The "real" Lofty Coffee is across the street, but it's always crowded and this place is so much preferable imho. They offer both fruity African flavors as well as deep, dark, South American roasts. They also have a solid cold brew if you're passing through on a hot day. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Cappuccino, Flat White, and Ethiopian drip. Zing! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Absolutely love this place. My go to coffee cafe!! Also their avocado toast is perfection. My favorite part is the amazing staff...they are all so kind. They always make sure I'm taken care of and loving my coffee. Patrick is also a stand out for me, he always has a smile on his face and seems like a great team member. read more

This place is a secret Encinitas gem. I've only recently discovered this place after accidentally ending up at it's other shop (Lofty Coffee) across the street when my friend ended up at this location instead. First off the baristas are incredibly friendly and skilled. Their New Orleans Cold Brew is a favorite of mine and the location is beautiful--high up, spacious, breezy and a little isolated from the bustle of the 101. The only problem for me is that it closes so early (2:30pm every day) so watch out for that! read more

Very disappointed with the way they are handling their service during this pandemic. I've been trying to support small businesses during these tough times and everywhere I have been, they have been so thorough about making me feel safe. So many coffee places around and I've always enjoyed this spot for the seating and vibe, but they do not meet the minimum standards for sanitation. They do not have anyone come out to wipe down and sanitize the seatings. They have plastic windows set up, but it's just for looks because they do not use it at all - on the order nor the pick up side. Their hand sanitizer is always empty. And I understand that my name is not common and not easily pronounced, but the barista did not even attempt to say it. I sat there and waited for my drink, saw her put two drinks down with two drink tickets, yelled "Alex" for one drink order, and walked away. when I saw the other drink sitting on the counter, I walked over to see it was my drink and she didn't even attempt to pronounce my name or at the least spell out the three letters for me to come get the drink. I felt so discriminated, very disappointed with my experience and will never come back here with so many other options. read more

If you are not a complete espresso drink snob like me, so t bother reading the rest of this post. Its a 5 Star place for you :). When I first went to Lofty, it was immediately after the owner opened the first store in Encinitas. The owner is a great guy and he was there working all day, every day. The coffee quality was the best thing between here and Bird Rock. Since then, there has be a boom of gourmet coffee shops opening and becoming successful, with the lines out the door even late in the morning on weekdays (doesn't anybody have to go to work?!!). By the time Lofty opened its spot across the street from the original Lofty, they had a sophisticated roasting facility and the coffee based drinks were super dialed in and consistent and there was nowhere nearby with the same level of quality. They were a hard 5 stars!!......and at that time were one of the absolute best coffee shops I've ever been in. Since that time, the 2nd Enc location expanded and became very crowded and Solana Beach opened and surpassed the large crowds at the ENC locations. My hat is off to the business owner. He created an amazing product and his business has boomed. Unfortunately, with expansion comes some loss of control in quality. The last year or so, it has been rare that I have received high quality foam on any milk-based drinks. Today I had big bubbles that looked just a bit better than what is sprayed out of a super-automatic machine. I can't complain about the taste (just the texture). Still great consistency and quality with their beans and machines, but I think the high number of new employees without real barista experience has dropped them to a 4 stars, especially with Steady State Coffee emerging in Carlsbad. Every person making coffee in that place is obviously experienced baristas who know their stuff. Steady State is small and the owner is a great barista who is always there. As long as they keep things small, I think they will continue to be the new bar for others to aim for in terms of quality. They are the new 5 stars. read more

The coffee was actually very delicious and I was very satisfied....then after my said coffee I had to pee.... They told me that I couldn't use their restroom because they closed it up for the night.... Idk I just really needed to pee man. So when I peed in the bushes, it knocked a couple stars off. read more

I want to say that I LOVE their coffee and food. The atmosphere is great too. Which would all be a 5* The reason for a 3* review is because when I get an ice latte, I ask for light ice otherwise I take like 3 drinks and my $7 latte is gone. When I ask for light ice, they don't top off the drink with milk. So you basically get 3/4 of a latte for $7 (with tip). And the drinks aren't very big. I get that things are measured to keep price consistent but as a business owner myself, you want to keep your customers happy so they want to come back. A 3/4 full ice latte due to a asking for less ice truly makes me question whether I want to come for one again. It's a slight insult specially since $7 with tip is a pretty hefty price for a small-ish drink 3/4 full. read more

Great coffee/specialty drinks and kombucha, awesome staff, amazing fresh baked treats AND they welcome dogs! What's not to love about this place?! read more

It's our first time here and it's awesome. Great atmosphere, super swanky but the barista was super nice. I preferred the Kyoto my husband had over the iced americano I had but such a coo spot! Definitely a great place to study, do work, have a meeting or just chill. read more

So I love Lofty Coffee, but this location is SLOW. If your time budget allows and you have 40 min to wait for coffee, this is a great place. If they are out of something they should tell you in advance rather than having you pay for it then just leave it out! I personally enjoy their other locations more than this one. read more

Perfection. I ordered the Kyoto nitro cold brew. I told my family I could literally come here every morning and drink one of these it was amazing. The whole group seemed really happy with what they ordered and my daughter ordered a homemade cinnamon roll - it was delicious. My absolute favorite coffee spot in San Diego. read more

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An outstanding environment and atmosphere with very elegant and tasty drinks. Came here twice while visiting Encinitas and couldn't be happier with the experience. The food was also top notch. I had the açaí bowl and it was superb. So many different flavors and textures create a very complete and light dish. I would highly recommend this to anyone staying in Encinitas. read more

for their cold brew and their cold brew shot with nitrogen. i wished they offered their cold brew nitro as a 16oz drink with ice vs a shot. nitrogen infused coffee is perfect for the calorie counters and the coffee drinkers that cant have dairy because the nitro gives the coffee an almost creme like look and taste. their cold brew is very bold and has a serious bite on the after sip, reminded us very much of dark horse roasters. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Nitro Shot and Cold Brew. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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These guys knows a lot about coffee. Love it. Enjoy each cup. Come here most Sundays.

Dog friendly, paper straws, relish coffee. Tried multiple locations, and all deserve the 5 star rating. My measure of good coffee is if I can drink it without sugar. And lofty served a nice cup with no bitter taste so I drank it up as it was served. Yum. read more

Apparently they have new employees who don't know how to make the delicious Turkish Latte I've been getting here for years....Couldn't tell there was cardamom or espresso in it. Tasted watered down. Yuk!!!! Very disappointing, especially for $5.50. read more

total "king of the hill" status. ( literally sits on a hill with one small store next to it. ) + views on views on killer sick views + friendly baristas with great smiles + so close to the beach, you can hear the waves crashing if you listen closely + close to the freeways, so there is an ease of access. there is a second location across the street! so be careful when you're navigating. + plenty of seating (in the shade and in the sun) + coffees and tea are always good. they do have special drinks to seasons. read more

Best cup of coffee I've ever had. The staff is super friendly. The place looks super spiffy. Loved the outdoor seating. It's in the perfect spot. This is my to go spot when I'm passing through the area. read more

If you're in the mood for snooty then this is your joint. Coffee is only offered as americanos and its strong. Plus no flavors. They have all the newest gadgets if your concerned with how it's prepared. And you'll pay for it too. $$$$ enjoy read more

We live just a few blocks over and have loved lofty coffee and decided to give the roasting works a try on the way home from cottonwood park. So disappointed. Much more limited menu with no to-go anything and a bigger slice of attitude than I would have liked. Ps: dogs preferred to children here. read more

Peaceful space but pretentious in execution. Setting themselves apart from their operation across the street means no wifi, no sweetener, no bueno. read more

The location and ambiance here is fantastic - a welcomed low-key alternative to their more popular bustling counterpart across the street. Modern decor interior with a large patio deck overlooking the 101. The vibe reminds me of the urban coffee shops of NYC and San Francisco. Unfortunately however, the coffee doesn't remind me of those places. I really want to like Lofty, because the beans they roast are fantastic ~ truly a great source for a variety of single origin coffee and espresso beans. However, the ability to make a proper espresso drink, THAT ISN'T BURNT, seems to be an unattainable request, especially upon more recent visits to both Lofty locations in Encinitas. I'm not sure if it's the haste to get the drink out, their training, or my luck, but the majority of my visits to Lofty (at least a dozen) results in burnt espresso drinks. If the location wasn't so convenient to where I live, I wouldn't be coming back..perhaps it's wishful thinking on my part that maybe just maybe the next barista will get it right. read more

It's a nice space but there are some drawbacks. Parking is severely limited so you're most likely going to park a short distance away and walk. The coffee is good but you pay for it. Most of their coffee is $4 a pop. They serve it in a small carafe/pot and you'd pour it as you need it. Unfortunately it gets cold very quickly. Here's an idea: serve it in an insulated or a vacuum carafe so it stays warm. It sucks to only enjoy half of your $4 coffee and the second half is cold. read more

I love lofty coffee and I love that I get their gray coffee with less people just right across the street. I wish they didn't have their outlets covered. I feel like they are discouraging people spending time there which is pretty lame. But the coffee is good, and the no line is goood! read more

Lofty Coffee is my favorite place to get a nice Kyoto Style iced coffee. The staff are great (and call me by name!). The pastries disappear quickly so maybe go in a little early! And it doesn't hurt that Rhino Art is right next door - for those of us who like to get creative! read more

Fun place and great coffee. Easy parking in lot around back. Small pastry selection, but tasty. Terrific employees - even when it's packed.

If there ever was a 5 Star Coffee Pl. this place is it. I have been coming to this place since 2010. The new location I just opened up across the street is where I'm writing this review from right now. I walked in at 9:50 AM. And there was already a line forming outside when the doors opened. I ordered a latte and I ordered a chocolate chip oatmeal raisin cookie. Both of which blew my mind. Across the street they have more breakfast menu items (there are pastries at the roasting works.) I once had poached eggs across the street and it was amazing. The people that work here are really cool. The crowds I go here are good looking young and hip. The location is absolutely stunning with great views of Encinitas. I can only see this place getting more and more popular. I'm gonna have to start coming here at odd times during the week so I don't have to wait in line as long. read more

Authentic coffee roaster and service. The pour overs are perfection. The baked goods fresh and produced on site. The biscotti, cinnamon rolls are divine. The staff are fabulous. Experts without pretentiousness. Nice environment to sit and chat with friends plus rhino art is next door. Kudos. Super nice place read more

Fabulous cold brew. Best I've ever consumed and the employees are always pleasant....even at 6am

This place was awesome and right across the street from their coffee shop. The tasting room is located where they roast their beans so any coffee fanatic would love the authenticity of product. Chill atmosphere in downtown Encinitas with beautiful tables to sit outside and chat, read a book, or work from your computer. I recommend the cold brew on nitro! read more

Broken espresso machine, not greeted when we walked up to the counter, barista kept talking to someone sitting at the coffee bar

The best almond milk latte I've ever had! I think they're the only ones who use unsweetened almond milk:-)

Absolutely love this coffee shop, Jake & Kasey are wonderful employees, very accommodating & helpful. The store pup, Mia, is one of the best parts of my visit too(: read more

Sea salt caramel latte was off the charts and the BEST gluten free sandwich I have ever had. When we visit SD from LA we always head to Lofty. It never disappoints! read more

This is top notch coffee and an amazing location. Everything on the menu we tried was amazing. The Kyoto State cold brew shows Lofty understands the SD coffee scene. Seriously a must for anyone that appreciated quality roasts and brewing techniques. read more

Lofty Coffee Roasting Works - Cold brew Float - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

I love everything about Lofty! The friendly staff, their coffee knowledge and their commitment to sustainability are truly things that keep me coming back. Great setting whether it's a solo work session or meeting a friend for lunch. Most recently had a Brazilian pour over and it was delicious! Did you know they have their own in house scratch bakery??? All of their pastries are made in house and are absolutely killer! They even have a great selection of delicious gluten free treats! Bring the pup, grab a cup of coffee and a pastry and enjoy! read more

Just popped into the new Lofty's roasters perched on the hill by Moonlight beach. Super nice friendly baristas and great Socal upscale vibe. I got the Kyoto extracted iced coffee on tap and it was the bomb, def as good as Intelligentsia and Verve on tap. read more

Many people may not know about this Lofty location as it is across the street from the other and kind of hidden from the main drag. This is one of the main reasons its my favorite coffee shop. Its never too crowed and I can always find a spot to relax and enjoy my drink. I come here nearly every weekend, and I have never been disappointed with my drink. read more

Really tasty coffee. Got a decaf americano. Half and half was difficult to find, different people told me different things about its whereabouts. The seating area outside was quite noisy as it's on a noisy street. All in all I wasn't really happy with my experience at this store. I do like their coffee though so I may try other stores they have in SD to see if those fare any better. read more

On the sunny side of Pacific Coast highway 101 and directly across from Lofty Coffee is their roasting site that offers a limited number of coffee choices and edibles in a very pleasant setting with outdoor tables. The coffee however has recently changed to the snobby "third wave" roasting concept that pretentiously foists coffee using adjectives such as "bright" and "citrusy" which really means sour, barely drinkable espresso. It wouldn't sell in Italy or anywhere else. Hopefully this affectation will soon pass... read more