T.S.D.O.B: Day 23 - Vietnamese Coffee Bars

It's day 23 of this thing called Thirty Straight Days Of Blogging. What I have for you today is something that I've wanted to unleash to the world since I first started this blog. I've held off for a long time now because I wasn't sure if I could really do it justice. After a lot of thought, I've realized that there is no way I can truly do these places justice on my blog. Well, I can't do it justice without making this blog for adults only. :)

If you don't know, Vietnamese coffee bars are essentially bikini bars. You have women wearing very little clothing serving up coffee and sometimes smoothies, depending on which one you go to. Sounds pretty damn good to me!

I actually found out about these places from watching the news. A couple of years ago, the city of Garden Grove decided to "crack down" on these places because there were rumors of prostitution and other sorts of fun things going on there. The owners, of course, said no wrong doing was happening and that it was more about race, because they weren't targeting the white bikini bars. I think both sides probably had some truth to it.

Cafe Di Vang was the first place I had ever gone to. My initial visit was before the crack down, and let me tell you, it was a little crazy. First off, I saw nothing but thongs and tiny bikini tops. Very nice! The place had a huge cloud of smoke resting on the ceiling. I saw a table of wide eyed teenagers who were clearly impressed with the view. The music was loud and the vibe was upbeat.

No, I didn't get offered a hand job. To this day, I've never been approached for anything like that at any of the places I've been to.

These days, Di Vang is a bit tamer. No more smoking and the girls now have short skirts. The music is still loud, but I guess they keep the crowd to 18 and over now.

The Starz Cafe is located about 50 or 60 yards away from Di Vang and it's pretty much the same deal. Scantly clad women serving up coffee and smoothies.

I've been to this place 3 times, and each time was pretty chill. The employees are friendly and will chat with you a bit, and, their coffee tastes good!

Half-naked women aside, these places do serve Vietnamese coffee. If you have never had it, be careful! This stuff is very strong and will get you wired.

I've been to about 5 different coffee bars, and the coffee at Starz is by far the best.

If you ever make your way to Garden Grove and decide to check one of these places out, there are some things you should know:

Most of these places have the name "cafe" in them.

Signs to look for are loud music and blacked-out windows, like this place.

The drinks are about $5 and it's cash only. Remember, it's more about the view than the coffee.

I've never seen a menu, so don't bother asking for one.

Treat the employees with respect and you will get it back. This rule applies to everywhere, but I thought I would just put that out there.

I wish I could have gotten more pics for you, but I'm not going to take a picture of someone without them knowing it and post it on here. I do have a few morals.

Cafe Di Vang 2
14221 Euclid St
Ste B
Garden Grove, CA 92843
(714) 636-5107

Starz Cafe
14241 Euclid St
Garden Grove, CA 92842
(714) 554-4978

See you tomorrow!