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Category: Coffee & Tea [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMAMon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
"I loved this place. Came here for Happy Hour and had a nice glass of wine for $3 and split the pita pizza with Gorgonzola, grapes, and…" read more »
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Blue Bottle, I know that you're hot shit and all. I really, genuinely do. (cue "We're not worthy!" a la Wayne's World, please).
But, sometimes I detect a hint of snob at this location.
The counter staff isn't the friendliest. What gives? I've ordered lattes, ice coffees & grub here and don't think they've ever cracked a smile.
Plus, whenever I ask for something to-go, the request seems to go right out the window.
I ordered some Acme Toast & Jam to go (which btw was out-of-this-world. Who knew toast could be that amazing??), but once they delivered it w/ utensils, plate & jam saucer, I gave em' a smile and a "I had asked for this to go". They then proceed to tell me that it's not available "to-go". Eh? I wish they told me that up-front, cuz I would've just skipped out on it rather than having to slather some jam on the 2 thick ass pieces, wrap em' in napkins and throw em' in the trunk of my scooter before dashing off to work. I don't know if they don't have boxes & little containers cuz it's their attempt at being "green", but if their Ferry Bldg location has em', then why not offer em' here too?
And the same thing happened today. I ordered an Affogato to-go not realizing that it was more of a desert than a drink. It was nicely presented w/ the server asking if I'd like him to "set" the Affogato for me w/ dishes in hand. Yipes. I really appreciated all the care that was put into the Affogato delivery, but I just wanted it to-go was all. When I asked, he gave me this look like I was nuts. Ahhh!
If the ppl at the counter just gave me a heads up about all these possible complications (especially since these were first-time orders for me), it'd make the servers less aggravated, waste less time & reduce confusion.
I'm a fan & all, but I've had better interactions at the Ferry Bldg.
I LIKE being a coffee snob. It means that (at least, it feels like) when I go to a place serving excellent, excellent espressos, I enjoy it even more.
I've heard a lot about Blue Bottle Cafe, and having already enjoyed their cappuccinos at their store in the Ferry Building, I was even more motivated to seek the cafe out. I had also just seen a picture of a meal that someone took, something involving poached eggs that looked mind-blowing.
First off, this place is TINY. People were waiting outside to order. Seats were hoarded and I evil-eyed a few people saving seats for people without ordering food or drinks yet.
The food... I had egg in a hole, a thick slice of Acme Bakery bread with an egg cooked inside, along with maple butter. The maple butter was a bit odd, but the egg and toast combo was delicious.
My partner had the prociutto grilled cheese, and holy moly amazing. Paired with capers and stone ground mustard, it was one of the most amazing grilled cheeses I've ever had.
Paired with a cappuccino and a mocha, this meal was one of the best brunches I've had so far. Highly recommend Blue Bottle to anyone loving a good espresso drink paired with amazing, locally produced food.
Wow! This stuff really is good! I've heard how great BBCC is, and I finally got to try it. I got the New Orleans iced coffee with soy milk. I usually drink my coffee without sugar now to cut out the extra calories, and this coffee is perfect for that! It has such a good, rich flavor, and it didn't have that bitter aftertaste that some coffees have.
I'm glad I don't work in SF, or I'd be drinking this every day! I'll just have to stick to my blah office coffee, and then treat myself to BBCC every now and then. =)
Yeah, whatever. Just get it to go. This place feels so used and abused no longer young & fresh.
Good Fucking Coffee. 483+ Yeeps can't be wrong..
When you love something, you accept it for what it is.
I love coffee. It's the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning. I don't try to make it something it's not--an over-sugared, complicated menage of artificial flavors, foam, soy/non-fat, and double double-shots.
Don't get me wrong, I'll take a stroll around the mall with a mocha frappuccino on a particularly hung-over Saturday morning. But when it comes to my every day coffee, I like it simple (okay, maybe with some half&half)--and it doesn't get any simpler than Blue Bottle drip coffee.
Love at first taste. You don't have to be afraid anymore--you can drink it black. Without cream. Without sugar. And still without the acidic aftertaste or that bitterness that makes the corners of your mouth turn up ever so slightly.
There's no turning back now.
YUM! I'm not as big a fan of coffee as some of my friends, but this place is pretty awesome compared to what else is out there.
I was in San Francisco for the weekend and I had had Starbucks, Peet's, coffee at a cafe in Japantown, and finally Blue Bottle. I think Blue Bottle takes the cake in terms of quality (Starbucks coffee always hurts my tummy afterwards).
I had the cafe mocha at Blue Bottle, accompanied by a small plate of cookies/pastries. When my cafe mocha came out, it was almost too pretty to drink. Of course I took pictures of it. It was delicious and didn't need anything extra. The cookies/pastries were an excellent complement to the coffee.
This location was a bit crowded (rainy, late sunday morning), we were lucky enough to find seats to sit and enjoy our drinks. Service was very attentive and friendly.
Kyoto Style Iced Coffee .... oh my god.
I don't want to sound so smug, but this is what dreams are made of (in coffee). It was so strong, yet so flavorful and ... GOOD. Mind you though, I'm not exactly a coffee fanatic like everyone else here, but when I get the sense of tasting something this good, I can definitely understand.
Perhaps this place needs more seats, since it does get pretty crowded real easy. Overall though, I'm hooked.
If you are serious about your coffee, well then, consider this your Mecca.
The menu is very straight forward, none of that decaf double mocchachino nonsense here, just excellent beans expertly brewed. The Embarcadero location staff was very friendly, none of the snobbery that you sometimes get in these specialty coffee places.
I've been a barista for almost two years now, and rather then get sick of coffee, I love it more and more every day. I've tried many things on the menu at Blue Bottle, and they are the best out there. There's more to latte art than just aesthetics. In order to make that art, they have to make the perfect microfoam that feels like silk in your mouth, and the espresso has to have the perfect crema broken up when they pour the milk. It's a science, and Blue Bottle has it down. I could really dork out here, but I will spare you. I know coffee. They are the best in town.
I heard about Blue Bottle from a friend, and also from the Arizona Coffee blog. I made sure to add it to my list of places to check out next time I'm in San Francisco. The place itself is sort of tucked away on a dead-end street, surrounded by not much at all. Its a small, cozy cafe with limited seating and a line that extends proportionate to its growing prominence. I ordered a vacuum-brewed cup, which they only have a few select brews to make it with, and, as promised by previous patrons, it was indeed everything I dreamed it to be and more. It was a clean cup that needed nothing else, although the chocolate cookie I had was a welcome addition. Also, I was able to get a WiFi signal, but good luck finding space to set a laptop on.
I'm not really a big coffee drinker and I normally drink coffee only when I am studying but after going to the other location in Hayes I found myself craving for their New Orleans Iced Coffee.
I thought it was just right- not too strong nor was it too sweet. My bf ordered the Kyoto Iced Coffee and I had a sip and WOA baby!! Way way too strong but I guess that's the point lol I think I'll stick with the nola iced coffee and maybe next time stay and try their food. The line can get pretty long so you have to be patient.
After reading an article about the "Third Wave of Coffee" in GQ on my flight to the bay area, i was excited to give this place a shot on my short trip.
Walking into this place was like walking into my high school chemistry class, has it been a little more "hip". They had bunson burners. Making coffee. Is this really the 3rd wave? Anyways me and my Dad ordered two coffees to go, which took like 5 minutes, to which i was thinking, oh, this is gonna be mind blowing coffee goodness, as anything that takes this long should lead to a religious experience. Upon receiving my coffee though, i must admit that i did not see the face of the Lord in my brew. Now don't get me wrong, it was really really good, of course better than Starbucks, but maybe only slightly better than Peet's. If this is the 3rd wave, id say it's choppy and head high at best.
BUT, i did order the Bacon Brioche, and holy hell i don't know what wave we are on of Brioche but this thing was massively tasty. Congrats to whoever is making the pastries that Blue Bottle sells. I would come back just for that.
OMG the New Orleans Iced Coffee is so delicious! Went in to grab coffee after lunch w/ some co-workers (they had been there before, I hadn't) I was entrigued by their menu. Kyoto coffee, New Orleans Iced Coffee, it all sounds so great! I'll be back to try the Kyoto coffee for sure, the cashier mentioned there were was a chocolatey aroma to it and I love chocolate! It was also fun to watch the way the coffee was brewed while waiting. They were fast and friendly here, come try their awesome coffee!
This is my second time here and I again was not impressed.
I still have yet to go to the infamous 'Blue Bottle Garage' that is supposed to have the best in SF. I had a macchiato, but it wasn't anything special. And my initial impression was that it was overly bitter.
The bitterness scale was: 2.5 out of 5
The flavor scale was: 3 out of 5. (being generous here).
I have been visiting Blue Bottle on a regular basis for almost a year. At other places, I have to dilute my drinks with cream and sugar to balance out the bitterness of the coffee, but at Blue Bottle, the brew is so fantastic that I will drink it black. (Get the kyoto iced coffee!!!) However, the coffee's not the reason why I'm writing this review-- it's the food!
Last week, I finally had enough time to sit down and actually eat lunch. I'd always wanted to try Blue Bottle's food, but they don't make it to go, and there's hardly ever an open space to sit. However, 2 people left as soon as my friend and I walked in, so we sniped those seats and decided to get a full lunch. I ordered the gruyere grilled cheese on french country bread with whole grain mustard and prosciutto. All of the ingredients were top notch and could put the food served at other surrounding cafes to shame! I think the people across the table were laughing at me because I was enjoying the gooey gruyere cheese so much that I practically made eating it an erotic act!
If you have enough time in your lunch break for a slow meal, go to Blue Bottle! And if you're lucky enough to grab a seat inside, don't be one of those people that lingers forever and prevents other people from having a chance to eat!
Great cafe with the excellent Blue Bottle brand of coffee served. Tasty snacks for brunch (sweet and savory) available for a steep price. I do like the "siphon" coffee that is specially prepared, if only for the novelty effect. It's fun to watch it being prepared on the side counter with bunsen burner type heat lamps.
I also like the location, almost as if secretly tucked away next to the ghetto, this cafe is in a trendy and newly gentrified area of downtown.
With hipsters galore, the line for this cafe can be pretty long. That's the only real drawback. It's way too popular.
This is no rock concert. And i say that because of the line. When patrons are waiting in a line that runs outside and around the corner of Jessie St. I'd consider this the most anticipated Cup o' Joe one could ever imagine. So make the most of your order. Get the espresso, French press, or the esoteric drippings of the imported Japanese siphon bar. Or try one of each. For something sweet, the melon cup with cottage cheese is tasty. Conversely the poached eggs on toasted brioche is an impeccable savory must order. Good things come to those who wait. Blue Bottle will not disappoint.
I cannot express myself well enough when it comes to describing my love for the Kyoto and New Orleans iced coffees; suffice to say I am addicted and do not wish a cure haha. Though the coffee is more or less on the pricey side, it is well worth the cost...HIGH FIVE BLUE BOTTLE!
Overrated, hipster infested, yuppie coffee shop, staffed with snobbish baristas.
I can't believe the superiority complex this one barista had, with a snide and arrogant tone he said to my friend "You do know this is different than Starbucks, Starbucks is just ruining coffee for everybody" whether or not my friend was knowledgeable in his coffee, it's just the fact that the barista felt that he had to make a comment and deliver it in such a disgusting way as he did.
The coffee was alright, the facility was impressive but the customer service is unacceptable.
hands down, the absolute BEST americano in the city. i love to go to both the hayes valley and soma locations with my favorite mug for a cup of that perfectly balanced, almost chocolately goodness as often as i possibly can.
and the soma location is especially wonderful because i can pair my perfect cup of coffee with a fluffy waffle or a bowl of oatmeal on occassion. :)
highly, highly, highly recommended.
Awesome coffee. Best location. Typically too crowded but I guess that's what happens when a place is good... The New Orleans coffee has some kind of chemical in it (crystal meth, perhaps?) that makes you feel giddy and loopy for about an hour afterward. Extra points for all the Jules Verne coffee-making equipment. Food is tasty too. (Now if they could get their act together in the Ferry Bldg, I would be a total convert. What's the deal with the luke warm lattes over there? Do I need to ask for it to be "hot"?)
A Seattle gal wandering the streets of her not-home city looking for OUTSTANDING coffee can turn ugly. Especially if said girl is undeniably hooked on the bean, but won't drink a subpar roast. Snob. I know. Three cheers for Yelp's iPhone app! Hip Hip..... (you know the rest).
Blue Bottle Coffee Co. was PACKED when I walked in. At first I thought a group of some kind was having a morning happy hour because the buzz and energy in the room was alive! But after a few minutes in line, and a couple of great conversations with the chatty strangers on either side of me, I came to the conclusion that Blue Bottle brings out the happy chat in a person - even pre-caffeine!
The space is on the big side of small - you dig? - but laid out in a really awesome flow with lots of places to sit. High ceilings make it feel super airy. The small menu shocked me with the delish choices - and I was soooo craving steel cut oats so lucky me for wandering in! A tart jam, some brown sugar, and a wee bit of cream were all served on the side so I got to choose my own adventure bite by bite. Service was super friendly, and a sweet little busgirl scooted around and around and around the place like a super fast smurf cleaning up behind folks and smiling at anyone who made eye contact. They should make a breakfast quiche in her honor and call it QT Pie.
Extra shout-out to SF yelpers who made the decision easy once I found Blue Bottle reviews on the iPhone. Great coffee. Great place. Y'all were right on!
Visiting from WA, came to check it out after hearing hype in specialty coffee circles up there.
Strength - pour over coffees and alternatives to espresso. These guys are really pioneers here.
Weakness - espresso. Despite having La Marzocco machinery, my 1.3oz espresso was sour and too concentrated. Try 'Coffeebar' for that.
Interesting spot though!
So I finally came back. I have to say I LOVE this place! I came at a less busier time (not during breakfast time) ... and it was equally clustered but definitely breathable this time around. The baristas were very nice and gave us a taste of their famous siphon'd iced coffee.
This place, when not busy, is very open and airy, and a great place to relax with a delicious cup of coffee that you will ever sip on ... in this region anyway. This location has slightly better parking and is a little easier to find than the Linden st kiosk location plus takes credit cards and has more stuff to buy! Recommended for anyy time of day!
Honestly this place does have great coffee and the environment is definitely one where you would… Read more »
I'll join the cattle call of people that sing the praise of this place... it's out of this world, no seriously the siphon coffee is really that good, like really... there's no bitterness to the coffee produced in the siphon, there are more complex notes and a smooth and even flavor from the start to the end of the scientific like serving vessel that it arrives in.
Here's where the pain begins, the bloody lines are ridiculous! Come early and maybe if the gods smile upon you you'll get a seat. Don't come too hungry, the portions are small but quite good and they do run out of stuff so if you've had your heart fixated on a blue bottle breakfast you may be somewhat dissappointed if you didn't come early. Oh yeah, siphon coffee isn't an all day thing, so again, come early...
Okay! So seriously!! You guys really need to try Blue Bottle!!! Today, I went by for coffee and was in a slight hurry!!!! I looked at their menu and could not find a quick cup of joe for the life of me! So I ordered the Individual Drip Coffee which is... yes, individually made at the time of your order!!!!! They pour hot water into a porcelain vessel that holds the filter and coffee and it drips down into your cup! Yeah, I had to wait but it was worth it!!!!!!
Damn, this stuff is AWESOME!!!!!!!
Deal is, this place is all about quality. They treat their coffee like fine wine. And if you walk in wanting their coffee, they assume you've heard how good the quality is, and thus they don't hurry the process by any means. So tough nookies, you're going to have to be patient. I've never seen the staff at a coffee shop so at ease and completely in tune with their craft. A cup of coffee is damn easy, but a quality cup of coffee is damn hard.
Good freakin' morning sunshine! This Blue Bottle brew lives up to the hype!! I've been hesitant… Read more »
Five stars for coffee is a given (see earlier Yelp). What's also good are the eats. I wasn't expecting anything special from my Diestel turkey sandwich on a sweet acme roll. Countless places in the city make them.
But I bet only a few top them with shaved celery.
And I'm pretty sure only Blue Bottle packs 'em to go in a coffee filter.
Super hyped, super delicious. I made it to the Hayes Valley garage a while back and found the coffee… Read more »
Here's a recap of my conversation with the cashier:
Me: um, do guys have a "secret menu"? [air quotes included]
Him: no, we do not have a "secret menu". [insert mocking air quote here]
Me: oh, okay.
Barista: wait, do you mean the gibraltar?
Me: YES! I want one, no wait, two!
It's a beautiful shot of liquid goodness, jam packed full of caffeine and flavor.
The line was insane, and the space was filled to capacity (and spills over to the outside). Crazy!
They got rid of the rude fembot and hired someone friendly to take your order and their coffee is devine.
I've taken a couple out-of-towners and the presentation and quality are wonderful in addition to fairly traded and organic coffee.
Get the Ice coffee.
I will never go back. I had one of the best espresso con panna but the fembot was such a bi#$@. I… Read more »
Perhaps the best coffee purveyor in the city. I'm happy with this convenient location of the cafe. A small selection of food is served with the same quality inspiration as their coffee. A great stop for affordable gourmet lunch. My fave is the Ortiz bonito tuna roll sandwich. Ortiz is one of the best Spanish tuna producers.
Absolutely great coffee and espresso! Service was not too great however the coffee is unmatched in this city. Philz coffee is next closest but they don't have espresso.
On advice of the Barrista I had a New Orleans iced coffee...soooo good! Not too sweet, hint of chicory, smooth smooth smooth. I gave a friend a sip, and she promptly ordered one at the next BB we encountered (at SFMOMA).
LOVE this place and their funky science lab-ish process!
5 stars for the drip coffee, which is dark, strong, and smooth, yet manages to have a really subtle earthy aftertaste. -1 star for the sense of annoyance I feel at waiting in a long line where I end up listening to the conversation of yuppies who are way too pretentious about their coffee.
Best coffee in the city? I think not. Coffee was burnt and could not be drunk. Most expensive cup of coffee I've ever drunk. I came back a year after to try and change my opinion. It didn't.
Add +1 star for their espresso machine, which is really beautiful.
This is more of a coffee stop than a coffee shop. But it's my favorite that I've found here in SF so far.
I drink an Americano and theirs looks and tastes fantastic. My americano here is consistently creamy, fruity and rich. It's a bit out of my way to get to their semi-hidden Mint street location but worth it.
Haven't sampled anything besides the espresso, but really that's all I need.
1. Small. Minute. Tiny. I have been to other places in the city that are literally in a garage in an alley, so I'm not complaining. Just don't come in expecting a couple of couches and 25 outlets and you'll be fine.
2. The New Orleans style iced coffee is as close to perfection as it can get. Mmmm.
3. Close to BART which makes it really easy to grab on the way to work.
In my last review, I said the service was slow and inexperienced. That hasn't changed. The place is still chaotic.
But my expectations have changed; I'm more concerned with the quality of the end product than the long lines and occasionally confused staff. And it is top-notch coffee.
Recommendation: don't go here in the morning, if you can help it! Same coffee later in the day, but far less hassle.
The service was a little slow, the staff didn't seem to know what was up. But this level of service… Read more »
We stopped in here twice before leaving town - first time I ordered the NO style iced coffee (delish) and the second time I caved & ordered one of the self serve siphon pots. It was neat to see the whole siphon pot process in person. I know there are dozens of videos on YouTube, but the idea is to be able to DRINK the coffee, not just look at it.
It was worth it just for the experience - very good coffee, I grabbed a bag of 11ft ceiling for the road.
The interior is very pretty, with large windows, but the streets/alleys you need to walk down to get there leave a lot to be desired, but hey - it's not Blue Bottles fault, and I made it out alive.
The coffee here is AMAZING and really delicious!
I had a regular latte that had cute foam art. I was immediately converted.
It was really cool to watch the siphon coffee being made. If I had more time, I would have sat around and just watched them make pots and pots of it. Instead, I had to flee somewhere else to pick up some muffins for friends.
But next time, Blue Bottle, I will park myself by the bar and be endlessly fascinated with the siphon coffee and have some of your tasty offerings. I'll totally ignore the fashionable connoisseurs who will look down their noses at me because I'll be busy pressing my own nose against the glass to watch. :D Now all I need to do is find some time.
If only I can own my own siphon, I would. But for $20,000 a pop, I'd rather just settle and treat myself out.
If ever in the City, make sure you stop in and get to sip amazing and great drip coffee. It's all that.
Must try: Affogato.
Exam week open late til 11pm!
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