DAMO

Damo truly never disappoints!! I’ve been going since 2024, and I safe-keep it for the right peeps who appreciate good cafes. And this year I came back with my friends so that they can taste and experience what good matcha is like. When we visited this Jan, we got the matcha eispanners. My friends truly tasted the quality and balance of flavors presented in their drinks. We sipped till it was gone!! Instantly!! From their eispanners, lattes, and affogatos.. quality, taste and overall flavors is immaculate. Of course there’s always going to be a line and yes it’s crowded inside. You literally have to claim a spot once it’s open or else you loose your chances. Once you do, all you got to do is sit, sip, and relax to the minimalistic atmosphere that is Damo. Latte: 8.5/10 Affogato: 10/10 Matcha Eispanners: 9.5/10 Atmosphere: 7/10

Tasty drinks! I liked their matcha einspanner and their matcha strawberry too! The cream was really yummy. Their traditional Korean dessert set was just okay in my opinion but it might just be because I'm not particularly a huge fan of that type of dessert. I tend to like yakgwa though and theirs was just standard.

Food: I’ve read reviews from people having quite different opinions on their matcha. Waited for 15 min to give it a try. The Chocolate Forest with less sweet and light ice is pretty good. I rarely see chocolate flavored matcha and I’m not used to get my matcha flavored, but it tastes nice. Service: the line is long but the staff is very nice and efficient. Ambiance: clean but very small. It will definitely look better if you can have a clearer view on their minimal interior design.

I was actually in this plaza for salt bread, but decided to get a matcha from Damo since it was here. At 2pm on a Sunday, the line was peeking out the door. It looks intimidating, but the wait to order was only 15 minutes. Once we ordered, we got our drinks in about 5 minutes. I got the strawberry matcha einspanner. I was not a fan of the strawberry puree that they used, but my drink tasted better after I mixed it. If I come back, I would just get a regular matcha einspanner. 

Overall, I thought my experience was fine. The line is comparable to other matcha places in LA, but I don’t think that Damo’s drinks stand out that much from its competitors.

Overrated Matcha Spot We visited Damo because it is famous for its matcha, but honestly, it was a disappointment. First, parking is a big problem — even though there is a small lot in front, it’s almost always full. Then comes the long line: we had to wait around 30 minutes (15–20 minutes outside in the heat, plus another 10–15 minutes inside). For just a cup of matcha, that’s too much. They should really add more staff on weekends to speed things up. The matcha itself was very underwhelming. We ordered the strawberry matcha, but by noon most other flavors were already sold out. The drink tasted plain and watery, with too much ice. The strawberry pieces at the bottom were cut too big — impossible to drink with the regular straw. Instead of being well blended, it felt like we were eating fruit salad inside a drink. Honestly, this was one of the least enjoyable matcha drinks we’ve had in Los Angeles, even though we try new matcha places almost every weekend. The interior is extremely minimalistic — clean, but a bit too empty and cold, more like a waiting room than a cozy café. Not a big minus, but it doesn’t add to the experience. And it was too loud. Overall, the place feels overrated. The long wait and mediocre matcha are not worth it. We won’t be coming back, and I wouldn’t recommend it.