:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46352656/dingle-berries-coffee-tea-interior.0.0.jpg)
There’s a hilarious new boba and coffee spot brewing out in the L.A. suburbs today. The, ahem, cheekily-named Dingle Berries Coffee & Tea is a sparse new espresso house set into a little-seen strip mall space on Valley Blvd. in Rosemead — wipe blink and you’ll miss it.
Frankly, the whole thing seems so on-the-nose as to be a bit suspicious (everyone remembers Dumb Starbucks-gate, yes?). The chalkboard signage inside has been carefully crafted for maximum eye-rolling and Instagramming effect (case in point: a small counter sign pointing to the pastries that says "Gluten Free! Just Kidding!"), while the handwritten daily menu separates options into groups like #basicdrinks and #typicalasiansmoothies, each in perfect hashtag format.
Dingle Berries is apparently the work of one John Mark Reyes and, at least according to these Instagram posts, is as serious as can be while still being in on the joke. There are branded drink sleeves, there's real signage on the door, and artsy shots of people enjoying their morning cup inside. Then again, Reyes himself is an actor, and as of a couple of weeks ago there was some filming going on inside the shop, so… who knows.
Eater reached out to get some definitive info from Reyes himself, but so far hasn’t heard back. Regardless, Dingle Berries Coffee & Tea is (for now) very, very open, keeping Tuesday - Friday hours of 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. hours on Saturday and Sunday. Just don’t be surprised if you find out in two weeks that Dingle Berries has made L.A. hipsters once again the butt (!!!) of an elaborate coffee shop gag.
Update: Reyes writes back to say that Dingle Berries is very much in on the joke, but is in no way a one-off gag. "We... just aim to bring light and fun to the ever-so-serious café culture we're seeing today," says Reyes, who adds that "Although we want to poke fun at the coffee know-it-alls, we are very much invested in bringing the best coffee out in this particular area." They're planning on expanding into a multi-roaster program, which should in the near term include Klatch and Solid Coffee.
Dingle Berries Coffee & Tea
9711 Valley Blvd.
Rosemead, CA
