The mug keeps getting better and better. Lately i have been addicted to the espresso frappe. (with double espresso bean gelato and extra espresso, oh my!) Unfortunately, I feel like these also might cause my premature death, so I am trying to cut back on em, though they are one of the tastiest treats in existance. You go Ugly mug! read more

Good coffee. Free wifi. Great local coffee house that makes you feel as if you are at home with the community vibe it offers.

Fun, quirky. Lots of seating, friendly staff, seems like the heart of downtown Soquel community. Only critique is the prices. I'd probably be in more if it was a tiny bit cheaper. read more

The Ugly Mug is my local coffee spot. I go there to get work done and grade papers. Steve (the owner) is a great guy and is very personable. I do wish they used organic dairy, but I mostly use soy anyway and they do use organic soy. Great effort is made to be a community meeting spot--there is music, open mic, and other events that really show that the Ugly Mug is serving the community more than coffee. read more

I love their matcha latte. It's such a cute place to sit down for a cup of coffee with a friend or get some work done.

Love the aesthetic of this place, super friendly staff, the mushroom chard quiche was perfect

A coffee house that could be in the middle of Berkeley or Palo Alto: serious about their products, stacks of backgammon boards and tomes if you want to spend the day there, and very comfortable. read more

'Scuse me, regular comin' through! Kidding. I've only been here three times with a Capitola friend, but today I earned the crown of "regular". Lots of creative drinks. The Nitty Gritty (I think?) is gelato+crushed espresso beans+milk...I have yet to try it but have vowed to next time. Decent drip coffee, a little acidic for my taste, but did the trick (today) nonetheless. The muffins are pretty darn good, too! Reasonably priced as well. We will be back...duh. read more

I'm from out of town and stopped in for a much needed caffeine fix before getting back on the road. I am so glad yelp recommend The Ugly Mug. The location is perfect being right off the freeway. The atmosphere in this place is very chill, as the customers seem to be too. The barista was very personable as well. The entire place just has a cool vibe to it. I ordered the Witch Hazel which is a blended espresso drink with hazelnut flavor. It was so good I got super pissed that I live so far away from this place! The Ugly Mug will definitely be a stopping point for me if ever passing through the area again. read more

Integrates students, hippies, and businesspeople like a Vitamix.

I love this place, it feels like home. Very diverse group of people frequent the Mug, good staff, charismatic owner (yes, you, Steve), and fun drinks. I'm here every Monday night for open mic night. Definitely recommend! read more

It took me all of two visits to feel like a regular. By the third, they knew my name and my drink. Their coffee is better than a lot of places in the Santa Cruz area, but is about as consistent as any indie shop you will go to. The staff is always happy to strike up conversation, and it's cheaper than 90% of the coffee places in the area (not by much, but enough to make me feel like I'm not being ripped off). My one and only complaint is that they use Silk soy milk. read more

Cool and funky, nice spot to get an espresso and read. The owner is very friendly. I enjoy the open mics, nice to see local talent

Incredible. On par with La Onda (RIP) in SF or Epic Cafe in Tucson. Great selection, good prices, great music, great community, clean interior and bathrooms, free (reliable) wifi, great atmosphere, great, quiet location (it's too far for most UCSC students) and the baristas are hilarious. They all knew my name by the time I left Santa Cruz. Ugly Mug holds cool dances and pirate parties and shit too. Plus they give you free drinks when they're training newbs. Plus they're cute. Plus they play Godspeed sometimes. Epic when you're studying for DiffEq. read more

I agree with what another Yelper said... this coffee joint is considerably more community-oriented than most others in Santa Cruz. I'm not a regular at The Ugly Mug because I live on the west side, but if I lived closer, I'd go a lot more often. The place serves up reliably good lattes, and a menu of items when you need a more substantive pick me up. The "workspace" is also wonderful WHEN it's not totally jam-packed, and this place fills up quickly. When it's busy, it's noisy, and people are literally sitting elbow to elbow. Due to cramped quarters, you may also find yourself involuntarily engaged in someone else's conversation which isn't cool when you're trying to concentrate! : ) If you don't mind an intimate setting, this is possibly the work setting for you... they provide WiFi which is cool, and they have a fair number of outlets, tables, benches and chairs. read more

This eclectic community coffee shop fits the 'eclectic community coffee shop mold' perfectly; band flyers strewn about, old mismatched furniture to lounge about in, local art on the wall. The cappuccino I ordered was made well and the coffee beans they came from seemed quality. read more

Really neat place! Friendly staff, neat decor, and great espresso drinks. I got a white mocha and a slice of lasagna the other day and my only complaint is that the lasagna was scolding hot on the outside and obviously cold on the inside. I think taking time warming it up gradually in an oven/toaster oven would have been better. Other than that, I would come back here again for the coffee and chill vibes. read more

Always a pleasure. The owners are amazing! Internet, kid zone, you name it , it's here. GREAT COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best of all the owners are people not a giant corporation! And....the UGLY PROM is the best!! That was from March of 2007. I still maintain the Ugly Mug; it's owners, the community to be found there and the drinks/ food blow doors on many coffee places in the world. Yeah I f@$#! said it.... the world! (Ok, the 14 countries I have been to and 20 states are not really the whole world but....) One of nicest thing about the place is the people. The staff have come and gone but nearly every one of them I could say had some unique or amazing quirky thing that gave something special to the Mug. Many of the staff have been so friendly I wanted to ask their secret..but... Yup, some of them were curmudgeons.. at times because Steve hires real people not corporate images that cannot say or think what they want because they are selling an image. Oh, and real people sometimes have a real day and are really not all that cheerful but they still make a slammin cappucino...that tastes like coffee not milky fluff like that chain we all end up going to if its 10 at night on a road trip in the middle of nowhere and don't want to drive off the road but cant find a local coffee place. Amazingly, the Mug is still somewhere where I can ask that person if they are having a shitty day. That person on the other side of the counter has probably seen me at my worst and not only gives me fucking amazing coffee...oh and those new lemon bars holy crap.... but makes me a little attitude adjustment because they actually ask me why my day sucks...and care...cuz they are real. My experience has been anybody who is cranky will still smile if you check in with them and will ALWAYS make a new drink if you do not like it. This coffee house can you see movies and eat kettle corn made from the owner. This coffeehouse you can drink a beer and listen to live music. I hope I can write another review in four years about how the Mug is even more amazing than it has been since 1996. Its funny when you see other reviewers flame places they are too unaware or unsophisticated enough to really assess in the first place. Seems like Jesse P for example took offense to something and then used Yelp to vent his frustration. I can't imagine he has been there more than once. I also can't imagine he has had much experience to use for reviewing. Hopefully people like Jesse will find places like the Ugly Mug to have more social interactions to round out his experience in food, drinks and LIFE..... STILL LOVE THE MUG!! oh and park in the back lot it's free read more

Worst espresso I've ever had! (Minus Starbucks, they are about equally bad) with that being said, I LOVE the ambiance, and I only ordered a double shot of espresso, my gut tells me they make good coffee and speciality drinks. Just don't come here if you're seeking a simple expresso. read more

Has great coffees and teas, and a great place to study or just chill. The employees are so nice, enthusiastic and welcoming(:

Great customer service, caring about its patron is top notch with this business! read more

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Wow! We had a huge event today and planned to brew our own coffee (for 400 people) but when the rental company forgot to deliver our urns, we freaked out!!! One call to Ugly Mug and they had us completely covered and bent over backwards to make it happen for us!!! Kudos to the staff and management today!!! The coffee was awesome and the service they provided was outstanding. Customer service ranking = A++++++ Truly, thank you so much!!!! read more

I love this place. Reminds of cafes in Berkeley. Eclectic, owner/operator. Good coffee with a choice of a lighter or darker roast most times I have stopped in. Not your corporate caffeine outlet-a small business that does coffee well. read more

Love this place.....screams with the personality of Soquel.....kind helpful staff.....room for visiting, working on your computer, reading, cozy with out being cramped. OH YEA....great coffee. Parking across the street in the 4 hour public parking lot so you don't that to worry about time. So nice to see a real non-chain coffee shop that is REAL!!! read more

Yum. Got the "ray of freaking sunshine" and loved it. quality coffee and a neat place to hang out. Not too many places for hitching up your pup if you're out and about with fido and not too much in the way of outdoor seating. Parking is also a royal pain in the ass. read more

Ok, this time I'm just rating the gelato. The small is more than enough, caffe mocha or chocolate swirl crunch are to die for. Try it and you'll be on a sugar high for the next few hours. read more

My favorite neighborhood coffee shop, Steve and the staff are always super sweet and their Ham and cheese croissants are the best.

I can not get enough of this place! The owner, Steve is possibly the best business owner I have met in Santa Cruz. Best local coffee! You want a down to earth, homey environment with great coffee and food this is the place to go!! read more

This iconic cornerstone of Soquel history deserves many kudos for tenacity and hometown loyalty. This is "Mom and Pop" at it's best. Don't miss it. read more

The Mug is the Mug.......... like the art show.... lots of Cabrillo student art & local folks show their creativity for better and worse......... they actually get creative with strange fun little events.... & the coffee is AOK....... the staff has a core that is fun & new folks who need to pay the rent - the Mug is the Mug read more

I would like to give it five stars, but that's against my principles. It is my fav coffee shop locally. It's the real thing.

This cafe has the right mix of social and private. I sit back one day sipping coffee while reading a book and not be bothered. Or the next day I could get into some great conversation up near the counter or near the self-service drip coffee. Their 'custom roast' is my favorite, dark without a hint of bitter. Great location too, right in the middle of old Soquel. Congrats on your 16-years anniversary - see you next time UM. read more

This is a great spot. I love the drinks and the selection of treats. No matter what time of day I come here, the service is fast and friendly. Great atmosphere! read more

Excellent coffee house where you can get a nice mug of coffee, chocolate or tea. I've tried mocha and mexican chocolate. I love the cinnamon swirls they serve. I find it a nice place to relax. Staff is super. read more

A great coffee house with a competent staff (they are the hockey puck in the ear, piercing type, which means they should make good coffee, and be surly, the mark of any good barista) , good coffee, free wifi, good food, chill atmosphere (please don't bring your kids here, not that it's a scene like a previous poster suggested, at all, just kids and coffee houses don't mix), computers to surf on, local papers and local people. I like it, you should check it out. read more

We popped in here to sober up a bit before heading home from our wine tasting adventure. Just perfect for such a need! Brewed coffees were very good, and my sister got an iced caramel latte which was quite good. Definitely a hippie vibe; reminds me of the Roast N Toast in Petoskey, MI. Since we're not California locals, we notice and appreciate the choice of to-go cups versus to-stay cups. If I had been looking for something more than brewed coffee, I would've for sure gone for the Ray of (effing) Sunshine: soy milk latte with orange zest. read more

I love this place. The atmosphere is mellow and welcoming. The beverages and food is pretty good. A nice place to hang out with kids or friends. The people who work there are for the most part, friendly, welcoming and helpful... yay for good customer service these day, am I right?! read more

I love this place! They always have amazing almond croissants and delicious drinks. And the staff is super friendly. Wish we had one here in Providence! read more

I love this place with allllll my heart. The owner Steve is great and knows many customers by name (so you know he cares about the cuatomers) and the staff as of lately match his sunny disposition. I had especially excellent service this morning from friendly staff; and I enjoyed the "Lil Sum'n Sum'n" which was a perfectly sweet espresso drink. This is the kind of place I'll go to for many years to come and tell everyone I know to go to. read more

One of the last real coffee houses! A real sense of community. Great coffee and atmosphere. They have live music from time to time. They are my favorite coffee in the entire south bay area. When they say French Roast they mean it. Its fair trade. Its organic. Its delicious and the barista's know how to poor a shot! I get the iced espresso and sometimes the americano. They have gelato and fruit smoothies too. Only bummer is no outdoor seating. ( I guess I can't have it all) Downhome friendly and chill environment with great and reasonably priced coffee. read more