Love when I stumble upon one of those let's just do it moments !…read more I let the barista choose how to make my drink for me and I was obsessed. I honestly don't think I've had a cold brew this smooth that tasted this good in a while. The balance between the flavor and cold brew was just right ! He made a vanilla cold brew w/ milk and it was great! Service was extremely nice and I love the little set up they got going on here! There's also plenty of parking and they even had a couple spots just for the coffee shop if you're trying to make this a quick stop. Seating is all outdoors and there's plenty of it! I'll definitely be back !!

Confusing for anyone looking up coffee on Yelp who may not be familiar with the area. This is…read morelocated right at the entrance of the Salvation Army Kroc arena. There is 2 table to stand but no tables, etc. Great spot for a grab and go if you happened to be in the plaza as there are so many activities going on! All the hockey parents enjoyed their coffees, I had a mango smoothie instead which was delicious and refreshing. The spicy bacon grilled cheese is made on a panini press and the bacon is crumbled, not in strips with pepper jack cheese. Beautifully crispy and hot, it made for a delightful drive home. Well...the first couple minutes. Highly recommend if you're already enjoying your day there. I wouldn't go out of my way IMO.

I hope I'm spelling her name right but Mercedes was so sweet and very helpful with recommending me…read morea drink based on my preferences. She had such a positive attitude and beautiful energy that made my afternoon. I got an iced matcha with chai and it was incredibly delicious! Will definitely be coming back more frequently. Thank you Mercedes for my matcha/chai!!

A neat coffee shop on the corner of an apartment complex. There is limited parking in the front and…read morea parking lot behind the apartment complex that is a quick walk away. The cafe has an intimate vibe with tables close to each other and a bar seating. This place has one of the best smelling dining areas because of how close you are to the brews. It is also convenient to study here as there is free WiFi and outlets to use. The baristas are super friendly and I have amazing conversations with them. Shoutout to Nick! I got the Thin Mint Mocha Blended, which I saw on Instagram. The drink itself was a bit dilute and had more of an ice taste rather than the traditional mocha taste. 2.5/5 I am, however, more optimistic to try their specialty items as I believe that this was a seasonal option. If this place stayed open longer, I could study here all day!

I ordered an ice latte and it had a smooth flavor with a hint of citrusy sourness. Great if you're…read morein need of a refreshing drink on a hot day. The barista/proprietress is very friendly and pleasant to talk to. Probably one of the best in customer service!

I've been wanting to go forever and finally had the chance to go on Sunday. The space is actually a…read morelot bigger than I thought, as they have both outdoor and indoor seating. There's even a restroom. They have pastries & their coffee menu is small but they do it well. I ordered an $6.89, Iced Lavender Latte. First sip & it was delicious! The espresso was strong and there wasn't too much milk. The lavender flavor was so fragrant & you can tell it is quality lavender. 5/5! Dog friendly space. I highly recommend coming here to try them out.

I had such a great experience at Shaghf Café! The atmosphere was warm, welcoming, and the service…read morewas outstanding from start to finish. A special thank you to Olivea, Monica, and Noska, who made my visit even better. They were incredibly friendly, attentive, and went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect. They made me a pistachio frappé exactly the way I wanted it, and it was honestly one of the best I've ever had--rich, creamy, perfectly balanced, and absolutely delicious. It's rare to find a café with both amazing drinks and exceptional customer service, but Shaghf Café definitely delivers on both. If you're looking for a place with a great atmosphere, delicious beverages, and staff who genuinely care about making your experience memorable, I highly recommend stopping by. I'll definitely be coming back!

Rude staff and a very disappointing experience…read more My friend ordered a Lotus frappe, and unfortunately, it was not good at all. It tasted more like crushed cookies than an actual frappe, and she was literally chewing on pieces of ice. Since we've ordered the Lotus frappe here before and it was perfectly fine, we figured this was simply an issue with how the drink was made this time. I politely asked if the drink could be remade as a caramel frappe instead, since we knew that one was good. Instead, we were told, "We can't do that, you would have to pay." I'm sorry, but why would we pay again for a drink that was made poorly the first time? We weren't asking for a free drink just because we changed our minds. We were asking for the original drink to be corrected because it was genuinely not drinkable. What really made the situation worse was being told, "We're not a chain like Starbucks to just remake drinks... this will go to waste." Respectfully, if the concern is that the drink will "go to waste," perhaps the better solution would be to make sure the drink is prepared correctly in the first place. I understand that businesses don't want to waste product, but making a customer pay for another drink after receiving one that was poorly made doesn't exactly feel like great customer service either. I'm not expecting the "customer is always right" treatment, and I'm certainly not trying to be difficult. But when a customer genuinely cannot enjoy what they were served, the reasonable thing would be to offer a solution rather than essentially tell them, "Sorry, pay again." We've had good experiences here before, which is why this was especially disappointing. Hopefully this was just an off day, because the way this was handled left a much worse taste than the frappe did.

A cozy, family-friendly establishment at the south end of Serra Mesa as you take the hill down…read moretoward Friar's Road. I came by for the first time with my dad this morning to try it out. We were met with a warm welcome and a friendly ask to be patient, as it was quite busy when we showed up. The service and atmosphere are top-tier for a one-off coffee spot, with candy dispensers, a print machine, counter seating, a nice floral wall design, and friendly service. For me, ratings, while they do account for service and atmosphere, do tend to ultimately rely mostly on the quality of the product or service. I'm going to give Java Garden 4/5 stars while acknowledging their high standards of customer service. I landed at 4/5 because we tried the drip coffee, americano, cold brew, and plain latte. I think the latte was the best of the bunch. The americano and cold brew were both decent, but the espresso was a bit less smooth than I've found at comparable shops like The Keep, The Forum, and Finjan. That said, the latte was great, and I feel like Java Garden likely excels at other sorts of drinks like cortados, Vietnamese coffees, and smoothies.

Easy to order online, and they wait until you arrive to start your order so that way it's fresh…read more Coffee itself was good, nothing too out of the ordinary. The sandwich I had was good too. They have decent seating area as well.

This coffee shop is seriously underrated and definitely slept on. The coffee was delicious and…read moreperfectly balanced, with just the right amount of sweetness while still letting the flavor of the coffee come through. The gentleman there, who I believe may be the owner, was incredibly kind, welcoming, and made the whole experience even better. You can tell there's real care put into both the coffee and the service. Definitely a hidden gem and a place worth checking out. I'll absolutely be coming back!

I had an appointment nearby and make it a point to try coffee shops in the areas I'm in…read more The mall is a mess right now with construction but I still found it (my review doesn't reflect that). It's a cute colorful little shop. The girl working was very friendly. I saw the board outside after she reminded me of the specials and decided to try the iced chocolate banana latte. This is not something I would normally try but it sounded good. I'm more of a coffee purist generally. The girl told me all about it and talked it up so I was looking forward to trying it. She said the banana was a strong flavor, which is OK cause I like banana. She made my drink and I paid and was on my way. As I was walking back to my car, I took a sip. I'm not sure what happened, but there was zero banana flavor. It was just chocolate. I don't know if she ran out of banana or what happened but had I known I would've ordered something different. Quite disappointing actually. Since I'm in the area every few months and it has a five star reputation I will come back and try something else on a different day but today was not my day for getting a good drink.

Cute little coffee shop with good coffee and lots of breakfast items. Right across the street from…read moreCowles mountain.

Stopped by after a Sunday hike and I'm so glad I did! I ordered the Queen, a latte made with…read moreespresso, cinnamon, coconut cream, and oat milk. The flavors paired together perfectly, but I think the coconut cream is what really made this drink stand out. It was incredibly creamy, smooth, and well balanced without being overly sweet. Even though the café was busy, the staff was welcoming, friendly, and happy to offer recommendations. The service never felt rushed, and the overall experience was excellent. There's only outdoor seating, which was perfect after a hike and made for a relaxing spot to enjoy my coffee. I'll definitely be back to try more of their drinks and their food menu. My go to spot after a hike!

AHHHHHHH!!!!!! What…read morea find! To start, the service - 5/5. They were warm, welcoming & had such wonderful recommendations. I loved that they accommodated dietary restrictions, while also having options for all The food - the s'mores banana bread pudding might be one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten in my life - no joke! It was warm, ooey gooey, rich, sweet, everything you want! The breakfast burrito was full of flavor & my husband who is not vegan, loved every single bite! The coffee was absolutely delicious! The overall space is so inviting & relaxing. I could've spent the whole morning reading or working in there.

First time discovering this small bakery tucked away in a spacious plaza of Lemon Grove. The inside…read moreis able to seat around 14 people from the looks of it and there is additional shaded seating outside. Staff that I met was extremely friendly (Grayson, Jules, and Dom), as well as the owner of the bakery Tanya. This bakery has been operating for about three years and there was a good crowd on a Monday afternoon. All the pastries are vegan and I tried the vanilla concha (pro tip get it warmed up) with their house made maple butter and the carrot cake. Both were amazing, I've never had a vegan concha and don't think I'll be going back to regular ones! They also have breakfast sandwiches that many people ordered that looks like it's on a thick piece of focaccia. The reviews speak for itself! Great pastries and coffee, friendly staff, and clean store what more could you want?! I'm glad I made this discovery and can't wait to come back, highly recommend you check out this place!