San Francisco Coffee Shops
This list of coffee shops confirms that the San Francisco coffee scene is brewing strong.
Espresso Roma - Marina
3130 Fillmore Street at Pixley
I pass this little Marina coffee shop gem every Wednesday when walking to my Spanish class at the Marina Middle School. You'll find a sign at the counter that says "Hey, you know what? Ordering while on your cell phone is wicked rude." When moving over to the sugar station, you find that the Splenda and Nutrisweet sweeteners are being held hostage and you need to request them from the counter. Large windows and outdoor tables make this shop a perfect place for people watching, inside or out. The tables and spaciously spaced, leaving plenty of room to pull out your chair. Oh yeah, the coffee's good too.
Coffee, Tea and Spice - Haight Ashbury
1630 Haight Street (at Clayton)The Haight Ashbury goes to the Coffee, Tea & Spice for its daily brew. As the name indicates Coffee, Tea and Chai are served. You can also get a sandwich, bagel or pastry. The shop also roasts is own coffee. The shop seats 14 people with a table and a bar in its front windows, making it the perfect place to get off you feet when strolling down Haight.
Momi Toby's Revolution Cafe - Hayes Valley
528 Laguna Street (at Linden)
San Francisco voters passed a law that restricted chain retailers from moving into certain neighborhoods. For Hayes Valley, this means that its local coffee shops can thrive without competing against that worldwide coffee chain. Though, I'm sure that Momi Toby's would win in a head-to-head because it's a coffee shop that has a pulse on the neighborhood. It's a little off the main drag, but definitely worth the extra walk. In the evenings, Momi Toby's transforms itself into a happy hour bar by virtue of its wine and beer license. Breakfast and lunch items are served and they make a great cafe latte. Try the tuna salad sandwich. Yummy!
Notes From Underground - Pacific Heights/Marina
2399 Van Ness Avenue (at Green)Notes is one of my favorite coffee shops. It's located on the Van Ness corridor between Pacific Heights, Marina and Russian Hill. It is open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on most days and serves a nice variety of breakfast and lunch items. Most days, you'll only see one person who does everything including making your coffee, making your lunch, cleaning the tables and keeping the store running. Say hi and you'll most like be chatting with the owner.
Quetzal Internet Cafe - Polk Corridor
1234 Polk Street (at Fern)Quetzal is a great place to stop and catch up on your email while you're on the road and without a laptop. About 20 internet terminals are available around a u-shaped bar. The rates are inexpensive and the system is easy to use. Additionally, Quetzal serves food including pizza and sandwiches. Coffee (of course) is served, but one of the best surprises is their fine selection of teas, which are served in individual pots.
Cafe Roma - North Beach
526 Columbus (at Green)Cafe Roma can be accessed from Columbus Avenue or from Stockton Street. This arrangement produces an interesting walk-thru establishment with outdoor tables on two streets. Cafe Roma is mostly about making good coffee, however, there is a small selection of sandwiches and food items. I had the egg sandwich and wasn't disappointed. As mentioned in the North Beach neighborhood description, Cafe Roma is also a good place to purchase an offbeat T-shirt as a souvenir.
Javacat Coffee - Central Richmond
5549 Geary (at 20th Street)At Javacat you'll find a friendly staff plus an odd assortment of seating choices, some of which looks like they are leftovers from a 1970s living room. The only thing that is missing is the shag carpet. This neighborhood shop is far from the touristy parts of San Francisco, but can be a great place to take a break if heading out to Ocean Beach or Land's End via the 38 bus, which runs along Geary.
Philz Coffee - The Mission
3101 24th Street (at Folsom)
Rana introduced me to Phil just a couple of days ago during a little Mission adventure that we had. Phil serves coffee where each cup is brewed especially for you. That's right, Phil brews coffee by the cup. He doesn't have an espresso machine, so stay away if a latte is your thing. However, Phil has about 20 different roasts of coffee that he's developed over the years, some of them are named after longtime customers. While brewing your coffee, Phil may add a secret ingredient like cardamon or another spice. He also has a special way of adding the brown sugar and milk to produce a delicious froth on the top. It's no wonder that Philz Coffee has a reputation for great hand brewed coffee.
