Get a taste of home at 10 cozy cafes

Make the most of sweater weather with bold barakos, ube lattes and patis caramel milk tea

Written by Jamey V Padojino

I still dream of my visit to Pinoyshki in Seattle last year.

The comfort I felt as I bit into a piroshky filled with laing was the warmth I needed on that late, rainy October morning. You cannot deny the magic behind the collard greens and coconut miso sauce filled into the boat-shaped bun. The blend of Filipino and Eastern European food in my hands made this final stop of my trip worth the wait.

Fall is that sweet time of the year when going to a cozy cafe hits the spot. Visiting a place that celebrates Filipino culture makes the stop an experience in itself. While not exhaustive and in no particular order, here's a list of 10 Filipino cafes for an autumnal escape:

Pinoyshki, Seattle, Washington

This Capitol Hill cafe owne by Chef Aly Anderson has enough piroshkis to keep your taste buds entertained, and prides itself on its baked — not fried — brioche buns. The menu includes piroshkis with unique fillings you'd find at a Filipino potluck: pork bicol express, chicken adobo and garlic beef asado (as seen on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives). Coming for breakfast? Get your hands on the cornpilog, filled with Filipino corned beef hash and topped with fried garlic. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available. Piroshkis aside, the cafe also has ube sticky buns, pandan caramel coffee and mango calamansi mimosas, plus wall art as vibrant as the fall trees outside. 

Instagram: @pinoyshki

Malaya Coffee & Ice Cream, Los Angeles, California

Angelenos: One of your newest Filipino cafes landed over the summer in Silver Lake. If you feel trapped in traffic on Sunset Boulevard, Malaya can give you respite with its lattes (care for ube creme?), matchas (how about banana?), brown sugar cold brew, refreshers and espresso. Pair a drink with a queso de bola, ube or cinnamon ensaymada from The Ensaymada Project. Ice cream cravings can be fulfilled with scoops of guava paloma, ube coconut and miso caramel, which can also be served as an affogato or cold brew float. The open floor format can make you feel right at home with wooden furniture, plants, ample seating and frames of words like mahal (Tagalog for love) written in baybayin, the precolonial writing system in the Philippines.

Instagram: @malayacoffeeshop

Kapwa Cafe, Daly City, California

Kapwa Cafe's Filipino-inspired boba comes with a special kind of satisfaction: making a difference in the community. The cafe is part of the Kapwa Cultural Center, which opened in October 2024, and drink sales support the nonprofit work in building the next generation of Filipina/x/o leaders through services, workshops and youth programs. Turon milk tea, mango float and LPC (lychee, passion fruit and calamansi iced green tea) are among the six drinks to enjoy in the space outfitted with WiFi and a "spirit of belonging you've been looking for," according to its website.

Instagram: @kapwakulturalcenter

Ayala Coffee, Union, New Jersey

Filipino inspiration abounds at Ayala Coffee, which serves signature drinks such as a Milo banana cold brew and leche flan latte. The current seasonal menu has a mangorind espresso tonic and mangorind spritz that has us bubbling with curiosity. The hearty menu includes a tocino breakfast sandwich, bistek onion smashburger and sinigang pork croquette complete with sawsawan sauce. Co-founders, owners and first-generation Filipino Americans Trixie Jose and Matthew Reyes had no experience in coffee shops or restaurants before launching Ayala Coffee as a mobile cart in 2021. They now operate out of a brick-and-mortar store, which opened in 2024. And as you sip their drinks, you can find satisfaction knowing they have partnered with Kalsada Coffee, which exports Philippine specialty coffee to the U.S.

Instagram: @ayalacoffee

LASA, Carol Stream, Illinois 

You know you've entered a Filipino home when you see an oversized spoon and fork in the kitchen. This Chicago suburbs cafe has hot drinks that can melt the chill away, such as kape barako (made with coffee beans from Batangas, Philippines), manila lattes and salabat, a ginger tea with citrus and honey. Pair your beverage with pan de sal and other baked goods; a classic sweet rice snack like puto; or a dessert such as ube panna cotta. If you're in the mood for cold treats, order a halo halo, mais con yelo, saba con yelo or matcha latte. 

Instagram: @lasafilipinocafe

Sama Sama, Oahu, Hawaii

Hawaii may not necessarily have the autumnal aura as our kababayan on the mainland, but Sama Sama still brings the fall spirit to Oahu with its Filipino-inspired boba drinks, such as its seasonal pumpkin spice and ube spice milk teas. If you want to get real adventurous, consider this month's flavor: patis caramel milk tea. But if this latest experiment doesn't click with you, rest assured they have classic drinks such as buko green tea and peach mango green tea, which is inspired by the Jollibee handheld pies. Sama Sama serves at food truck pop-up events and a cafe at Leeward Community College in Pearl City. (The downtown location is temporarily closed.)

Instagram: @samasamahawaii

Mostra Coffee, San Diego, California

Mostra has strong roots in the Philippines, where the business idea was born out of a desire to help farmers make fair wages. This mission led to a partnership with Kalsada Coffee, where it sources its beans. You can try their ube creme brûlée latte or One Brazillion Coconuts, a cold brew infused with Philippine coconut and vanilla bean, from one of five shops in San Diego. Alternatively, you can also choose from seven Philippine coffee retail bags to brew at home. Mostra has made a name for itself, receiving the prestigious Roaster of the Year award in 2020 by Roast Magazine and getting on the Top 100 Small Businesses list by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2024.

Instagram: @mostracoffee

Opo Coffee, Decatur, Georgia

Located about 8 miles east of Atlanta, Opo Coffee has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating that suits well for a solo study session, one-on-one conversation or group hangout. You can find your cafe staples such as a cappuccino, chai and cortado, as well as coffee flights. Photos found on Yelp showed an ube fog available as of February 2025. In addition to a cafe, the space is also Opo's roastery and training grounds, offering lessons on latte art basics, home espresso and barista skills, among other courses. The business's value of respect, as captured in its name, carries over to its practices: It pays a living wage to all employees and donates 1% of sales to environmental sustainability. 

Instagram: @opocoffee

Evergreen Coffee, Henderson, Nevada

For over three years, Evergreen Coffee has brought Filipino flavors and other Asian influences to the Las Vegas Valley. Customers can easily get comfortable with the free little library and free WiFi. The cafe's housemade syrups include a pandan flavor, and its ube pastries are a way of honoring owner Lovely Mempin's family history, as she describes in this Instagram reel. Keep an eye on the seasonal menu, which can take your caffeine fix to a new level. "Soy sauce, gochujang, calamansi, corn, pandan, hot honey - we'll put just about anything in your coffee," as stated on the business's website. 

Instagram: @evergreencoffeelv

Ballast Coffee, San Francisco, California

Ballast Coffee claims to be the only place in San Francisco with Philippine Barako coffee, a strong variety found in the northern provinces of Batangas and Cavite. If you're looking for more flavor, the ube ballast cappuccino or ube ballast latte are among the signature drinks worth a try. Empanadas and quiches are also on the menu, plus mochi donuts from Third Culture Bakery on the weekends. You can choose to enjoy your drink from the backyard patio or office where you can slow down and take a break. This shop prides itself in sustainable sourcing and supporting communities in the Philippines.

Instagram: @ballastcoffee

Don't see your favorite Filipino cafe on this list? Share it in a comment below!

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Written By Jamey V. Padojino

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