this is a cool hip coffee shop located in the heart of Hillcrest. Everyone was so friendly. I tried the snickerdoodle latte and the adult grilled cheese and they both were good. They asked me if my coffee was To-go or dine-in. I told them dine-in bc I was staying in and so I wouldn't get a paper cup but I still got a disposable cup anyway. They had pretty of good looking pastries in the display however, as I was looking and deciding what I wanted to try I noticed many flies in the display landing on all the tasty looking baked goods. read more

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i loveeee better buzz! This specific location is beautiful! It's so worth it to get a drink and just sit inside, such a cute and vibey coffee shop. It's also very spacious, it has 2 stories and lots of room to sit. The major down side is the parking of course. I wish they had at least a small designated parking area considering how large this place is. I've had the oat rose latte warm but I requested it iced this time! Initially, they told me they were unable to do it but the barista hooked me up! This is definitely one of their best drinks but all their lattes are fire. My sister in law tried their iced matcha- she has tried several matchas in SD and she decided better buzz has the best matcha! Hands down one of the best coffee shops in hillcrest. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Oat latte w/ rose water - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Anytime I'm in the San Diego area, I HAVE to stop by a better buzz to start or end my journey or both! I absolutely love better buzz and think they should be getting better buzz! Their chai tea lattes are one of the best I've ever had and sit at a 4.5/5 on my scale! It tastes like how you would think Christmas would, and is very creamy! It's never disappointed no matter what location and I like that each place has the same theme consistency but still manage to dress it up in different ways! What a beautiful place to do some work and have a great drink! read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Candice was very helpful and nice and helped me perfect my drink to my likings and was very patient with me. Nice location with amazing people read more

Super cute location with high ceilings and lots of tables - perfect to study or catch up with a friend! There are so many drinks on their menu I wanted to try but I was sold by the name "best drink ever" so of course, I had to try it out and see. I also grabbed a bag of beans to take home, which were deliciously roasted and fragrant. The best drink ever is for sure the best drink ever! Love that it's not too sweet with a touch of vanilla and cream. The workers are all super friendly and the vibes are immaculate. This would definitely be a staple if I was a student in SD. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

The Hillcrest Better Buzz layout is so nice. One of the nicest indoor designs/decor of any cafe in San Diego. Super spacious and decent amount of seating. The lady who helped me (her apron pin was Marvin the Martian from Looney Tunes and has colorful hair) was super sweet and very nice. Service here is great. I would come again. Also opens pretty late for a cafe in SD (8pm) which I like. I heard they only have one outlet, so only come if you have enough battery on your laptops and phones. Their wifi is also fast. Parking is really tough, spent almost 30 minutes finding parking because there is only street parking. Surprisingly super crowded on a midday Tuesday. Perhaps parking has to be bad or else there would be a line out the door and you wouldn't be able to get a seat at all! Matcha latte ($5.49): I would give their matcha latte a 6.5-7 out of 10. Better Buzz's drinks in general are on the sweeter side, so if that's your thing Better Buzz is for you! I've also seen way more pricey matcha lattes. I would come back again to get work done :) read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Second level seating - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Wow! What a big Better Buzz! This is the third location I've ever visited, and by far the largest. I love the assam black tea from Better Buzz, so that's what drew me here after finishing a run in the area. Like with all Better Buzz locations, you order at a counter. And they will call your name when your order is ready. But whoa! Get ready to make yourself at home here for some time because they have a TON of indoor seating. They can really accommodate a lot of folks. I'm terrible at numbers, but I would say there are 15 - 20 tables inside. There is also, what appears to be, a conference room with a long table? I'm not sure how that works, but if it's indeed a room that you can use or hire out -- very nifty. There are restrooms (key code, available to customers only). I was able to find street parking on a side street, half a block away. 2023: 35/100 read more

My favorite Better Buzz location. The employees are so friendly and polite and the coffee is great :) Also the location is beautiful.

I ordered a vanilla bean coffee for some reason it does not taste like coffee. It tastes bland no flavor. Kinda disappointed. I added sweet cream topper but it did nothing for my coffee. I also ordered a breakfast sandwich and it was put together very messy and sloppy. I opened it up to fix it myself. It wasn't very good either. No flavor and also bland, the bread very underwhelming. Crumbly even. Has a burnt like taste. All the pictures looked good online so I gave it a try. Maybe I'll try again but maybe not. Idk. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Breakfast sandwich - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Definitely one of the best of the best. Blackberry banana muffin is unbelievable. Coffee is made perfectly to order. Large open very clean dining area with no vagrants living inside. Tables everywhere and plenty of electricity for plugging in a computer. Enormous dining area. Spotless bathroom. read more

I like to come in the morning but it gets busy and parking is difficult in the area. But the staff and lactation are amazing. I enjoy the treats and the drinks. read more

coffee is decent but not the best. Pastries are average. not the best service but still good. Always busy. They do have a good lemonade and a good cinnamon bun. Ambiance is pretty nice. read more

That better breakfast sandwich truly lives up to its name and handily kicks any brioche based cousin out of the water. I am willing to throw hands over this statement. Everything just works from the snap of the bun with it's traditional pretzel-y taste to the creamy garlic aioli to the egg, bacon, even arugula. And let's not even start on the melty havarti which is such an underrated cheese. It has an amazing buttery texture yet provides just enough of an acidic bite to help cut through the fatty bacon and rich egg. If I had to come up with a con for this sandwich, I guess we can complain about the egg fried over hard. There is no yolk play for people that love seeing that luscious gold spill but it's hardly a deal breaker. I opted to pair a honey latte with my sandwich which was also delicious. It was velvety and smooth and brewed perfectly. Towards the end, it did get a little sweet but it wasn't terribly so. Breakfast for 1 with tip was about $16. read more

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This is where and how you get your morning started right. This place has a lot of diversity. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - All kinds of deliciousness. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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The drinks here were delicious! It was bustling around 12pm, with folks working and waiting. First time, we got the Best Drink Ever which was suuper deicious, the mint infused which was a little strong on the flavor, and an oat milk vanilla bean, which was pretty good. Parking around the area is pretty difficult to find. There's 2-hr spots down the street (4min walk) that were good to just pick up some drinks. Would come back if I were craving the Best Drink Ever. read more

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I am very disappointed that the location in Hillcrest. The drink that i got was extremely sweet and the workers, are not so friendly. I paid for a cold foam on too of my drink. When i receive my drink it was just a few drops of foams. So turned back and asked for a little bit more the worker was sarcastically just put a drop of foam on it. It was not worth the money i paid for. Used to be my favorite spot to go but it has been an unpleasant to see the service like this read more

Vibes were super cute inside and the coffee was delicious. Service was friendly and we were able to get our drinks fairly quickly . Next time I will try the food :) overall really good coffee for being a San Diego chain . read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Iced White Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Better Buzz is a truly gorgeous coffee shop. The hexagon shaped menus hang from the ceiling for that hive feeling. High ceilings and industrial decor feel clean and open. Parking is a pain as you gotta find space in front of a house. Once inside, the line was only a few people long and they moved quickly through it. Dozens of guests enjoyed their coffee around tables while others were waiting for their coffee to go. This place was buzzing! (Get it?) Here's what we ordered: Matcha latte 1/2 sweet with lavender 1/2 sweet - Drink was ultimately way too sweet. We had to dilute it with matcha from home. Flavors were very good, but this was above Starbucks sweet and they're a sugar factory. Honey Latte with oat milk - This was also way too sweet. It had great flavor, but once again too sweet for me. All in all, the coffee was good and the flavors were as well, we just needed less sugar. I will nite that they used paper straws BUT they lasted 3 hours for me and even longer for my daughter. My recommendation is to order a plain latte OR be very cautious with the sugar else you'll find yourself diluting it with another coffee! read more

A must try! I love stopping before work or meeting up with friends after work. Theres ample seating & its beautifully decorated. Jamilett is always a friendly face with excellent customer service. Come check out their amazing coffee & variety of pastries. read more

Acai bowl was like soup. They actually didn't give the correct portion. I felt cheated. The service was great, but I won't come back to this location. They do have an outdoor area to sit at. It was pretty dirty. read more

Service was very nice and the atmosphere was very pleasing but my drink just did not cut it for me. I was expecting more of a horchata hint but it didn't touch it at all. Got the cheese danish, really good. Chocolate cookie was amazing. Will be back next time I am in san diego to try a different drink read more

Very cool space. Great coffee and pastry options. Ask for recommendations from the staff!

Thanksgiving morning 2023: How sad and hollow is the inside of a pistachio croissant @BetterBuzz. The texture was dry and tasted a few days old, while its exterior and topping audio tasted old; this particular item isn't worth considering for a morning treat. However, we did enjoy their drinks; I had a Snickerdoodle latte and my husband had their Vanilla latte. Umm ummm good. Someday, I'll try this place again. Note: I liked their interior design, it reminds me of working and traveling through Asia a few years back. This place resembles a Korean owned coffee chain named Maan Cafe. But Maan Cafe's menu and overall vibe was way-Way-WAY better. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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A large location! Plenty of seating, with some seating upstairs as well. Since this location is much larger than most it definitely seems like all orders are ready very quickly. Same quality for both food and drinks at this location as all others. Personally my go-tos are always the açaí bowl, matcha latte, and any buzz. Easy location to walk to as well! read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Main dining area + coffee bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Better Buzz has great coffee and really friendly service. I also love the atmosphere with all of the natural lighting and plenty of spots to work. I got their chocolate coconut cold brew and it was so rich and tasty! I usually don't like super sweet drinks, but wow this was probably one of the most decadent cold brews I've had. The biggest con with this place is how LOUD and annoying their music is!! Every time I come in, I swear they're blasting Disney channel music. It's extremely hard to focus on work or even just hear my own thoughts. I eventually had to leave earlier than planned because the music was so irritating and distracting that I couldn't get work done. I hope the business owner sees this and considers playing more neutral, somewhat calm music for a the locals who like to work here. read more

I came to the Better Buzz Hillcrest location on Memorial Day, so it was quite busy. I came at around 10:50am and there were only a few people ahead of me in line, but by the time I got my drink, food, and a seat, the line was out the door, probably 20 people long. People love Better Buzz! I always get their Best Drink Ever which is an americano with their creamy vanilla powder. I usually am not a fan of sweet drinks but this is the exception! I think this started my americano addiction. The vanilla sweetness is strong but I still enjoy it. In the future, I'd like to try their coffee without the vanilla just to see how it is. I also appreciate that they serve food as well! I got their raspberry almond scone and I usually don't like scones because most of the ones I've tried before are dry and bland, but theirs actually was good on flavor and texture. Their interior is so nice, I love the coffeeshop vibes here, overall feels welcoming and bright. There's plenty of seating upstairs in the loft area and downstairs too, it was quite busy when I visited, but I was still able to find a seat. Staff was still pleasant to work with even with their mid-morning rush. Some cons: 1. Parking SUCKS. The street next to the building is always full, so you're lucky if you can get a spot there. There's some meters around the Whole Foods a block away, which might be the best spot. Overall, wherever you park, you will have to walk a bit so it's definitely not a quick stop. 2. I don't think there are many outlets, but I came and worked on my laptop for a couple hours and that was fine. 3. the line can get LONG so again, not great for a quick stop. Overall, I really like this Better Buzz location. There are a few cons that you have to work around, but I would definitely visit again. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - best drink ever, raspberry almond scone - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Absolutely Amazing employees, great experience every time I visit, the staff is always so polite and helpful. I love coming to this location in Hillcrest. I would recommend this location to anyone looking for coffee and breakfast foods. The store front is also very nice, well lite and always so clean, great atmosphere. read more

I love coming to this place to study and get work done, pick up a coffee on the go, or catch up with a friend here. It is aesthetically pleasing and I thoroughly enjoy sitting at a table to enjoy the decor of this place while waiting for my order. The workers here are all so friendly and recommend their favorite drinks every time. They have many seating areas - on a bench along the windowsill on each side, high chairs, outdoor seating, and my favorite, their loft area which overlooks the first floor. Some of my favorite drinks I recommend are the best drink ever and orange infused matcha! They even sell packs of vanilla powder, which is what they put into their BDE. You can never go wrong with either of these choices! read more

Better Buzz is a San Diego coffee chain that offers a variety of drinks, most of which, of course, is coffee based. You can order online to pick it up in 5-10 minutes, which is what we did, to skip the line and you still get the same experience. The space is huge and good for working, and there is a main first floor and additional seating second floor. I got the Hazelnut Divinity and my first impression was, if the drink has that many calories, it's surely very sweet, so I opted for 25% sugar which is just the right level of sweetness I want. It's crazy these drinks can be so sugary, as my friend ordered the "Best Drink Ever" and I was pretty much drinking sugar. Prices are quite high for the coffee since while the coffee is solid, you could get it for cheaper elsewhere for something similar. Overall, this is a standard coffee shop that checks the boxes, but I would only recommend it if it's not out of the way. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Hazelnut Divinity - IG @bougiefoodieboi - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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They ran out of something I had ordered online, thankfully staff was very nice and gave me two pasteries instead of js one. I did not however like the loud music when i tried to do hmw and the seats were very small as well as the chair. I would not come back to study but that's okay it's a good coffee place. read more

Came here for the first time this morning. I got a couple of drinks before heading to work. I got super lucky and found a spot right out in front. I was able to place and picked up my order super quick. I got the orange infused matcha which was delicious! I substituted the coconut milk for Oatmilk which made it much tastier. I also got the Pink Dragon Smoothie which was super yummy and colorful. If you have not had the chance to visit this chic establishment you definitely have to stop by. I know I will be back. Thank you Better Buzz for a great first time experience. See you soon. read more

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Terrific coffee! I've never seen such a grand, three-story coffeeshop. The interior was gorgeous with pretty lights and greenery. There's a private conference room on the first floor and seating on the first two floors. A good amount of people were studying or doing work. The third floor looked like office spaces for employees only. We luckily found metered street parking nearby, but if you wanted to grab and go, their drive thru locations would be more convenient. The iced honey latte had nice flavor but was a tad too sweet. I would've preferred less sweet even if that means less of the honey flavor. The "best drink ever" wasn't my personal favorite ever, but it was still great. I'd love to try their other drinks next time! read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - "Best Drink Ever" & Honey Latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Always understaffed but plenty of managers standing around. I feel bad for the people who work there because the music is always too loud and usually not good. The coffee is ok I guess, definitely a step up from Duncan, but the whipped cream comes off really oily to me. If you want your drinks to taste like melted ice cream, then this is the place. read more

I ordered my typical iced dirty chai latte for a little afternoon pick me up and it did not disappoint! The service is always amazing and the place just has such a relaxing energy. The perfect place to grab a coffee when you're on the go or to work from for the day. I also got a chocolate banana loaf and it was sooo good! Not too sweet and just hints of banana. Next time I'm in the area, I'll definitely be stopping by! read more

Janey was so helpful on which drinks I should try! Her customer service is great and will be back to try new drinks

Wife and I stopped here hearing Buzz was THE coffeehouse in San Diego and the Hillcrest spot was the flagship. We stepped up and ordered a decaf latte and a brewed decaf. Wife grabbed a chocolate croissant and I got the Feta Avocado Toast. Ok first - Coffee. I had asked for just a brewed decaf. They must not brew decaf there because what got ordered was a decaf americano, which I get is a workaround, but I kinda wish I was given the option to change up my order. I'm not a huge fan of Americanos. I find them usually a bit too watery. What I got was pretty good though and probably a testament to the quality of the coffee. Wife said her latte was good. Tasty, but she was surprised it wasn't as hot as she had anticipated. Coffee 3.5 Stars Second - food. My avocado toast was really nice. Lovely multi-grained bread. Thick. Soft and tasty. Avocado mash was good, feta always makes things tasty and the tomatoes were fresh. Nicely done! Wife reported that the chocolate croissant was excellent. She said the pastry was super crispy, but inside was soft. Just the right amount of chocolate. Two thumbs up!!! Loved the look of the place. Super layout and lots to look at. Comfortable high top and stools to enjoy our coffee & food. Clearly a big favorite for dog owners. So many dogs came in with their coffee seeking handlers. I'm a big fan of any place that welcomes dogs! Anyway, good coffee. Great food. Nice ambiance. Solid 4 stars. (Just be upfront about the no brewed decaf for those of us who ask for it. We can handle it!) read more

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Great spot to have delicious coffee drink and a light lunch or breakfast. Nice ambiance, friendly staff and fair prices. Avocado Feta toast was delicious. Coffee was a great brew and flavor. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

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Ahhhh the BDE, best drink ever, how much I've missed you. Now that I've made more time for myself, I'm enjoying my coffee in the store more often than getting it to go and finding myself in a rush to the next rat race. Inside, I can relax in the warm benches or work on my next Yelp review in the ever spacious dining room. My last visit here, I came to grab gifts for friends abroad and share the buzzed life with them, but as I did, I sat and enjoyed a tall glass of a BDE. Talk about self-care! I'm loving this spot, I just wished I lived closer and didn't have to deal with the atrocious parking of Hillcrest. read more

Better Buzz Coffee Hillcrest - BDE - Coffee & Tea Near Me - San Diego, California

Smiling service and wonderful coffee. What a great place so early in the morning. Friendly and helpful staff with delicious product. I smell success! read more

The pumpkin chai is so delicious! The baristas were so nice and helpful to me when I couldnt decide which drink to get. I came to get some work done and there was plenty of space and outlets to use! I will be returning read more