Top Coffee Shop in San Francisco
Sextant Coffee Roasters
1415 Folsom St, San Francisco, CA 94103, United States
I think I might have gone on an unusually bad day based on the other reviews. We think that the machine or something was not clean or properly working. 3/4 people in our group, took one drink and threw it away….the 4th person is just to stubborn to throw away food or drink. We each had different drinks from espresso to drip, mocha and latte so we think it was fundamental with the beans going through the machine.I ordered a mocha and I think the barista forgot to add chocolate? If that's possible.Anyway, we had to write a review because it was as bad as it can get. From expense to not a human taking our order to no descriptions of the items in the case, no cream or sugar stand, and they were out of brown sugar. All that being said, we would have forgotten all of that if at first sip, we were “ahhed” and satisfied. It wasn't even drinkable….we dropped them at the first trash can and went to 711 and drove home.The employees today did seem very nice and were helpful us with our questions and desires for brown sugar. They apologized for that.The presentation was good, the guy poured it and it looked cool but it just tasted so terrible.4 hungover people about to drive back to San Jose and we threw the coffee out! Do you know how bad it has to be for that to happen!?$14 for quad shot espresso.
Dynamo Donut & Coffee
2760 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
Ok, I live in Portland, OR (arguably one of the best foodie cities in the country). I grew up in NYC; and lived in Chicago, Los Angeles and different parts of the Bay Area. First off, their donuts are small for a regular size donut (think Dunkin Donuts size). I had the popular Maple Glaze Bacon Apple. It had a good flavor profile, with the maple and bacon being more prominent than the apple which was only slightly negligible. All in all it was a good donut thats on par with VooDoo or Blue Star in Portland. That said, they probably have good ingredients though Ive yet to confirm that. Im giving this place 2 stars, in large part, because for what I experienced in taste it is just not worth $3.50 per [small] donut. They even have a donut thats $4! ? You should know that I rate food based on quality, taste and quantity...in that order. I have happily spent insane amounts of money (relative to our economic climate and the increasing amount of poverty in the US) for what amounts to a few bites of food because of amazing flavor profiles and/or locally sourced-sustainable ingredients; so my rating is about the overall value. For a donut of this caliber and size, Id pay around $1.50 - $1.75. IMHO, walk down the block to a local Mexican bakery and pick up some pastries that are just as tasty for a third of the costs. Maybe that will influence Dynamo enough to adjust their price point or move to a more touristy area where people blindly spend money and rate food based on trends...and the size the line you have to wait in. Yes, thats a stab at VooDoo donuts in PDX...thats more museum that food. ?
Fiddle Fig Cafe & Coffee
790 Lombard St, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
Note worthy cafe! This cafe is a great addition to the North Beach neighborhood! Literally a short walk from the famous Lombard Street tourist attraction, it's an easy choice for lunch, coffee or tea, or a nice place to get some work/studying done.The ambiance is super chill, trendy and the plant aesthetics are just the right touch. We saw a lot of people studying and I can see why; not too loud or fussy and perfect menu items to fuel you for a long study or work sesh. It's also very clean inside, including the bathroom, which is a rare find in San Francisco.Also a big plus for us is the outdoor seating! The weather was great that day and we had our dog with us so it was a great place to have lunch with our dog. Pet friendly always wins for us.Drinks: I ordered a mocha, which was perfect- great flavor and nice alternative milk options available. I saw they have a lot of other options like teas and smoothies, will have to try it next time.For the food:Açaí bowl- simple and delicious, solid item on their menu I would order every time.Chicken sandwich- the bread is amazing and the chicken was chopped up nicely, a great fresh tasting option.Veggie sandwich- this was the highlight of our lunch. Same bread as the chicken sandwich so we loved that already but the veggies were perfectly seasoned and grilled. The flavor is amazing, not too overpowering either. Definitely getting this again!The sandwich portions are big, I was stuffed! Definitely worth the price.If only I lived in the area, I'd probably frequent this place more often, but it's definitely a note worth cafe to check out more than once!
Spikes Coffees and Teas
4117 19th St, San Francisco, CA 94114, United States
Staff discriminate agains gay seniors! This coffee shop was a go-to place for me and a bunch of my friends for years. This was also the place where I bought my coffee beans for home use. However, during one of my visits, the staff would not let me use the restroom because it was supposedly out of order. They did not sound convincing, so my companion who is an attractive young gay man went in and asked to use the bathroom and suddenly it was in order. When confronted, the staff found millions of excuses and did not let me use the restroom again because it was being serviced and it was all misunderstanding. A group of my friends tested the situation three days later. One of my friends, who was also a Spike regular and senior, asked to use the bathroom and received the same answer. Another friend who is young and attractive was allowed to use it. Again, when confronted, the staff came up with all sorts of feeble excuses. We are never going back!
Martha & Bros. Coffee Co.
1551 Church St, San Francisco, CA 94131, United States
I'm so torn about this place. But after $hitting for a month and losing 5 lbs the first time I thought it was a fluke. I have a severe milk intolerance that most workers treat as an inconvenient preference. I had no idea why I was so I'll the first time, but suspected it was Martha's.After a week of finally feeling better, I returned. What a mistake.Today I kept an eagle eyed watch over the beverage making process. I saw the woman who I believe is the manager/owner pour hot dairy milk into my drink to mix the spices, then pour in espresso followed by the oat milk I ordered. Surely i was mistaken, I thought, surely she wouldn't pour in dairy before pouring oat milk. I didn't argue and drank it anyway. Colossal mistake! After just a few hours, I'm now writing this from the toilet.I have a chronic illness — this isn't just a preference. This could put me in the hospital and leave me permanently disabled (in an extreme case). I'm annoyed that some folks won't take this serious at Martha's.This is on top of the same woman verbally berating one of her underlings (my partner was so aghast that she informed me of the incident). It's a shame that she's the one running the place.Lesson learned; I have a rapport with one of the baristas. If that barista is working the machine, I'll get my latte. If not, I'm turning around and leaving.
Martha & Bros. Coffee Co.
745 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
(Detailed review below)Food - ⭐⭐⭐⭐Accessibility - ⭐⭐Ambiance - ⭐⭐⭐⭐Cost - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Service - ⭐⭐⭐⭐Food - Great selection of cakes which drew me here! Some good options for cold sandwiches and they also do some hot bagels. Good coffee too served either hot or cold. Food and drinks are served in takeaway cups/bags, plates are offered for sandwiches etc.Accessibility - Doors are propped opened for easy access, no steps (everything is on ground floor), standard restrooms (not accessible friendly), sitting areas are quite cram so wheelchair users will need to take seats along the walking area.Ambiance - Light and easy; big windows letting in loads of natural light (great for people watching too), casual and relaxed atmosphere. Clean and tidy. Some nice homely decor. Warm and inviting :-)Cost - Roughly between $2.50 and $4.50 for coffee (type and size dependent), cakes are the same too. Pretty good value for money.Tips - No table service, so just head straight to the counter and order your food/drinks. Have a nosy around though as there are cakes before and after the order point so I missed seeing some options. Free Wi-Fi available. And good speed.Service - Quick and fast. Staff are friendly and smiling!
Bello Coffee & Tea
2885 Diamond St, San Francisco, CA 94131, United States
Ive been to Bello many times. None were particularly remarkable except for the beautiful rainbows that fall across the countertop in the evening sunlight - the result of a well-placed, beautiful coffee contraption in the window. Ive lived in San Francisco for a long time, so Im used to rude service being trendy... but I have never had a cordial interaction with any of their employees. The coffee is okay, but I had a bad enough experience there to officially review this place as just meh.We are vegan, and my daughter likes to sip a steamed soy milk while my husband and I drink our cupo. As we were ordering, the guy behind the counter was way more interested in telling his coworker a story than acknowledging our existence. I told him soy two times because I didnt want him to ignore this particular detail - our order wasnt complicated, just two coffees and the kids steamer. Sure enough my daughter took one sip and looked at me in horror as she blurted out what is this?! I opened the lid and it was unmistakably as white as you would expect pus-infused calf hormone growth formula to be. I was angry but calm when I told him Id asked for soy and hed given my child cow juice. His first reaction was defense, saying hed given me soy, but when he looked for himself he did rescind. Oh yeah, hope shes not allergic! was his fake-jovial reply. SMH. This guy is a jerk. My daughter burst out crying and apologizing to the cows.... She was 2 - a 2 year old with more compassion than the guy working there. Ugh, now I get my coffee from Canyon Market. The only reason for two stars instead of one is that fortunately hes not the one working there.
Graffeo Coffee Roasting Co.
735 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133, United States
We live in Sacramento and have quite a few roasters here and they all use and offer single source beans. I personally much prefer blends which when done correctly, make the coffee or espresso much more flavorful and less sour to my taste. Graffeos has THE best blend of beans and the roast is absolutely perfect. Crema galore with our machine and it is now hard to drink anything else. Besides...they pack and sell the beans by the pound...not some cheesy-ass 12oz bag. If they keep selling it, Ill keep buying it.
Magic Donuts & Coffee
1675 Mariposa St, San Francisco, CA 94107, United States
I had high hopes for this place but unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. Magic Donuts offers a wide variety of sourdough donuts and they have a lot of unique flavors. We ended up trying what they suggested: the dark chocolate sea salt and the vanilla. The texture of the donuts are definitely different than your traditional mom & pop donut shop but still pretty solid nonetheless. However, the vanilla donut was lacking vanilla flavor and just tasted like sweet bread in all honesty. The dark chocolate sea salt was better in my opinion as it had more flavor and was more enjoyable. The chocolate was definitely pretty dark, probably something in the 65%+ range, but the sweetness from the donut and the salt really helped balance it all out. We also tried their coffee (beans are from Roast Co. in Oakland, which we love) which I really wanted to like but it just tasted burnt and the milk was not frothed correctly unfortunately. I will say that the ambiance and vibe inside and around the shop are great and I would come with friends and family if we're in the area. However, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here but will definitely give them another shot in the future ❤️
Earths Coffee
3400 Geary Blvd, San Francisco, CA 94118, United States
I've been coming to Earth's Coffee since 2016ish and my rave review is long overdue. The Vietnamese iced coffee and sandwiches are my go to for a perfect little lunch. The coffee and food are always consistently delicious, as is the service. They are super friendly and so nice! It's always an extra bonus when they're so attentive to their customers that they remember you and your usual order. :) The place is cozy and always clean… Even though I'm usually a to-go gal, every once in awhile I'll sit at a table and each a people watch as they walk by. This place is an absolute neighborhood gem. I don't live in the immediate neighborhood, but I'll make time to come here because it's worth it.