is private for most tables in the large dining room. However, there are some issues that the restaurant needs to address if they want to succeed in this very competitive marketplace. Their french fries and fried zucchini used to be hand-breaded and deep fried and now they are using frozen, pre-breaded for both menu items and they taste like something you could buy in the frozen section of Ralph's yet the price for these items remains high. Also, they are serving a shrimp and tomato sauce over pasta that is of poor quality because the shrimp are too small and have the tail shell on them, which you have to remove in order to eat the dish and the sauce is amateurish and for this the price is too much. If you are going to charge premium prices then give the customers premium products. The best thing on the menu are their salads, which are fresh and tasty. The other things that cannot be beat are the coffee and teas and drinks. The service is really good!!! They have buzzers on every table for fast service. The people are friendly and courteous. The only thing that the atmosphere needs is a good cleaning and some more fresh green plants. This restaurant and coffee/tea house has the potential to be one of the best in the city of Los Angeles with the right attention to the details. Also, get ready for truly awesome desserts. They are some of the best desserts in Los Angeles. You will ALWAYS find a seat at Cafe Mak because the restaurant is very large. Parking is usually available. It's a good experience and could be even better with the right changes.

TLDR:
Great food
Great Drinks
Comfy vibes and PLENTY outlets and GREAT wifi

Business Model:
Every business needs to make money and if someone orders one drink and stays there for 8 hours, I get it.
When I went - min 1 order per person every 3 hours (I think it's a good model since drinks aren't that pricey either and are really flavorful too)
This is how Asian establishments work and at least they outline EVERYTHING for you on the menu.

Food:
4.4/5Teokbokki: They didn't have the Chicken so I went to the spicy rice cakes and being all over the world and trying food - one of the better ones! (asked for extra sweet potatos)
3.9/5 or 5/5: Stir-fry chicken udon is like a basic stir-fry you get at asian restaurants but a bit more flavorful and less greasy which I enjoyed. My friend really enjoyed it so for him it was amazing.

Drinks:
Korean Coffee is like the ones from the packets I grew up with, I still love it. It can be a hit or miss with people
Black Sesame drink is a must try and the Kiwi too
Service:
Oppa was funny and very nice! Love that guy! Will defiantly come just to see him again

Vibes: A LOT OF TABLES AND outletS YES! I love the vibe of being hugged and it can get crowded but it wasn't when I was there

Perfect place for getting work done. There are many tables outdoors and indoors. There is also a small parking lot. Drinks were not extraordinary, but the ambiance was as perfect for getting work done in a quiet place with good wifi and even a printer.

I love this place so much. Have privacy, good menu with a couple healthy options, and great service. wifi can be slow at times, but you are sharing it with a bunch of others, so I get that :)

Now if they only had matcha and green juice it would be on the next level! Otherwise -1 star for all the cigarette smoking on the otherwise beautiful patio.

Super cute and cozy coffee shop. Perfect for studying/working or just hanging out with a mellow group of friends. Their drinks are all so delicious (green tea latte recommended). They also offer wine!

This place is very pretty, good outdoor seating, and good for studying. The coffee is ok but don't get the Korean style coffee, it's just Maxim instant coffee and their food is pretty bad for the prices. If you come here to study, drink wine, and chat you won't be dusappointed. Don't expect lightning fast wifi.

I'm actually in love with this place. Amazing for studying and working or just hanging out with friends - have a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with cheese. Its french style and library-like vibes make you feel cozy and so comfortable...

Love the feel of this Cafe. When not crowded, great for Meetings or just work with your laptop. Good service.

One of the most disappointing experiences I've had in LA so far.

The food is decidedly average (or worse) with a price point that sits far too high for the quality you receive.

I ordered a chicken and avocado panini, a fruit juice (more like an iced smoothie - chronically lacking flavour), and a Coke - the whole came to over $22. Shocking.

There ARE pluses though - wifi is free, and there are a bunch of accessible plug points for charging your phone or laptop. Always a great feature.

Improve the food and the drinks and I'd consider returning.

Good atmosphere, however overpriced items (~$7 for a coffee, or $13 for most entrees) and incredibly spotty wifi. If they solved the wifi issue (they have 9 networks, not sure why all of them are still so bad) and pricing, would love it as a go-to.

BEST PLACE IN LA FOR COLOR COPIES LATE NIGHT. This place is open till midnight. All other same day color copy places (Fedex/UPS/Staples) close at 8p or 9p. (10p if you're lucky). working hours on an important project all night and need to print late? Head to Cafe Mak and use their PrintWithMe kiosk.

The place is really cool and is open until midnight. The internet is terrible and the staff pretends as though they have no idea that it isn't working properly they have 2 internets and the both of weak and you are constantly having to reboot your computer.

wifi doesn’t work, the workers pester you to BUY something before helping out with their wifi, and it’s just not worth wasting time. this establishment is terrible and money hungry. sad.

HUGE cafe that serves wine too. Super wifi junkie spot with almost every table accessoried with laptop, business met talk or books. Like a library, has couplev shelves of books. Full of students. Even with 2 wifi connections, its slow. Maybe cause its a wknd? Private parking lot. Chicken pesto panni sandwich is a top seller here and its good (Includes ice coffee). They sell whole cakes here too.

Nice atmosphere for studying or working. Good vegan curry n rice if you are hungry. Also almond milk late is Yummy.

Very cozy cafe. Good for dating, study, working, reading. Sometimes it is a bit noisy when groups of people are chatting aloud and the food is kinda pricey.

food and coffee is good but wifi IS THE WORST IVE EVER USED out of 7 times I went there wasnt a SINGLE TIME wifi workED PROPERLY
if ur studying PLEASE DO NOT GET HERE UNTIL THEY FIX IT

Greatest place ever. Free wifi, delicious coffee and food and they don't blast the AC like most places

I love coming here to read or just grab a white milk chocolate and surf the web on my laptop.

Every buddy I've recommended this place to had liked it a lot as well.

Good place to study till 12 am! Sadly wifi can be slow at times.

This cafe has food and drinks you get anything you want. You can study here too it has a free wifi

Very comfortable for working or studying...just a bit pricey!

Free refills, however the wifi is slow like McDonalds.

Great wifi great service :)

Food is surprisingly good. Comfortable for working on a laptop.

Great place to study/work. Fast wifi, and exceptional customer service.
New season drink "melona matcha" is a hit! Definitely try out their pesto sandwich or omelette rice.