We know that the measure of a coffeehouse is not just its coffee (ambiance, food, service, clientele, music, comfiness are all important too). But I, along with my fellow coffee snob friend Michele, have long suspected that coffeehouses in San Diego get their reputation mostly on all these other factors while the coffee is more of an afterthought.
We wanted to put the focus back on the coffee itself in a head-to-head comparison. So we visited the coffeehouses that routinely get on the “Best Coffee” lists (as well as some others with good reputations) to see how they stack up. We visited over a dozen coffee shops, and ordered a latte from each.
Making a perfect latte takes a lot of skill. You have to get good beans, roast them enough, but not too much, pull the espresso shot at the right temp, pressure, and length of time, and, of course, steam the milk to make foam like thickened cream - not stiff and fluffy like half-whipped cream.
What we’re looking for is tight foam that flows so you can sip it easily and a pronounced, rich, heady espresso flavor. The foam should cushion the espresso in a thick, creamy coffee cloud. And incidentally, it looks really pretty too; when it’s just right, the barista can etch designs into the foam.
Also, a quick note, we were surprised by how many places served us our “for here” lattes in a paper cup. It makes the latte taste like paper, and it’s very wasteful.
So how did they do? We grouped the results into five categories: Yum!, Pretty Good, So-So, Meh, and Yuck!
Here are the results:
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Caffe Calabria Rating: Yum!
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Latte: They produced a beautiful looking latte with a smooth, full-flavored, heady espresso flavor. The foam on this particular day was not as perfect as it usually is, but it still had a great consistency - thick and creamy. This was our favorite of the bunch.
Other Notes: Roast their own beans on site, which gives them a big freshness advantage over other shops. Good paninis. Nice pastries from Bread & Cie. Free wifi, but not enough outlets for laptops. They just bought an $11,000 Clover machine! (*though it hasn’t been installed yet at the time of this post.) |
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Rebecca’s Coffeehouse Rating: Yum!
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Latte: The foam had really good consistency - tight and glossy, one of the best that we tried. And the coffee taste was smooth and nicely balanced with the milk - not too strong or weak. However, they lost points for serving their latte in a paper cup.
Other Notes: They seem to get beans from different places. When we went, they were using Art of Coffee. They’re famous for their scones, which are baked fresh throughout the day (though I have others I like better in San Diego). Comfy. Open late on the weekends. Free wifi. |
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Peet’s Rating: Yum!
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Latte: Their latte was one of the strongest in the roundup, but in a good way without any bitterness. The foam was just a little bit stiff, but not bad.
Other Notes: This medium-sized chain roasts their own beans to order in smaller batches, which probably accounts for their freshness compared to other chains. Decent pastries. Friendly service. Great people watching. |
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Pannikin (La Jolla) Rating: Yum!
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Latte: This latte from Pannikin had a rich, espresso flavor, and the foam was pretty good, if just a little bit dense.
Other Notes: They roast their own beans now. The location in La Jolla is has a very nice, homey feel, complete with fireplace. Free wifi (sometimes). |
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Cream Rating: Pretty Good
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Latte: The foam was pretty good here; it could have been tighter and smoother, but the general density was about right. And it had a smooth, pleasant coffee flavor. Paper cup 
Other Notes: They use beans from Diedrich’s. They’ve improved a *lot*; they used to use Moto beans, and I had one of the most bitter lattes here. They also sell sandwiches, smoothies, pastries, and chocolates from Eclipse. Free wifi. |
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Twigg’s Rating: Pretty Good
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Latte: This latte had probably the best foam of the bunch. It was the prettiest latte of the showdown, but the very strong espresso flavor had an unpleasant aftertaste. It was a little too in-your-face for a latte, but the foam control is very impressive.
Other Notes: They use beans from Caffe Calabria. They make their own pastries with varying degrees of success. Also, we’ve both had some fantastic lattes worthy of the top tier; maybe they need to work on consistency when pulling the espresso. Free wifi. |
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Caffe Italia Rating: Pretty Good
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Latte: Caffe Italia produced a very nice latte. The foam could have been just a little bit tighter with smaller bubbles, but the consistency was very good. The espresso had a rich, roasty taste. A good pick for people who like dark roasts (I personally like it just a bit lighter). By the way, I requested the paper cup this time since I was in a hurry.
Other Notes: They use Lavazza beans. They have a good selection of sandwiches, pastries, and desserts (including cannoli and gelato from Gelato Vero). Cash only (with an ATM with a hefty $2.50 service charge). |
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Influx Rating: Pretty Good
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Latte: Influx’s foam was just a little too stiff so it’s hard to get foam and coffee in the same sip. The espresso taste was strong, but it also had a hint of unpleasant bitterness.
Other Notes: They use beans from Cafe Moto. The pastries and food here are great. I like their scones better than Rebecca’s. And Michele loves their ‘Traditional’ sandwich with hummus instead of cream cheese (you should try it). Their homemade granola is also pretty fantastic. Clean, modern design. Free wifi which, unfortunately, tends to be slow and intermittent. |
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Java Kai Rating: Pretty Good
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Latte: Despite some rather large bubbles, the foam had decent body, and the latte had a robust, smoky (but not burnt) flavor.
Other Notes: This Hawaiian chain roasts their own beans (at the home office in Hawaii, not in-house). They also have a big selection of smoothies, shakes, and desserts. Free wi-fi. I forgot to specify “for here” so we’ll give them a pass on the paper cup. |
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Harry’s Coffee Shop Rating: Pretty Good
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Latte: The foam on this was fairly nice, but there wasn’t much of it. The coffee taste could have been stronger.
Other Notes: It’s more of an old-school coffee shop / diner rather than |
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Lestat’s Rating: So-so
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Latte: The foam here was maybe the worst of the lot - it was almost non-existent, but otherwise the latte was pretty pleasant tasting.
Other Notes: They used to use Calabria beans, but have recently switched to Diedrich’s. Lots of live music events on their stage next door. Eclectic crowd. Free wifi. |
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Red’s Espresso Bar Rating: So-so
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Latte: The foam here was a little too stiff, and the strong espresso flavor was marred by a slightly bitter, burnt aftertaste.
Other Notes: The barista here etched a cute, little heart design in the foam for us, which we thought was sweet. They roast their own beans here, and make their own pastries. The building is interesting with lots of little nooks and crannies. |
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It’s A Grind Rating: So-so
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Latte: This latte also had foam that was too dense, and the coffee taste was quite weak, though pleasantly smooth. Paper cup
Other Notes: This is a medium-sized national chain, and they roast their own beans. I liked the coffee cake here. The interior design reminds me a lot of Starbucks. |
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Curio Caffe Rating: So-so
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Latte: Yet another latte with stiff foam. Coffee flavor wasn’t very strong, and it had a smoky taste.
Other Notes: They use Illy beans. The pastries look like the same ones that you see at other indie San Diego coffee shops. They serve a few sandwiches. |
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The Brickyard Rating: So-so
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Latte: Stiff foam again. The coffee flavor could have been stronger, but it had a pleasant, smoky flavor (if a little burnt).
Other Notes: I believe they use Lavazza beans. They have a decent array of sandwiches. |
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Claire De Lune Rating: So-so
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Latte: You guessed it, the foam was too stiff. The espresso was fairly strong, but it had a bitter, acrid aftertaste.
Other Notes: They use beans from Peerless coffee in the Bay Area. Lots of pastries and dessert options. They frequently have live music at night. The non-live music that they play tends to be really loud, cheesey 80’s stuff from Sheena Easton or Paula Abdul (which is cool, I guess if you’re into that sort of thing). Very friendly service. Comfy furniture - kind of like your wacky aunt’s living room. |
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San Diego Coffee Tea & Spice Rating: So-so
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Latte: The foam here was too airy with big bubbles, and the espresso had a slightly bitter edge to it. It was quite hot; we had to wait almost 10 minutes to drink it. Paper cup
Other Notes: They roast their own beans. They have a lot of options for sandwiches and carry those standard pastries you see around San Diego coffee shops. |
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Cafe 976 Rating: Meh
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Latte: The latte here had very thin foam with big bubbles, and it had a disconcerting musty taste. Paper cup
Other Notes: They use Moto beans. A very big menu with lots of sandwiches and breakfast options. Cafe 976 is located in a charming Victorian house with a large garden patio with lots of flowers. |
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The Other Side Rating: Meh
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Latte: Another case of thin airy foam with big bubbles, probably the second thinnest foam ahead of Lestat’s. This latte was also a little smoky and musty. Paper cup
Other Notes: They have a pool table inside. The pastry selection is not that great, and the danishes look unappetizing wrapped in plastic. They have very friendly service. Free wifi. |
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The Living Room Rating: Meh
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Latte: The foam was too fluffy with big bubbles. The espresso taste was pretty faint, but what we could taste had an unpleasant bitterness to it. Paper cup
Other Notes: Beautiful location with a great view of the ocean. The pastries appear to be the standard San Diego indie coffee shop ones, but they weren’t very fresh. Lots of other food options, though. Free wifi (sometimes). Comfy inside - kind of like a living room |
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Urban Grind Rating: Yuck!
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Latte: This latte was undrinkable. The milk had gone rancid or had picked up some off flavor in the fridge. This is a repeat of my earlier detailed review of Urban Grind (see link). Also, the foam had no body, the latte had little coffee taste, and it was so hot that we had to leave it alone for 5 minutes before drinking it. What’s going on here, folks? 2 out of 3 lattes I’ve had on separate visits have had spoiled milk.
Other Notes: They have an interesting array of homemade desserts and lots of breakfast options. One of their bathrooms has a one-way mirror so you can see everyone on the outside while you are using it (which makes for a strange yet interesting experience). Free wifi. |
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So that’s it. It came as no surprise to us that Caffe Calabria took the top honors in our latte showdown, since we’ve been big fans of the place for years. If you love coffee and you haven’t tried Calabria’s latte, do yourself a favor and check them out right away.
A couple of general notes: San Diego’s baristas have collectively gotten much better. I think if we had done this a year ago, many places on this list would have scored lower. But there’s still much room for improvement. The most common issue was that the foam was too stiff. Stiff foam doesn’t have that creamy mouthfeel, and makes it hard to get coffee and foam in the same sip. One more thing, apparently every 3 out of 4 indie coffeehouses in San Diego get their not-so-great pastries from the same wholesale bakery. I wish they would switch their pastries to Bread & Cie or Opera Patisserie, which make much better baked goods.
What do you think? Do you agree/disagree with us? Did we leave out your favorite SD coffeehouse? Leave us a comment and let us know!
I’m not a big coffee drinker but thanks for the comparison chart.
Comment by Liz — March 25, 2008 @ 9:36 am
Having moved down here to S.D. from the San Francisco Bay Area about a year and a half ago, i suddenly realized i was a coffee snob. Been searching for some good cafes (and by that i usually mean foam
) for awhile now! Thanks so much for the input; living in pacific beach and not having a car, i haven’t even heard of a few of these places, but will keep my eyes open. (Also wanted to mention Zanzibar- haven’t been there in a few months, but their drinks are pretty tasty; foam could use a little work.)
Comment by Heather M. — March 25, 2008 @ 2:44 pm
Liz, you’re welcome. I hope you find this handy. Looking forward to more of your posts from the Bay Area.
Hi, Heather. I do like Zanzibar. I used to go there for light lunches pretty frequently when I lived in PB. If you’re able to get a ride, I highly recommend Calabria for your foam fix
Comment by howie — March 25, 2008 @ 3:19 pm