Just the name of this place alone already tells me that my tired old self (from binge-watching the night before) tells me that caffeine is the way to get my brain (and sanity) back to full-on work mode. This takes me to the heart of the Mission District in one of the most coffee-friendly cities in the world and that is none other than San Francisco. Which is where I stopped by to check out "Maxfield's House of Caffeine".
Geographically speaking, this place has a lot going for it; you've got #1 park to see and be seen with Mission Dolores Park. You've also got the most beautifully designed churches with Mission Dolores Basilica. And of course you have the hipster vibes, cool art scene, and progressive liberals that call this place their home. Maxfield's is conveniently located on Dolores St. and at the corner of 17th St. Due to the close proximity to the park, church, and other major attractions, parking can be very challenging to find. I recommend taking Muni or rideshare. But it is best to get here by foot or bike.
I arrived during the afternoon of Sunday 4/2/2023 at around 12:35pm. Since I had already gotten caffeinated a couple hours prior to coming here, I did not try one of their coffee drinks. However, I did order one of their Italian sodas in the cherry flavor. This was as simple of a drink as possible with club soda and cherry syrup. However, this place does offer a nice assortment of drip coffee, cold brews, espresso drinks, hot cocoa, smoothies, teas, and to those that one an extra kick, a 'depth charge' which is essentially a shot of espresso. And of course the food menu which includes several different breakfast bagels and a variety of sandwiches.
The pastry case is also quite impressive and I was able to capture quite a few photos of the food even though a sign said "no phones allowed". This included a ton of fresh loaf cakes, cookies, muffins, and biscotti. I went with a piece of their coffee cake which was in reality big enough to fill up two people. It was moist but a little too much on the sweet side. And as for my cherry Italian soda, that too was sweet but I could tolerate it once the ice helped water it down a bit.
As far as the interior layout of this place, it is rather spacious and open for a coffee shop. From the time I was there, many people were working/studying on their laptops while others were just enjoying a relaxing Sunday. The Wi-Fi speeds are decent but not lightning quick like other places. There is a fair amount of seating as well as generous outdoor seating which I am sure many businesses adopted once the pandemic adjusted the way many small businesses operated. All in all, "Maxfield's House of Caffeine" is a decent no-frills hole-in-the-wall in the Mission; decent service, a nice variety, and a chill atmosphere. My rating, an above average 4-stars. read more