Dining Out:

The bright yellow awning is the first thing to catch your eye at this new coffeehouse near Jax Bar & Grill on Brand Boulevard in Glendale. Then it assaults you with its nefarious name, the Bad Ass Coffee Company.

Whether you find the name funny or appalling, after you’ve tried one of their Kona coffee drinks and a Manapua, this place may become a regular hangout. The Bad Ass Coffee Company is a franchise that began on the big island of Hawaii about 15 years ago.

They have 45 stores all over the Hawaiian Islands and U.S. mainland with a couple in Japan and Korea. But the Glendale store is one of only a handful in Southern California. Their claim to fame is their collection of Signature Lattes that feature Kona coffee, the prized coffee from the slopes of Kona, Hawaii.

In fact, the name “Bad Ass Coffee” is the stuff of Hawaiian legend. The native Hawaiians remember the bellows of the “bad ass ones,” that is, the donkeys, as they hauled the heavy loads of coffee up and down the mountainside. Why is Kona coffee better than other coffee? The main reason that’s offered is, “Because it’s from Kona!”

But upon tasting their product, I can say it has a smooth, almost sweet taste and aroma, completely lacking bitterness and, if truth be told, complexity. When they add their signature powdered flavorings, such as Ghirardelli dark and white chocolate (in their Bad Ass Mocha), the concoction becomes deliciously decadent.

All drinks can be prepared hot, iced or frozen blended. They can be sugar-free, decaf or lo-carb. And they come in 12-, 16-, 20- or 24-ounce sizes ($3.25 to $4.95). Unlike other coffee houses with hip, cyber-cool vibes, the Bad Ass Coffee Company exudes a laid back, stay-as-long-as-you-like ambience, encouraging patrons to “live aloha.”

There’s a floor-to-ceiling fake lava-rock waterfall, 9-foot-tall palm trees and a big tiki to set the mood. It’s kitschy but relaxing. You can even watch a movie in the friendly cafe on a wide-screen TV, topped by a straw palapa.

Of the 24 lattes listed, my favorite is the Bad Ass Mocha mentioned above and the Monkey Mocha with dark chocolate and banana flavoring. Some of the other best-sellers are, in my opinion, just too sweet.