This review is for a rainy day refuge in the historic train station and highly functional coffee roasting, super pastry baking café, known as Pannikin Coffee n Tea, in Leucadia. We sought coffee, breakfast, and refuge on this rainy day, and found it to be quite tasty & cozy. The bake goods was a relative cornucopia of flour, sugar and amazing pastries. Under the glass it looked as though it was a baked goods utopia, or heavenly place. Which left me to ponder this: If Dantè and his theoretical hell has many levels of peril and pain, then there must be an equal and opposite Heaven, with layers or levels of heavenly bliss. Pretty sure this bakery would qualify as such. A nirvana of baked goods full of flavor and texture. That said, for me, it's more of actual layer of temptation and hell... that's because I really try not to eat these types of things.... Very good, mocha coffee too. A must experience when in the area. by other bakeries. Temptation through the counter glass was amazing. read more

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Such a cute coffee shop in a historic building (an old train station)! The coffee was good. Food seemed a bit overpriced and my breakfast burrito was pretty small. The chocolate croissant was also just okay. Service was great though. It's an overall cute spot with good people-watching. read more

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Food needs a little more flavor. But it was still good. The hendricks drink is BOMB! read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Avocado Chicken Wrap Breakfast burrito with bacon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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I've been coming to Pannikin for a while now, and it really is one of those places that feels like part of the community and an Encinitas staple. The coffee and tea are always great. Everything tastes fresh, and they actually make almost everything daily. I've tried a bunch of different drinks and have never been disappointed. The pastries and food are solid too and fit the whole vibe of the place. The staff is a huge reason I keep coming back. All the baristas are seriously the sweetest and make you feel taken care of. Skye, one of the baristas is super friendly, easy to talk to, gives great recommendations, and she is the cutest barista and such a tea enthusiast when she's in the shop. She adds such good energy and honestly everyone does. There's just something special about Pannikin. Between the history of the building as the original train station, the atmosphere, and the genuinely kind people who work here, it's definitely a place worth stopping by whether you're grabbing a quick drink or staying a while. read more

Busy on the weekend but baristas were calm, confident and competent. Great iced tea. I'd love real whipped cream on chocolate pie but oh well. Great ambiance. Will be back!! read more

Great location off the Pacific Coast Highway with lots of outdoor seating on a pleasantly cool sunny afternoon. It's really challenging to find parking, maybe10 on site behind the building, so we found residential street parking about a half block away. The aesthetic of the large yellow house is welcoming and fun. (5/5) I appreciated sitting in half shade/half sun and people watching. Lots of folks sit outside with their dogs to enjoy brunch and companionship. You order and pay at the counter and then find seating. We ordered the tuna melt (3/5, open face, on sourdough), the breakfast bagel (3/5 eggs and Jack, on a jalapeño cheese bagel), and the Indian curry chicken on salad (3/5-very small portion of the chicken, on big bed of mixed greens, kind of bland, with raisins, and olives on the side). The food came out in 15 minutes. Everything was decent but nothing to rave about. read more

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The cafe Au Lait was superb. Visited twice based on our hotel valet suggestion. Stayed hot from first sip to last. Had the cinnamon roll(excellent), the breakfast tacos, and a wonderful muffin. Fast service. Worth the trip. read more

What a delightful little spot. Plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy the So. Cal sunshine. Locat d in a former train station with all the charm this type of building brings. Excellent coffee and breakfast. We enjoyed soyrizo breakfast tacos. read more

Service was good and coffee came out great. A little "dingy" but the location and the people watching is prime. Had a bagel and one of their seasonal coffees read more

I seriously don't understand any of the negative reviews here or why it isn't rated higher. Was in town with my family for two nights and wanted to find a coffee shop type breakfast spot with something for everyone and this absolutely checked every box. I'm a coffee snob and got an americano that was perfect, my husband got an iced tea that he loved. My two small kids ordered bagel sandwiches and a cinnamon roll, which were so good I was shocked my the roll, and the bagels were huge and soft. My husband got the breakfast tacos and I got spinach mushroom quiche, all amazing. We were so happy with this meal we are coming back tomorrow instead of finding a second new spot. Will definitely be back every time we are in town to visit Legoland. I almost didn't pick this spot because I usually go for 4 stars or higher but I'm SO happy we gave it a try - (also the employees were perfectly friendly, basing an entire review on the fact that the hard working women at the front aren't smiling at you more is pretty insane.) Can't wait to come back and get another amazing coffee and cinnamon roll! read more

I recently visited with my best friend. Great service. Loved their chai. My best friend got some type of coffee that she usually gets when she goes to Pannikin. I love the place, including the Adirondack chairs outside. We sat there at chatted. It was a nice time! read more

Have been coming here as long as I can remember. I love the vibes of the OG location the most plus it has the best indoor and outdoor seating. Absolutely love their shop and fine teas and mugs selection. Never really have to wait that long for coffee or baked goods. Everyone is always friendly and very accommodating to orders. Most of our baristas have given us great recs too! I absolutely love the Jimi Hendrix and it's my go-to no matter what. Perfect cinnamon and Mexican mocha mix plus so much espresso. I just love it! Honestly can't go wrong with anything on the menu because their coffee itself is fantastic and their baked goods are just unreal. read more

Coffee shop with added 'novelty' store with all kinds of 'goodys'. Ordered the chai latte that was actually too spicy, there were bugs flying around the dry pastry side so we opted for a lemon bar in the fridge. The baristas were kind but aloof and it was a very quiet time to be there which was nice. With so many coffee shops around this one has a great location but next time we'll head elsewhere read more

Below average coffee, below average service. Tried it once for the outdoor seating but you're better off finding a Starbucks and walking around the neighborhoods of Encinitas. read more

Coffee & bagel was good. Decent amount of seating & beautiful views. Very cool to see the coffee beans be ground, and the variety of pastries & drinks was also impressive. Not sure if the hour wait in line was worth it to me tho. read more

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GET AN EARLY START OR ELSE Go early because parking and customer lines make later times a grind. Check out my pics for details about the establishment's ambiance - overall a nice place on the PCH. My Birthday Girl "Queen Orchid von Sweetie Pie I" ordered an Earl Gray, on this cloudy day. And, I had a cup of Joe and a coffee cake to go. CHOCOLATE CHIP COFFEE CAKE (SORT OF) This eye-catching and untraditional coffee cake earns high marks for its out-of-the-box approach. Unfortunately, the coffee cake's topper lacked flavor and tasted more like flour. The chocolate cookie dough topper deflated my chocolate punch expectations (frowny face emoji). The coffee cake was juxtaposed with the topper. The dense, moist, and lightly sweetened cake gave a subtle cinnamon nod, to its traditional cousin. Boom-Shaka-Laka - the cake stands on its own paired with a less sweet coffee or palette. MEXICAN CHOCOLATE MOCHA LATTE Baristas delivered an off-menu one-of-a-kind coffee elixir. My well-executed coffee balanced syrup, chocolate, and aromatic coffee flavors. I like sweeter coffees so my Barista added raspberry syrup. The Barista's Mexican Chocolate recommendation brought home the win. And, my sweet and bold cup of Joe pushed away coastal clouds gray! ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER RATING I'll be back. read more

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The relaxed vibe combined with great coffee and outdoor seating can't be beat. Highly recommend! read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

POPULAR AND PACKED YET OVERRATED (3 stars) - FOOD: meh - PRICE: meh - SERVICE: meh - AMBIANCE: outdated cafe but spacious and comfortable outdoor seating area Don't know what the hype is all about. It's a chill spot to sit. Mix of locals, cyclists, down owners drinking coffee/espresso or having breakfast. Today their was live music - not always the case. Line is always out the door but moves at a decent rate. You order and pay, sometimes the order will be ready before you seat yourself or you can seat yourself and they bring out the order (kind of unorganized they don't give you a number so how do they really know where to print your order without you flagging them down). BAGEL WITH CREME CHEESE ($5.75) - kept it basic. Wasn't hungry but needed carbs for energy. The bagel tasted like a Sara Lee prepackaged bagel from the local grocery store. It wasn't that great at all. To be charged for that price for that kind of bagel was a waste of money. DO NOT RECOMMEND. DECAFE VANILLA LATTE ($7.00) - their beans are good! This was a "for here" order because I hate being wasteful and using paper cups when it can be served in a ceramic cup. I was handed a paper cup and I reminded them it was an order for here. He dumped my drink in a tall glass cup. Uhm ok? Doesn't seem like an appropriate drinking cup selection for a hot beverage. It tasted like a latte but felt it could have been made with some effort and care. SERVICE. They don't really have a "customer service" tone here... you are basically being served without any customer service. After correcting the guy that helped me that the Oder was for here. He then expected me to carry all that to a seat knowing my handles are super full so I asked for help and he said "go find a seat I will bring it to you". He couldn't even find me and was walking all over the place and I had to stand up and wave him down. Maybe a smile or a hello or something. The employees helping people that look miserable. Been here done that and over it. Until the next review. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Please tell me how this costs $15.80???? Bagel was not of quality and tasted like a Sara Lee bagel in the bread isle of Vons - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Price increase, I got a breakfast burrito, for $16 :/ man the taste and portion was disappointing. I get it you're paying for the "vibes" to sit there but still a pretty penny. Service was fast. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Menu - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Probably the best tasting coffee we've had in a while. Got the Jimi Hendrix for a great jump start. Cute lil shop that offers unique items as well as coffee,tea and some food. Lots of seating outside, inside,upstairs and downstairs. Service was friendly. Will be back. And looking forward to trying the other location in Oceanside. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Coffee - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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We recently discovered Pannikin via the Too Good To Go app. It was a great segue! I absolutely love the corn muffins -well actually all the muffins but my kids love the corn muffins too! There's always a crowd there, which is a good sign! Definitely a lot of bicyclist after their morning rides It's very family friendly as well. I have been pretty lucky with the parking as well. Sometimes I have to park nearby in the neighborhood, but it always works out. On Sunday athey have free music on the patio with local artists. They also have a little shop that sells coffee and tea, and other little gadgets! read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - My toddler on a summer afternoon - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Kayla was sooooo helpful! Friendly, gave us great suggestions, couldn't have been nicer! I just moved here and I will be back everyday. Nice to know I will get to see Kayla working hard behind the counter. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Live music today - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Sometimes the old school is the best school! This place has the crunchy open-since/the-70s vibe that makes it different than all the new trendy places. But the coffee is delicious. Had a wonderful cappuccino with perfectly frothed milk. The line is a little long but that's because it is popular. I would have sat outside and enjoyed the patio today except that I wasn't dressed warm enough. Always a treat to come to this Pannikin. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Massive delicious magic bar. I tried to split it up to save but I ate almost all of it in the end, too good! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

The apple turnover is amazing! The barista suggested that we try the cinnamon roll next time. We also got the Jimmy Hendrix coffee and it was amazing not to sweet just a perfect Mexican Chocolate flavor. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Jimmy Hendrix Coffee Iced - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Historic meeting spot in Leucadia on Coast Hwy. Good tasting coffee drinks and pastries are also very good. Fun place to meet at read more

Came here for just a cup of coffee. Very good coffee. They roast their own coffee beans. No bad after taste. They also have lots of desserts and other food selections. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

Once again killed it. Coffee was fantastic. Do not change a thing about the coffee or the building and atmosphere. Do not ever fall into the boring norm of coffee houses these days. No WIFI forever!!! read more

Place went downhill. Used to be one of my fave places. They don't make the online orders before you arrive anymore. They don't offer very many varieties of their bean coffee anymore. They don't offer to grind your beans anymore. And they mumble under their breath when you experienced all this and then don't tip on the retail coffee purchase. Probably done with this place. read more

An Encinitas icon serving delicious coffees and teas along with desserts and breakfast foods. Pannikin's unique interior makes for the perfect backdrop for people watching while eating a slice of their pie or a giant scone. The workers are always kind and patient and I also enjoy looking around in the little shop inside - great place to get a gift for a visitor. read more

It's a nice coffee and pastries spot next to our hotel. Perfect location to stop by before going to the beach.

My friend and I dropped by here on a Saturday afternoon for a pick-me-up. It is quaint place with indoor and outdoor seating. There was a decent line when we arrived that moved a little slow, but it was okay. My friend and I ordered a slice of raspberry pie, a cookie dough coffee cake, a chocolate chip cookie and a cinnamon roll. The cookie was just all right. I would pass on it. Everything else was pretty good, and I would order it again. I didn't try any of their drinks, but there's always next time. read more

Pannikin Coffee & Tea - Raspberry pie - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Encinitas, California

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Great pastries and coffee. I get the espresso and set up a place to study after they added in more seating. They are quick and have WiFi!

Annabelle and the whole staff are amazing and they and they make sure that everything is to your liking super fast service super great coffee definitely have to come here again read more

We ordered the breakfast tacos. The tacos were good, the only complaint I have is the tortillas were not warmed up. Felt like the grabbed the room temperature corn tortilla and stuffed it with egg/soyiroz/ avocado without warming it up properly. The service was good friendly. The outside seating area were we ate was fine. read more

Visited Pannikins today for first time (December 22) and was very disappointed. We live in San Diego and went to Encinitas for shopping and lunch and stopped for coffee and dessert. First of all, the two ladies at counter had the worst customer service attitude I've seen in a long time. No welcoming words, blank stares and no thank yous. They were both dark haired ladies and need a course in customer service. The coffee was very marginal. My husband had a double cappuccino and I had a vanilla latte. The brownie was not good at all. It was not like a cake brownie. Not sure what type it was. The place needs a good cleaning. We were both disappointed in our visit and cannot recommend to anyone. It's a cute building but does not make up for customer attitudes or quality. read more

Okay, Pannikin is an iconic part of Encinitas (I mean just look at the building's exterior!), so I was really excited to finally try it. That being said, I had mixed feelings about my experience. Like many other reviews said, it can get really busy here, and parking can be difficult. To avoid this, I went at a late-ish time, so I was able to easily find parking, and there wasn't too many people there. I was amazed by the ambiance at Pannikin! It's so comforting and homey, I absolutely loved the vibes. It was really unique, and I can see why many people might like to just spend time here. The staff were also really nice and friendly! However, it was so, so hot when I went. I don't know if the building doesn't get good ventilation, but it was stuffy and hot in there. I felt really bad for the workers, who have to stay in there for an extended period of time. I couldn't really tolerate it for too long before I had to step out. We got some pastries, but I have to say I was a little disappointed. Maybe it's because we went later in the day, but the croissant was really dry. The muffins were also a little dry, but I really liked the flavor. There was also one fruity one that I did not enjoy all that much. Overall, I'm glad I went, but I'd say my opinion of Pannikin is rather ambivalent. read more

My friend took me here in my first trip to San Diego. It was very busy but for good reason. I wanted to order 1 of everything. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. I ordered an oat milk latte and my friend got a mocha. We shared the tuna melt and quiche. The fruit salad was very fresh and everything tasted amazing. I loved the little merchandise area they had inside. I ended up purchasing one their shirts that was on sale and it's probably one of the comfiest shirts I own now. Would love to come back on my next visit. read more

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What a weird and funky place!!! Staff seem friendly, helpful and attentive. The food here was nothing special. I got the huevos ranchero's and the beans tasted more like chili. It was a white washed Mexican dish. My wife got the Caprese salad and was satisfied, but it seemed heavy on bread and light on mozzarella and tomatoes. Birds were flying around inside and bird poop was all over the rafters inside. For hygienic reasons the ceiling needs to be inclosed, instead of having open rafters. Birds have created nest and pooped all over. This place is funky af and for that reason they get 4 stars. I would not go here for the quality of food, but for the funky experience you will no where else. read more

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I like this place, but it is for slowing down to enjoy a conversation. The food isn't good enough and is too expensive to grab a quick bite. Come here to relax and enjoy catching up with your friends. read more

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The best local spot!! I looove their pastries. Chocolate chip banana bread is insane!