If this sleekly minimalist cafe is named after the assistant chief lighting technician on a film set, then why doesn't the lighting in here make me look twenty years younger? Otherwise I was afraid I might be redirected to the nearest senior center. The cinematic theme in here appeared to draw enterprising folks singularly focused on their laptops. Even though I've walked by the New People building numerous times, I wasn't even aware there was a coffee purveyor in here. They close rather early at 3:30PM, so I came by a half-hour early to sip on a $6 Cold Brew (Photo 9). Apparently they are known for matcha lattes and artisan pastries, but I was just fine with my simple iced coffee. COFFEE - 4 stars...a fine cold brew AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars... a little too Harajuku for me SERVICE - 3.5 stars...friendly enough to this unfiltered customer TOTAL - 4 stars.. work on the lighting! RELATED - Exploring Japantown? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/TIHmxdY4PK read more

See all

Matcha, matcha! Across from Japantown mall a little cute coffee shop inside a shared commercial building with other businesses. Ordered matcha latte with almond milk, Yuzu matcha tonic and mochi sesame muffin. And many other flavors Yummy! TIP: has a public restroom downstairs in case you need one. read more

Best Boy Electric - Iced matcha latte with almond milk Sesame mochi muffin - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this little coffee shop in japantown. They have the best pastries and matcha drinks and the staff are some of the nicest and coolest around. They also all have great style. I highly recommend the matcha cookies and cream cookie. read more

Best Boy Electric - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Hidden in the New People Market building of Japan Town! There was a pop up market happening on the next level, which had a bunch of Asian inspired scents and cute stickers / bag charms. This cafe features your classic coffee and matcha. There were also toasts (Kaya - soybean) and pastries (lemon chamomile, black sesame banana bread, etc) with unique flavor combinations. Stumbled upon here during the cherry blossom festival and was a bit disappointed. Although crowded, our experience was underwhelming to say the least. We ordered the Sakura Matcha (Rose) and Black Sesame Matcha. Both drinks were quite expensive and watered down. It looked really good, but there was no matcha flavor at all in both the Black Sesame and Sakura. The Sakura just tasted like rose milk, which was delicious --- if you didn't care about tasting the matcha. The Black Sesame Matcha was odd tasting and didn't have that typical roasted nuttiness you would expect. Really cute space and I like the concept they have in this building with having a cafe on the bottom floor. Just unsure if I ordered the wrong thing as I haven't tried their coffee yet. read more

See all

Went here on a Sunday afternoon and got a strawberry matcha. They use real strawberries and the drink was good. The strawberry matcha only comes iced. A cute little spot and was busy for a Sunday. They have a merch wall as well where they sell themed items like bags, coffee, etc. They have dog treats and a water bowl as soon as you walk in so dogs are welcome as well. This coffee shop is located in Japan town right across from the Benihana. read more

See all

The coffee shop is in the New People building, so we missed it at first walking by. Went mainly for the pastries and they didn't disappoint. The boys loved the toast and I really liked the ube mochi muffin they had. Service was great too. They were very nice and helpful. They had a good number of staff that day, so we got our stuff quick. We'll be back to try the coffee. read more

Best Boy Electric - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

I was excited to try Best Boy Electric, known for their black sesame matcha lattes. I ordered one of these signature lattes, but after a good stir and only the first sip, I was extremely underwhelmed and disappointed in my decision to come here. For ~$8, the starting rate for a matcha latte these days, I got a watery black sesame flavored milk. There was zero matcha flavor, which indicates they didn't balance the ratio of black sesame to matcha or used a low grade culinary matcha. Either way, the only thing exceptional about this black sesame matcha latte is that it ranks in the bottom two I've ever had. I don't recommend and wouldn't get again. read more

See all

Good tea. Matcha sakura latte not prepared too sweet, just right to taste the matcha. Ambiance is very hip, service pretty swift. About to go upstairs for the Godzilla gallery run read more

Best Boy Electric - Sakura matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

1st coming here, it's right across Japantown. First things I noticed was how clean and unique it is. I had no idea that was here, the service was super friendly and very informative since it was my first time here. The matcha was delicious and so was the coffee. The pastry was so soft and full of flavor. Stop by if you are near the area! read more

See all

I'd been wanting to try this spot for a while and finally got the chance. Staff were friendly and welcoming. I ordered an iced matcha latte but unfortunately, it was disappointing. I had seen several reviews mentioning the matcha wasn't great but decided to give it a try anyway. Turns out they were right... it was mainly iced milk with very little matcha, which had settled to the bottom. read more

Best Boy Electric - Iced matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

This coffee shop in the first floor of the New People building (north side of the street) is solid place for coffee/tea or a light snack. Ambiance leans modern and minimalistic. I recommend their matcha based drinks. This places is open at 8am, so if you are an early bird, this is one of the few places open. Service is polite and friendly. Also to note, parking here can be tricky -- probably best to park in japantown parking garage. read more

Food: we had a mochi sprinkle cupcake that was solid. I wish it had a little more frosting but overall you can't complain about a sprinkle cupcake. Service: genuinely chill hipster vibe that is somehow still family friendly. I've been to cafes that make a point to make a big statement about the world and then treat me like a problem for having children; this place was very welcoming and I was super grateful. Ambiance: light upbeat music had my little ones dancing. Looked like an amazing work area too. I will definitely be back! read more

Not bad. This cafe is where Crown and Crumpet used to be inside the New People building across from the Japantown mall. I got a strawberry matcha latte with oat milk. The strawberry jam was a bit tart and not as sweet as other places I've had it. The drink felt pretty creamy thanks to the oat milk. I thought it was slightly average and wasn't blown away. The ambiance is nice. High ceilings and big windows, nice bright natural light. Moderately, small sized cafe with enough space and tables to sit and do some work or chat in a small group. read more

Best Boy Electric is a cafe near San Francisco's Japantown that possesses a sleek, minimalist ambiance. I came here with some friends after a long walk towards Japantown looking for something else, and we decided to stop by to see what they had to offer. We decided to get the Strawberry Yuzu Spritzer, Espresso Tonic and the Yuzu Matcha Tonic. For a drink that I believe was altered to have less sugar in it, the Strawberry Yuzu Spritzer was refreshingly sweet and was perfect after the long walk we had in San Francisco. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the other two. The espresso tonic tasted genuinely awful. Maybe I'm just not a coffee person, but there was something horribly bitter about it that made me wonder how my friend was able to drink it all. As for the yuzu matcha, it was relatively meh. Nothing too special about it. Overall, a nice experience. I'm glad that I got the chance to try the Strawberry Yuzu Spritzer and take some time to relax in a space that was surprisingly much larger than it appeared on the outside. Not entirely sure if it's a place I'd return to again, but I'm glad I went regardless. read more

Best Boy Electric - Strawberry Yuzu Spritzer and Espresso Tonic - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm so happy I got to try this place. I loved their options on the menu and really wanted to try the black sesame matcha latte but once I got there, I noticed they had a seasonal persimmon matcha latte. This was soo good and I'm so glad I got it, I think they added some sort of winter spices because it almost felt like a pumpkin spice vibe with the persimmon in the matcha. I loved the matcha they used as well. My partner got the black sesame latte and it was soo yummy. The black sesame was so flavorful and not too sweet so retaining the nutty flavor. The staff was so kind and I'll absolutely be returning to try the rest of their menu. They don't have much seating unfortunately but Japantown's always fun to roam around while sipping on your matcha. read more

Best Boy Electric - persimmon matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great coffee and matcha spot. The drinks are super yummy and if you're a matcha fan... they are yummy. The black sesame is one of my go tos anywhere I go and I always add a shot of espresso. They put love into making the drinks here. The atmosphere is open and quiet with music playing softly. It's a very bright and comfortable atmosphere. The staff that was working was very kind and nice. Recommended some drinks and what their favorite was. Nice spot! read more

See all

It could be easy to miss this spot, even with the address and the small a-frame sign by the door. Relaxed, modern and airy vibe in this modern, minimalistically-decorated shop, where it's also inviting to work, meet, and enjoy whatever you order. I came for one drink: sesame latte. The barista was super friendly. I got added a shot of espresso my oatmilk sesame latte. Perfect temperature for the drink, and wish it had a touch more sweetness. I'll ask for that next time. If you need a moment to regroup after a day of exploring, shopping, or eating, this is a great option in Japantown. read more

See all

I love this matcha spot. I've tried a few of their drinks, but I like the matcha yuzu tonic the best. There is limited seating but the space is very cute and modern. Restrooms are a floor below by the stairs or elevator. read more

Located where Crown & Crumpet use to be. I got their Ira Bancha (pan roasted green tea) to share. They told me that one pot was for one person, but I could ask for a refill if needed. I was a bit disappointment by the tea because it was super light in flavor, almost tasted like plain hot water. The staff was super nice tho! And there's was plenty of seating. read more

Best Boy Electric - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

A man never used the words like "better" or "great" to show that Best Boy Electric was the cut above the rest of the cafés here in J-town and throughout the Bay Area. Definitely replaced French style high tea classic most people fall in love with like tourist. This place still holds the cinema below and use to run Harujuku clothing store from 2nd to 4th floor. The service looks just as dynamic as the atmosphere itself. Like the Black Bird Bookstore near Ocean Beach, there's coffee/tea and amazing pastries; the bottom part of the selection were from Third Culture Bakery. I have yet to visit Best Boy Electric knowing that there's more than just Japanese matcha drinks and pastries. read more

See all

Cute coffee shop with good matcha lattes, good for dog watching or doing a bit of reading. Does get a bit warm inside on sunny days.

I'm still a bit heartbroken that Crown & Crumpet closed its doors. It was such a nostalgic favorite for afternoon tea, but I have to say, Best Boy Electric is a wonderful new addition to the space. It's a different vibe, moving from vintage tea room to sleek, modern coffee shop. The service is efficient and the quality here is top-tier. I tried the Sakura Matcha latte (perfect for the season!) and the Black Sesame Matcha. The Sakura latte was lovely--subtly floral and not too sweet, which allowed the earthy matcha to still shine through. The Black Sesame was equally impressive, with a deep toasty flavor and a great texture from the seeds on top. While I'll always miss the scones and petit fours of the past, I'm really happy to have such a high quality cafe back in this corner of the building. Definitely a fun visit if you're in J-town! read more

Best Boy Electric - Matcha Sakura Latte and Black Sesame Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cool place. I didn't explore the building but there seems to be a few things going on at the different levels. I had the corn and matcha latte. Not what i was expecting but delicious. It was a little expensive that's what i expect for a specialty matcha latte. read more

Fun renovated cafe in japantown..also a movie theater below ..nice airy interior with seating ..light ..design ..main street in japantown ..got the sesame latte ..cool hip read more

Best Boy Electric - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friends and I came by Best Boy Electric on a Friday afternoon, where there were plenty of people working and studying at their 15-ish or so seats. It's spacious and allows for a lot of natural sunlight to come into their shop, right next to the heart of Japantown. We tried a few of their drinks. Their hot Okinawa Kokuto Latte was my absolute favorite since it was rich and perfectly balanced with the brown sugar Okinawa taste. I would come out to this area specifically for this drink! The iced Matcha Latte with Oat Milk was refreshing and had a strong matcha taste (I asked for no additional syrup). The iced Black Sesame latte had a strong nut taste, and the iced Matcha Black Sesame Latte was also good, with a stronger black sesame taste in my opinion. read more

Best Boy Electric - Matcha Latte, Matcha Black Sesame Latte, Okinawa Kokuto Latte, Black Sesame Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wanted to work at a cafe on a Sunday afternoon so decided to give BBE a try! We came around 11:30 am and it was pretty busy. We wanted to do some work but all the tables were occupied so we ordered and sat at the seats near the window while waiting for some guests to finish and leave. I got an iced black sesame latte and my friend got an iced hojicha latte. The black sesame latte was definitely the better drink of the two! Finally after about 10 minutes, some people left so we relocated to a table. Wifi was quick and easy to connect to. For the actual table seats, there's only 2 chairs that actually have a back so if you're not using those, your back might be tired if you're sitting on the regular stools. Overall a cute spot but definitely would appreciate more seating. read more

See all

Strawberry matcha latte was alright, matcha flavor wasn't super strong. Ambiance is ok too, it's in the lobby of a building with other stores in the second and third floors so there's foot traffic coming and going but there's free wifi, so a pretty good spot to sit and work for a bit. Service was great! read more

Best Boy Electric - Strawberry matcha latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Great service & friendly staff! I fear their Matcha Latte was just milk. They apparently use 5 grams of matcha for the latte but I didn't really taste much matcha flavor and it just felt like milk. When I stirred the drink, it was a pretty sad light green color. Inside seems like a cute place to work but they don't have much AC so it's hot . read more

See all

New matcha spot across from the peace plaza in Japantown. I got the yuzu matcha tonic since I didn't want a latte. It was a unique drink, the taste okay. It was refreshing but nothing amazing read more

Best Boy Electric - Yuzu matcha tonic - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Recently saw that this spot opened up and I'm always down to check out a new cafe. I was craving a croissant; got the almond croissant that's from The Midwife & the Baker. I've had it before from another location and it's one of the better almond croissants that I've had. They can warm it up for you. To drink, I tried the Tokyo Fog. It was just ok, the tea wasn't very strong and mostly milky, just slightly sweet, sweetened with Okinawa brown sugar I believe. They have matcha drinks but didn't feel like having one today, I'd come back in the future to try other drinks. There is a good amount of space to sit and do some work. Friendly staff, restrooms are located downstairs. read more

Best Boy Electric - Tokyo Fog, almond croissant (from the midwife & the baker), black sesame mochi muffin (third culture bakery) - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

I was excited to try this new cafe in Japantown after seeing it on social media but unfortunately the matcha was a bit disappointing. We came by after lunch to grab a sweet treat and I got the iced strawberry matcha while my friend opted for an iced black sesame matcha. While I liked the strawberry syrup which tasted fresh and natural without any artificial flavoring, the matcha itself was grainy and very light. I prefer my matcha strong and smooth so my drink felt pretty diluted. We both asked for less sweet which was good for me (the drink was barely sweet) but my friend thought it could have been sweeter since the matcha is super light. There is a good amount of seating in the lobby of the building but the drinks we tried didn't live up to the hype, especially since there's so many good matcha options in Japantown. read more

Best Boy Electric - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

New coffee shop in Japantown in the New People building where Crown & Crumpet used to be. I was intrigued by the logo (love cats!) and wanted to check it out. I wanted to try the Okinawa Kokuto latte ($6.50). Comes hot or iced and is supposedly the sweetest drink on their menu. Based on that knowledge, I asked for it to be less sweet. However, I ended up not tasting any of the brown sugar at all. The espresso itself was decent, so I figured it was salvageable. IMO better to be less sweet than too sweet- but a little disappointing that I didn't get any of that flavor profile. My friend ordered an iced strawberry matcha latte and was hopeful it would hit the spot as it's hand-whisked by the workers. However, the drink seemed a bit light in color, and since there's several other specialty matcha shops around, your matcha game better be strong. Unfortunately, it seems like the matcha is a miss here. The light green color was an indication that it was more matcha flavored milk instead of a strong matcha taste. We were also told that that matcha is an unknown brand from a farmer in Japan. I'd like to give them another shot, and hoping the 2nd time around will be better. read more

Best Boy Electric - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

We stopped by to try the sakura matcha from the SF cherry blossom festival. There was a really long line. Ultimately, I did enjoy it but my friends felt the matcha wasn't quite as strong. It did start to feel a bit watered down toward the end as the matcha really hit on the first sip. We also tried the pastries which were also really good. The lemon chamomile was the best. read more

Nice, quiet little space to take a break from the bustle of Japantown. Dropped by for a coffee between shopping but, unfortunately, my first visit here wasn't the strongest because they couldn't make any espresso-based drinks because the espresso machine was down. Luckily, one of the drinks I wanted to try the most wasn't impacted, but some of the others were. I decided to try the black sesame hojicha, though the cashier, who wasn't totally paying attention to me when I was ordering and was waving at someone he knew instead, thought I ordered a black sesame matcha, which is what came out initially. The barista was very nice about making me the right drink and did it super fast, and it was worth the wait. I got it iced, and it was so refreshing and tasty that it was gone in about a minute. I do wish the drink was a little bigger simply because it was so good. It also would've been nice to have more of the menu available to try, but I at least know I can come back here for a solid drink the next time I'm in Japantown (which is semi-frequently). And for people who may live or work nearby who are looking for a good coffee shop to work out of, there were a number of people doing just that but it was still incredibly quiet and peaceful. Nice spot overall. read more

Cute spot but pretty average matcha latte, not a ton of matcha flavor. Perhaps one of the flavored matcha options would be better.

I am so glad Best Boy moved into New People. This building was looking real sad, but they have brightened it up with their cozy nook for coffee and tea. I've had a range of things here and have been pleased with everything. They use Hedge coffee which tastes amazing--drip and espresso drinks are lovely. But the matcha game is also very strong. It's great how you can do a Matcha cappuccino, not weighting down the drink with all the milk you'd normally get in a latte (which they have too.) And, perhaps best of all, their cat logo/mascot! He is adorable and the merch featuring him is almost impossible not to buy. read more

Delicious latte with brown sugar (couldn't taste the brown sugar as much?? But the coffee was good) from Japan, and adorable merch!! Friendly and open space. Quick service. Love the logo too. Menu had a lot of varied drinks from matcha to coffees. A little pricey I think. read more

Best Boy Electric - Merch - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Francisco, California

Not a big menu but the pork belly sandwich tasted good. Coffee was just OK. The ambiance / decor feels sterile and cold - it's a stylistic thing but for a breakfast / coffee place, warmth would be better. read more

The shop is aesthetic, but drinks are mediocre at best. I was super hopeful because the baristas are hand whisking all the matcha + hojicha drinks. But the drinks tasted like straight up milk w a dash of flavoring... I wanted to like this so bad. Staff was kind & vibes were cool tho! read more

Got the black sesame matcha latte and matcha americano. Both were okay... The black sesame matcha latte had no matcha taste unfortunately. Very overpowered by the black sesame. Maybe it's just me but the other things I want to "chew" in my drink are toppings I choose to be in it. I understand the black sesames in my drink were for aesthetics and maybe taste but it felt like a nuisance having to chew it while drinking. I misunderstood what the matcha americano was and definitely my fault. I thought it was a matcha with a shot of espresso...but a matcha made in an americano way. Still good just not my drink of choice. Staff was super friendly and the drinks came out quick. read more