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Borderlands Café
Category: Food Coffee & Tea Coffee & Tea [Edit]
870 Valencia St(between Cunningham Pl & 20th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 970-6998
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 9 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Parking:
- Street
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
99 reviews for Borderlands Café
Review Highlights
"No wi-fi allows it a sense of contemplation and perusal..."
(in 17 reviews)
"The only down side is their hot chocolate."
(in 5 reviews)
"...features a gorgeous, restored wood floor and big tables."
(in 5 reviews)
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99 reviews in English
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Review from Elizabeth K.
Oakland, CA
12/18/2011
I'm reviewing because I just don't know how they can stay in business and I want them to. This is a serious work space, quiet, low music levels, good lighting, and customers (like me) who sit and sit and sit... I try to buy a muffin with my tea cause sometimes I'm with friends who don't buy anything, which is lame. If you come to work, buy something!
I like the fact that it doesn't have wifi. The chairs have some cushioning and there are also couches and reading chairs. The food menu is limited, the pastries are nothing special. the so-called pizza is lame. But I still love this place. I come in from Oakland just to get work done here. There is something monastic about the atmosphere that makes me really productive.
Four stars because the menu is so limited and bready. A bunch of bread products that aren't special. However, the North Shore plate(?)--mozzarella, grape tomato, olives, salami, and bread--is quite tasty. -
Review from Miles T.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 11/10/2011
A year later and no surprise that this cafe is doing well. I recently had one of their meat and cheese plates - it was excellent and fresh. The staff was helpful with suggesting it when I needed a savory snack, and as always they were SUPER polite (in an honest way, not that obsequious BS you get at the supermarket or Star*ucks).
Their menu is changing and growing and I love that they update it properly on the "big board" instead of just crossing out stuff or messily updating pricing.
Keep up the good work (and keep the bookstore alive if you can!)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/3/2010
SO excited that one of my favorite bookstores (Borderlands) now has a well-named cafe right next… Read more »
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Review from Monica S.
10/30/2011
I love this cafe. No wifi, its true, but the space is quirky and contemplative, full of comfortable nooks to read your book or one of the many periodicals stacked on the shelves.
Their snacks are perfect - the Ascetic Plate (fresh baguette, olive oil, vinegar, and olives) is our favorite. I will be honest and say the coffee is mediocre, but there are so many things to like about this place that this fact doesn't sway me. Their loose tea selection is good.
A great place to eavesdrop on conversations of literary/creative types. Last time I was here, a creative writing group was very seriously workshopping a zombie romance piece. -
Review from Luis C.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2012
I have to preface this with I do not like to write reviews because most places do not merit praise. But this place is an exception. What a jewel in sea of ordinary cafes that litter the Mission. The place is actually clean, well serviced and offer an array of things to eat that other cafes don't stock. They have a spicy Mexican hot chocolate!! Come on, even the Mexican restaurants don't have spicy Mexican hot chocolate!
I like the clean painted walls, the comfortable tables and sofas, the fact that they don't have wifi that attracts mind numbing doh-doh's to sit and stare at a screen all day. People are actually talking to each other when you walk in. Amazing, right? The place oozes with social atmosphere and people come in groups to enjoy each others company! Bring a date, bring your parents, bring your niece for a cup of hot chocolate. This is one of the few places in the Mission that I'm actually rooting for to make it. Oh yeah, and if you're lonely, just pick up a sci-fi novel in the adjacent bookstore!! LOVE this place!! -
Review from Stephen V.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Very nice atmosphere for working or reading on a couch or at a table. No Wi-fi. Great selection of magazines, which are free to use. Very nice staff.
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Review from Erich V.
Oakland, CA
1/28/2012 2 Check-ins Here
No wifi and no music makes the environment of this spacious coffe shop a good place to work or have a conversation.
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Review from Jordan P.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
A nice, spacious, quiet cafe. They had some interesting menu items like the salami plate. Their coffee is nothing to write home about. Compared to Ritual Roasters, which had a line down the block, this is a nice calm retreat to sit with friends, read, or get some work done.
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Review from Tofu A.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
Yesterday I found myself on Valencia Street in need of my afternoon coffee. Now, there are a lot of things I like about the Mission, but one thing I'll pass on is pretentiousness with my coffee. Hold the hipstertude, I take cream and sugar thank you. What's a Lower Haighter to do?
Well, I've found the refuge for us folks who need a coffee on Valencia Street. Borderlands Café is great. As a physical space, it's pleasant, light and comfortable. The staff couldn't be nicer, and oh yeah, the coffee was good too. -
Review from David V.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012
I've never seen anyone so concerned about a bagel.
A woman yelled, "poppy seed bagel with cream cheese!" loudly for a third time after receiving no response. She had the kind of worried look a mother has when they lose their child at the county fair. She emerged from behind the counter and paced the length of the cafe trying to recognize the person who had ordered the poppy seed bagel with cream cheese, but had no success and returned to her station looking more worried than ever. She consulted her colleagues and three different people were now involved in the situation. One of them, decidedly more cool and collected, once again announced in an unperturbed tone, "poppy seed bagel with cream cheese..." in stark contrast to the frantic tone that the original person was using.
Eventually, the woman who had ordered the poppy seed bagel with cream cheese heard their call and casually walked up to the counter completely unaware of all the trouble that the staff had gone through to get her attention.
The people who work here are all very good. They are nerds, which is no surprise because the place is attached to a science fiction bookstore. I've never seen such a concentration of nerds in one place in the Mission. These are real nerds too, not fake ones who like to call themselves nerds because they were thick framed glasses and read Foucault. Nerds don't read Foucault. They read Piers Anthony, and I'm sure the entire staff at this establishment is very very familiar with Piers Anthony. I felt a sort of camaraderie with the people working there because I too used to be a nerd. It's true that since then I've started reading things like Foucault and now sport thick framed glasses, but deep in my core I'm still a nerd, and proud to be so.
A quality that all these nerds share is a sense of duty to complete the task assigned to them, faithfully, throughly. These are virtues that were no doubt passed on to them by the heros and heroines of the books they read. In the context of a cafe it makes for a very considerate and helpful staff as the scene I retold at the beginning of this review demonstrates. These people actually give a shit. When you go to most cafes in the mission the staff, whether or not they are competent in their role, at the very least seem completely aloof and uninterested. This isn't the case at Borderlands, every single person working there that I observed this morning was without exception extremely dedicated. Personally, I don't care whether the staff is interested or not as long as they get me what I want, but I was still extremely impressed by the people working at Borderlands.
The atmosphere of the place is unique too. There is no music, which makes for less distraction (I'd be horrified to hear what these nerds listen to anyway...). There's also no wi-fi which avoids the annoying high-tech crowd that go to other cafes, like The Summit. Pretty much it's a place for people go to read, write or to enjoy quiet conversation with one another, and I think that's swell. Every time I've been there I've always found a place to sit, and there are a lot of couches which I've always preferred to chairs.
Highly recommended. -
Review from Shelly D.
Berkeley, CA
9/25/2011
This is and probably will always be my favorite cafe, _ever_. It has plenty of space, it's super quiet, and the chairs and sofas are so comfy! It doesn't have Wifi, so it's never busy. Their strawberry lemonade is delicious (and cheap!), and the people that work there are wonderful~ not only do they greet you with a smile, but they even offer me a cup of water for my walk back!
And the menu is fantastic, they have a wide range of food that will actually be enough for a meal if you so desire. I highly recommend the ascetic plate~ fresh baguette, quality olives, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and kosher salt. What more could you possibly ask for? -
Review from Brian L.
San Francisco, CA
7/17/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Finally! A coffeeshop where it is QUIET and you can READ and STUDY and do WORK in SILENCE!
Owned by the same folks at the bookstore next door, Borderlands is without a doubt the coffee shop for relaxed reading and quiet meditation.
Spacious interior with calming hardwood floors and high ceilings, Borderlands has half a dozen clean and comfy sofas as well as big wooden tables and free wifi. You know what it doesn't have? Music. You know what else it doesn't have? Jackasses braying at one another. I call it heaven.
They have nearly every magazine you can think of available for purchase or just free in-store reading. The coffee and espresso and tea is of course fabulous.
It is so frustrating that there are no other coffee shops where you can take your laptop and textbook and do schoolwork, or writing, or reading. Everywhere else is noisy and filled with obnoxious music and chatter.
Come on into Borderlands, turn your cellphone on vibrate, order a cup of coffee, pull up a desk or sofa, and use that thing floating in your skull for smart-making. -
Review from Meredith L.
San Francisco, CA
7/13/2011
I am in love with Borderlands Café. I don't even want to write this review because then more people will go.
So why do I love it?
1. No wi-fi. It means you can get work done without being distracted by the internet. (And I am powerless against the draw of endless news articles, Facebook, and streaming video.)
2. Practically bottomless tea. I normally get a pot of loose leaf tea when I first arrive and after I finish it off, they'll fill it up with more hot water for free.
3. They have tasty small plates of different cheeses, meats, olives, etc. which are perfect for snacking on as you write cover letters or as you read one of their bazillion different magazines.
4. Community feeling. The people at the counter have always been friendly, but respectful of your wish to work/read quietly. And if you find yourself sharing one of the tables with someone you don't know, it feels natural rather than uncomfortable. -
Review from Mario S.
Walnut Creek, CA
Updated - 9/1/2011 2 photos
I visited when Jessica Hahn-Taylor's work was up. Here is what I wrote in response to it with reference to the place.
I hear nothing in Jessica Hahn-Taylor's work.
No trains, no empty sighs, no adventure taken.
But you have to understand
Where I am coming, this man,
For whom a quiet life in desperation
Projects onto the pictures a glossiness
That cannot enfold the risk.
I am at a crossroads,
Almost crushed by Thoreau's words,
Can barely breathe,
This escape, my arm and head had given me.
Like the concussion I received,
The gift will be hoarded and then forgotten.
Like all the rest, where love's lost eyes have rolled inside,
I am the Nowhere Man,
At peace before a meal of vegetables
Touched but not for long.
In view of men, as it is assumed, it is the women who go off and do.
It is painful,
This arm and head cannot compare,
Where just today I heard:
"Women want a man whom they know
"Is desirable to other women,"
Not alone.
It seems in a shallow pool, I swim.
What little dreams, we act,
Pen in tablets or memoirs that sit in imaginary bookstores?
I am there.
My book, my easy chair, which is nothing but a wooden stool.
Always in a white room, with one window at best,
Cockroaches as pets.
I see Dostoevsky's Raskolnikov waiting for his landlady.
She never phones.
Instead, husky men, come at odd hours with guns.
I remain, somehow.
Breakfast is a slice of bread.
There is always water.
No, this train speaks of something more than what I've got.
The plate of dreams - my hand held out -
Is the easiest to clean?
No these dreams are not mine.
I fear heights.
My arm does not provide.
My head makes stars spin when I lay.
I see Bernd and Hilla Becher's water towers,
Inner city graffiti,
Train tracks,
And seemingly single men in smaller spots.
But, they are as desperate.
It comes to me why my mom is sick.
She is lonely and depressed.
These things kill her.
Not cigarettes or coffee.
What races the heart this much, but sadness?
I understand. I live it.
It is a simple question:
Do you stay alive in the same spot where you slept and woke?
You must have family
And friends,
Just in case they are willing to help.
Other than that there is no one.
I see Edward Kienholz's Sollie 17
Depicting a "Dingy hotel room
"Harboring an elderly man
"In underpants
"His face replaced by a framed photograph.
"In three poses,
"He Listlessly waits."*
Over and over again,
The lonely house on flat land,
The snow,
The fire in the kitchen,
My blanket and tea,
Correcting students' papers.
I have no one to love
Only my books,
Thoughts -
Hunger always growling.
The last time I had human touch,
It was my physical therapist,
Put her fingers in my shirt,
Pressed her hands into the open wound,
But, I did not cry.
I only wanted to.
She smiled amid the awkwardness,
Not knowing I smiled out of shyness.
My breath was bad.
I did not turn toward her.
Our conversation was like two boats,
I starboard, and she port.
One gives the green light and the other turns red.
Her ring was a give-away,
But I ignored it.
At the outset, she entered reception.
Speaking to a man in a walker,
Whose wife was not happy.
Kissing her life goodbye,
The woman was looking down the road,
Where marriage was a tangled vow.
In days, she would use Craigslist,
Wreck romance with a homeless man.
The hopeless road beneath a television
Was not what she had in mind.
Instead, it was me she found again.
Knowing the PT was off limits
I accepted this empty lady.
In a café, crudite and chai,
We talked about the last carrot.
I said I would give it to her.
(She smiled.)
It wasn't long before the transition,
And it was he who was homeless.
Old folks home for the middle aged.
All of us in a mid-life crisis.
I knew it wouldn't last.
It only takes one wrong word
For the guilty to flail.
She flapped her wings and pushed me out.
On the curb, as suburbia's pedestrian,
I got unfriendly glares,
And more loneliness.
The police would come there too
As if they could smell a leper from
A healthy glow.
No Burberry, no tux,
Just unwanted human flesh.
I don't know how it ended.
Like my concussion, one tends to forget.
My sister called it being "refreshed."
My mother toward the end
Repeated the question,
But no one wanted the answer.
*Taken from Oxford Dictionary of American Art and Artist, by Ann Lee Morgan, 2008, Oxford University Press.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/7/2011
I went off to eat before I came back, but this venue, especially given Sara Diamond's images is an… Read more »
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Review from Kitten M.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2011
I love Borderland Books. I wanted to support the new Cafe. I really enjoy the bright lay out, revolving artists, extensive menu, and wood furniture. The chocolate cream puffs are supper nummy if you can get them.
I do not like their counter help. They want to read more than they want to serve. The smile pretty but mutter "piss off" under their breath. It's not like I can't tell you are talking sweet to me but saying piss off and die Mister. I've tried twice to get past the attitude and yet I can't.
Today's tipper was the argumentative counter help that told me "most of the people that work at the coffee shop don't drink coffee". "Yikes" I say "that's kind of scary". He countered "No, not really I mean why would we? We are around it all day." Well mister you would want to drink the coffee to know that you are creating a great beverage. Which clearly since you do not drink coffee you are not educated enough to make coffee. I can say so because the coffee you made me was so bitter and thick it needed to be tossed out; which is what happened. Sadder still the coffee was "fresh". I know I must be wacky to want a coffee shop to serve I dunno good coffee? Why go to a restaurant where no one who makes the food, eats the food? IF no one who works there likes coffee maybe you should specialize in tea? Be a tea shop. Ditch the coffee. It's not nice to pretend.
Last time it was the mean dude with the evil crudities. I'm allergic to belladonnas. I mentioned it when I ordered the cut vegetable plate. They barked out my complete order and there on the plate was a fist of Bell Peppers. I had not touched the plate just gestured at it and I say "Oh I don't eat bell peppers" to the counter dude he barked "Well its illegal for me to take the plate back after I put it on the counter". WTF? That's news to me. I try and explain further my issue and he looks non pulsed and say NOT MY ISSUE and stomps off. Huh? Well in to the trash that goes. Yea wasted food and money. I heart you, you unfeeling bastard.
Please make these things better so I can patron your shop. I know the owners are good people and I want to support and like this place but I can't under these conditions. -
Review from Teicho S.
San Francisco, CA
8/15/2011
Love this place. Friendly staff and an incredible selection of teas. There's a hidden room in the back facing onto the Mission playground - lots of light and plenty of tables to spread out and read, work, or study. They don't have sandwiches, but the meat and cheese plates are basically the same thing and you can share it with however many people depending on the size you order.
The mochas tend to be on the caffeinated side, so if you want a quick sugar and caffeine boost just be forewarned! -
Review from Bobby D.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2011
Ok, these people had a plan when they opened, stuck to it, and did a great job. This place has a vision of being a community hub and succeeds. Ample comfortable seating, large common tables, and always friendly service.
And it is spotlessly clean! The got back to back 100's on the notoriously difficult SF Health Dept inspection. Did I mention it is clean? I mention this 'cause my infant daughter roams around in here all the time. And how many places do you go to in the Mission that are clean enough to eat off the floors? Seriously!, they are that finicky.
Their pastries rock, their coffee is always consistently good, their prices are reasonable, and I love that there is no wifi. They aren't Luddites here, you are perfectly welcome to bring your computer and work the day away. It is just nice to not feel wired in for a change.
Also, many events on a regular basis, and frequent tie ins to their sister store next door, Borderlands Books. -
Review from Inigo M.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2011
Gleaming wood floors clean enough to eat from;
Bright;
Spacious;
Best place in the Mission to get your serious read on.Listed in: SF Haunts
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Review from Nene D.
San Francisco, CA
6/22/2011
GREAT: Quiet
Good Coffee
Great snacks
Feels like your at home!
NOT SO GREAT: No wifi -
Review from Daryl W.
Brooklyn, NY
1/30/2011
A new favorite-kind staff, excellent lattes, and a quiet (wifi-free) environment. Big magazine collection, too...
Perusing the other reviews, I literally laughed out loud at the grumps who somehow had a bad experience. Good riddance! You'll probably love the Summit... -
Review from Ellie B.
9/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the look of this sunny, airy cafe. The staff were the friendliest and fast with our drinks.
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Review from Cooper S.
San Francisco, CA
9/11/2011
I love this place... it's like Nirvana when one wants some quiet, sunny space with some good coffee and bagel. The cute and witty employees put a smile on my face :)
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Review from Dylan A.
Brooks, CA
5/30/2011
OK, objectivity: there is no wifi and for however long you stay, you'll be cut off from your phone and all outside obligations. The good side: you'll be cut off from outside obligations, no one will be able to find you (unless they show up) while you lounge in the wooden tables and cosy velvet sofa's, reading foreign affairs, or bon appetit, goth or macrame magazines. Sunlight will spill down upon the pages and across your buttery croissant from a back window. As you sip gourmet espresso drinks, hairless cats will wander in from the adjoining sci-fi bookstore. The staff are friendly, flirtatious and approachable. Further they are bonafide bibliophiles who can be engaged in great conversations.
(le sigh) 'Tis a dreamy little niche in the mission. -
Review from marcie v.
San Francisco, CA
9/23/2011
If you are looking for a nice, quiet cafe, this is the place. Spacious, airy and sunny. Free magazines for customers to read too!
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Review from monica c.
Updated - 1/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
Another wonderfully relaxing trip to borderlands café. This time, the coffee was delightful. Small soy latté for just under $4. Deliciously frothed milk. Perfect temperature. I personally like mine a teeny bit stronger, but this is probably a great level for most.
The lighting here is fantastic. Even in the bathroom! A warm glow without being overly yellow or bright. It almost actually makes me happy to do work here...almost.
Service was friendly as ever. I love being greeted with an actual smile :)
I still might not make this my go to hangout-and-catch-up-with-friends place (it's suuuuper quiet, which is part of the charm), but it will definitely be high up on my list of chill, get-work-done spots.Listed in: work-appropriate cafés - sf
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/10/2010
A great place to get work done! Minimal music and noise. No wifi (on purpose). Awesome selection of… Read more »
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Review from Laura E.
Berkeley, CA
5/30/2011
I love a cafe where I can seat to do my work or reading for hours on end and not get the stink eye from the employees for staying too long.
The pastries are delicious and the coffee really good.
They have tons of magazines that you can read and return to the shelves. So nice!
There is no internet, but I like to be able to be in a comfy place where I can concentrate and ignore all my networked social obligations.
The staff are sweet and smart, and the overall vibe is completely unpretentious.
Yes, unpretentious in the heart of the mission.
Sounds like a dream, but it is true. -
Review from meredith b.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2011
I love that there is no wifi. There are enough places to not have wifi. Also, precaution: there is terrible cel service (all carriers) as well- good for quiet, but you'll miss calls.
I find their drinks excellent. The cappuccino and latés are much more traditional, and not the 'just fill it up with milk and make it huge' that starbucks popularized.
They also have good snacks, and let you read the magazines if you're careful. and they have great magazines! -
Review from Amy S.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2010
I love Borderlands because it has no wifi, so I can actually get work done. It's also usually fairly quiet, and no music playing either. The place has plenty of tables and outlets, as well as couches and tons of magazines.
My only complaint is that I wish any of the baristas actually new how to make a latte or cappuccino. -
Review from Analisa S.
Berkeley, CA
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cool little spot to grab a tea and read with your headphones. Its quiet, clean and bright. (And conveniently located across the Phoenix so you can grab a beer after you're done reading.
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Review from Annika L.
12/12/2010
Out of all the options in the area, I see no point in coming here.
They seem to be attracting students looking for a quiet place to study. They have a library, large tables, and the music was off.
However if you're going to invest in the coffee side of your coffee/reading lounge, you need to know how to make a coffee.
I ordered a capp for here (nearly $4). I suspect the person who helped me and made the drink was either management or owner. I retrieved my scorching hot drink. It was a parched espresso shot beneath a layer of stiff bubbly foam. So bubbly it resembled dishwater. Overall undrinkable. -
Review from Travis S.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2010
I walked in. I ordered a chai latte from unfriendly dudette. A few moments later, dude called out "chai latte." I brought it to the table and drank it. It was a latte - an espresso latte. Though I looked for it, the chai was not to be found anywhere amid the espresso...
So I sat there and pondered my next move. It actually was a dilemma. For one thing, the dude who made the drink had called it a chai latte. I could only come up with two options: either he was bored and on autopilot (likely) or I had actually stepped into an alternate universe where chai tasted like espresso and espresso tasted like chai (admittedly less likely). In the end I decided to write the drink off like an ill-fated subprime mortgage.
In their defense it was a delicious latte, thus the second star. -
Review from Becky H.
San Francisco, CA
I walk past 20 other coffee shops, including 4 Barrel and Ritual, to go to Borderlands Cafe. They have the best steamed milk drinks ever! Mocha, Latte, Cappuccino, Hot Chocolate etc.
There are also giant tables, real live plants, pleasant lighting and a great magazine news stand.
Also FOOD. Veggies and dip, cheese and salamis, and pastries.
If you really need Internet you should bring your own with you.
My only gripe is that they aren't open a little later. Not that I have tried more than 2x to go there after 9pm but dammit I want to! -
Review from DeathandFood b.
San Francisco, CA
6/15/2010
Love that in cafe run by a bookstore there is no wi-fi and this techno geek wouldn't have it any other way. The space is huge, the couches and seat are comfy, the counter people are actually friendly which is a miracle in this city of too cool for school mission baristas. The selection of mags in easy to browse and it's the perfect place to read the book you just got next door at the bookstore.
Did I mention the cute geeky folks behind the counter. let's mention them again. -
Review from michael d.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2011
best place ever to have a cup of coffee or such and sit and read. they also have lots and lots of magazines you can brows and read while you hang out.
the couches and table very comfy
and delicious large plates of bread and cheese / salami / olives etc -
Review from Bergamot L.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2010
Like many fans of the attached bookstore, I waited a long time for this cafe to open. And now that it is open, I have become a fan of the cafe, as well. Which is not to say that my review should be discounted because of bias.
The No Wi-Fi policy is a refreshing concept. I like the good intent behind it --- originally, the cafe founders wanted to create a community spirit. Certainly, the cafe loses customers because of the policy. But I've seen many customers still show up with their laptops. While the intent of the policy may have been a bit high-minded --- for example, I like the tabletop signs that politely suggest we all have a neighborly attitude, but let's get real: I've encountered customers sitting at the communal tables who don't exactly have the community spirit --- the No Wi-Fi policy proves that this cafe is still legitimate, and perhaps even moreso than others. Like me, people still go to Borderlands with their laptops, if only to do work without the distraction of going on the internet.
As of this writing, the owners are still posting an apology at the cash register in regards to their "slow" service. I am amused. No, the service is not a rapid as what you get at Starbucks, but then again, THIS IS NOT STARBUCKS. This is a locally-owned small business with a community spirit at its core. Folks who come here looking for a quick fix will be sorely disappointed. This is a place where community and commercialism blend harmoniously. This is a place where you can read a novel, write the Great American Novel, and not feel out of place. This place is the real deal.
Notes
Borderlands Cafe takes debit and charge cards.
The pastry selections are revolving and limited. Generally, the pickings thin out by late afternoon.
I highly recommend their meat and cheese plate, which is their substitute for selling sandwiches. If you are a vegetarian, they have an equivalent plate, which I have not tried, but I have spied and it looks as appetizing as its meat counterpart.
There are many places to sit, but weekends are busiest.
The cafe is sometimes closed for private events, but a sign will be posted to let you know.
Occasionally, the cafe remains open for special events, like one weekend when the bookstore had a sidewalk sale. Sometimes, board gamers come into the store and take up one or two tables. I have seen a book club or two meet here as well. Generally, expect lively traffic on the weekends. -
Review from kate s.
New York, NY
9/24/2010
I really like the people who work here, the coffee (with the agave nectar available), and the atmosphere. The reason I even walked in here with my boyfriend is because the guy working behind the counter (whose name I never got) had waved to us from afar. It was so nice to be greeted that way, that we decided to go inside and get a bagel and coffee. The people who work here are super friendly and it's a nice relaxing spot.
I even thought it was neat how all the plants have individual names! Too cute :) -
Review from Jeanne Y.
4/29/2010
When I first walked by this coffee shop, two things caught my eye: how brightly lit it was, and, on the glass outside, the words "no wi-fi." Let me explain how these two things were the reasons why I decided to trek into the Mission to study.
First, I can't stand it when I go into a coffee shop to study but there is barely enough lighting to see my books. When I study, I like it brightly lit so I'm not straining to read; I have more than enough strain from reading my books in the first place to really want to have to worry about being able to read it in the first place. I sat on the couch next to the windows in the back of the cafe, and it was nice to have a large coffee table to spread my study materials out on (I felt kind of bad with 30 some odd flash cards spread willy-nilly everywhere . . . :D). I take up a lot of space when I study, and there are plenty of tables in this cafe to do that. I saw plenty of other people studying or reading or doing work, as well.
Second, the "no wi-fi" may be a deterrent to many people in this internet-driven world, but it was actually kind of refreshing. Like many of my fellow students who are perpetually plugged into our cyber worlds (see number of yelpers who are students), it's rare that we're ever really able to unplug and study without the internet bouncing back and forth in front of us like an unruly child tempting us with fun sites (like Yelp!). Thus when I found a place I could go without having to worry about being tempted to check my email, I had to go.
And I found that I REALLY like it here! Aside from the brightly lit area to be used for studying, the barista is friendly, and there isn't annoying music blasting in the background. People generally mind their own business, but you can see that everyone is comfortable and smiles at one another. I like that. People should smile more.
The coffee itself-- I can't say. I had a latte. It was normal, I suppose. Nothing spectacular, but I am not really a coffee person. I'm more of a tea person-- next time I go I'll try the tea instead, I think. Just to mix things up.
EDIT: I forgot to mention-- I LOVE the range of their magazine collection! I was distracted a few times by the magazines. Art, science, fashion, etc. Everything and anything. I love it. -
Review from Laura K.
San Francisco, CA
5/31/2010
This is my new favorite neighborhood coffee shop. Mind you, it's not for everyone.
I like that there's no Wi Fi -- it really feels like a place you can come to read, play a board game or even get to know your fellow patrons. And if that's not your cup of tea, there are at least half a dozen coffee shops within two blocks that can cater to those wanting Wi Fi.
The staff was very friendly and the I loved the open air feel of the cafe. It's unpretentious and welcoming in every way.
Those positive points aside, this is a cafe that is being run by a bookstore, not anyone with experience in the food industry, and thusly seems to still need a bit of refining in terms of it's food and beverage operation if they want to stick around.
* Nearly everything takes at least 5 - 15 minutes to be prepared -- from coffee to a snack plate, be prepared to wait. They don't appear to do any mise-en-place or food prep.
* Staff, while very friendly, doesn't seem to have experience running a cafe. More than one customer didn't pay because the staff was too scattered to get to the register while juggling 5 other balls. They are at times understaffed and then overstaffed, with an ill-defined process for moving customers through the line.
* If there is a line (more than 2 people waiting to order), expect there to be a disproportionately long wait to even put an order in.
Having stated all these negatives, I still really like this cafe. I sincerely hope that they build some process into their system (possible hire someone who has worked in the industry who can help streamline their operation) because I want to see them succeed! -
Review from Nadya K.
San Francisco, CA
5/7/2010
Dear god I love this place. It's my new library/living room/kitchen.
I have spent at least two hours here every day for the last two weeks. I'm not kidding. I have an excuse: I am a first year law student in finals, and I can't study at school (too much crazy nervous energy) or at home (where I can play on the internet or garden or etc.)
Here's why this place is the best cafe ever:
1. The people are fantastic. The owner likes feedback. He thanks me for being a good customer. The baristas are (almost all) sweet and POLITE (that should be worth two stars on its own in the Mission). And it's true, they don't kick you at right at 9 pm. I like going to a place that wants to be open, but also wants its employees to get out when they are supposed to get out.
2. The coffee is delicious and always fresh, since they don't make huge pots and leave it to sit around for hours. Also, where else can you get a delicious cup of coffee for $1.10?!
3. It is a perfect environment for anything except surfing the internet. It is comfortable for chatting or reading and, as other reviewers have mentioned, it is perfect for studying. Big tables, brightly lit without fluorescent, lots of sockets, and everyone shares space nicely.
4. Yummy food! I love the North Beach and the Crudite (they use REALLY good olive oil), but what's even better is that the pastries are discounted in the afternoon.
5. They introduced me to the Arnold Palmer. How did I not know the delight of lemonade and iced tea mixed together? So sad. -
Review from Lee D.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2010
This review focuses on Borderlands Cafe's hot chocolate (I'm making a Hot Hot Chocolate list)
Whoa, amazing hot chocolate. So creamy and rich. You can tell they are very skilled in steaming milk and understand milk/chocolate ratios. I'm obsessed with hot chocolate and this place offers one amazing cup! -
Review from ellen s.
San Francisco, CA
8/24/2010
I, too, walk past other well-known mission coffee institutions to go to borderlands. i love the fact that in a 'hood that can often be riddled with pretentious hipsters, there is a cafe with awesome coffee (intelligentsia), big tables, and nice staff.
no internet means people are willing to interact with one another and i'm less distracted when trying to get my writing done.
my two wishes for this place would be: later hours (but that's my wish for pretty much EVERYWHERE in sf) and outside seating, but overall a great addition to the neighborhood.
