This spot is so cute!! They have a very cool ambiance inside, music matches the vibe. The service was efficient especially for a busy morning rush, towards the afternoon it definitely slowed down which was nice to work. In the morning it was hard to find a space to sit. They have a kid table, two regular tables, barstool seating and one long shared table. I would say this is a stop and go not much of a stay around spot just due to how busy and how many ppl are looking for a seat. They have one restroom and upstairs is only for employees. They serve some food items but the day we went they mentioned the kitchen was closed so we couldn't try anything. I got a hot matcha latte to-go and I would say it was good but if you like your matcha sweet this is not the spot for it. I still enjoyed my drink and the atmosphere overall read more

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One of my favorite coffee shops! Great drinks, delicious pastries, and friendly people.

Small but mighty! The Mocha with macadamia milk and ginger turmeric tea are excellent.

Had the SHAKEN SESAME ($5.50) - espresso, house made black sesame syrup, shaken with milk. I thought this was a really unique drink for a coffee shop and they pulled it off well. Balanced and not too sweet, and you could taste the sesame. Would get this again. It's a seasonal drink though. Also got an iced americano which was too acidic for my taste. Wish I had gotten a cortado instead. Next time. Their $13K poursteady pour over machine looks super cool. Friendly staff, and they're churning out drinks, but be prepared to wait because it's a busy spot. Cute, airy interior. Lots of free nearby parking. read more

Captain + Stoker - Black sesame latte and iced americano - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

I'm so glad we were able to stop in at Captain + Stoker and try out some goods! My boyfriend ordered a hot vanilla latte and the coffee was super yummy. You can tell they use good beans. They also make their vanilla flavoring in house. I ordered a camomile tea this day. It was really good as well! We were a little hungry and ordered 2 different toasts. The banana + peanut butter toast was mine. They get their bread from a local bakery (I forgot the name!). It had the perfect toast and a great amount of banana to top it. The avocado toast had the perfect ratios as well. The huge garage doors turned the space into a unique vibe. There was plenty of seating, including a huge table in the center. Great for getting some work done, a tourist stop, or grabbing coffee with a friend! read more

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Great coffee spot to stop by if you're in Monterey. Depending on when you visit there may be no seating. Service is great and drinks were on point. A perfect spot to take a break during your day or grab a quick pick me up. read more

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We're in town visiting family and stopped by Sunday morning for a pastry and coffee. While the location itself is small, I still highly recommend this place! There was a bit of a line when we arrived, however, we were able to get in and out within 10 minutes! We ordered two lattes; a vanilla and something similar to a brown sugar latte. None were that sweet, but still really good! read more

Captain + Stoker - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

Line is long but she is well worth the wait!! My tried and true is an Oatmilk Capp and they make it *very* well. BUT this last time, I got a Capp with their homemade macadamia milk and it was so different and unique but still like a familiar warm hug! The line doesn't necessarily move that fast, so if you're in a hurry, prob not the best option, but if you have time, it is WELL worth it! read more

Solid! I love the location and ambiance at Captain + Stoker. It's situated right on the corner so it's hard to miss. There's plenty of parking around the area thanks to the park right across the street. The corner location adds a lot of light plus they have tons of seating, especially when they open up the garage doors. On a Saturday late morning, the line was out the door. But luckily, it moved pretty quickly and gave you enough time to consider what you'd like to order. They have their main menu outside but I knew they had seasonal drinks as well. They have their seasonal drink menu right by the register. As someone who could be indecisive, I wish they had it outside as well or somewhere before we get to the register so I could consider those options as well (without feeling pressured to make a quick decision at the register). Ultimately, when we got to the register, they had a lot of their seasonal drinks already sold out so I went with a hot latte + honey. I felt like I waited awhile for my drink (~15-20 min) but I suppose it's because they were pretty busy. During that time, we browsed their merch section - they sell beans and other merch. They also have canned coffee to go along with other drinks and snacks. The coffee was good and I'd love to come back to try other seasonal drinks. read more

Captain + Stoker - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

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Came here for the first time during our trip to Monterey. The vibes are super cute but the cashier that took our order was not welcoming at all. We got there a little bit later so the pastries weren't available anymore which is understandable but the cashier told us "if they're not in the fridge then we're all out they're always going to be there" like again it's our first time here how would we know. The matcha we ordered wasn't good either so just overall a disappointing first time experience. read more

Great staff, great coffee, the place is laid back and easy to get a coffee. I work very close by and always look forward to stopping in for a little espresso. PAZI is great. Please stop by and check it out. Mikey V read more

Awesome sunny and bright spot to visit if you're ever in Monterey. The drinks, the cereal bowl, and the avocado toast were all excellent and they came out exactly as described on the menu. There was a long line when we came in on Saturday morning but service was quick and efficient and it moved it along quickly. We also enjoyed sitting at the long brown communal log table which added to the charm of the place. Look forward to stopping by during our next drive down to the area. read more

Captain + Stoker - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

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Busy coffee shop with open (garage door) fresh air and stadium or table seating. It's loud, so don't expect a quiet conversation. The menu has a rotating seasonal section (where my fun sounding but taste underwhelming black sesame latte was from) and all of the standard espresso and drip based fare. The food options are sourced from local spots and can run out by mid day. The staff were all busy but personable and courteous, the rest of the patrons are a mess though - leaving trash and tables awry and spilled upon like they have had a nanny since birth who picks up after them. read more

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Service was wonderful. Cashier was super nice. There was a long line but worth the wait. My honey lavender latte was excellent. Super cute! read more

Captain + Stoker - Honey Lavender latte - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

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After seeing that Alvarado Street Brewing collaborated with Captain + Stoker for a beer, we knew we had to come by the next morning to check them out. First impression was how cool their space is. Loved the open windows / garage style doors, all the plants, and the cool rope lighting above. The giant community table was also so unique and eye catching. They had a pretty large menu with a good assortment of drinks, even for non-coffee drinkers like me. I opted for their Iced Citrus Green tea which was great; the lemongrass with hints of ginger really came through. My husband had The Captain espresso shot. He loved how smooth and non-acidic it was. Even though I'm not a coffee drinker, I tried a sip and really tasted the citrus notes which was wonderful. We didn't try any of their food offerings, but everything looked and sounded good. This spot would be a perfect 5 stars for me, but service wasn't overly friendly. The pickup area was also in a poor location as it was difficult to grab our drinks with the big community table next to it as well as people standing around the small area, unwilling to move until their name for drinks was called. Despite the crowded drink pick-up area and semi-friendly service, we enjoyed this coffee shop overall and will definitely be back whenever we're in Monterey. For the time being, my husband did bring a bag of The Stoker Blend coffee beans home to enjoy. read more

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I am a devoted Matcha Latte drinker and I can tell good from bad. Captain has legit matcha lattes. I needed a good wake up after a 3 am wake up and running the Big Sur Marathon. This hit the spot. Would gladly come back. Side note: music playing was great - Jungle, Mild Minds, Jermango Dreaming, Roosevelt, to name a few while there. read more

Captain + Stoker - Matcha latte - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

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This location is bigger/busier than the pacific grove location. We got the seasonal drinks and they were not my favorite. The strawberry one was super milky, not enough espresso and the flavor was lacking in the sesame drink. Maybe it's just this location:/ read more

Captain + Stoker - Seasonal coffee - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

Snickerdudes was a seasonal drink and was really good. Also went her for a cappuccino. Cool decor and nice coffee foam art. read more

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Hands down the best coffee I've had in Monterey! So smooth and perfectly made every time. Service has always been great too.

Lovely local coffee shop with cool vibes. I enjoyed my garden party seasonal latte which has strawberry and pistachio and was crafted well. Service was quick and friendly. It was crowded inside so I sat on the stadium seating facing the outside parking spaces. Seemed like a community rooted spot with great coffee. read more

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If you like coffee and you're in Monterey you are aware of Captain and Stoker. You are aware they make some of the best espresso world wide. I love stopping by when I'm here... nothing beats this coffee house. read more

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Was really excited to try this place, but it ended up being pretty underwhelming... Tried the Stoker Blend with notes of brown sugar, plum, caramel, and orange, but the coffee flavor was just eh... Maybe another drink would have been a better choice. Might give it another shot next time! read more

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It's hard to review this visit because it could very much have been impacted negatively by the holiday weekend. There was a line of customers wrapped around the outside of the building the Friday before Independence Day and the service felt it as we were rushed through our ordering. They ran out of pastries before 10am and seemed a bit flustered by trying to handle the huge crowd. They also gave me Nitro cold brew when I only ordered the regular but it was way too chaotic to try and ask for a redo, I just dealt with the wiry aftereffects. The Nitro quality was honestly solid--nice and fruity but just a bit lukewarm--which was tough considering it was served without ice. My wife's ube matcha was top heavy in its sweetness but then the leftover matcha underneath was too bitter. Overall the experience just felt too disorganized and haphazard. There was little ambience with so many people standing around hovering over the seating but at least the air could flow through the opened doors. Again, though, I'm empathetic to the idea that an unexpected rush of holiday travelers could have strongly impacted the morning staff, so I want to keep an open mind... But the drinks themselves coming in underwhelming was the biggest bummer. It might be more your speed in their normal day-to-day service, though, so I'd still recommend giving them a shot! read more

Always a long line. I tried the seasonal drinks like shaken sesame and the strawberry pistachio. The shaken sesame I approved of and i really liked however the strawberry pistachio was not the greatest. It had barely any pistachio taste read more

Captain + Stoker - Shaken sesame - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

This place was great!! Random stop on a long late morning drive through the area. Team, friendly seems like fun place to be!! Coffee 5 Stars, delicious hot tasty Cortado 5 Stars, made perfectly with expertise! Almond croissant 5 stars crunchy fresh tasty Winner! English Muffin with cherry jam, 10 Stars delish!!! Hot fresh homemade jam what a delightful surprise thank you!! Great seating outside cut mixed use neighborhood highly recommend!!! Will be back soon!! read more

Came here to see what all the hype was about, heard so many good things about this place. The line was long, but it went by pretty fast and the servers were pretty quick with getting everything out fast. The space is so pretty and sunny, lots of seating area. People doing work or just enjoying their meal and drink. My order: Seasonal berry matcha, hot with oat -- Man this is where it went south for me. The matcha was very dense, gritty, and bitter, I expected for it to be sweeter with the berry. I asked for more sweetness and for more oat milk because it was truly undrinkable without it. I hope their iced matcha is better. My partner's iced mocha latte w oat -- it was good, he did enjoy it. Avocado Toast -- This was great! I really enjoyed this with the toast they used. The pricing for it was very affordable and worth it. Would I wait another 30-45 minutes for all of this and try again? Honestly maybe just to give it a redemption but who knows. read more

Cute interior with nice vibes but unfortunately found the coffee subpar this time around. I tried the seasonal shaken sesame which sounded pretty unique and refreshing on a hot day. I wasn't quite used to the flavor as it tasted pretty sour and acidic. Had to ask the workers if someone was off with the drink but they just said the coffee is dark chocolate and cherry flavor profiled. Even though the drink is listed at $5.5, somehow it got rung up for a little over $7, probably due to some local fees. Felt a bit steep for what we got which felt like mostly ice. Staff seemed pretty friendly but was left a bit disappointed overall. I thought I remembered the vanilla latte being more my speed when I came a few years back, maybe I just prefer the more classic drinks. read more

Went back a year later during car week on a Monday and the seasonal drinks are still great! Loved the shaken sesame. Bf liked the garden party latte esp when it became more watered down. Not too sweet read more

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Coffee was delicious ! And the decor / atmosphere was very inviting . The staff was friendly and drinks /food came out fast . For you coffee loves I would defiantly give this place a try read more

Captain + Stoker - A latte to enjoy - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

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The coffee here was amazing! I'd say second best cup of coffee I had during our week stay in Monterey. The service itself was good, but a bit strange with all the folks behind the counter, the barista was the same individual making all of the food. It really slowed things down and it was pretty busy when we'd stopped by. Other than that, cool ambiance, loved the color scheme all throughout the place including the china! Definitely recommend! read more

It was a cute shop with friendly service, however my matcha latte was a little disappointing. It did not taste very strong, like they used a lower quality matcha or they did not use enough of it. I was also recommended to get sweetener, as the matcha latte comes unsweetened, but my drink was not mixed properly and all the honey was stuck on the bottom. read more

Captain + Stoker - Iced matcha latte - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

Was passing through Monterey in search of good coffee to help with the drive back home to socal. My group ordered vanilla lattes and from the seasonal menu- shaken sesame and blueberry nitro. Blueberry nitro was not my favorite, but I'm sure there are others out there who will appreciate the tangy bittersweet flavor from it! Shaken sesame was a highlight (i love black sesame!), and the vanilla lattes were solid. The real star of the show was the customer service. The guy manning the front was so kind and helpful. :) If I lived closer I'd love to come back often to try many of their other drinks, and to chill in this beautiful space. There's a cool tree table, and amazing airflow+light from large open windows. ***The downside is their restroom does not have good ventilation ... read more

Iced vanilla latte x 2, almond croissant, and brownie bites x 2. On our 16 day road trip to Oregon and back we made many coffee shop stops. But by far this was my favorite! The vibes were super hip and they sell a lot of the products they use to make their drinks so you can make at home too such as vanilla syrup, beans, and coffee concentrate. The vanilla latte was the perfect amount of sweet while still being able to taste the espresso, almond croissant was delicious, and kids said "brownies were nice!" The line was long, but so worth it and the staff was very helpful, especially when I had questions about the vanilla syrup. If you're in the area and love coffee... GO! read more

Captain + Stoker - Signage - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

With about a 20 - 30 min wait on a Saturday morning, once you get to order, your drink will come out fairly quickly. I got one of their seasonal drinks (shaken sesame) and it was delicious! The only downfall is that it only came in a smaller cup! I finished it too quickly. read more

Captain + Stoker - 10am on a Saturday - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

It was a cute coffee shop with a very Instagram aesthetic. The coffee in general was alright, the place seemed to be more about the aesthetic than the coffee read more

Hubs got the Ethiopian pour over and said it was excellent! He also bought coffee beans to bring back on our road trip home. There was a line outside, but it moves quickly. Great coffee shop to visit! read more

Captain + Stoker - Menu - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

I was visiting with a friend, and we drove by this place on our way out of town, and turned around because we were looking for coffee and saw the line and both said "this place must be good". We were right!! Their coffee was so yummy and strong! I got a snickerdoodle latte from their seasonal menu, and my friend got a vanilla latte. It's cute and tiny inside, no seating area really so more of a grab and go. If you're in the area, you have to stop by here! read more

Captain + Stoker - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

Drinks were very very slow to come out like 15-20 min. They also made one of our drinks hot when I asked for both iced. They corrected it, but it was even more time waiting. I got the sesame latte which was decent and not too sweet. Hubby got the strawberry pistachio latte and he did not like it. So the drinks and service were very mid. read more

Captain + Stoker - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

A Christmas adventure special visit for their seasonal menu Gingersnap latte with almond milk was my type of spice (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg) and everything nice (brown sugar, molasses) latte topped with cute artisan art. It resembled a spiced carrot cake recipe! Peppermint latte with almond milk had a great balance between both mocha chocolate & peppermint. It was finished with light peppermint whip cream and candy cane toppings. Plus it did not taste like toothpaste because that is our seasonal fear haha Service: just as I recall, happy workers with superb joyous energy. They were helpful addressing small drink questions to additional restroom supply restock. Ambiance: Since Covid, they added more foliage plants for a fresh naturalist appeal. A good Monterey coffee shop for tourist Overall: One of my favorite Monterey coffee shops read more

Captain + Stoker - Gingersnap Latte and Peppermint mocha - Coffee Roasteries Near Me - Monterey, California

Pretty good coffee and breakfast eats, I will be back. I got the Lavender latte which was really good and the avocado toast which was decent. A little pricey for the toast but I think it was worth it. The location was pretty good, plenty of seating options. Staff was nice and gave good recommendations. read more

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