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    El Café

    4.7 (162 reviews)
    InexpensiveCafes, Coffee & Tea, Bagels
    Open 6:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Order El Café Takeout or Delivery

    El Café Photos

    Business Info

    EL CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Café

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    Breakfast burrito
    Michele T.

    Hubs and I were craving breakfast burritos so decided to give them one at El Cafe a try. Took about 15 minutes to prepare before our order was ready. Appreciate that they were cut in half and packaged separately with packets of tapatio. They were filled with eggs, red peppers, avocado, and meat. They were ok.

    Menu
    Sally Y.

    This Parkside neighborhood corner cafe serves paninis, salads and bagels, along with coffees and smoothies. With only 7-8 tables, most people line up to take away their food, while regulars sit to write, work and text. No-nonsense service in a casual atmosphere, El Cafe brings in regulars to satisfy their hunger pangs!

    A LOTTA LOX
    Hillary I.

    Solid lox bagel on a good chewy bagel. Not sure I would call it a whole lotta lox, however. Maybe a medium to small amount of lox with a lot of tomato and cucumber is better description. Still very tasty. Pretty good offering for the price. Would recommend for a fast and affordable option.

    Trying a tuna melt first time. Nice corner cafe.
    Priscilla L.

    Everyone once in awhile you wan to grab a quick coffee or sandwich place and this the one to come to on Taraval as they have a few seats to relax and have your food and drink and off you go ‍ or just take out like most people head off to your journey. One time I bought a sandwich for the ballgame and it was yummy. Recently I decided to eat in since it has a such a warm and cheerful art decor. Since morning I decide to get the egg and cheese bagel on a cheese bagel. yes I am obsessed with cheese! lol My friend has the toasted chunky peanut butter bannna toast. Both made a nice mid morning snack. :) This staple cafe is right in a great location, next door to police station, the McChoppin park with the Parkside library is a good location where you can walk around the Parkside neighborhood and if you get hungry again, there's plenty of other snacks and restaurants to eat around here. Yummy in my tummy. :)

    El Cafe
    Dana S.

    Love, love, love this place. This is exactly the kind of cafe that I wish was in my neighborhood. I would frequent it so often they'd know me by name. Cute little spot. Perfect for a small meal, a snack, a coffee, a smoothie, or all of the above. They have a fantastic selection of sandwiches, bagels, pastries, and of course, coffee. I'm not a vegetarian but they have quite a few vegetarian options to choose from and all sounded spectacular. The lady helping us was so sweet and very helpful. Boyfriend and I both ordered the El Sunset. Mine on an onion bagel. It had turkey, bacon, pesto, tomato, spinach, and provolone cheese. It was yummy! I also had a vanilla latte and baby daddy had a cortado. Coffee was excellent! Nice and hot and clearly made with love. Little guy had a chocolate chip cookie with milk and everyone left happy. We don't live close by but when I'm in this neighborhood this will be my new spot. Thank you for great service and excellent food.

    Menu, pastries, drinks, coffee
    Alice R.

    Great friendly neighborhood place with amazing paninis and good coffee! Cute cozy atmosphere... They treat you like friends and family

    Healthy vegab with egg

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    25 days ago

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    Laura G.

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    1 month ago

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    3 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    5 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 month ago

    Great cup , great food, and super nice and friendly staff. Cozy small coffeehouse full of good vibes.

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    2 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

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    Laura G.

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    1 year ago

    I come here sometimes and also that I do spend time driving and trying something new everyday..

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

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    Laura G.

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    5 months ago

    Delicious breakfasts!! Was able to sit at a table but limited seating inside. Service was great!

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    Laura G.

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    1 year ago

    Cute little corner coffee shop on Taraval. Lots of bagel options. Popular hangout spot for people working or reading.

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    7 months ago

    Neighborhood gem! El cafe has amazing service, good food and great lattes! I especially love the chagacccino latte.

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    Laura G.

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    2 years ago

    Had their Parkside panini! Toasty bread, quick service, tons of electrical outlets for you to sit and work!

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    Laura G.

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    2 years ago

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    Laura G.

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    1 year ago

    Yummy. I'm going back today cause the food and coffee was great. Didn't have to wait a long time either.

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    Laura G.

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    2 years ago

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    Laura G.

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    8 months ago

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    Laura G.

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    10 months ago

    Wonderful and warm neighborhood coffee and food place. The folks couldn't be nicer! I love the location right on the L Taraval.

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    Laura G.

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    1 year ago

    Cool little neighborhood cafe with fire paninis. Their energizer mocha smoothie is also bomb. Highly recommended!

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    Laura G.

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    2 years ago

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    Laura G.

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    9 months ago

    Welcoming staff, great coffee and food. I always recommend this place to people visiting the area :)

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    Laura G.

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    5 years ago

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    Laura G.

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Laura G.

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    1 year ago

    Food and coffee was really good. Service was great. Cute little place with a lot of tables.

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    Laura G.

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - El Café

    Hi I was wondering where I can apply, I can't fine an email anywhere?

    Hi Paulina! Our email is elcafe2018@gmail.com

    Can they make their wraps with egg whites (as opposed to regular eggs)?

    Hi Sandy! Great question. Of course we can make you a breakfast wrap with egg whites. We're very accommodating, just please make sure you specify your request when you place… 

    View All 3 Questions

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    Charm Coffee - breakfast burrito to go

    Charm Coffee

    4.5(93 reviews)
    1.6 miIngleside Terraces
    $

    This is truthfully my new favorite coffee shop in the city. Latinx-owned, just enough seating to…read morenever feel busy, and great food to match the great drinks. I went on a weekday and was hoping to get some work done. Most of the seats were available when I got there and the staff kindly shared the WiFi. They were overall extremely friendly and just their vibe made me want to go back again. I think a pitfall of a lot of SF coffee shops is the food, but both the drinks and food were superb and just what I needed to kickstart my day. They have unique flavors and seasonal drinks. I'm inspired to make my way through the menu! PS if you're a transit girly like me, this is right along the K line!

    San Francisco is full of coffee shops and there is so many different ones throughout the city…read moreneighborhoods offering their own brand of charm. You can go for blocks in SF and find hardly any coffee shops and then go to certain neighborhoods where there are more than one coffee shop within a block. There is one located on Ocean ( not salty one ) Avenue in SF which has its own charm with drinks and pastries and it is called Charm Coffee. On a Summer stroll where rain drops fall and the sun comes out after I landed on Ocean ( not the beach) avenue. Inside Charm Coffee you will see a menu with toast and jam and grilled cheese like some in SF but you will also find avocado toast and cheesy quesadillas. They also matcha for Don Juan de la Matcha. I got the iced mocha which had a smooth taste and it was refreshing. I then I got the butter croissant which was flakey like some I seen on my social feed in SF. This place is a good place to make a pit stop on Ocean avenue. There is a "place" away from the "rat race" in SF which is a coffee shop with its own flavor and "taste" with a slower "pace" The weather is unpredictable in the Summer you better cover your "arm"and also be "alarm"if it rains you can go to a place to get organic coffee straight out a Latin American "coffee farm" and the place is on Ocean not the salty beach in SF but the avenue and it's called " Charm"

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    More indoor seating

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    Charm Coffee - Iced Matcha Latte w/ oat milk, whipped cream aka Matcha Einspänner | $7 (special request)

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    Iced Matcha Latte w/ oat milk, whipped cream aka Matcha Einspänner | $7 (special request)

    Blue House Café

    Blue House Café

    4.5(162 reviews)
    2.1 miIngleside Heights
    $

    My husband and I have been to Blue House Cafe twice now. It's a little out of the way for us, but…read moreit's a nice to go when we can. Both times were fairly chill. Street parking was easy. The staff are friendly and very focused when making drinks. The first time, I had a lavender vanilla latte and he had an americano. We had a good experience and I was highly impressed by the flavor of their house-made syrup. For the second time, I got an iced pandan matcha latte and my husband got a pandan latte. The pandan flavor was very nice and paired well with their matcha. We also got a spam musubi that hit spot on a Sunday morning. If we're ever in the area and need a caffeine boost, we'll definitely be back again.

    I love taking advantage of sunny days and work holidays to try out small, local cafés, and Blue…read moreHouse Café has been on my list for a while. I expected a decent crowd since it was a work holiday, but I ended up being the only one there. Loved that! DRINKS: 8/10 SERVICE: 10/10 AMBIANCE: 9/10 What I ordered: Brown Sugar Toffee Nut Iced Latte with Oatmilk ($7.88) DRINKS: 8/10 I ordered a Brown Sugar Toffee Nut Iced Latte, and I thought it was good, just not the best iced latte I've ever had. Considering the price point and the size, it felt a bit expensive. To be fair, it's a specialty syrup drink, and I did substitute oat milk, so the cost makes sense. Still, I know other places that offer a slightly larger size for around the same price. My drink tasted a little watered down, but not so much that it ruined the flavor. I could still taste the brown sugar and toffee nut notes. I just wish the espresso flavor came through a bit stronger. On the bright side, I love that they use Califia Barista Oat Milk! SERVICE: 10/10 The staff were very friendly and charismatic, which added to the cheerful morning vibes... loved that! The barista made my drink fairly quickly, but I was also the only one there, haha. AMBIANCE: 9/10 This café definitely had a friendly, community vibe. The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a bulletin board and table filled with community resources, local services, pamphlets, news, and small business ads. I honestly love that. There was plenty of seating, with both group tables and bar stools available. The décor was simple yet cute, which added to the cozy atmosphere. PARKING: 9/10 (does not count toward rating) Parking wasn't as bad as I expected, especially since the café is located on a main street with nearby train stops. I appreciated that the parking spots were spacious, and there's also residential parking available. Since it was a work holiday, I thought it would be packed, but there was actually plenty of street parking.

    Photos
    Blue House Café - Inside

    Inside

    Blue House Café - 2x spam musubi (03/2025)

    2x spam musubi (03/2025)

    Blue House Café - Ube latte and pandan latte

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    Ube latte and pandan latte

    Marcel - Lemon Herb Salmon, daily special $12.50

    Marcel

    3.6(18 reviews)
    0.2 miParkside

    This is from my experience in mid-January…read more Unless this is like... the ONLY food spot nearby or you are STARVING... I don't recommend... First off, why am I paying 10 dollars for a thin slice of bread w a THIN layer of avocado spread (which frankly seems store bought) and a fried egg???? It was actually one of the worst dishes I've ever had. I was not able to finish it. Also the mango drink is fine but like... this is just Frooti (the Indian drink) with ice... And service was pretty bad as well. I feel bad saying this but they really need to work through some things. Two people were working the day I went. One of the girls was definitely new to the job and the other girl kept getting annoyed that she was messing things up. I understand frustrations, but when you have customers, interactions should remain professional. Also, we were the only people in the cafe, yet it took definitely 20-30 minutes for them to make my friend's bagel because they forgot about her order.

    They are in their soft opening stages. Good to have another eatery establishment. Before this was…read moreTabaita's that was around for two year and the longest tenant was Baker of Paris which was great neighborhood friendly. I happened to see a sign early in morning about Lobster Spaghetti which made me think maybe I should give this place a try then for an unique dish, I don't eat often. The meal was good to have for lunch. I enjoyed it. It is nice to have another Chinese restaurant nearby since the one by 19th and Taraval closed. At least I think it's Chinese or if not sorry I can't tell. Maybe it's French with breakfast items and lunch. Last time they advertised a ham and cheese sandwich . With a name like Marcel I thought it would be French, but since they are tinkering with their menu and opening hours we will see if they can keep this spot open. I am looking forward to see how this restraint will progress and if they can find their footing.

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    Marcel - Panama Geisha coffee

    Panama Geisha coffee

    Marcel - Strawberry milk

    Strawberry milk

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    Diamond Coffee N’ Pastry - Hōjicha Einspänner ($6.80 + .50 cents oat milk)

    Diamond Coffee N’ Pastry

    4.5(57 reviews)
    2.0 miIngleside

    I'm relieved I am not a CCSF student in the area because my daily caffeine intake would more than…read morelikely be this place, guaranteed!! This place is so cute!! Dog themed (even "dog parking" outside!) with dog merch. They've got some pastries and light snacks. standard run of the mill coffee drinks and then... my absolute favorite... latte einspanner! layers of cold milk, ice, espresso and whipped cream. They also make a matcha and hojicha version. Although there are other locations of Diamond Coffee, I think this is the only one that makes einspanners (please correct me if i'm wrong)

    When it comes to matcha I would across town and even cross oceans to get a good cup. Living in San…read moreFrancisco there are plenty of places to not only get matcha but also coffee. There is also some places are where you can just camp out and relax and enjoy a cup of matcha in the city. So I cross Ocean Avenue for the quest of getting matcha for Don Juan La Matcha at Diamond Coffee N' Pastry. On an Ocean stroll to Ocean Avenue in SF I landed at Diamond Coffee N' Pastry. Inside it looks like I was a camp site but it reminded me more of glamp site. So I tried the cheese and turkey pastry which is as not too cheesy but a bit flakey like some in SF. Don Juan de la matcha had to get the matcha latte. It was not too sweet and it was smooth and tasty. This is a good pit stop and hidden gem called Diamond Coffee N' Pastry on Ocean Avenue. Matcha is Don Juan De La matcha the new magic "potion "with the many different flavor "explosion "with many added flavors are in "motion "and there is place you can catch the matcha wave it's a Diamond on "Ocean" The atmosphere feels like you are in the woods in a "camp"more like you went to "glamp "the decor you see lots of plants along with a "lamp"and once you get a taste of the matcha you are feeling "amp"

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    Java Beach At The Zoo - Veggie Bagel

    Java Beach At The Zoo

    4.0(588 reviews)
    1.3 miParkside
    $

    Stopped into Java Beach Cafe and grabbed the turkey club. Solid, no-frills sandwich that does…read moreexactly what you want it to. You've got thick-cut turkey, crispy bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, all stacked between toasted bread. Good balance across the board. Nothing is overpowering, everything plays its role. The avocado adds some creaminess, bacon brings the salt and crunch, and the turkey is sliced thick enough to actually feel like something. Bread is nicely toasted. Holds everything together without getting in the way, which is key for a sandwich like this. It's not trying to reinvent anything, just a well-executed classic. This spot has a real neighborhood vibe, in a good way. Plenty of patio seating and dog friendly. Steps away from one of the city's best oceanside walks. Not bad, right? Would run this back for a quick lunch if I'm in the area, but really hard to compete w the other incredible sandwich options in SF, so wouldn't go out of my way to come back. With that said, you should definitely give the place a try if you've never been.

    After our trip to the zoo was sadly and unexpectedly cut short, my friends and I tried to make the…read morebest of our unfortunate situation by stopping by Java Beach At The Zoo for a quick lunch. As fans of Java Beach Cafe, all of us had been aware of this sister location yet, somehow, none of us had actually stopped in before. So, even though we hadn't actually planned on it, we were all more than happy to finally stop in! Inside, the decor and vibe of this place looks so much like their original spot on Judah - wood-laden interior with some counter seats and dated posters and decorations that give it a warm and cozy vibe. Plus, it's awesome how they have a fair amount of seating inside and about a half dozen patio tables outside, which is perfect for those sunny and breezy days out here by the beach. Similarly, the menu here is nearly identical, with the same collection of espressos, coffees, teas, pastries, breakfast burritos, sandwiches, and beers, but with the addition of soft serve, shakes, and floats, which I don't recall seeing at their spot on Judah/La Playa. -- TSUNAMI HOT SUB with Ham, Salami, Mortadella, Choice of Cheese (Swiss), Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Mayo, Mustard, and Special Sauce on Choice of Roll (French Roll)...$18.75 Not quite as good as how I remember it, but still pretty solid. The mix of meats was still just as delicious and they didn't skimp on the portion nor their "special sauce" (Italian dressing?). That said, I didn't like this French roll as much, as it was a lot thicker and harder. -- ARNOLD PALMER...$7.25 (16oz) I liked this so much at their original location, I couldn't resist getting it here and, thankfully, it was just as good. Not only was there an even ratio of iced tea to lemonade, but the taste of this was so well balanced - not overly sweet nor tart or bitter. As far as service goes, just like at their sister location, all of the workers here are so nice and friendly. They warmly greeted everyone that came in and got our orders out relatively fast. What's more, the vibes here feel a bit more chill and relaxed by comparison. Maybe it's because you don't have the N-Judah line right outside, but it seemed a bit more peaceful with a nice mix of customers - from folks quietly working and reading to families stopping in for a bite on their way to/from the zoo. Overall, as much as I enjoyed my visit to this Java Beach, I feel like I'd be remiss not to acknowledge that the prices here do trend higher than what you might expect to find elsewhere. Nothing egregious or anything, but I can't say I expected my lunch was going to cost $26 (before tip) either. Given that, despite how much I genuinely like Java Beach, I'd probably be more inclined to come back when I'm looking to post up to do some work rather than strictly just to get a bite. Unless it's to check out their soft serve floats, shakes, or one of their specialty coffees, which all looked so interesting! All in all, THREE AND A HALF STARS rounded down for now.

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    Java Beach At The Zoo - Menu update

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    Order counter

    El Café - cafes - Updated September 2026

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